Rainbow Mountain in Peru: Complete Travel Guide

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Rainbow Mountain in Peru, also known as Vinicunca or Montaña de Siete Colores, is an incredible natural wonder that’s one of the most popular day trips from Cusco. The colorfully striped mountain is the result of the many different minerals that it’s made up of. However, Rainbow Mountain only started attracting attention in 2015, when the snow covering it melted and exposed the beautiful colors underneath.

This guide lays out everything you need to know about visiting Rainbow Mountain, including how to get there, the best time to visit, what to wear and bring, and whether you should go with a tour group.

Where is Rainbow Mountain located?

Rainbow Mountain is part of the Andes mountain range and a bit more than a three-hour drive southeast from Cusco.

What’s the altitude of Rainbow Mountain?

Rainbow Mountain is at over 5,000 meters above sea level – some sources say it’s at 5,200 meters. This is higher than Cusco, which sits at 3,399 meters.

When is the best time to visit Rainbow Mountain?

The best time to visit Rainbow Mounta is from April to November, which is Peru’s dry season. Although temperatures are a bit lower than wet season, you’ll enjoy clear skies with little to no rain. You’ll need this in order to get the best pictures of Rainbow Mountain.

Dry season is also high season in Peru. So if you want to visit during that time but also want to avoid the many tourists that visit Rainbow Mountain, it’s best to visit from April to May or October to November.

Is Rainbow Mountain worth it?

For me, Rainbow Mountain was worth it because I had never seen anything like it before, found the hike challenging in a good way, met some great people in my tour group, really enjoyed the option of also seeing Red Valley, and thought it was a great way to spend a day. To figure out whether it’ll be worth visiting for you, ask yourself these questions.

• Have you seen or will you see something similar? – If you’ve seen something similar to Rainbow Mountain, then it may not be as impressive or worth your time. There’s also Palccoyo, an alternative to Rainbow Mountain in Peru that’s less well-known. If you’ve already booked a tour to Palccoyo, then you most likely don’t need to also see Rainbow Mountain since the two are similar.
• Do you have time? – Because of the long drive to Rainbow Mountain from Cusco, it’s a full-day trip. I was picked up by my tour group at 3:45 AM and I didn’t get back to Cusco until 4 PM. Because of Rainbow Mountain’s elevation, you’ll also need to get acclimated in Cusco first. It’s recommended that you spend at least two days in Cusco to do so. So if you can’t spare a day or don’t have enough time to acclimatize, then it won’t be worth going.
• Do you get altitude sickness? – If you’ve never been at such a high elevation, you won’t know. However, how you feel when you get to Cusco should give you an idea of how you handle altitude. If you experience altitude sickness in Cusco, you’ll likely have it worse when hiking Rainbow Mountain since it’s more than 1,500 meters higher.
• Are you in good physical shape? – Rainbow Mountain is an entirely uphill hike. When you add in the elevation, it’s even more challenging. While I don’t think you need to physically train to hike Rainbow Mountain, you’ll most likely have an easier time if you walk, hike, or workout regularly. If you’re not confident in being able to hike up, there’s also the option to pay extra to take a horse or motorbike up to the viewpoint.
• What is the weather going to be like? – You can still do Rainbow Mountain in the rainy season and come away with a great experience and photos. I did it in December and had lovely weather. However, there’s a higher chance of cloudy skies and rain. Plus, there may be snow covering all or some of the mountain. If you’re dead set on getting the perfect picture of Rainbow Mountain with sun and clear skies, it’s more likely to be worth going during the dry season.

How to get to Rainbow Mountain

There isn’t any public transportation that goes all the way to Rainbow Mountain, since it’s in a remote area. Instead, most people make the long journey there with a tour group.

To visit Rainbow Mountain on your own, you can take a two-hour colectivo (shared van/car) to Checacupe and then take a taxi the rest of the way. Alternatively, you can get a private driver for the entire drive. If you’re traveling with others and can split the cost, this option may be cheaper or about the same price as going with a tour. The only downside to going on your own is that breakfast and lunch are not provided.

Can you hike Rainbow Mountain without a guide?

Yes, you can hike Rainbow Mountain without a guide since there’s only one trail that goes up to the mountain’s viewpoint. You’ll also be hiking alongside many other tourists, especially if you go earlier in the day when the tour groups arrive. This makes it impossible to get lost.

There are a couple of benefits to going with a guide though. The biggest issue when hiking Rainbow Mountain is getting altitude sickness, and guides are experienced in helping tourists deal with the elevation. They’re also able to tell you more about Rainbow Mountain and the surrounding region, if you prefer having context or information about what you see. Lastly, they know when you shouldn’t summit the mountain based on the weather. While hiking Rainbow Mountain is perfectly safe (as long as you don’t push past your limits and altitude sickness), a few people have been killed by lightning.

What to wear to Rainbow Mountain

The key to being prepared for Rainbow Mountain is to wear layers. When you first start hiking up the trail, you’ll likely get hot and start shedding layers. On a warm, sunny day, people typically wear a t-shirt and pants or leggings. However, the temperature drops and the wind picks up as you get closer to the top. Once you reach the viewpoint or summit, you’ll be standing around a lot and will start cooling off. At this point, you’ll want to have layers, like a puffer jacket or fleece, that you can easily put on. Here’s what I recommend wearing for the hike:

• T-shirt or lightweight long-sleeve shirt
• Leggings or pants
• Light zip-up or fleece
• Puffer jacket
• Hat – Either wear a baseball cap to protect your face from the sun or a beanie to keep your head warm.
• Hiking boots or athletic shoes – Most people wear hiking boots, but it isn’t necessary. The trail is primarily made up of dirt, so athletic shoes (or even regular sneakers) will work.
• Rain jacket or poncho (optional) – While I wore my puffer jacket, I also brought a rain jacket with me. Luckily, I never had to use it, but you can never be sure of what the weather will be like at the top of the mountain and how it’ll change while you’re there.
• Rain pants (optional) – I wore rain pants on top of my leggings, and I’m glad I did. The rain pants blocked the wind, which helped keep my legs warm.
• Gloves (optional) – Depending on what time of year you visit Rainbow Mountain, you may want to bring gloves to keep your hands toasty up at the top.

Aside from dressing properly, there are some things that you should also bring:

• Water – You can purchase water once you reach Rainbow Mountain, but you should bring some with you for the long car ride.
• Cash – Whether you go with a tour group or not, you’ll need to pay the entrance fee to Rainbow Mountain (and Red Valley) in cash. Also, if you need to go to the bathroom when you’re there, it costs two soles. It’s best if you bring small bills and coins.
• Hiking poles (optional) – The tour group I went with provided everyone with a single walking stick, and you also had the option of renting hiking poles. I did so and thought that it really helped in tackling all of the uphills and downhills.
• Snacks (optional) – Depending on how hungry you get, it can be a good idea to bring snacks with you. They also sell snacks at the base of Rainbow Mountain and at the viewpoint, so you won’t go hungry if you decide not to bring any.

Booking a Rainbow Mountain tour

There are many tours that go to Rainbow Mountain, which makes it easy to book. You also don’t have to book far in advance. I booked mine the afternoon before through GetYourGuide.

Rainbow Mountain tours include pickup at your accommodation (if you’re staying in the historic center of Cusco), drop-off in the center of Cusco, breakfast, and lunch. It typically doesn’t include your entrance fee to Rainbow Mountain (and Red Valley, if you choose to do it).

Expect a very early pickup some time between 3 AM and 4 AM. Once they’ve gathered everyone, you’ll drive to breakfast, have about 30 minutes to fuel up and use the bathroom, and then head to the base of Rainbow Mountain. From there, you’ll hike up to the viewpoint. Alternatively, you can pay an additional fee to ride a horse or take a motorbike there. While those hiking will start together, everyone separates pretty quickly based on their pace. Once you reach the viewpoint where you take the iconic photo of the Rainbow Mountain, you can then climb the steps up to the summit.

Rainbow Mountain tours also give you the option of going to Red Valley, which is about a 30-minute hike from the viewpoint. Although it’s so close, very few people go. I highly recommend doing Red Valley as well, as long as you’re feeling okay. I actually enjoyed it more than Rainbow Mountain because it was far less touristy and the colors of the Red Valley were brighter.

Once everyone descends and is back at the van, you’ll head to lunch. After that, you’ll return to Cusco.

More resources for traveling Peru

• Red Valley in Peru: Complete Travel Guide