Full Day Trip to the Rainbow Mountains
Duration
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Overview
This is a journey through a forgotten land of wild Andean landscapes, where you will discover snow-covered mountains, herds of alpacas and llamas, amazing views of the Andean valley as well as some small typical Andean towns which are wide spread along the road.
Hidden deep in the Andes, you will finally find the beautiful rainbow mountains, named after the local people’s poncho colors.
Full Itinerary
Your adventure starts in Cusco where we pick you up from your hotel at 04:30 am. We start our 3-hour bus ride in our tourist van in the direction of the famous Ausangate Mountain (holy mountain Apu) until the town of Cusipata. Here, we will have a nutritious breakfast and continue driving for one hour more to the town of Pullawasi Pata. Arriving here around 9:00 am, we will get ready to hike the ascending road through the Andean desert Puna. During the walk, you will be able to observe the Andean Camels from a very close distance. After approx. 2 hours (depending on your fitness level) you will reach the main destination: The Rainbow Mountain (Quechua: Vinicunca), also known as the 7-colored mountain.
This view will definitely take your breath away! The large, bright colorful landscapes and on the other side the sacred mountain Ausangate with its impressive snowcapped picks.
After enjoying this great experience, we will descend the same path for approx. 2 hours back to the starting point, and get on the car to Cuscipata where you will have lunch. Then we take the bus back to Cusco, arriving around 06:00 pm.
The hike to the Rainbow Mountain is a challenging one. It will take a full day to complete the adventure and you are constantly going be in the high elevation (above 14,000ft). Make sure you are acclimatized to the altitude before you make this adventure experience! It is a good idea to take a day or two of acclimatization and to drink plenty of water the previous days to the hike.
Included/Exclude
- Tourist transportation
- Breakfast and Lunch buffet
- Fluent English/ Spanish and Quechua-speaking guide
- Horseback riding is available upon request, at an additional cost of US$40
- Drinks
- Entrance to Rainbow Mountain
- Insurance of any kind
Recommendations, what to bring
The weather in the Andes is unpredictable! Please be prepared with warm clothing.
- Passport (copy or photo)
- A personal light backpack
- Hiking shoes
- Raincoat or rain poncho
- Thick jacket
- Hat and sunglasses
- Sunblocker
- Gloves
- Extra T-shirt
- Personal medication
- Toilet paper
- Energy bars
- Camera with charger and extra batteries
- Extra money (Soles)
What we need when you make a reservation
- Full name as it is written on your passport
- Passport number
- Nationality
- Date of birth
- Tour departure date
- Send a deposit of 60% of the total price of your tour. (The remainder of your balance will be due upon your arrival in Cusco.) Payment may be made via *Western Union, PayPal, ABN AMRO Bank in Holland
Prices
- Price shared service: US$ 50 per person.
- Shared service with approx. 15 people on the bus.
- Price private service: $200 pp (minimal 2 people, maximum 6 people)
We are looking forward to creating an unforgettable experience for you.
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