Rainbow Mountain Peru: The Ultimate Guide

About Rainbow Mountain in Peru

Rainbow Mountain, also known as Vinicunca, is a fairly new tourist attraction about 3.5 hours away from Cusco. Up until about 2013 the mountain was permanently covered in snow, but due to global warming the snow has melted revealing 14 beautiful colors. The stripes of colors are actually colorful minerals. Rainbow Mountain, or Vinicunca, is quickly becoming a tourist attraction in Peru. It is just a quick day trip from Cusco. The elevation of this wonder is 5,200 meters (or 17,060 ft above sea level! Let me tell you more about how to make the most of your time on Rainbow Mountain.

About the Hike

Now, I will say if you are acclimated to the elevation Rainbow mountain in Peru hike will be mostly easy with 2 moderate climbs to the very top. BUT if you are not acclimated to the elevation this hike is VERY difficult. The shortness of breath for me was killer. The hike is mostly a slight incline and decline little hills. Nothing extreme until you get to the very end. There is a decently high hill, then some stairs and finally a steep hill to get to the very top. The steep hill at the very end isn’t really necessary to see the colors of Rainbow Mountain, but it is the best view you can get. It is a steep incline, but there are ‘stairs’ made in to the mountain that help get you up to the top. Once you get to the very top the wind is pretty intense so don’t put your jacket or hat on the bench or it’ll fly away.

They are really putting some money in making Rainbow Mountain a tourist destination. There was construction going on when we visited in 2023. The parking lot was being leveled and they were constructing a restroom building. For now in 2023, until that building is done there are portapotties to use. I do suggest packing some toilet paper just in case because you never know if there will be any supplied. Find the rest of my packing list for Rainbow Mountain here!

More About the Hike

There are alpacas galore grazing all along the trail. There are plenty of photo opportunities, but please remember to treat animals kindly and understand they are just there living their lives. They are not there for your entertainment and are considered ‘wild’.

If you need to take a rest there are several benches along the trail. Believe me when I say I sat on every single one of them. 🤣 At the very top there are benches to sit on and marvel at the colors. So take all the time you need!

Food and drinks are also available all along the trail and even at the top of Rainbow Mountain. These vendors are selling everything from candy bars, to drinks, to full blown local meals. If you need a snack or drink you will most likely pay a premium, but it is there for you if you need it!

Getting to Rainbow Mountain

We hired a private car for most of our activities in Cusco. The car ride from Cusco to Rainbow Mountain was 3.5 hours. This was easily the best decision and made the entire trip amazing. Our amazing driver was with us each day and it was so nice to have a local give us recommendations (he was the one who suggested out impromptu zip lining adventure!). With a personal driver we were able to make our own schedule and had the flexibility to change our plans if we wanted. We also we able to go on our day trips from Cusco at whatever time we decided to avoid crowds. Hiring a private driver also helped us with car sickness. We both don’t do the best when we are on those tour buses and the ride to Rainbow Mountain is super a twisty turning dirt and rock roads. I definitely would not recommend driving there in a rental car. You can also go on a group tour. They typically leave very early, but some have perks like includes lunch and safety precautions like supplemental oxygen bottles. Find the best group tours here!

Cost

In 2023, it cost 5 soles per person to get entry through the gate and 25 soles per person for an entry ticket. But keep in mind that as Rainbow Mountain gains popularity the cost continually rises so take an little extra cash in case the ticket prices go up. Also, if you want to use the restroom or buy something while on the trail you will need soles to pay. Restrooms in Peru typically don’t cost more than 1 soles.

Hike Difficulty

I won’t sugarcoat it. My husband and I are both in decent shape and I will say I was at my best physical fitness I have been as an adult going in to this trip running regularly, but Rainbow Mountain kicked my ass. Since we live at literal sea level on an island (see our Hawaii life here!) our bodies never really acclimated to the elevation. It took us a whopping 2 hours to get to the very top. I’m not proud of it haha! But I am just being real!

There are two options to get to the top of Rainbow Mountain: you can walk or you can rent a horse to take you 3/4 the way there and then walk up the two steepest points that the horses don’t go up. I don’t want to discourage you though there were plenty of people we saw that were older or in not as good of shape that seemed to be doing better than us. Altitude sickness does not discriminate and it is totally random on who it affects. So I really hope the altitude does not affect any of you negatively!

Renting Horses

You can rent horses to take you the majority of the way for $80 soles ($21 USD) per person. You can hire a horse right from the start of the trail or anywhere along the way, but keep in mind the price won’t be cheaper as you get closer to the mountain. So if you think you are going to need the assistance of a horse hire one from the very beginning. The horse will take you about 3/4 of the way, but keep in mind you WILL have to walk up the two steepest points and some stairs to get to the top.

It was so frustrating because the incline for the most part looked soooo easy so we thought we would be okay foregoing the horse ride even though we could tell it was harder to breathe. But if we would’ve taken the horses it would cut down our hike time significantly. The majority of the walk is very slight inclines and declines until you get to the end where you have to hike the 2 steep inclines to the top. I highly recommend getting a horse if you are not acclimated to the elevation.. unless you want a really long stroll to the top.

How to Avoid the Tour Crowds

This might sound crazy, but DO NOT GO EARLY. This is the worst tip we constantly see when we are planning a trip. “Go early to avoid the crowds” that’s the advice that EVERYONE takes therefore EVERYONE is there early making it the most crowded time! We hardly ever take that advice to avoid crowds. We always check the group tour itineraries to see what time they are going to be at the site and plan to be there when they are leaving. Honestly, it is probably our best travel tip. We arrived at 11am. As we were walking towards the peak of Rainbow Mountain all of the group tours were on their way down. Once they left the mountain it was almost completely empty. When we got to the peak it was us alone for about 30 minutes and then a couple joined us for about 10 minutes and then a family of 3 joined us for about 10 minutes. So we had the whole mountain basically to ourselves!

Safety & Health

Be very careful there are no safety rails at the top of Rainbow Mountain, use your common sense and keep yourself and others safe. We did see someone get picked up in an ambulance because they fell off one of the horses. So medical personal can make it to a certain point on the trail, but would not be able to get to you if something happened on the top of Rainbow Mountain. Use your best judgement and hike safely.

Take the hike slow if you are having a hard time acclimating to the elevation. Most of the group tours have oxygen bottles, and even though this hike was extremely difficult for me I didn’t ever feel like I needed to have supplemental oxygen. We just took our time (it took u 2 hours to get to the top!). There are also vendors along the way that have coca leaves (the natives natural remedy for altitude sickness) to chew on, coca candies and inhalers for a price if you want it.

FAQs about Rainbow Mountain in Peru

How to hike rainbow mountain Peru? Hire a private car or purchase a group tour. The entry fee is 5 soles per person and the ticket price is 25 soles person if you hire a care. If you purchase a group tour prices vary and usually include entry fees & ticket prices.

Are there bathrooms at rainbow mountain Peru? Yes! There is a restroom building right before getting to the top of the mountains as well as portapotties at the beginning of the trail. Keep in mind you may have to pay 1 soles to use and you should make sure you have toilet paper in case they don’t!

What to expect on the rainbow mountain trek? Expect a moderately difficult hike or a difficult to very difficult hike if the elevation makes you sick. The shortness of breath killed me on this hike. It was super difficult for me.

How to dress for Rainbow Mountain peru? Dress in warm layers. I highly recommend a hat, sunglasses, thermal leggings, wool socks and hiking boots!

More FAQs

What is the rainbow mountain Peru elevation? 5,200 meters or 17,060 feet above sea level

How long is the hike to rainbow mountain Peru? It took us (who were very affected by altitude sickness) 2 hours up to the highest point and 1 hour back. For most people it takes about 1-1.5 hours up and about 1 hour or less back. How long it takes to hike depends on your level of fitness (we literally saw a guy running up and down about 3-4 times during our one walk to the peak. It also depends on if the elevation give you altitude sickness.

Is it hard to hike rainbow mountain Peru? This is totally dependent on if the elevation gives you altitude sickness or your level of health. You can hire a horse to take you most of the way. Personally, the shortness of breath really made this hike hard for me, but my husband was fine!

How to visit Rainbow Mountain Peru? You can hire a private driver or take a group tour about 3.5 hours from Cusco, Peru. Once you park, the trail is clearly marked ahead! Have fun!

How do I travel so much? I’m a flight attendant! See my adventures here!

What you need to Pack

I won’t say I’m an over packer, but if there is something we need I will have it. I never want to be in a situation where I need medicine or clothing etc. and be out of luck. Here’s a packing list just for Rainbow Mountain of all the things we needed for our trek! Find my packing list for Rainbow Mountain here!