PALCCOYO RAINBOW MOUNTAIN

Pick you up from the lobby of your hotel at 5:00 hours. It is about a 4-hour drive in our private transportation, during which we will pass through traditional villages and see some amazing views of the Andes. When we reach the trail head for this hike, we will begin the hike from Palccoyo (altitude: 4790m/15710ft).

From here, it will be a half to 1 ½ hour slightly uphill hike to reach the famous Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain. Along the way, you will enjoy amazing views of the Andes, glacial peaks, red mountains, rocky hills, and traditional llamas and alpacas grazing along the valley. As you reach the summit of the mountain, you will be able to spot some Andean wildlife. This is the only place in Cusco where you can sometimes see wild Vicuñas. Vicuñas are in the same family as llamas, although they are smaller. Their wool is the most expensive wool in the world.

Rainbow Mountain

Once we arrive at the top of Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain, you will have enough time to absorb the majesty of the red mountains that surround this area. You will also see amazing views of the valleys and Ausangate Glacier Peak in front of you. Ausangate is the tallest mountain of the Cusco region (just under 6402m/21000ft) and is part of the Cordillera Vilcanota Range.

After taking a few amazing pictures and soaking in the views (perhaps we will even see a few condors floating on the air currents), we will begin our descent with a half to 1 ½ hour downhill hike. We will start our return trip back to Palccoyo to take our private transportation back to Cusco.

Difficulty: Low to moderate mostly because of the altitude
Palccoyo Altitude: 4790m/ 15710ft
Highest Altitude: 4900m/ 16075ft
Hiking duration: 1-3 hours
Tour type: hiking, off the beaten path adventure
Good for: those with a sense of adventure and in good hiking shape

Meals included: B L