Rainbow Mountain

Rainbow Mountain

The Rainbow Mountain of Peru, also known as Vinicunca, is stunning and is located close to the Ausangate Mountain. Ausangate is the fifth highest mountain in Peru at 6,384 meters high. Ausangate is considered the most important mountain in the Andean worldview.

The mountain is made up of 14 different colorful minerals. The rainbow-like appearance is created by the sediment of the minerals throughout the area giving the mountain the turquoise, lavendar, gold and other colors. Until 2013, the mountain was not visible as it was covered with eternal snow. Nowadays it is one of the main tourist attractions in Peru, so don’t miss it when you are in Cusco!

Rainbow Mountain tour

The route is genuinely unique and is a real adventure through preserved wild natural terrain and includes Puka Punta, “red lead”, a mountain in the Vilcanota mountain range and small communities of Quechua-speaking descendants. The route of Rainbow mountain reaches great heights between 4710m and 5200m for stunning eagle eye views. The Vinicunca One-Day Tour is able to offer travelers a stunning trek in the Andes.

You will be picked up very early and then head south through the town of Urcos to the Checacupe District and then follow the path to Pitumarca. We continue along the road through small villages until we arrive to the community of Hanchipata – Quesuno, the ideal starting point to walk the route. We will see many mountains such as Ausangate, beautiful blue lagoons, and many other natural sites.

The hike is not long but the altitude makes it challenging (above 5100m). But don’t let this scare you, as it is one of the best day hikes in Peru! For the fittest, you can continue from the Rainbow Mountain through the red valley to the top. From there you will have an amazing panorama of kilometers red dessert with mountaintops of different colors.