What to Expect
Travelers should be physically prepared to climb up to 5200m in altitude which can be a difficult task for inexperienced hikers who are short on time and want to see it all in a day. It is recommended travellers take longer tours to acclimatize and to also visit other destinations like the Ausangate mountain, local communities, and to take a moment to appreciate the wildlife in order to get the best out of the trip. Make sure that you spend at least a couple of days acclimatizing in Cusco if you do plan to do this trip in one day.
The higher elevation also means colder, nearly freezing temperatures, so be prepared. If you decide to take a one-day tour, make sure to wear very warm clothes. Also bring coca leaves to fight off altitude sickness and pack lightly to ease the hike. There is also a chance that you’ll meet many groups of tourists by the time you arrive at the mountain, which can be some time before noon. The one -day excursion will have you back in time for dinner at around 5pm.
You Have to Take A Tour From Cusco…
Previously, the standard tour to reach Rainbow Mountain involved a long early morning bus ride from Cusco and then 15 kms round-trip trek. However, with a rudimentary new road now carved into the hillside (specifically for tour buses – no other traffic would have visited before), the actual ‘hike’ portion is now a much shorter round-trip distance of about 7 km. However, the early morning bus ride remains! Although some tours may leave earlier or later, the standard day trip to Rainbow Mountain will involve the following:
General itinerary
- Hostel pick-up between 4 a.m. – 5 a.m.
- Drive for two hours
- Breakfast stop for 30-45 mins
- Drive for 1.5 hours to Rainbow Mountain car park
- Walk along trail to the mirador / viewpoint (1.5 – 2 hours)
- Stay at viewpoint for 30 minutes
- Walk trail back to tour bus (1 hour)
- Drive for 1.5 hours and have a lunch stop
- Drive back to Cusco.
As you can see, it’s a long day with the majority of time spent driving to / from the mountain (although this is through some lovely Peruvian countryside scenes). Tours leaving earlier in the morning – like this one – are less common but will provide you with the best opportunity to skip the enormous crowds that gather later in the day. Unless you have your own wheels, it really is not worth trying to do Rainbow Mountain independently as the transport connections required are too few and too unreliable for it to make any sense, practically.
The Rainbow Mountain is located in the Vilcanota range, also home to the majestic Apu Ausangate. The minerals in the Rainbow Mountain caused the sandstones to acquire a red rust-like colour that contrasts the yellow, deep red and turquoise stripes, caused by the presence of other minerals combining with the extreme weather conditions. A true geological wonder. Rainbow Mountain was once covered in glaciers that melted due to global warming, thus its recent touristic discovery.
Getting to the top of the Rainbow Mountain involves a steep hike that are extremely challenging for individuals who are not fully acclimatized to the altitude. It’s recommended you spend at least a couple of days in Cusco prior to the excursion. Tours leave Cusco bright and early leaves Cusco by bus at 5 AM and arrives 3 hours later at the town of Quesiuno situated at the bottom of the mountain. From here we will hike for five hours with a lunch stop along the way. It sounds easy, but it’s actually so difficult due to the high elevation and local people rent horses to take you and your gear up the mountain.
One day tour or Ausangate and rainbow Mountain (5-day)?
Private tours can also take six days because, aside from visiting the Rainbow Mountain, you get to hike around the Ausangate Mountain, one of the Incas’ most sacred mountains. In those six days of the Ausangate trek, you can see ice caverns, the mountain’s glaciers, and lesser-visited Andean landscapes with crystal-clear lagoons. You also get to experience the life of the native people who are llama herders, visit ancient hot springs and see animals such as condors, foxes, and vicuñas. Whether you choose the full-day trip to the Rainbow Mountain or the six-day adventure or visiting the Ausangate mountain range, you will be visiting a cosmic Andean world, mostly unexplored that will be an incredible addition to anyone’s bucket list.
Find out more here about the Rainbow Mountain Trek!
