Last Updated on August 15, 2024
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Rainbow Mountain in Peru is a fairly new attraction but it’s one of the most popular day trips from Cusco. It was first discovered around 2015, until then it was completely covered in snow and ice. Due to global warming, snow melted away, revealing layers of coloring underneath. It wasn’t long until it started catching attention and with the social media exposure, it quickly became one of the must visit places in Peru. Today, it’s the second most popular place to visit in Peru, right after Machu Picchu.
The real name of the mountain is Vinicunca, but it’s also known as Montaรฑa de Siete Colores, or Montaรฑa de Colores. The rainbow-like appearance got it its nickname Rainbow Mountain and that’s how it’s commonly known and marketed. The colors of the mountain were created by the sediment of different minerals.
If you have plans to visit Peru and want to make the Rainbow Mountain part of your Peru itinerary, here’s all you should know about visiting. From how to get there, best way to visit to how to beat the crowds and finally, is Rainbow Mountain worth the hype.
Where is Rainbow Mountain
Vinicunca is located in the Andes Mountain range, in the Cusco region in Peru. In the past, the only way to see Rainbow Mountain was by doing the Ausangate Trek, which takes a few days and it’s one of most beautiful, but challenging hikes in Peru. You can still do that, if you are feeling adventurous, but today, most people visit Rainbow Mountain on a day trip from Cusco.
It’s takes about 3.5 hours to get there from Cusco and most tour companies will break up the drive with a quick breakfast stop in the morning and lunch on the way back. With the drive there and back and the time spent at the mountain, you are looking at a 12-hour day trip.
Best time to visit Rainbow Mountain in Peru
Dry season, which in Peru falls between March-November, is the best time to visit Rainbow Mountain. Especially June, July and August. This is when you have the highest chances of great weather conditions for hiking and seeing Rainbow Mountain at its best. Clear, sunny days really bring out all the colors nicely. Even with the sun though, it can be chilly and windy, especially at the top, so dress accordingly.
Dry season is also the peak tourist season in Peru, so do expect it to be busy.
During rainy season, between November-March, it is less crowded, but conditions are not the best for hiking. Trails are often muddy, which makes for a challenging hike. On wet and gloomy days, the mountain will also not look as good. While the colors are still there, they won’t look as vibrant as on a clear, sunny day.
But no matter what season or month you visit, the weather in the mountains can be very unpredictable. I was there mid-June, during dry season and had picture perfect day. Just two weeks later, there was a snowfall, and hikers were unable to see any colors of the mountain. So even though, snow shouldn’t be a concern in June, with the changing weather everywhere, it can happen.
Where to book Rainbow Mountain tour
With the popularity of Rainbow Mountain, you will have no issues finding a tour, even last minute. There are many tour companies all over Cusco where you can book the day trip.
I went with Rainbow Mountain Travels, which not only has a ton of great reviews, but also leaves the earliest and is the first to arrive at Rainbow Mountain. Knowing how crowded it gets there, this was the selling point for me. You get picked up between 3-3.30 am from your hotel, which I’m not going to lie, was pretty painful, but totally worth it in the end.
The tour was really well organized and great from start to finish. We were the first to arrive, as promised and could enjoy the hike and the mountain without the crowds. Our guide Angel was great, fun and very knowledgeable. He made sure everyone was okay and carried oxygen tank in case of anyone suffered from altitude sickness.
After you come down, you have an option of visiting The Red Valley, which is right next to the Rainbow Mountain.
The tour included breakfast and lunch, which was a large buffet with many different choices. It was actually way better than I expected. They also provided blankets for the ride, which was a nice little detail and really came in handy for that early morning ride, when it’s still pretty cold. Highly recommend this company for your Rainbow Mountain hike. You can book that exact same tour right here.
If you want to visit Rainbow Mountain, but don’t want to hike, you can also book an ATV tour. They follow a different trail on the side of the mountain and get you close to the viewpoint. You will have to hike the last stretch though.
Another option of getting to Rainbow Mountain is to hire a private driver to take you there.
Rainbow Mountain on a day trip from Cusco
All of the tour companies follow pretty much the same itinerary.
Pickups usually start between 3-5 am, depending on who you book with, followed by a 2-hour ride. Most companies will then make about a 30-minute breakfast stop. After breakfast, you drive for another 1.5 hours until you reach the Rainbow Mountain entrance.
After a brief overview of the hike, you start your walk towards the Rainbow Mountain. It takes 1-1.5 hours to get to the viewpoint, depending on your pace and how often you stop. You get 30-40 minutes at the viewpoint, before you start your hike down. This goes faster and it’s usually less than 1 hour to get back to the meeting point.
Some tour companies also have an option of hiking to the Red Valley afterwards. The Valley is right next to the Rainbow Mountain, and it takes about 25 minutes one way to get to the viewpoint there.
When it’s time to start heading back to Cusco, you drive for 1.5 hours before you stop for lunch. Afterwards, it’s another 2 hours of driving, although that usually takes longer due to afternoon traffic.
Taking a day trip to Rainbow Mountain from Cusco is definitely a long day. Between the travel time and time spent at Rainbow Mountain, you are looking at about a 12-hour trip. Even though you will most likely be back early afternoon, don’t make any more big plans for that day. You will be exhausted.
Hiking Rainbow Mountain – what to expect
Altitude
The number one thing to talk about when hiking Rainbow Mountain in Peru is the altitude. You start the hike at 4,326 m (14,189 f) and by the time you reach the top, you are at 5,200 m (17,060 f) above sea level. To put it into a perspective, this is almost the same altitude as Everest Base camp.
The lack of oxygen in the air is the biggest challenge of this hike and the main concern for most. A lot of people underestimate the high altitude and end up with a lot of altitude sickness symptoms. While everyone is different, there are ways to avoid it or at least lessen the symptoms.
Under no circumstances do the hike on your first day in Peru or even Cusco. Your body needs a few days to adjust to the high altitude. I had no issues myself, other than feeling a little winded near the summit, but by the time I did this hike, I had already been in Peru for a full week and in Cusco for 3 days. I was pretty adjusted at this point. There were however a couple of people in our group who struggled.
Trail
First of all, even though it’s known as the Rainbow Mountain hike, you don’t go up the actual Rainbow Mountain and stand on it. You hike the mountain right next to it, which has a couple of viewpoints and that’s where all the pictures you see are taken from.
The distance from the starting point to the summit is 4 km (2.5 miles) and it takes 1-1.5 hours to get to the top, depending on your pace and how many stops you make. The trail starts with a very short steep climb, but after that goes pretty flat for most of the hike with a gradual climb. The very steep section comes at the very end and brings you to the highest viewpoint. The hike itself is not that difficult, the challenge comes from the altitude. That’s why even though the incline is very gradual, prepare to walk slow and make frequent stops. Also, felling out of breath is pretty normal.
If you don’t want to hike or start having trouble, you can also take a horse up. There are plenty of local people with horses at the base as well as along the way. It costs 70 soles up and 50 soles to come down. Keep in mind though, that the horses can’t go all the way up and you’ll still have to do the last steep section on your own.
Once you get to the top, you get about 30-40 minutes to take your photos and enjoy the beautiful views. Because of the high elevation, it’s not recommended to stay longer that.
As you get close to the top, you’ll see a few locals with their llamas and alpacas, dressed in colorful tassels. They are there for tourists to take pictures with, in exchange for a tip. This is one of the ways, the local communities are benefiting from the popularity of the Rainbow Mountain.
Is Rainbow Mountain really that colorful?
Yes, the colors are real, although a lot of the images you see on social media are oversaturated to make them look better. But having just visited, I can tell you that Rainbow Mountain is really beautiful and colorful, especially the reds are very vibrant.
But it’s important to add that I was there in June, during Peru’s dry season and got lucky with perfect weather. It was a bright, sunny day, which makes the colors stand out.
On a cloudy or rainy day, the colors will still be there, but will be muted and won’t look as good. Certainly not like what you expect after seeing the images online. It’s not like you can control the weather, but you want to do the hike on a nice, sunny day. This will make a huge difference on your experience.
Tips for hiking Rainbow Mountain in Peru
- Spend at least 48 in Cusco before the hike – you’re likely spending a few days in Cusco, save your Rainbow Mountain Day trip for your last day. Cusco is already at 3,400 m, so it’s a great place to get used to high altitude.
- Dress in layers – the tours start between 3-4 am, when it’s really cold, but it does warm up later in the day, especially on a sunny day. Then when you get to the top, it’s often chilly and windy. Dressing in layers is the key.
- Bring small change – there are bathrooms near the entrance, as well as higher up, so be sure to have some change. There are also several vendors selling water, snacks and souvenirs. Both near the entrance as well as near the top of the mountain.
- Take trash with you – overtourism is a huge concern for this fast-growing attraction. Make sure to do your little part in preserving this beautiful place by leaving as little footprint as possible. Be sure to take with you whatever trash you have.
- Don’t get a Rainbow Mountain stamp in your passport – souvenir stamps are cool but can invalidate your passport. Only government officials can place stamps, anything else is alteration, which technically makes your passport invalid. Many people get them and never have any issues, I had one myself from the Equator in Ecuador and no one paid any attention. But there have been stories of people being denied entry to some countries.
Things to bring
- Passport
- Money – be sure to have some small bills and coins for the bathroom, water/snacks and if you are planning to take photos with llamas.
- Light jacket – if you wear a few layers, a light jacket will keep you warm enough, but you do need one! It is freezing in the morning.
- Comfortable walking shoes or hiking shoes – I hiked in my sneakers with no problems, but something like these waterproof Columbia hiking boots might be a better idea, especially when it rains and trails get muddy.
- Beanie hat and light gloves
- Raincoat – as the weather at such high altitude can be quite unpredictable, it’s not a bad idea to throw in a raincoat in your backpack.
- Small backpack – I love my Osprey day pack, I bring it pretty much on every daytrip and excursion. It’s a perfect size to hold all the essentials.
- Sunscreen – don’t forget sun protection, as the sun at this altitude can be pretty strong.
- Sunglasses – a good pair of polarized sunglasses will also cut down on the glare.
- Water – staying hydrated is one of the top tips to avoid altitude sickness.
- Camera
- Portable charger for your phone – this is a long day trip, so make sure you have. Especially if you are using your phone for photos and videos.
- Walking sticks – this is optional. I do not think walking sticks are necessary for this particular hike, but if you think you could use them,
Is Rainbow Mountain in Peru worth it?
Short answer, yes, visiting Rainbow Mountain in Peru is absolutely worth it. It’s beautiful, unique and it can be one of the highlights of your Peru trip. I say “can”, because there are two things that can make or break your experience and those are the weather and what time of day you visit.
Even though Rainbow Mountain is a relatively new attraction, it is one of the most popular day trips from Cusco receiving a lot of visitors each day. In other words, it gets really crowded. In high season, there are hundreds of people visiting each day. And when you go, you will see, that while the trail is pretty wide, the viewpoint at the top is quite small and gets really crowded.
The problem is that a lot of the tour companies arrive around the same time, which means everyone hikes and gets to the viewpoint more or less at the same time.
But you can avoid that when you book with Rainbow Mountain Travels, because they get there before anyone else does. As we were coming down, all the other tours started showing up. Several minutes later, the viewpoint was filled with people. So even though the very early pick up time was not fun, it allowed us to enjoy the hike and the views without hundreds of people around.
The other important factor is the weather. Rainbow Mountain looks best and will live up to your expectations when you visit on a clear and sunny day. That makes the colors pop and while they might not look like the oversaturated colors on Instagram, the mountain will look pretty amazing.
On an overcast or rainy day, the colors will be dull and nothing like what you see on social media or even on posters promoting Rainbow Mountain tours. Plus, hiking in the rain on a muddy trail will not be a fun experience. To be completely honest, I don’t think it’s even worth going on a grey, foggy or rainy day. You’re guaranteed to leave disappointed and it’s simply too long of a drive for that.
READ MORE:
- How to spend one day in Lima, Peru
- Best Things to do in Salento, Colombia
- How to visit the Equator in Ecuador
- Best Things to do in Quito, Ecuador in 2 days
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