Rainbow Mountain Peru Tour Guide – Rainbow Mountain Peru FAQs

Rainbow Mountain Peru or Vinicunca as locals refer to it is located 62 miles (99 Kilometres) to the south of Cusco city. It is three hour drive from the center of Cusco City. 

The safest, easiest, and the practical way to get to Rainbow Mountain Peru is by signing up for a full-day tour from Cusco. Although you can hike up to the summit without a guide getting transport to the starting point of the trek could be challenging. The full-day tour is quite economic and includes transport, a guide, breakfast, lunch, and emergency kits. 

Rainbow Mountain Peru or Vinicunca nestles high up in the Peruvian Andes. The starting point of the trek is 62 miles (99 Kilometres) to the south of Cusco city. It is three hour drive from the center of Cusco City. From the starting point of the trek, expect to hike for two hours up the hill to reach the summit. 

The yellow, red, ochre, white, and turquoise mineral stripes on the Rainbow Mountain Cusco which lend its wow appeal are a result of mineral deposits. It was covered under a blanket of snow until early 2016. As the snow started to melt the colors started appearing. Rainbow Mountain is now the second most visited destination in Peru, after Machu Picchu. 

Cusco is home to two iconic Rainbow Mountains. Vinicunca and Palccoyo. Vinicunca nestles at 5200 meters above sea level (17060 ft) high up in the Peruvian Andes. The summit of Palccoyo or the alternative Rainbow Mountain is at 4900 meters above sea level (16076 ft).

Rainbow Mountain Peru, locally known as Vinicunca was discovered in early 2016. It was covered under a blanket of snow. As the snow started to melt the colors started appearing. Rainbow Mountain is now the second most visited destination in Peru, after Machu Picchu. 

Yes, you can certainly hike Rainbow Mountain without a guide. However, this could be challenging and expensive. The starting point of the trek is quite remotely located which makes it quite difficult in finding transport from Cusco city. The full-day tour is quite economic and includes transport, a guide, breakfast, lunch, and emergency kits. 

The weather in the Andes is quite unpredictable. During summer, the temperature is somewhere between 21º Celsius and -2º Celsius (69º Fahrenheit and 28º Fahrenheit). However, as you get closer to the summit the weather gets around -5º Celsius (23º Fahrenheit) and it is often windy. 

Yes, the Rainbow Mountain in Peru is a natural formation. The yellow, red, ochre, white, and turquoise mineral stripes on the Rainbow Mountain Cusco which lend its wow appeal are a result of mineral deposits.

It was under a blanket of snow until early 2016. As the snow started to melt the colors started appearing. Rainbow Mountain is now the second most visited destination in Peru, after Machu Picchu. 

Rainbow Mountain is 62 miles (99 Kilometres) to the south of Cusco city and Machu Picchu, the lost city of Incas lies 46 miles (75 Kilometres) to the North West of the former capital of the Incas. So to visit both Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain, you must be based in Cusco City and take day trips to each attraction separately. 

From Cusco city, the starting point of the trek is 62 miles (99 Kilometres) to the south of Cusco city which can be covered with a three hours drive. It takes around two hours each way to reach the summit of Rainbow Mountain from the base camp. 

Yes, it is totally worth visiting Rainbow Mountain on a full-day tour from Cusco. These are natural formations and only two countries in the world have them – China and Peru.