Whenever anyone asked me where I most wanted to visit in South America, I’d close my eyes, and this spot would appear in my mind. Rainbow Mountain, also known as the Montaña de 7 Colores, Vinicunca, or Winikunka, is one of the most visited sites in Perú, second only to Machu Picchu. The mountain gets its stunning coloration from a high concentration of copper and iron, and it’s one of many colorful mountains in Perú including Palccoyo and Iliqllapunchu. 

What is Rainbow Mountain, the Montaña de 7 Colores?

In recent years, the mountain has become extremely popular with tourists, and hordes of tour groups will visit the area, leading to long lines and an overcrowded trail. To avoid this, I highly recommend taking an afternoon excursion. I went with the wonderful company Peru Private Tours, and it was my favorite tour in Cusco to date. 

What’s the distance and elevation of the hike?

Rainbow Mountain sits at a dizzying altitude of more than 17,000 ft or 5,200 meters. The hike takes about 1.5 hours (three hours roundtrip) and is fairly straightforward technical-wise. However, what’s difficult about this route is the altitude. Please do not attempt this hike until you are well acclimated to the Andean climate. On my tour, there was a young woman (who was in great shape) who had just arrived from Louisiana, and her body did not have time to adjust. She had to stop multiple times to receive oxygen from our guide and was unable to make it to the final summit.

My guide Nayda and I also met some very fit Colombian men who tried (and failed) to race us to the top, but were struggling after not properly acclimating. Remember, Cusco sits at a height of around 11,000 ft. or 3,399 meters above sea level. Meanwhile, at 16,522 ft or 5,036 m, the trail to Rainbow Mountain is the highest place I’ve ever hiked. Although I was well acclimated, I could definitely feel the difference in my breathing at the steepest part of the trail. Don’t let this deter you, but please make sure you’ve acclimated a few days before doing this route. 

How do you get there?

The trailhead for Rainbow Mountain is about 3.5 hours from Cusco. Most tour groups will take you in vans or shuttle buses, stopping along the way for breakfast. Alternatively, you could stay in a smaller town that is closer to the mountain, like Cusipata or Checacupe, and leave from there. That’s the option I might recommend if you are driving on your own. To reach Cusipata, you can hire a taxi or take a bus from the Closed Colosseum on Huayruropata Avenue for around 5 soles (~$1.50). The trip takes approximately two hours. From Cusipata, you can take a colectivo bus to the Phulawasipata community where you will buy your tickets to enter the mountain. That trip takes about an hour and costs 10 soles.

Do you need a reservation?

You will need to buy a ticket to enter the mountain. Tickets cannot be reserved online, and the only way to get one is to travel to the control booth in the community of Phulawasipata. The ticket price is 15 soles ($4) for Peruvian nationals and 25-30 soles ($7-8) for foreign tourists. You can also reserve a horse to take you to the top of the mountain for about 70 soles one-way or 90 soles round-trip. 

What to pack

• Passport or identity document 
• Cash to enter the mountain
  • Bring a little extra if you want to visit the Red Valley, which is an excellent adjoining hike that has much fewer people. 
  • Bring emergency funds to take a horse in case you get fatigued from the altitude. 
  • You may want to have enough money for lunch, dinner, or snacks if it’s not included in your tour.
• Coca leaves/ coca tea/ muña tea to help with the elevation and altitude sickness (many tour operators will provide this.)
• A warm jacket, hat, and gloves (the wind picks up and gets cold at the top.)
• Sturdy shoes with a grip (I used my trail runners, and they worked well.)
• Bottle of water or camelback. I would bring at least 1.5 liters of water.
• A rain jacket/ windbreaker in case the weather turns
• Hiking poles/ walking sticks (not needed but helpful)
• Travel insurance (recommended but not required)
• First aid kit with moleskin or bandaids for blisters
• Comfortable clothes and layers you can move in
• Hiking snacks, such as nuts, fruit, or trail mix
• Any personal medications you may need
• Small daypack to carry your things
• Hand sanitizer and toilet paper
• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• Sun hat

When to go

It’s best to visit during the dry season, from April to October. During the rainy season, from November to March, river precipitation and weather can cause the mountain to be covered with snow, making it difficult to see the colors. 

Typical Itinerary

A typical itinerary goes like this: wake up and leave Cusco around 3-4 am, have breakfast, and then fight the hordes of other tour groups to make it up the mountain and snap photos for social media. I would highly recommend not doing this. What you should do instead is go by yourself, hire a private, local driver, or go with an afternoon tour group. Although this costs more than the average tour group, it’s well worth it to take your time and see more of the mountain. If you can’t afford to do this, (the afternoon tour costs $89 instead of $40) I would recommend finding a tour that also lets you hike the Red Valley. That way, you will be able to see more of the mountain with fewer people. Or you can go the bus route and stay in Cusipata for a night instead of Cusco, which could save you money depending on lodging costs. 

Here’s my itinerary with Peru Private Tours:

• Hotel pickup around 8:30 a.m.
• We drove two hours to a restaurant where we had a bathroom break. Nayda, our excellent guide, told us the history of the small towns we drove through and gave us an overview of our hike.
• We arrived at the trailhead around 11 a.m. We watched as all the other tour groups were coming back to the parking lot, preparing to leave the mountain as they had already finished their hike. There were dozens of vans and buses when we arrived, and when we left, there were only two or three.
• We began the hike at about 4,800 m or 15,748 ft. We followed a gently sloping path with views of Mount Ausangate in the distance. Beside the path was another route for horses. The last 30 minutes of the path were pretty steep, and we had to take it slow due to the altitude. 
• At the top, before the very final summit, there were bathrooms and locals selling snacks and drinks. Nayda, our guide, gave us hot coca tea to help with the altitude, and we ate a few snacks before summiting the very top at 5,036 m or 16,522 ft. 
• Nayda and I were two of the few people at the top when we arrived around 1 p.m. We had plenty of time to take in the magnificent 360 degrees views and snap photos. We headed back to the trailhead with plenty of time to spare.
• We drove back to the restaurant where we had stopped to use the bathroom that morning and ate a Peruvian meal with three different options. 
• We arrived back in Cusco and were dropped off at our hotels much earlier than expected, around 6 p.m. 

Tour operators 

There are dozens of tour agencies who will take you to Rainbow Mountain in Cusco. However, I only know of one operator who offers an afternoon tour: Peru Private Tours. I had a great experience with this agency. Booking was easy and communication with Abigail, my agent, was very smooth. Our guide, Nayda, was extremely knowledgeable about the region and gave us fascinating facts about the small towns we drove through on the way. She made sure we were safe and had oxygen or a horse if we needed. Gary, our driver, was professional and got us back to Cusco two hours earlier than anticipated. Snacks were provided, and the buffet lunch was tasty. I would definitely recommend this tour over others. Rather than have to fight against crowds, we got to see Vinicunca Mountain with hardly any people around. The agency also has a commitment to social responsibility and plants a tree for every excursion you book with them. 

What the tour provided:

• Professional guide, trained in first aid and carrying an oxygen tank.
• Tourist transportation with a professional driver.
• Drinking water and hot coca tea.
• Peruvian lunch with three options.
• Snacks and energy bars.
• Hotel pick-up & drop off.

Alternative routes and options

• Ausangate Trek to Rainbow Mountain
  • Length: 70 km or 43 miles. 4 to 5 days. 
  • Starting/finishing point – Tinqui (Tinki). 
  • Average altitude – over 4000m/ 13,123 ft. 
  • Highest points–Arapa Pass: 4850m/ 16,000 ft; Palomani Pass: 5,165m/ 17,000 ft.
  • This is one of the most famous treks in Peru, second to only the Inca Trail and Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, however fewer people choose it. 

• Rainbow Mountain with Red Valley extension
  • Only several 100 meters from Rainbow Mountain lies the Red Valley, which offers more spectacular coloration with fewer people.
  • This route takes you back to the parking lot where you started by a longer, alternative route, adding another 2.5 hours to your original 2.5-hour hike. 
  • Fees for the Red Valley are around 20 soles, which you’ll pay at the entrance and exit of the trail. 
  • I would definitely recommend this detour if you have extra time or don’t take an afternoon tour. 

• Palccoyo Mountain (the other Rainbow Mountain)
  • Due to the recent explosion of tour groups going to Rainbow Mountain, many visitors are opting for the shorter, less visited trek to Palccoyo Mountain, another mountain with rainbow colors near Cusco. 
  • At Palccoyo, you will see a total of three mountains, while at Vinicunca, you’ll see only one.
  • At 4,900 meters, or 16,076 ft, it’s slightly lower in elevation than Rainbow Mountain. 
  • The hike takes 1.5 hours round trip, about half the time of the Rainbow Mountain hike. 

Overall, this was one of my favorite excursions in Cusco due to the relaxed pace of the tour. Other tours leave Cusco at 4 a.m. and are filled with crowds of people taking tons of photos. I enjoyed this tour because we had the route to ourselves, got to chat with local Peruvians at the top of the mountain, and drank coca tea calmly while taking in the heart-stirring views of Rainbow Mountain and Ausangate Mountain in the distance. With more time, I would definitely want to do the Ausangate Trek, but this was just the right amount of effort for a memorable day trip. For more day trips from Cusco, visit here.