Rainbow Mountain, Optional Red Valley

Travel from Cusco to Rainbow Mountain on a guided full-day tour of 12 hours. Although the mountain is not close to the city, the visit still fits within one day, and Red Valley can be added as an optional extra.

Overview

A hotel pickup in central Cusco starts a long day, roughly 12 hours door to door. The drive out toward Vinicunca breaks at a restaurant for breakfast, then continues to the trailhead, where the guide leads the group up to the Rainbow Mountain summit on foot. The walk is the demanding part, mostly because of the altitude rather than the terrain, and oxygen assistance and walking sticks are included. An optional extension to the Red Valley is offered for those with energy left, and lunch comes on the way back to Cusco.

This suits travellers with a moderate fitness level who can handle high elevation and a very early start. The listing is blunt about limits: not wheelchair accessible, not recommended for pregnant travellers or anyone with back problems, and no one with heart problems or other serious medical conditions. Groups run to a maximum of 18 people, with a guide working in English and Spanish, and a vegetarian meal can be arranged if requested at booking.

Reviews are genuinely mixed on the logistics and consistent on the payoff. Several travellers found the breakfast and lunch stops crowded and the restaurant food underwhelming, and a few felt pushed toward horse rentals when the group moved slowly. But even the harshest reviews describe the mountain itself as worth the effort, and many name their guide as the best part of the day. Go in expecting a hard, high, spectacular walk with some rough edges around it.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Hotel pickup, Cusco centerPickup is from hotels in the city center, very early, ahead of the long drive out of Cusco.
2. Drive and breakfast stopThe air-conditioned vehicle heads toward the trailhead, pausing at a restaurant along the way for the included breakfast.
3. Trailhead and hike briefingAt the start of the trail the guide sets the pace and briefs the group before the climb begins.
4. Vinicunca, Rainbow MountainThe guided walk covers the mountain over 4 hours. The entrance fee of PEN30.00 per person is not included in the tour price.
5. Optional Red ValleyAn optional side hike to the Red Valley is offered for those who want it. It needs a separate entrance payment of PEN30.00 per person, also not included.
6. Lunch and return driveThe group stops for the included lunch at a restaurant on the route back, then returns to Cusco.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points come up again and again in reviews of this exact tour, and they are worth settling before you book.

• Altitude is the test. Several reviewers describe the altitude making the hike difficult to breathe through and sapping even fit hikers, so take the altitude seriously and build in time in Cusco beforehand.
• Fitness and pace. The listing asks for a moderate physical fitness level, and reviewers call the hike intermediate and physically challenging. Expect a sustained uphill stretch where the altitude leaves you short of breath even if you are fit.
• Horses are an option. Local horse and motorbike rides are offered at the trailhead. One reviewer who runs half marathons still chose a horse because of the altitude and snow, and called it the right call. Decide at the trailhead rather than in advance.
• Acclimatize first. One reviewer credits tea with easing the altitude's effects on the hike.
• Food is included. Breakfast and lunch are both included. Reviews are split on quality, with several calling the restaurants busy and the food plain, so do not book this tour for the meals.
• Cash for entrances. Two entrance fees are not in the tour price: PEN30.00 per person for Rainbow Mountain and another PEN30.00 per person if you add the Red Valley. Budget for both when comparing this tour against others.

Common issues. The honest complaints cluster around logistics. Several reviewers describe rushed climbing with a felt push toward horse rentals, crowded breakfast and lunch stops, and one reported no air-conditioning on the return leg. Guide quality varies, with some reviewers praising theirs warmly and others saying the guide gave little information or left stragglers behind. One traveller who booked an English tour found most commentary in Spanish because the rest of the group spoke it, and another reported a driver going far too fast on the descent. The optional Red Valley adds more walking on top of an already demanding day.

Common Questions