Rainbow Mountain Day Hike
Day Hike Tours
1 Day 5.4MI / 9KMTrip Highlights
Rainbow Mountain is a stunning high-altitude hike near Cusco, Peru, known for its vividly colored soil and breathtaking views, making it a top day trip for visitors. The 5.4-mile hike, though not long, is challenging due to elevations above 15,000 feet, but offers unforgettable scenery, including snow-capped peaks and herds of alpacas. The tour begins with hotel pickup, breakfast in Cusipata, and a scenic drive to the trailhead at Phulawasipata. After reaching the iconic Rainbow Mountain summit, hikers also visit the nearby Red Valley before returning downhill and enjoying a traditional Peruvian lunch. A horseback option is available for an extra fee, and Rainbow Mountain is also included in the extended Rainbow Mountain Llama Trek & Machu Picchu itinerary.
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Stunning Andes Scenery
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Amazing Rainbow Mountain
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Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks
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Glaciers, Peaks and Valleys
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Pick Up/Drop Off at Your Hotel in Cusco
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Expert Hiking Guides
Book This Trip
Trip Details
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Trip Type
Day Hike Tours -
Trip Length
1 Day -
Daily Hiking Distance
Up to 6 miles -
Group Size
1-12 Guests
Is This Trip Right For me?
The main consideration that makes this trip a Level 4 difficulty is the entire hike is above 15,000 feet, and tops out at 16,466 feet, which makes the hiking quite strenuous.
Trip Dates
What's Included
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Access to our Adventure Consultant team 7 days a week
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Trained hiking guide(s) with years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. See Guide Bios.
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Breakfast, lunch and trail snacks
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Drinking water
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Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Cusco
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Use of a hiking day pack and trekking poles
What You'll Need to Bring
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Hiking shoes or hiking boots
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Waterproof rain jacket or poncho
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Warm wool or fleece top
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Warm hat and gloves
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Water bottles or bladder (2 liters total capacity)
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Sunhat, sunglasses, sunscreen/lip balm
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Camera
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If you prefer the horse-riding option, you’ll need to pay cash upon arrival to the trailhead. The price is approximately 150 PEN.
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Guide and driver gratuities are optional and at the discretion of each customer. A suggested guideline is to reward outstanding service with a tip of 5-10% of the total trip cost. Local currency is preferred, or USD is also appreciated.
Trip Logistics & FAQs
Where Do We Meet?
Your guide will meet you at your hotel in Cusco at 5:00 PM the evening before the hike to finalize the details and ensure all your questions are answered. Then we will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco at 4:00 AM the day of the hike.
The tour commonly ends between 3- 5:00 PM in Cusco.
Safety Precautions
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. Guides adhere to standardized risk management protocols in case of any potential or actual incident, and all tours carry an emergency communication device and comprehensive first-aid kit. Additionally we have a “24/7” system through which guides or guests can reach Wildland support personnel at any time.
In the interest of your safety, it’s important to refer to the Center for Disease Control website for up-to-date recommendations on immunizations before your trip.
Guides
Our approach to international travel is to combine the best of two worlds: the dialed-in details, professionalism and consistency Wildland trips are known for; and the cultural immersion and intimate regional knowledge that only locals can provide. To excel with this approach, we vet and hire the best local guides, welcome them into the Wildland family and train them to meet our standard of excellence with every aspect of a trip. But along with managing logistics and safety, your guides will teach you about the area’s history and culture, and provide a level of familiarity and intimate detail only locals can.
Check out our Meet Our Team page for staff bios.
Age Restrictions
Age restrictions on this trip are as follows:
- 12 and older
Reviews
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Francine M
12 months agoAwesome!
My daughter and I did the Rainbow Mtn trip as an add-on day hike after the Machu Picchu trip. It was amazing, and what a great way to wrap up our trip to Peru. Everything was perfectly organized and Edgard continued to be a great guide in all aspects. I am so glad that WT encouraged us to do this add-on hike. Awesome!
Sherrie H
1 year agoLoved it!
Our guide Edgar was a perfect guide for this tough hike. I was affected by the altitude as soon as I started the Rainbow Mountain hike. I ended up taking a horse up and walking down. A beautiful hike! Thank you Wildland Trekking!
Olga C
1 year agoPerfect addition to the Salkantay trek.
Wonderful one day trip, perfect addition to the Salkantay trek. Edgar Mora guided me through the hike, bringing me to the best vantage points. The views are amazing and going early allowed us a crowd-free hike.
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