Ausangate 7 Lakes Tour from Cusco
$46 Full Day
Overview
5,036 m
Highest point
90 min
Uphill on foot
4:30 AM
Pickup in Cusco
12 to 14
Hours in total
Vinicunca is a striped ridge in the Cordillera Vilcanota, about three hours by road south east of Cusco and then ninety minutes on foot. The stripes are bands of sedimentary rock, tilted on edge when the Andes rose. Each layer is coloured by its own minerals. Red is iron oxide. Green is chlorite. Yellow is limonite. White is calcium carbonate.
Until the early 2010s nobody came here, because there was nothing to see. The ridge was under permanent snow and ice. As that cover retreated the stripes emerged, and by 2016 the first buses were arriving from Cusco. Within two years it was the most visited site in the region after Machu Picchu.
You will see it called Vinicunca, Winikunka, Montaña de Siete Colores, the Mountain of Seven Colours and Rainbow Mountain. They are all one place. This page uses Vinicunca for the mountain and Rainbow Mountain for the tour, because that is what people search for.
The viewpoint sits at 5,036 metres. For almost everyone who visits, that is the highest point they will ever have stood on. It is worth saying plainly at the top of the page rather than in a footnote.
This is the hardest day trip we run, and it is not close.
Ninety minutes of steady uphill at over 4,700 metres, finishing above 5,000. Fit people who have acclimatised find it hard and worth it. People who arrived in Cusco yesterday find it miserable, and some do not reach the top. Our honest guide to whether it is worth it goes through this at length.
Best Time to Go on Rainbow Mountain Tour from Cusco
Vinicunca is the one day trip we run that stands or falls on the sky. Pick the month before you pick anything else.
Green is the season we recommend
Red is when departures are limited
May to September
Best
What to expect
Dry, clear mornings, cold at the top
Our view
The season. The stripes need light, and this is when they get it.
April and October
What to expect
Shoulder. Some cloud, occasional rain
Our view
Reasonable odds. Go early and photograph before the cloud builds.
November to March
What to expect
Rain, snow on the ridge, cloud on the face
Our view
Limited departures. Snow covers the colours, which is the one thing you came for.
i
Why the month matters more here
A grey day at Vinicunca is a grey hill.
Unlike Waqrapukara or Quelccaya, this tour depends entirely on light. If your dates fall in the wet season and you have any flexibility at all, use it. Our explanation of why the mountain is striped covers why wet rock and low light bring the colours up.
Curious why the mountain is striped at all? We explain the geology behind the colours.
Worried about the altitude? Our guide to how hard Rainbow Mountain really is covers the climb, the approaches and the horses.
Tour Highlights
- ✓ Vinicunca viewpoint at 5,036 metres, the highest point most visitors will ever stand on
- ✓ Ninety minutes uphill on a graded path, with horses for hire at the trailhead for anyone who wants them
- ✓ Breakfast and lunch at Cusipata, both in the price, on either side of the climb
- ✓ Community entrance fee included, so the only cash you need is for a horse, drinks and tips
- ✓ A 4:30 AM departure that puts you on the ridge in low light, before most of the day's visitors
- ✓ Oxygen and a first aid kit with the guide, who checks the group on the way up
What to Expect
A short night, a long drive, a hard walk, and a view that either lands or does not depending on the sky.
Expect to be collected in the dark at half past four and to sleep for the first two hours. Expect breakfast at Cusipata at about half past six, and to be at the trailhead somewhere around eight. Expect the walk to start easily on a wide path with horses passing. It gets harder with every hundred metres of height.
Expect company. This is not Waqrapukara or Palccoyo. Hundreds of people walk this path on a dry season day, and the viewpoint is busy by mid morning. We leave early partly for the light and partly to be on the ridge before the bulk of the buses arrive.
Expect cold at the top, even in July. Expect the colours to be strongest when the sun is low or a cloud has just passed, and flattest at midday. Expect the walk down to be quick and the drive back to be quiet.
Expect to feel it the next day. Most people do.
Tour Itinerary
1
Pickup in Cusco
We collect the group from central hotels and leave once everyone is aboard. It is early for three reasons. The light is better before ten, the weather holds before noon, and the path is emptier before the later buses.
Sleep. The first two hours are on tarmac down the Vilcanota valley.
Altitude 3,400 m
2
Breakfast at Cusipata
3
The trailhead
4
Ninety minutes to the viewpoint
5
Vinicunca
6
Back down
7
Lunch at Cusipata
8
Back in Cusco
✓
Inclusions
- ✓ Hotel pickup in the City of Cusco from centrally located hotels
- ✓ Round-trip tourist transportation from Cusco to the Rainbow Mountain trailhead
- ✓ Professional bilingual tour guide (English & Spanish) experienced in high-altitude trekking
- ✓ Andean breakfast in the village of Cusipata
- ✓ Buffet lunch after the hike in a local restaurant
- ✓ Entrance ticket to Rainbow Mountain Vinicunca Peru
- ✓ First aid kit and oxygen assistance carried by the guide for altitude safety
- ✓ Small group experience for better comfort and guidance
- ✓ Permanent assistance from Planet Odysseys staff
X
Not Included
- X Horse rental for the hike (optional and available from local communities)
- X Personal expenses such as snacks, drinks, or souvenirs
- X Travel insurance
- X Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)
- X Extra food or beverages not mentioned in the itinerary
- X Hotel accommodations in Cusco
i
About the exclusions
The entrance fee is in the price.
That is unusual among our high day tours, where community fees are usually paid in cash at the gate. Here it is included. You only need cash for a horse, drinks and tips.
Departure Information
Available: Daily departures
Group Size: Up to 9 people
Start Time: 04:30am
Pickup: Cusco Hotel Transfer
Frequently Asked Questions
How high is Rainbow Mountain Peru?
Rainbow Mountain Vinicunca Peru is located at approximately 5,036 meters (16,522 ft) above sea level.
How hard is the Rainbow Mountain hike?
Is Rainbow Mountain worth it?
What is the best time to visit Rainbow Mountain Peru?
How long is the Rainbow Mountain day tour from Cusco?
How high is Rainbow Mountain compared to Cusco?
What is the Red Valley?
Can I rent a horse?
What time do you get back to Cusco after the Rainbow Mountain Tour?
Gallery
