Rainbow Mountain, also known as Montaña Vinicunca is a stunning natural wonder created by layers of mineral deposits across the mountain deep in the Peruvian Andes.

Where is Rainbow Mountain located

Rainbow mountain is located in the Andes mountains 137km (85 miles) southeast of Cusco in Peru.

Rainbow Mountain Trail Summary

• Distance: 10km

• Time needed: 3-4h

• Difficulty: Hard

• Route type: Out and back

• Elevation gain: 510m

How to get to Rainbow Mountain

Group Tour: The most popular way to get to Rainbow mountain is by a group tour from Cusco

Car: If you have a car you can drive to the trailhead.

When is the best time to visit Rainbow Mountain

Dry Season (May-September): The peak tourist season in the Andes so more tourist will be visiting the country with cold temperatures averaging between -3 °C (27 °F) – 18 °C (64 °F)

Rainy Season (November-March): Low season with rainy days warmer weather with average temperatures between 3 °C (37 °F) – 19 (66 °F)

Our verdict: Dry season is the best time to visit as Rainbow mountain as it’s best visited on a sunny day where the colours of the mountain will pop in the sunlight.

TRAVEL TIP: Temperatures at the summit are much much colder often below zero!

Information

Costs vary depending on the company and type of tour you book. There are two main options available a group tour or private tour with the private tour being more expensive.

Group tours will cost somewhere between 49-70 USD

Private tours will cost anywhere between 130-170 USD

TRAVEL TIP: Rainbow Mountain is at high elevation (5,036 m (16,522 ft)) and it is highly recommended that you spend a couple of days in Cusco(3,399 meters / 11,152 ft) to acclimatise to the high elevation before attempting this trail.

What to pack

Temperatures are cold at the summit often below zero and the weather can change in an instant where you will be very exposed. Some items we think you should definitely bring along are:

  • Warm Clothes (Beanie, Jacket and gloves)
  • Rain Coat
  • Altitude sickness pills or coca leaves.
  • Water
  • Snacks
  • Toilet paper (there are only primitive toilets and no paper)
  • Sunscreen and Sun glasses
  • A backpack to put it all in!

Itinerary

Most travel agents follow the exact same itinerary that also includes stops for breakfast and lunch. The only difference is the timings that will be slightly different as they leave at slightly different times.

3:00am – 04:00am: Hotel/hostels pickups for transport to Rainbow Mountain

05:30am – 06:30am: Arrival and Breakfast in the district of Cusipata.

06:30am – 07:00am:  Start the uphill trek to Rainbow Mountain.

09:00am – 09:30am: Arrival to Rainbow Mountain. Spend some time at the top of the mountain taking in the beautiful scenery.

11:00am – 11:30am:  Return to the trailhead .

11:30am – 12:30pm: Return in transport to Cusipata district for Lunch.

1:30pm – 3:00pm: Transport back to Plaza Regocijo in Cusco for dropoff.

Our Experience

It was a really early start so early the nightclubs were all still pumping when we made our way to the collection point in Plaza Regocijo. We slept the entire way out to the breakfast spot. All the tours stop here for breakfast and lunch and it’s included in the price, the food is ok nothing special but you can’t complain as there isn’t much else on offer way out here! The bus ride out to Rainbow Mountain from here doesn’t take long maybe 30 minutes, the road can be windy and bumpy but the views along the way are beautiful.

Rainbow mountain, Peru

The hike up to Rainbow Mountain takes about 1.5 hours. The trail has a steady incline with amazing views along the way as you make your way through the valley. The last 200m or so has a steep incline made much more difficult by the high altitude. Unfortunately Nat was suffering from altitude sickness and was having a rough time. Luckily there are locals with horses that can give you a ride to the top.

Once you reach the summit you will have amazing panoramic views with Rainbow mountain right in front of you. To the left you can look down through the another valley to some epic snow capped mountains in the distance and on the right looking back through the valley we just hiked through.

From the first viewpoint you can hike even higher to a second viewpoint that has even better views. I will be honest we didn’t do that as we were already suffering from the altitude sickness. This viewpoint is where you get the classic view of Rainbow mountain from that higher vantage point.

Next Stop:

Also check out our YouTube video below 👇