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Rainbow Mountain Small-Group Full-Day Hike from Cusco with Meals

4.715 reviews

  • 12 hours
  • Free cancellation up to 24h before
  • 2 languages
  • Instant confirmation

Highlights

This is not just a day trip to Rainbow Mountain; it’s a meeting with the sacred Andes. From the first light of dawn on the road to the moment Vinicunca appears in front of you, everything is designed so you don’t just see the mountain – you feel its energy. You travel in small groups, in tourist vehicles with oxygen and a first-aid kit, led by local bilingual guides who speak fluent English and know the legends of the Apus, the protective mountains. A hot Andean breakfast and a buffet lunch are included, so you can focus on hiking, breathing and enjoying the views. Along the trail, your guide doesn’t just share facts; they help you understand why this landscape is considered sacred. If the altitude feels challenging, you can rent a horse and still reach the viewpoint. By the end of the day, you return not only with stunning photos, but with the feeling of having taken part in a small Andean ritual and having conquered one of Peru’s most famous mountains.

Inclusions

What's included

  • Pickup at hotels in the city center
  • Oxygen assistance (oxygen available if needed)
  • Breakfast
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Walking sticks
  • Guía profesional inglés - español.
  • Lunch included

What's not

  • Drinks and extra snacks
  • Entrance ticket to Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca)

Itinerary

  1. Your Rainbow Mountain adventure starts with early hotel pickup in Cusco between 4:00 and 4:30 am, driving south to Cusipata for a hot Andean breakfast. We then continue in a tourist vehicle equipped with oxygen and a first-aid kit to the trailhead. From here, a 1.5–2 hour hike takes you through high Andean landscapes with llamas, alpacas and sacred mountains known as Apus, guided by a bilingual Spanish–English guide; if you prefer, you can rent a horse along the route (optional, extra cost). At the main viewpoint (around 5,000 m), you’ll have time for stunning photos of Vinicunca’s colorful stripes before hiking back down, returning to Cusipata for a buffet lunch and then back to Cusco, with the satisfaction of having conquered one of Peru’s most famous mountains.

    1 hAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

4.7

  • 514
  • 40
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  • 11

Ratings come from 15 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

Meeting point
If your hotel is outside our pickup area, we will meet you in Cusco’s main square (Plaza de Armas). A member of our team will be waiting for you there with a sign showing your name, so we can easily find you and start the tour.
Pickup
Pickup is offered, or you can meet at the starting point.
Ticket type
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group size
Up to 17 travellers
Operated by
Esteban Adventure Agencia de Operadora de Turismo.
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • A fleece or jacket, basic toiletries
  • Bring a small day pack with water to drink
  • Camera and rain jacket or poncho

How it compares in Cusco

  • Its from-price is 71% below the median of the 4460 experiences we list in Cusco.
  • Its length is typical for the group.
  • By number of reviews it ranks 908 of 4460.
  • The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Cusco

Cusco, the old Inca capital high in the Peruvian Andes, blends massive stone walls with colonial churches and is the gateway to Machu Picchu.

The Plaza de Armas is the heart of the city, framed by the cathedral and the Jesuit church of La Compañía. Inca stonework survives throughout the centre, most famously at the Qorikancha, the sun temple on which the Spanish built a monastery, and in the twelve-angled stone on Hatun Rumiyoc street. San Blas, the artisans' quarter, climbs steeply with workshops and cafés.

Top-ranked sights in Cusco: Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo Ruins.

See all 4460 experiences in Cusco

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Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.

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