Lima, Peru

Rainbow Mountain

$78

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Highlights

Hike to the Rainbow Mountain
Enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounded by mountains and roaming llamas
Explore the rock forest
Participate in an offering to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) and a delicious meal cooked with ancient Andean techniques

Description

Enjoy the beautiful Andean nature and visit one of the most beautiful peaks in Peru, the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain. It’s one of the most impressive hidden gems that Peru has, and you shouldn’t miss it for any reason while exploring through Cuzco! Be part of this adventure and enjoy the beautiful landscape! This is the alternative excursion to the rainbow mountain, in which you will not only see “one” rainbow mountain but three beautiful mountains full of colors. You will also have the chance to visit a stunning rock forest, a famous place well known by Andean shamans. This is a fairly easy walk, 40 minutes approx. with several stops (1.5 km / 0.9 miles each way). In addition, you will not be disturbed by large groups of tourists as this hidden gem is only known by locals. Also, if you get lucky you may even be accompanied by a wandering llama or alpaca during the walk!

Furthermore, your guide will perform a traditional offering to the Pachamama (Mother Earth in Quechua) and a local restaurant will host you for a traditional Pachamanca lunch (an ancient cooking technique from the Andes). These are traditions that hardly any outsider gets to experience, and we’re sure you will enjoy them!

Who This Experience Is Good For

Anyone interested in the outdoors, culture and great experiences!

Meet Our Local Host

This tour will be hosted by Maurice. He has worked for several travel companies and has lots of experience running this tour. He is very knowledgeable of the Incan traditions and loves sharing Peru with the world

Itinerary

Morning
4:00AM-4:20AM: Pick up from your hotel in Cuzco
4:20AM -6AM: Transport to the Colca community, where we will go to a local restaurant
6AM-7AM: Breakfast buffet
7AM-9AM: Transport to the Combapata community. Starting point
9:20AM-10:50AM: Begin your hike to the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain range
10:50AM-11:05AM: Walk to the Rock forest where you will find a spectacular view
11:20AM-11:50AM: Back to the bus

Afternoon
11:50AM-13:30PM: Transport to the local restaurant in Colca
1:30PM-15:00PM: Traditional Andean lunch and tribute to the Pachamama
4PM: Transport back to Cusco

Evening
6PM-6:30PM: Arrival to Cuzco

What's Included

Transportation Round Trip from Cusco to the Rainbow Mountain
Food - Breakfast
Food - Lunch Pachamanca. Vegetarian options available.
Local Guide
Entrance Fee / Tickets to the rainbow mountain

What's Not Included

Extra Food
Extra Drinks
Tips for vendors
This is a full day tour starting and returning to Cusco. No accommodation is included in this tour

Know Before You Go

Minimum Needed: 6 people
Maximum Capacity: 50 people
Booking Deadline: 6 days before the event
Weather Dependent: Yes - Schedule: Due to environmental, climatic or other factors, beyond the vendors' control, the travel itinerary may vary. If so, it will be notified promptly
Difficulty Level: Medium - Altitude: This tour is not physically demanding but the difficult part is the high altitude, so beware that during your hike you will need to constantly stop and rest to catch some breath. It is also possible that you may experience Soroche.
Special Clothing Required: Rainy gear (depending on the season). Hiking shoes are not necessary but advisable. long trousers. synthetic base layer and t-shirt if available. polar jacket, windbreaker or feather jacket. Accessories: small backpack for supplies, sunglasses. sunscreen. toothbrush, toothpaste. a hat that provides shade. cash (soles) for purchases in the town
Special Dietary Restrictions: Most dietary needs are catered for, please infomr the city team upon booking.
Extra Cash: Needed for tipping / donation / additional services
Ground Transportation: Transportation Round Trip from Cusco to the Rainbow Mountain
Additional Info: Flights: Flights are $130-220 approx. and you can use airlines such as viva air, LATAM, and Peruvian Airlines. More details will be shared in your specific group
Liabilities: The liability for any injury, loss, or damage incurred by participants is not assumed by Remote Year or its affiliates.

There will be no refund in case of delayed flights, train delays, bad weather or other external factors

fREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NATION REVIEWS

I was nervous to hike Rainbow Mountain ..

I was nervous to hike Rainbow Mountain becuase of the altitude but it was also the most rewarding experience seeing the views. Pictures can't describe how beautiful this place is and Willy is the best tour guide - providing lots of history, coca leaves to help with altitude sickness, and even drinks like yummy hot chocolate along the way. Hiking Rainbow Mountain is one of the things I'm happiest I did in Peru - you HAVE to do this one! Also the lunch after is so unique and something you won't get anywhere else.

Coca Leaves for Life

Verrry glad this was scheduled after being in Cusco for a few days - there was no way I could have done this hike without acclimating first lol. Overall I'm definitely glad I stayed the extra day to go on this trip! Our guide Willie was really engaging and taught us several things about Quechua traditions and language. The views were absolutely amazing from the different lookout points - being able to take breaks there every five minutes or so was a huge lifesaver.

A few things to note: 1. Unless you have concerns about your ankles, you can definitely wear tennis shoes for this trip. 2. Bring soles (change) and napkins for the bathrooms along the way. 3. The bus ride there is 90% unpaved, so keep the windows closed as much as you can and bring medication if you get carsick.

It's a Hard Climb, But a Good View

I found the elevation here really hard. The elevation in Cusco was fine, and Manchu Picchu was fine, but here it was tough. The air is very thin so the climb was much more difficult than it should have been. Thankfully the guide has an oxygen tank. I didn't need it, but another person did. Instead, I was plagued with nosebleeds. I'm a bigger guy so I struggled with it, but other remotes said they also had a tough time too. It's a long drive to get there though, and it comes after a really busy weekend. It was a fun trip and the food was pretty good, but I think I would have rather rested that day. Other people really, really loved it though.

A highlight for sure

I was honestly close to ducking out of this experience. After 2 back-to-back days of full itineraries, I was ready to sleep in and chill. But I'm SO glad I got to experience this. The views, the culture, and the food - amazing. Only thing to keep in mind, the altitude is tough up here, so take it easy and drinks lots of water!

Better than I though

Better than I thought. The tour group was informative patient and really good with leading us on an altitude challenging experience. It was a long day and worth the travel to get there.

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