Rainbow Mountain in Perú

Peru is one of the greatest destinations you can choose for your next trip, and we are sure you will find thousands of reasons to take this decision, one of then we are sure is Machu Picchu in Cusco and around 6 years ago one of these reasons also is the seven colors mountain or Rainbow mountain, also known as Vinincunca, that we can say for today is the second more important attraction of Cusco. For that reason, from our experience as a local operator, we bring this post whit all the information you need.

Where is located Rainbow Mountain in Perú and how far is it?

This amazing landscape is located 100 km from Cusco, specifically between the farmers communities of Panpachiri and Chillihuani, both located in the district of Pitumarca of the province of Canchis. For today all these protected areas have around 15026 hectares located over 17000 feet about the sea level.

How To Get The Rainbow Mountain:

For many people, the trail to the Rainbow mountain represents a very important challenge because of the altitude where it is located (17000 ft) and although is possible to make this route by yourself, due to its difficult geography and its distant location, we recommend taking the services of a formal travel agency, and you have the next options:

Regular group tour:

This regular group service starts its service programming pickups between 4 and 5 in the morning, usually, whit groups of 20 people per car and whit only one guide, are included also the meals of the day and the drop off is programmed in a specific place of the city center.

Private Tour:

In this kind of service, you have the transportation and guide to your disposition, whit the recommendations you will get in a previous briefing, you can choose a specific hour to leave. Walk in the mountain to your own pace and have enough time to enjoy of the fantastic landscapes, and take all the pictures you want to remember this day

Premium group tour whit Wayraq Peru

Our premium group service is the best option you can take, we pick you up only between 4:40 and 5:00 in the morning to you have a better night. Our groups are small and we don´t have more than 11 or 16 people in our groups depending of the kind of car we use, and whit the top quantity (16 people) we use an extra assistant guide making better management of all the group. We include also the meals in the best restaurants of the route we continually test to give you the best service, and finally, we complement our activity whit oxygen kids for our guides in the route, and another onboard the car, first aid kids, thermal blankets and technical walking sticks to help you whit the trekking.

Full day ATV service to the Rainbow Mountain

The full-day ATV service to the rainbow mountain use an old way to the mountain by the route of the town Pitumarca indifference to the normal route that uses the route of Cusipata, making an amazing activity onboard these vehicles, also in small groups and whit all the safety equipment you need including of course also the meals. It is a perfect option for people who don’t want to walk a lot.

WARNING:

How to choose a good travel agency for your trip and why don’t take the cheapest services offer in Cusco:

The rainbow mountain trek is one of the most commercial services in Cusco and is possible to find prices between 18.00 USD and 400.00 USD dollars per passenger, but how to choose or identified a good company, here you can find some characteristics you have to take in count in the moment to choose a company:

Our first tip is don’t take services that cost under 20.00 USD, because whit this cost is impossible to offer quality and comfort and we are sure you will have a real but experience.
One of the characteristics of a good company is the operation of small groups, one guide whit 20 people make everything very difficult even for the most experienced. From a group of 14 passengers, we recommend having an extra guide whit the objective of keeping the group together and safe.
The type of vehicle the company will use is going to be a very important part of your experience, due to the kind of route we have in face (long, part unpaved and whit cold weather) a too cheap service will offer to you a car of 8 or 10 years old. We recommend for this service a car whit no more off 3 ore 4 years old.
According to our experience, the best restaurants we can find on the way to the rainbow mountain are only 3, La Montana, Ausangate house and Ayasqa, try to your company use one of them for your service.

Price of the Ticket for the Rainbow Mountain in Peru

Usually, the tickets you need to access the attraction are not included in the rate of your tour. You have to know that you pay 2 tickets:

Right of way: 10 soles (around 3 dollars)
Entrance ticket: 20 Soles (around 5 dollars)

Check the weather forecast before deciding the date of your visit?

The difficult geography we have in Cusco makes the weather unpredictable and even the internet forecast many times have wrongs making the predictions. Remember that even in the valley of Cusco is possible to see rain and sun at the same time. Mark a date for your visit and face the adventure.

Short description of the rainbow mountain trail

To arrive at the Rainbow Mountain necessarily you have to follow a full-day itinerary that starts usually between 4 and 5 in the morning, continues by car for around 3 hours to arrive at the starting point of the hiking, and start finally start to walk.

Usually, to start the activity, the guide starts giving to the passengers all the information they need, and you start to walk whit the amazing route surrounded by snow mountains along an almost flat route whit a slight slope that continues in this way for the nest 3 kilometers, until quite arrive at the same attraction, in this point the path stars to take a steep incline for the next kilometer, but after all the effort finally, you arrive at the first viewpoint and the landscapes become even more beautiful in the company of the same Rainbow mountain.

After you take enough time to rest and breathe, maybe would you like to walk a little more and arrive at the second viewpoint of the attraction from where is possible to see all the beauty of the Rainbow mountain and all the magnificent landscapes that surround this place.

After around 1 hour everybody come back by the same way arriving to Cusco around 5 or 6 in the afternoon

What to Expect to see

The beauty of all this route and its main attraction is undeniable, this adventure is something you will never forget, not for nothing is the second most important destination of Cusco after Machu Picchu, and also for that reason we don’t understand why many people exaggerate the colors of this place in the different publications and give to the passengers an unreal perspective of this amazon place

The real Rainbow mountain in Perú

In the next picture is going to be possible to see the difference between a real picture of the rainbow mountain and a bat an exaggerated edition.

Edited Picture of the Rainbow Mountain
Unedited picture of the rainbow mountain

Why is the rain

bow mountain Perú color full?

The rainbow mountain is composed by different minerals that give to the place its characteristic colors:

Pink or fuchsia: it is because of the red clay, fangolitas (mud) and arilitas (sand). The whitish, by the white quartz sandstone.
Off-white: quartz sand and limestone.
Purple or Lavender: mixture of clay with sodium carbonate and silicates.
Red: Clays and argitites
Green: clays rich in ferromagnesium and finally copper.
Yellowish-brown: calcareous sandstones, limonites, and sulfur minerals. by limonites and marls, rich in calcium carbonate.

Things you have to know before visiting the Rainbow Mountain

Before start whit your adventure to the rainbow Mountain, please take into count the next information we have for you:

About The elevation of the Rainbow Mountain of Perú and the altitude sickness.

The elevations or altitude is going to be something you really have to take into account when you will start whit the rainbow mountain tour, along the route you’ll be in Cusco at 10990 feet, the town of Cusipata at 12300 feet about the sea level, in the starting point of the hiking at 15745 feet. And finally, in the same rainbow mountain over the 17000 feet about the sea level. So, what to do to prevent the altitude sickness? Follow our next recommendations:

Leave your rainbow mountain tour for the last day of your stay in Cusco, it will allow your body will be climatized and have a better condition to face this day.
Heavy meals and alcoholic beverages are something you have to avoid.
Always being hydrated is important, remember to take a lot of water before, in, and after your adventure.
Drinking coca tea is also a good idea for this day, the local people sell this drink in the parking and the first view of the mountain.

Do you need more specific information click here

Things You have to bring

To have a good adventure is important to prepare everything you need for this day.

Backpack day: prepare a small backpack whit the most important thing you need, for example, medicines you need, water, some cookies, your camera sunglasses, or also an extra t-shirt you can change after you finish all the rainbow mountain trail.
Trekking boots are necessary because of the kind of grounds of the road.
A warm jacket: use a cotton t-shirt and over that one ore a couple of sweaters
Hat and Sun cream: Use them is really important, remember, at this altitude the radiation levels are really high
Sunglasses: They are going to help your whit he excessive sun glare, wind, and dust.
Waterproof poncho: As we describe in this post, the weather is unpredictable.
In general, comfortable dressing: Remember you are going to make outdoor activity, the comfort of your dressing is important

The red valley

Maybe if you feel your physical conditions are the best, you can take also an extra trek to come back from the rainbow mountain, it takes an alternative route by the valley behind that is completely red along its 6 kilometers. Ask for Our rainbow mountain + Red Valley Tour.

Another similar attraction to the rainbow mountain in the region of Cusco

The rainbow mountain in Cusco is an incredible place, but could you believe us if we tell you about other 2 similar places in Cusco you can visit to?

Palccoyo:

Palccoyo is a group of 03 mountains that are really similar to the Vinincunca mountain, also surrounded of amazing landscapes but located only at 16000 feet above sea level. The place is composed also by a stone forest and a red river in the rainy season. It is a very good option for everybody who doesn’t want to walk a lot.

Pallay Punchu

Pallay Punchu is a rock mountain similar to the Vinincunca mountain located at 15400 feet about the sea level at 194 kilometers or 120 miles from Cusco, is not a common touristic attraction really a few people know.

Take you a picture whit the local people and their traditional color full dresses

When you finally arrive at rainbow mountain please don’t forget to take you a picture whit the lamas, alpacas and also whit the local people that work in this place offering this service using their traditional dresses, don’t forget that a couple of dollars for they are really helpfully.