This exclusive 4 Day Hike to Rainbow Mountain Cusco is the best alternative to Ausangate Trek. On this 3 nights and 4 day you with our local guide you will see some of the beautiful landscapes.
Hike to Rainbow Mountain Cusco is a challenging hike. This is a high altitude experience. The highest point is at 5200 metres (17,000 feet) above sea level. It is highly recommended that you spend a few days in Cusco acclimatising before the trek to avoid altitude sickness.
The Rainbow Mountain in Peru is one of the most visited attractions after Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Infact, it is one of the popular day tours in Cusco.
We have designed this 4 day trip to let you experience the beauty of the wilderness here. You will also get to know a bit about the traditions and culture of locals living here.
Do take a moment to check our reviews on Trip Advisor.
We will pick you up at your hotel at 6:00am. Then we will drive nearly 3 hours to Tinki. It is often referred as the gateway to Ausangate. Here we will stop for organic breakfast which is prepared by our professional chef.
After breakfast the hiking is around 5 hours to get to the lunch camp. Our destination for the night is Samacancha. Here we will enjoy a beautiful evening surrounded by sharp mountains and beautiful landscapes in the middle of the Andes.
We will have early in the morning our organic breakfast. Afterwards we will hike through the Ausangate Mountain. It is incredibly colorful as it has four lagoons; Yanacocha, Vinococha, Huchuy Pucacocha and Hatun Pucacocha. They are even more alluring than the seven colored mountains.
We will then continue ahead, meeting native quechua-speaking people. They are Inca descendants and spend their life in the middle of these mountains. Its fauna including the Llamas, Alpacas and Vicuñas luckily are the main resource for them.
The day is finished after 6 hours of hiking in Hatun Pukacocha.
After an early, organic and nutritious breakfast with your trekking team, you will prepare for the third day of the hike. This day offers a variety of colorful lakes and dramatic scenery along a steady climb, which allows for plenty of breaks.
We will arrive into the high pampas – rugged meadows of long grass across to Apacheta Pass (4850m). We will take the trail to another mountain pass, dropping down, by Lake Ausangate. This region is surrounded by rugged mountain peaks and the great valley below.
We will be camping at Surapampa. The campsite is one of the most beautiful campsites located on the hillside of the Ausangate peak and at the bank of the lake. You can see amazing views from here and perhaps some condors and eagles flying nearby.
After an early breakfast we will trek to visit Rainbow Mountain. It will be a 2 hours gradual uphill trek to reach the summit. Pucapunta, the red sandstone sedimentary formations, offers such a wonderful experience and the Red Valley is located at 5200m /17060 ft elevation.
Along the way you get to see Vicuñas and Condors. Here you will see Vinicunca, a mountain of striations of colors embedded in the hillsides. Best known as The Rainbow Mountain, it speaks for itself.
After taking some pictures and enjoying the views, you will continue the expedition to the end of the trail. This is all downhill along the Valley for about 3 hours.
At the campsite, you will enjoy your final lunch of the trek with your team. We will then drive back to Cusco. You will be arriving in Cusco around 6 to 7pm.
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