A Non-Hikers Guide to Peru’s Rainbow Mountain
If you’re planning a trip to Cusco, Peru, you’re guaranteed to come across excursions or day trips to Rainbow Mountain. And after seeing pictures of the colorful, striped mountain on social media, you’ll definitely want to add it to your Cusco itinerary — until you realize it sits 17,000 feet above sea level. How do I know? Because that was me. As someone who lives at sea level AND who is also a non-hiker, the thought of trekking to Everest base camp heights is both overwhelming and intimidating. But I’m here to tell you I found the best way to see Rainbow Mountain that requires only a little hiking and a lot of stunning views.
Jump to:
About Rainbow Mountain Peru
How to Get to Rainbow Mountain
The Best Rainbow Mountain Day Tour from Cusco
Rainbow Mountain Hike Details
What to Pack & Wear to Rainbow Mountain
Tips for Hiking Rainbow Mountain
Where to Stay to Visit Rainbow Mountain
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Rainbow Mountain Peru: All About Vinicunca
Known locally as Vinicunca or Montaña de Siete Colores, Rainbow Mountain is part of the Andes Mountain Range in Peru. Rainbow Mountain has an altitude of 5,200 meters or 17,060 feet. To put it in perspective, the North Everest Base Camp sits at 5,150 meters or 16,896 feet.
Vinicunca is actually one of three Rainbow Mountains in Peru. The other two are Palccoyo and Pallay Punchu. You can read all about Palccoyo, the Alternative Rainbow Mountain, here.
What gives Rainbow Mountain its different colors? Minerals, like iron, copper, sulphur and quartz. But don’t let social media fool you. The vast majority of the photos you see are edited to make the colors seem brighter. I’m not saying this to deter you from going, because you absolutely should. BUT if you go on a day when it’s overcast, the colors will be muted.
How to Get to Rainbow Mountain
While Rainbow Mountain is located in the Cusco region, it’s not close to Cusco at all. It’s about 80 miles south, or a 3 hour drive one way. That’s why most tours leave at or before 4:00 a.m. (Some tour groups offer later departures.)
There are two ways to get to Rainbow Mountain: a group tour or on your own by hiring a taxi. While the taxi offers more flexibility and less stops, the best way as a solo traveler is with a group.
There are a lot of group tours available through Viator and GetYourGuide, and most don’t need to be booked too far in advance. However, a majority of the Rainbow Mountain tours are strictly hikes, which is about 4 miles round trip. The hike itself, as in the terrain, isn’t bad. It’s the altitude that makes it challenging. And while you can pay to ride a horse, they can only take you so far.
If you’re worried about altitude sickness or whether or not you’d be able to do a strenuous hike at a high elevation, there is an alternative: ATVs.
The Best Rainbow Mountain Day Tour from Cusco
After a lot of research, I booked the Full Tour of the Mountain of Colors and Red Valley with ATVs. It cost $133, which was a little higher than other tours, but it was completely worth it. It’s also solo traveler-friendly!
Unlike other Rainbow Mountain tours, this one included riding ATVs through Red Valley, which I recommend booking for that reason alone. The Red Valley is otherworldly and looks like you’re driving on Mars. And you’ll see lots of alpacas grazing on your way.
I also chose this tour because I’m not a hiker. And while I’d like to think I’m in relatively good shape, I didn’t want to struggle more than necessary at such a high altitude. (I took Diamox, which definitely helped.)
So if you’re a non-hiker and/or a solo traveler, like me, and you want to see Rainbow Mountain without the 4 mile hike, this tour is for you! (And let’s be real, if I can do it, you can do it, too!)
For all my planners out there who have to know every detail before booking an excursion, here is a rough itinerary for the Full Tour of the Mountain of Colors and Red Valley with ATVs.
3:30 a.m. – Pickup from hotel
5:00-5:30 – Breakfast at Q’Empo
7:30 – Arrive to pick up ATVs
8:00 – ATVs to Red Valley
9:00 – Arrive to Red Valley
9:00-11:30 – Hike to Rainbow Mountain
11:30-12:00 – Return ATVs
2:00-2:30 – Lunch at Q’Empo
4:30 – Arrive back at hotel
As you can see, it’s a long day with a lot of driving. The good news is you have plenty of time to nap on the bus.
See Rainbow Mountain the Easy Way!
➡️ Click here to book this exact Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley ATV Tour.
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Red Valley to Rainbow Mountain Hike Details
The “hike” to Rainbow Mountain from Red Valley is about 45-60 minutes, depending on how fast or slow you go. And while I consider it a shortcut, it still had its challenging moments. Once we parked our ATVs, we had to climb a relatively steep hill, which left a lot of us winded and stopping frequently to catch our breath. (Shoutout to our guide who brought along Agua de Florida!) But once you’re at the top, the walk across the valley is mostly downhill or flat.
The biggest challenge? The stairs. I stopped every couple of steps to breathe deeply and take in the view. (I was in good company because everyone else did it, too.) But once you get to the top, you’ll be so proud of yourself for doing it.
Between tourists and vendors, Rainbow Mountain will likely be crowded. There will also be long lines to get the obligatory photo with llamas wearing sunglasses. (You have to pay a couple of Soles for the photo op.) You can also hike further up to get a better picture of the colorful stripes, but I was too tired to go any further.
As with most hikes, going down is easy peasy and goes a lot faster. It also helps that you’re high on endorphins — and maybe a little bit of delusion.
What to Pack & Wear to Rainbow Mountain
Going to the Vinicunca is an all-day adventure, so you need to be prepared. All of these items are on my 2-week Peru packing list.
- Hiking boots or hiking shoes
- Layers – it gets cold at 17,000 feet. I wore a puffer jacket, sweater and base layer on top.
- Hat – to keep the sun off you and to keep your head warm
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen – the UV rays at high altitude are no joke
- Lip balm – nobody likes chapped lippies
- Soles – for bathrooms and llama photos
- Toilet paper
- Water
- Snacks
- Camera – you can use your phone or an action camera like the Insta360 Go Ultra to capture the drive on ATVs
Tips for Hiking Rainbow Mountain
Here are a few tips that helped me successfully make it to the top of Rainbow Mountain.
Acclimate
Because of the high altitude, you absolutely need to acclimate before going to Rainbow Mountain. I stayed in Cusco for 5 days and saved Rainbow Mountain for the last day by design. And I’m so glad I did! At the very least I would recommend 3 full days in Cusco before tackling Rainbow Mountain.
Go Slow & Take Breaks
Getting to Rainbow Mountain is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s OK to take a few steps and then stop. The views are insane, so take it all in while you can.
Stay Hydrated
I can’t emphasize how important it is to drink a lot of water at high altitude. Make sure you bring enough water with you because you’ll need it.
Plan Your Potty Breaks Wisely
Coming from the Red Valley side, there is one rustic bathroom before you begin the short hike. There’s another bathroom before you climb the stairs, but it looked more like an outhouse situation. When you gotta go, you gotta go. So just know your options are limited — and bring toilet paper!
Where to Stay to Visit Rainbow Mountain
My favorite hotel in Cusco is the JW Marriott El Convento. It’s centrally located and the service is unmatched. The best part? The beautiful rooms are oxygenated, which will help you acclimate quicker. They also restock your room with bottled water every day and bring you chocolate at night. Seriously, if you’re looking for the perfect hotel in Cusco, the JW Marriott El Convento is it.
Your Cusco Adventure Starts at the JW Marriott El Convento
Is Rainbow Mountain Worth the Trek?
I went back and forth asking myself if I really needed to see two Rainbow Mountains. I knew Vinicunca may be challenging, especially as a non-hiker from a city that’s practically at sea level. But I’m glad I went outside of my comfort zone and did it. So if you have time in your Cusco itinerary, I would say taking a day trip to Rainbow Mountain is worth it.
Have you been to Rainbow Mountain in Peru? What did you think?
