Perú's Rainbow Mountain: How to avoid the crowds

Six Months in South America, Part 12

Whenever anyone asked me where I most wanted to visit in South America, I’d close my eyes, and this spot would appear in my mind. Rainbow Mountain, also known as the Montaña de 7 Colores, Vinicunca, or Winikunka, is one of the most visited sites in Perú, second only to Machu Picchu.

Rainbow Mountain gets its stunning coloration from a high concentration of copper and iron, and it’s one of many colorful mountains in Perú including Palccoyo and Iliqllapunchu. 

In recent years, the mountain has become extremely popular with tourists, and hordes of tour groups will visit the area, leading to long lines and an overcrowded trail. To avoid this, I highly recommend taking an afternoon excursion. I went with the wonderful company Peru Private Tours, and it was my favorite tour in Cusco to date. 

How to avoid the crowds

A typical itinerary goes like this: wake up and leave Cusco around 3-4 am, have breakfast, and then fight the other tour groups to make it up the mountain and snap photos for social media. I would recommend not doing this.

Instead, you have three options: go by yourself; hire a private, local driver or guide; or go with an afternoon tour group. Although the afternoon tour costs more than the average tour group, it’s well worth it to take your time and see more of the mountain.

If you can’t afford to do this, (the afternoon tour costs around $89 instead of $40) I would recommend finding a tour that also lets you hike the Red Valley. That way, you will be able to see more of the mountain with fewer people. Or, you can take a bus from Cusco and stay in Cusipata for a night, which could save you money depending on lodging costs.

How to get there

The trailhead for Rainbow Mountain is about 3.5 hours from Cusco. Most tour groups will take you in vans or shuttle buses, stopping along the way for breakfast.

Alternatively, you could stay in a smaller town that is closer to the mountain, like Cusipata or Checacupe, and leave from there. That’s the option I might recommend if you are driving on your own.

To reach Cusipata, you can hire a taxi or take a bus from the Closed Colosseum on Huayruropata Avenue for around 5 soles (~$1.50). The trip takes approximately two hours.

From Cusipata, you can take a colectivo bus to the Phulawasipata community where you will buy your tickets to enter the mountain. That trip takes about an hour and costs 10 soles.

You will need to buy a ticket to enter the mountain. Tickets cannot be reserved online, and the only way to get one is to travel to the control booth in the community of Phulawasipata.

Doublecheck prices before you go, but previously, the ticket price was 15 soles ($4) for Peruvian nationals and 25-30 soles ($7-8) for foreign tourists. You can also reserve a horse to take you to the top of the mountain for about 70 soles one-way or 90 soles round-trip.

When to go

It’s best to visit during the dry season, from April to October. During the rainy season, from November to March, river precipitation and weather can cause the mountain to be covered with snow, making it difficult to see the colors.

What’s the distance and elevation of the hike?

Rainbow Mountain sits at a dizzying altitude of more than 17,000 ft or 5,200 meters. The hike takes about 1.5 hours (three hours roundtrip) and is fairly straightforward technical-wise. However, what’s difficult about this route is the altitude. Please do not attempt this hike until you are well acclimated to the Andean climate.

On my tour, there was a young woman (who was in great shape) who had just arrived from Louisiana, and her body did not have time to adjust. She had to stop multiple times to receive oxygen from our guide and was unable to make it to the final summit.

My guide Nayda and I also met some very fit Colombian men who tried (and failed) to race us to the top but were struggling after not properly acclimating.

Cusco sits at a height of around 11,000 ft. or 3,399 meters above sea level. Meanwhile, at 16,522 ft (5,036 m), the trail to Rainbow Mountain is the highest place I’ve ever hiked. Although I was well acclimated, I could feel the difference in my breathing at the steepest part of the trail. Don’t let this deter you, but please make sure you’ve acclimated a few days before doing this route.

Overall, this was one of my favorite excursions in Cusco due to the relaxed pace of the tour. Other tours leave Cusco at 4 a.m. and are filled with crowds of people taking tons of photos.

I enjoyed this tour because we had the route to ourselves, got to chat with local Peruvians at the top of the mountain, and drank coca tea calmly while taking in the heart-stirring views of Rainbow Mountain and Ausangate Mountain in the distance.

With more time, I would want to hike the longer Ausangate Trek, but this was the right amount of effort for a memorable day trip. To learn more about my trek, including a packing list and the details of my itinerary, visit here.