Full-Day Rainbow Mountain & Red Valley (Small-Group trek from Cusco)

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Rainbow Mountain Cusco, Urb. Balconcillo k - 10, Cusco 08004 Peru

Your day starts in Cusco where you are picked up from your hotel between 2:15am and 2:45am for a 3 hour trip via private van to the start of the trail. You will be given a local Peruvian style breakfast prepared by a chef and fuel up for the hike ahead of you.

The hike to the rainbow mountain will take around 3.5 hours and is a distance of 7.5km (4.7 miles). Throughout your journey you will pass through a vibrant green valley with the snow capped peak of Ausangate towering in the distance. You will see hundreds of roaming alpaca, and have the chance to truly see how Quechua people live. As you get closer to the Rainbow Mountain you will begin to see the first signs of the colored minerals that formed the painted hills. Your guide will explain what makes up the existence of the Rainbow Mountain and how it was formed, and finally with one last push you will hike up to a vantage point that gives you a 360 degree view of the beautiful landscape that makes up the sacred land.

Red Mountain Valley Included!

There will be snacks on top and time to take a relaxing break to soak up the vistas where you can enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. After about an hour you will embark for your hike back to the trail head (2-3 hours), where you will have a gourmet lunch prepared by a chef in a traditional mud-house and depart back to Cusco. Arriving in Cusco around 6pm.

NOTE: This is a challenging day of hiking. Hikers should be reasonably fit, and spend some time in Cusco to acclimate as the hike takes place over 4500m (15,000ft) and is about 15 kilometers (9.5 miles) in length with an elevation gain of 685m (2250ft) We recommend guests have at least 2-3 days of acclimation. The main reason for the difficulty of this trek is because of the elevation. The terrain is a gradual climb and you are walking in a wide valley for the majority of the trek.

Pick up time is between 2:15am and 2:45am, please be waiting in your hotel lobby at 2:15am and keep a lookout for the van. You may want to bring a pillow and blanket to get some extra sleep during the van ride (these can be left in the van while you hike). If you are prone to motion sickness we also recommend taking something to help with this.

Duration: 14 hours