Cusco is privileged by nature and history, the capital of the Inca Empire houses in its territory wonders of all kinds such as the impressive Rainbow mountain of Winikunka the mountain of colors at 5,200 meters, 17,060 ft above sea level.

Its name comes from two Quechua voices: “Wini”, for the rounded and heavy black stones that abound in the area, which were called “wini rumi” (stone). The second is “Kunka” which means neck because of the narrowness of the hills. Winikunka Mountain is behind the imposing snowy Ausangate, which is part of the Vilcanota mountain range in Cusco. It is a valley irrigated by the Pitumarca River that is precisely in the lower part of the Ausangate and which flows into the great Vilcanota River.

“Apu” was the name by which the Inca civilization called the mountains to which they attributed mystical powers. Although most of these majestic mountains were covered with snow, there was one that stood out for its many beautiful colors: Winikunka Mountain, also known as “the mountain of 7 colors,” (Rainbow Mountain).

This hike to the Rainbow Mountain of Peru will leave you with a truly memorable experience. This adventure will fascinate you with a combination of colorful landscapes, and mountains. On the hike you may see, condors, vicunas, llamas, alpacas, chinchillas, and pumas. Everything will seem as if it was not yet discovered. This is a trip that is truly amazing and beautiful.

Category
Day Tours, Featured
Location
Cusco Region
Minimun height
11,151 ft
Height Maximum Height
17,060 ft
Degree of Difficulty
Moderate, Short Route
Gastronomy
typical food of area
Transport
tourist van
First aid
+ Oxygen Tank

Dia 1

Rainbow Mountain

We will pick you up at your hotel between 6:30 and 7 am in a tourist transport van.
We will travel for approximately 2 hours to Cusipata-Paucarpata.
9:00 A.M .: Buffet breakfast. (If there are vegetarians or anyone with food restrictions please let us know).
After breakfast, we will continue for approximately 40 minutes to the checkpoint.
9:40 A.M .: Arrival in Llaqto, control point, where you can view the snowy peak of Wiñay Ritty (Forever young).
We will walk through some beautiful places for about 30 minutes, around 1.2 miles until we reach the mountain of colors 17,000 ft
Here you will have a Panoramic view of the mountain of seven colors. Here you will have enough time to rest and take photos.
After the walk back to Llaqto, our vehicle will be waiting to take us for lunch.
Between 5:30 PM. and 6:00 P.M .: Arrive back in the city of Cusco where you will be left near the main square of Cusco.

Detailed:

The day before the tour starts, we will visit you at your hotel at 7:30 p.m., to give you all the necessary instructions on the Winikunka Mountain tour and indicate the entire travel itinerary with the respective recommendations.

The adventure begins very early at 06:30 am. We will start picking you up at your different hotels until 07:00 am, then head to the picturesque town of Cusipata (Quispicanchi) south of the city of Cusco, where we will stop for supplies and some things necessary to start the tour such as water or energy drinks, snacks, cereals, etc.

After the short stop, we will continue our trip where we will observe the colorful landscapes and crops that are among the deep valleys, mysterious mountains also the Andean animals such as llama, alpaca, sheep, and vicuñas. We will arrive at 08:30 am to the town of Cusipata, here we will enjoy a delicious Andean breakfast prepared by our Chef.

Then we will return to our transport to go to Chirihuani, the starting point of our hike. We will start our 30-minute walk up the mountain until we reach the slopes of the Red Valley (Winikunka hill).

We will walk along a path that will gradually change the landscape between mountains of intense colors and small streams of icy water that feed and give life to this valley, as we walk we will observe how the colors around us will change by the weather, we will arrive to the top of the 7-color Winikunka mountain at 17,060 ft above sea level, where a viewpoint is located, from there we can observe in all its splendor the mountains in a 360-degree view.

This will be the point where we will have enough time to take pictures, videos, etc. At the same time, it will be the place where we will enjoy our snack while our sight delights with the magic that the mountains enclose behind its veil of clouds and snowy peaks. After such an exquisite experience we will undertake the return walk to Chirihuani, where our transport will be waiting to take us to the town of Fulawasi, where we will have a delicious buffet lunch prepared by our chef, later we will return to Cusco arriving at around 05:30 pm, so we culminate the 7-color mountain hike.

Include:

English speaking guide with informative information about Rainbow Mountain and the area.
Meeting one day before the tour to prepare you for the trip and answer any questions.
First aid kit, including oxygen.
Transportation Cusco - Chirihuani - Cusco.
Infusions of coca leaves during the trip
1 breakfast 1 Buffet lunch and Hot Drinks.
Professional guides accredited in high mountain and first aid.
Entrance to Rainbow Mountain.
Trekking poles.
Thermal blankets