From Cusco: Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley Tour with Breakfast and Lunch

Your Experience

Hike Peru's Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley on a guided full-day trip with meals, transport, and safety support included.

Getting started

Begin your day with pickup from your accommodation in Cusco’s Historic Center. Board the vehicle that provides round-trip transfers and travel to Cusipata, where you sit down to a buffet breakfast before continuing toward the trailhead. Your professional bilingual English and Spanish-speaking guide outlines the hiking route and conditions so you know what to expect at high altitude.

What to expect

Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain)

Vinicunca, known as Rainbow Mountain, is famous for its vibrant stripes created by mineral-rich sediment layers high in the Andes.

Features

• The guided day trip to Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley lets you walk through Andean landscapes where you can spot llamas and alpacas along the way while your guide explains the surrounding peaks and terrain.
• At the viewpoint over Vinicunca, you have time to take in the colorful slopes and photograph the mountain’s distinct bands of red, yellow, and ocher that make it a well-known landmark in the Cusco region.
• A first-aid kit and an emergency oxygen tank travel with the group, adding an extra layer of safety during this high-altitude hike.
• Entrance fees to Rainbow Mountain are not included and are payable separately in cash, and optional horseback riding on parts of the route can be arranged directly on site.

Red Valley

Red Valley is an area near Rainbow Mountain characterized by reddish slopes and contrasting Andean scenery.

Features

• From the main trail area, you can choose an additional walk into Red Valley, where the terrain shifts to deep red hillsides and open views of the surrounding Andean landscapes.
• Your expert English and Spanish-speaking guide leads those who opt to explore Red Valley, pointing out viewpoints and photo spots that show the scale and color of the valley.
• Entrance fees to Red Valley are excluded from the tour price and must be paid in cash locally, and optional horseback riding here is also at your own expense.
• After the hike, you return by tourist transportation toward Cusipata, completing the round-trip transfers that link Cusco’s Historic Center, Rainbow Mountain, and Red Valley.

Cusipata

Cusipata is the town where you stop for included buffet meals on the journey between Cusco and the mountain trails.

Features

• On the way out from Cusco, you pause in Cusipata for a buffet breakfast that is included with your guided high-altitude mountain hike day trip.
• After finishing your time at Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley, you head back to Cusipata for an included buffet lunch, giving you time to rest and refuel before the final drive.
• These buffet breakfast and lunch services in Cusipata are part of the package, so you can focus on the hike itself rather than organizing meals along the route.

Wrapping up

Back in Cusco, your driver drops you off at Plaza Regocijo, where the service concludes and you can continue exploring the historic center or head back to your accommodation independently.

Highlights

• Hike with an expert guide through high-altitude Andean landscapes to Vinicunca's rainbow-striped slopes, spotting llamas and alpacas en route.
• Get picked up from your accommodation in Cusco's Historic Center, ride transport to the mountains, then return to Plaza Regocijo after the hike.
• Your guided day trip links Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley, includes buffet breakfast and lunch in Cusipata, plus a first-aid kit and emergency oxygen.
• Continue your hike into Red Valley's reddish slopes if you choose, while your bilingual guide helps you interpret the surrounding mountain landscape.