Rainbow Mountain & Red Valley
Vinicunca at 5,200 m, and the Mars-red valley behind it
- 1 day
- 5,200 m max
- Moderate
- Cusco to Cusco
The striped mineral ridge of Vinicunca, reached on a steady hour-and-a-half climb from 4,700 m to over 5,200 m, with the option of carrying on into the Red Valley. Buffet breakfast and lunch on the route, and medical oxygen with the guide.
Rainbow Mountain was not a tourist destination fifteen years ago because it was under ice. The glacier retreated, the mineral stripes appeared, and Vinicunca became the second most photographed place in Peru.
The walk to it is not technical — a wide track, a steady hour and a half, and a gradient most people would not notice at home. What they notice is the air. The trail starts at 4,700 m and the ridge is over 5,200 m, which is higher than anything else on this website, including the Inca Trail’s Dead Woman’s Pass.
Two things make the day work. Acclimatise properly first, at least two nights in Cusco. And walk slowly from the very start, not from the point where it starts to hurt.
What you'll see
Over 5,200 metres
The highest ground on this website, and not far off Everest base camp on the Nepal side, reached on foot from Cusco and back in a single day.
The Red Valley
Just over the ridge from Vinicunca and completely different — deep red, nearly empty, and skipped by most groups. It is optional and it is worth it.
Ausangate on the skyline
The sacred peak of the Cusco region, 6,384 m, visible across the whole walk.
Alpacas, llamas and herders
The route crosses working pasture. The herders in wool are not there for the tourists.
Oxygen, and a guide trained to use it
Medical oxygen and a full first-aid kit on every departure. At this altitude that is the single most important thing on the list.
Drop-off at the airport if you need it
On the way back we can drop you at Cusco airport or the bus terminal around 16:30, which turns this into a usable last day.
Rainbow Mountain & Red Valley: day by day
Times are what we actually aim for, not a best case. Traffic into Cusco and the train timetable move them by a little.
Day 1
Cusco to Vinicunca and back
Twelve to thirteen hours door to door, with about two and a half hours of walking. The trail is a wide, gradual track — it is the air that makes it hard, not the ground.
- 04:30We collect you from your hotel or flat in Cusco. Pick-ups run until about 05:00 and the vehicle leaves at 05:00 sharp.
- 07:00Cusipata, after two hours down the South Valley, and a buffet breakfast at a local restaurant.
- 08:45An hour on to the trailhead at 4,700 m.
- 09:00The ascent — an hour and a half at a deliberately slow pace, past grazing alpacas and llamas.
- 10:30The summit ridge, over 5,200 m, with an unhurried hour for the view, the photographs and the geology.
- 11:30Either the walk into the Red Valley, or back down the main path.
- 12:00An hour's descent to the vehicle.
- 14:15Buffet lunch back in Cusipata.
- 17:00The two-hour drive to Cusco, finishing at Plaza Regocijo, or at the airport or bus terminal around 16:30 if you need it.
- Meals
- Buffet breakfast and buffet lunch
- Night
- Not applicable — you sleep in Cusco
What the price covers
Transport
- Collection from your hotel or flat in Cusco between 04:30 and 05:00
- Round-trip private transport to the trailhead in modern vehicles
- Optional drop-off at Cusco airport or the main bus terminal on the way back
On the mountain
- Small groups of twelve to fourteen, eighteen at most
- Certified bilingual guides who work at this altitude routinely
- A full first-aid kit and medical oxygen carried by the guide
Meals
- Buffet breakfast in Cusipata — juices, coffee, tea, chocolate, fruit, pancakes or bread
- Buffet lunch after the walk, with soups, salads and vegetarian options
Not included
- The Rainbow Mountain entrance fee, about 30 soles for foreign visitors, cash only at the gate
- The Red Valley entrance, about 30 soles, if you choose to go
- A horse on the trail, about 100 to 120 soles, arranged with the handlers on the day
- Trekking poles
- Travel insurance
- Tips, which are genuinely optional
What to bring
Papers and money
- Your original passport
- Cash in soles for both entrance fees and a horse if you need one
- Any medication you take
What to carry
- A small daypack
- A refillable bottle with one to two litres of water
- High-energy snacks
- A camera and a power bank
Clothes
- Walking boots or trail shoes with grip
- Thermal layers, a fleece and a waterproof jacket
- Trekking trousers
- A beanie, warm gloves and a neck buff — the summit is freezing and windy
Sun and skin
- High-factor sun cream, and more than you think at 5,200 m
- Sunglasses with UV protection
- A sun hat and lip balm
Questions we get asked
How hard is it, really?
The path is a wide, gradual dirt track with nothing technical on it. What makes this moderate to challenging is that it starts at 4,700 m and finishes above 5,200 m, where there is roughly half the oxygen there is at sea level. Walk slowly from the first step, drink more than you want to, and it is entirely achievable. Race the first ten minutes and you will suffer for the rest.
How many days should I acclimatise first?
Two at the absolute minimum, and three is better. This is the highest thing most visitors to Peru ever do. Doing it on your second day in Cusco is the single most common mistake made in this region.
Can I hire a horse?
Yes, from the local community handlers, for about 100 to 120 soles in cash depending on where on the trail you decide you need one. Speak to your guide on the spot and they will sort it out.
What is the difference between Vinicunca and Palcoyo?
Vinicunca is the famous single sharp ridge, a steep hour and a half up to 5,200 m, and it is busy. Palcoyo is three smaller coloured mountains plus a natural stone forest, reached by a flat forty-minute walk at 4,900 m, and it is far quieter. If the photograph is what you came for, take Vinicunca. If the walk and the peace matter more, take Palcoyo.
Is the Red Valley worth the extra?
Yes, in our view, and it is the part people are most surprised by — a deep red landscape just over the ridge, almost empty because most groups turn round at the summit. It costs about 30 soles more at the gate and a little more walking.
When should I come?
May to September for clear skies and the best colour. The mountain stays open all year, but between December and March there is a real chance of rain, mud or snow covering the mineral stripes altogether.
Can I start from the Sacred Valley or from Aguas Calientes?
From the Sacred Valley, only on a private departure — the group tour leaves strictly from Cusco. From Aguas Calientes it is impossible. That town sits in a canyon reached only by train, and Rainbow Mountain is on the far side of the region.
Are the entrance fees really not included?
They are not, and they are cash only in soles at the gate — about 30 for the mountain and another 30 for the Red Valley. No cards, no dollars. Bring small notes.
Ask us about Rainbow Mountain & Red Valley
Tell us your dates and we'll come back with availability, the circuit we'd recommend, and a firm price. No deposit to ask, and we answer within one working day.