Hiking Rainbow Mountain in Peru
As I scrolled through Instagram looking for things to do in Peru, I came across pictures of this beautiful and colorful mountain called Vinicunca. I instantly knew I had to hike it, so I saved it to my list of things to do.
Vinicunca, informally known as Rainbow Mountain or Montana de Siete Colores, is a colorful mountain in the Andes Mountains of Peru in the Willkanuta Mountain Range. Interestingly, it was only recently discovered in 2015 and just opened to tourism in 2016.
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This is because in recent years, the glaciers started to melt, and the mountain started to show its colorful stripes made from minerals. Since then, tourism to Vinicunca has exploded, and it has become a sensation amongst travelers thanks to Instagram. So, it tends to have large crowds.
I had the fortune to visit in August of 2020, and because of the Pandemic, there weren’t too many tourists around. Blogs I read mentioned there are sometimes up to 5000 visitors a day and there are problems with over-tourism! We had nothing near those numbers. I would say we got the place relatively empty.
On that note, it became one of my favorite hikes in Peru because it challenged me physically and mentally. If you are in Cusco, I recommend adding Rainbow Mountain in Peru to your itinerary!
Hiking Rainbow Mountain in Peru
When to Visit
The first thing you’ll want to get right is when you visit. Peru gets very cold, and the mountain receives snow. If it’s covered in snow, you won’t be able to see the colors, and hiking will be a huge challenge. If it’s raining, you’ll struggle with hiking in mud.
So, you’ll want to visit during the dry season from March through November. But, if you want to get sunny blue skies, you can go from June through August. This is also the high season, so you’ll see more people.
Thankfully, the day we went, it was sunny and not cold until we got to the top, where it was a bit chilly and windy. We even got to see a little bit of set snow at the Red Valley. However, some friends had hiked a few days before and said they had suffered freezing weather. The weather is unpredictable, so you’ll need to take layers.
How to Get There
There are a few ways to get to Rainbow Mountain. The primary method is to go there on a day tour through a tour company that picks you up around 3 or 4 am. The drive to the mountain trail takes nearly 3 hours. You will start at 4,326m (14,189ft) and gain about 1,000m on the way up.
A few tours will offer a multi-6-day hike that goes through more snowcapped and glacier mountains in the Andes, called the Ausangate Trek. These multi-day hikes are for more experienced hikers. The benefit is you go through mountains with no people around since very few people chose to do this hike.
Unlike the Inca Trail, no permit is required. Instead, the trek involves staying in local houses and camping. On the way, you’ll see beautiful red valleys, lakes, lovely mountains, and lots of alpacas. However, you should only do this hike if you can handle the altitude.
Booking A Tour
There are many tour companies to choose from in Cusco. We booked with Machu Picchu Sol and they also offered the option to visit the Red Valley. The Red Valley is hiked on the way back down. Not all tours include this hike, so make sure to ask.
Also, there are now different trails to Rainbow Mountain. Make sure to ask if it’s the long or short trail. The hike we did was one hour. Some trails start at a lower altitude and take 2 hours. We didn’t know about this until after our hike. However, I’m not complaining. The one-hour hike up was enough of a challenge.
There are a lot of tours you can pre-book online in advance, but they tend to have a much higher price, up to 100 USD. You also risk having bad weather on the day you pick.
Cusco has so many tour companies that you can negotiate a price if you book more than one with one company. We paid 60 soles for ours, plus 20 for the Red Valley, and 20 for the entrance fee (That’s a total of $25 with breakfast and lunch included).
A good tour company will provide transportation, hotel pick-up, breakfast and lunch, and a trained guide that carries an oxygen tank (in case people get altitude sickness).
Rainbow Mountain Tour Itinerary
- 3-4 am pick up at hotel/hostel
- drive for 2 hours to a breakfast stop
- 45 mins-hour for breakfast
- One hour drive to Rainbow Mountain
- 1-2 hour hike to the viewpoint (it took us one)
- 20 minutes at the viewpoint (only 20 mins to avoid altitude sickness and overcrowding) (We got 45 mins because we arrived early before our group)
- 1 hour to hike the Red Valley and back down (30 if you do only Rainbow Mountain)
- 1 hour Drive back, stop for lunch
- 2 hours from lunch to Cusco
- It was a LONG day!
What to Pack
If you’re visiting Peru, make sure you’re mentally and physically prepared to hike. There is no other country where I’ve exercised more than here. In Cusco itself, you’ll notice you’re walking hill after hill.
So, make sure you come ready with hiking gear. First, you’ll need good hiking shoes. They make a huge difference in your experience. You’ll also want to take a jacket that keeps you warm. Again, Peru is cold. The best thing you’ll want to do is take layers in case you start sweating when you hike. To keep your feet warm, I recommend merino wool socks. Take gloves, a scarf, and a beanie.
You’ll also want to take a small backpack to keep your snacks, water, and extra clothing. So that I didn’t have to carry a water bottle, I used a water bladder. And don’t forget to pack sunscreen, sunglasses, and a rain jacket in case it rains.
Make sure to take snacks and anything that helps with altitude sickness!
Here is a list of things to take with you!
How to Prepare for the Hike
Vinicunca is the most challenging hike I did near Cusco. It wasn’t because of the trail, but mainly because of the altitude. It is no joke! Make sure to acclimate a few days in Cusco first. We left Rainbow Mountain as our last hike that week. The mountain is 5,200 m high (17,060ft). To put that in perspective, that’s only 200 m less than Mount Everest Base Camp!
The hike is challenging because it’s hard to breathe. We had to take breaks to breathe every 5 minutes or less. It is very easy to get altitude sickness. Actually, most of the people on our tour got sick, and only 4 of us from our group hiked the Red Valley. The 4 of us arrived fairly quickly to the top, so we had about 45 minutes instead of 20 to enjoy the view and take pictures.
The hike itself is easy. It’s relatively flat most of the way and only has a steep incline at the end. You gain about 1000 m. But, again, the difficulty is the altitude.
To prepare, I recommend the following:
- Acclimate in Cusco a few days (Cusco is 3,339m)
- Leave this as your last hike
- Drink Coca and/or Muna tea before hiking
- Take Coca leaves to chew on
- Eat a Carb full breakfast
- Drink Water!
- Go slow, pace yourself, and stop every single time you need it!
- Take headache pills just in case (I ended up giving mine to the people who got sick)
- Get in a workout routine back home before visiting. Having some fitness will help.
The Hike to Rainbow Mountain
As previously stated, the hike itself isn’t too hard. Most of the trail is a slight ascent. The trail is clearly marked too and easy to walk on. The difficulty is breathing. Some people simply can’t make it and have three choices. One is to go back to the van and not hike, the second is to walk very slow, and the third choice is to pay for a horse (another 80 soles).
I like horse riding, but I’m not too fond of horse riding for these types of situations. So, I suggest gaining a bit of fitness before visiting Peru.
It takes about an hour to get to the top of Rainbow Mountain. The last 10 percent of the hike is where it gets a bit steep.
As mentioned previously, four of us from our group did better than expected and we arrived at the top early. This gave us more time at the summit. Let me say, this made me proud of myself because I did terrible on my Volcan Acatenango hike in Guatemala. I’m going to exaggerate, but I felt I was dying with the altitude (which was lower)!
We had a lot of time to take pictures at the top. Local people sell snacks and coca tea for two soles when you get there. We, of course, bought and drank another tea to help with the altitude.
You will also find a lady at a table who stamps your passport for a 4 soles. There is debate about whether getting the stamp affects when passing through immigration, but I’ve had no trouble traveling with the stamp on my passport.
Once at the top, there is another inclined walk up the mountain to get a further view of Rainbow Mountain. It took about another 7 minutes to climb it, and we got incredible views of the mountains surrounding it. I’m not sure why, but people skip this part which is unfortunate because it has a 360-degree view of the glaciers and Rainbow Mountain. Only a few of us walked the extra ascent. So, we got some awesome pictures.
Hiking the Red Valley
Besides the colorful striped mountain, a Red Valley lies next to Rainbow Mountain. I highly suggest you don’t miss this hike. There are two different Red Valleys. Some tours go further into the valley. Others walk back down through another slope that passes the side of the Red Valley.
Our tour passed the side of the Red Valley on the way back down. However, to get there, we had to hike an extra hour and walk on the side of the mountain. Although we didn’t ascend too much, the hike was a bit extra challenging for two reasons.
First, the altitude was a killer, and we had to keep taking breaks. The hike is mainly straight with only a slight ascend. Not too bad. When we finally made it to the Red Valley, we were in awe. It was stunning and worth it.
The second challenge came when we left the Red Valley. The trail was thin, barely noticeable, and on a very slanted mountainside. We were basically hiking sideways and crawling. It was hard to plant your feet firmly. It’s easy to slide down the mountainside. There aren’t many rocks, so I’d like to think if anyone fell, they’d be okay.
The ones who had regular sneakers kept slipping. This is why I recommend sturdy hiking shoes. Trust me, they make a difference!
After passing the challenging part of the mountain, the soil gets extra soft. I loved this part because I started “skiing” down the hill.
The 4 of us who did the hike loved it! The rest of the people chose not to do it because they were either tired or got altitude sickness. So, they had to wait for us in the van. Some of them had major headaches and wanted to throw up when we arrived. Therefore, I gave my pills to them.
The Hike isn't for Everyone
The truth is, not everyone can do this hike. A lot of people struggle. As I said, most of the people on our tour got sick, and only a few made it to the very top. The problem is that many people attempt to hike it as soon as they arrive in Cusco.
You have to understand the importance of acclimatizing. Cusco itself is already 3,339m, and if you aren’t used to the altitude, you will definitely feel it. I certainly did. I had a very slight headache the first days, and I’d run out of breath walking the streets. No other city has fatigued me as Cusco has!
The other problem is that many people who attempt to hike Rainbow Mountain or any other spot in Peru have no level of fitness at home. You can’t go from zero walking to walking many kilometers, hills, and high altitudes all of a sudden.
Yes, there are horses. Yes, they can help get you to the top. But, if you choose to do this, I encourage you to pick a healthy horse and know you’ll be paying another 80 soles.
However, the best thing you can do when booking your flight to Peru is work on your fitness.
Where to Stay in Cusco
Finding accommodation in Cusco is easy. There are places for all types of travelers. You can find hostels, guesthouses, and luxury hotels. However, the city is usually busy, so hotels do fill up. Therefore I recommend booking early and ahead of time.
I’ve seen hostels run at about $7-$12 a night in shared dorms. They also have private rooms. Guesthouses can be as lows as $10, and hotels depend on the star rating.
I stayed at Kokopelli Hostel and loved the social atmosphere. My friend and I booked the first days, but we ended up booking the rest of the week with them. I did go to another budget hotel, but I won’t recommend it because it was freezing! Many places in Cusco don’t have central heating, and the rooms will be cold.
Hiking Rainbow Mountain in Peru
Would you hike Rainbow Mountain? I have to say, its beauty surprised me more than expected and it was one of my favorite days in Peru. I think having good weather and very few tourists around helped.
Peru has many other beautiful hikes too. You obviously have to go to Machu Picchu, but there is also Humantay Lake and Lagunas de Ausangate. And don’t forget, have some level of fitness and acclimate in Cusco first.
Travel Booking Resources
Book Your Flight:
To find cheap flights, check Skyscanner and Google Flights. These search engines check airlines to find you the best deals. The more flexibility you have, the better flight deals available.
Book Your Accommodation:
Booking.com is my favorite booking site for hotels but it also shows great deals on hostels and apartments. Plus, when you reach Genius Level, you get special discounts, included breakfasts, and upgrades on some hotel rooms. Hostelworld is specifically for budget travelers who enjoy hostels. This is the best place for finding great options.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance and Visa Applications:
Travel insurance will protect you against theft, injury, illness, and cancellations. Sometimes unexpected things happen during a trip and protections will keep you covered. Two great options are: Safety Wing and World Nomads. Also, iVisa can help you get a visa if you need one.
Book Tours:
Sometimes the best way to see a place is through tours. I recommend checking out Get Your Guide for some fun and unique adventures wherever you go.
Check out my other travel resources to help you book your trip!
Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and purchase a product, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Please note I only recommend products and brands that I personally use or have used and believe in.
Hiking Rainbow Mountain in Peru
