The Greatest Vinicunca full day – Rainbow Mountain

Our day starts very early in the morning and after you had breakfast at your hotel (or you may require them a box breakfast and you can have it along the way).

In order to enjoy the whole experience to the fullest, our expert guide will greet you and accompany you through our 3 hours ride with wonderful views of the Peruvian Andes and reaching the picturesque village of Checacupe (3440 mts/11286.1 ft) which distinguishes for its beautiful colonial church and bridge that still maintains Inca foundations.

We will also pass through the towns of Pitumarca (3570 mts/11712.6 ft) and Hanchipacha (4660 mts/15288.7 ft) and make a short stop here to buy some last-minute supplies or have your hotel box-breakfast.

Afterwards, we will head towards Pampachiri community (4530 mts/14862.2 ft) for a short 30 mins ride. Here our expert guide will give us some tips for our 3 hours hike. If you require it in advance, we will provide you with a pair of standard walking sticks to support you during the hike, with the help of your guide you will learn the correct technique to use them making sure your knees are well cared for.

Then, we will be crossing the mountains and experiencing climate changes as we go uphill, during our hike we will also be accompanied by the endemic flora and fauna seeing some vizcachas, eagles, llamas and alpacas.

We will appreciate, of course, some of the most wonderful views of the mountains surrounding the road and be able to visualize the exact places where the mountains begin to change their colors as we move towards our main destination. For your security we have an emergency horse just in case you feel the need to use it, please feel free to require it to your guide.

Upon our arrival, we will finally view the famous Rainbow Mountain or Vinicunca (5200 mts/ 17060.4 ft) which offers a delightful spectacle of mixed mountain colors distinguishing pigmentations of pink, white, brown, purple, red, green and yellow. The Rainbow Mountain was discovered few years ago due to melting of global warming, its incredible coloration is due to the wealth of minerals that houses its soil, generated by the Earth erosion for millions of years, leaving these mineral layers uncovered for the amazement and enjoyment of the inhabitants and visitors.

We will take pleasure in taking stunning photos with beautiful backgrounds, hear our knowledgeable guide’s explanation and wander around until it is time to return hiking back for about 2 or 2.5 hours depending on your physical condition, the hike will be downhill and quicker.

Once we arrive at Pampachiri we will take a short ride until reaching our lunch spot where exquisite gourmet meals await us in a secluded area. Lastly and after our delicious lunch, we will return back to Cusco in our private transportation arriving by 18:30 pm approx.

(Please note that the below timings are for referential purposes only and may vary depending on your physical condition, pace and unforeseen circumstances)

• 05:00 am – Pick up and departure.
• 07:00 am – Arrive at Checacupe Town.
• 07:15 am – Arrive at Pitumarca Town.
• 07:30 am – Arrive at Hanchipacha and make a shortstop.
• 08:00 am – Departure to Pampachiri community.
• 08:30 am – Arrive at Pampachiri community and start the trek.
• 11:45 am – Arrive at Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain and have snacks.
• 12:30 pm – Return to Pampachiri community.
• 14:00 pm – Arrive at Pampachiri community and depart to Hanchipacha.
• 14:30 pm – Arrive at Hanchipacha and have your exclusive picnic lunch.
• 15:30 pm – Return back to Cusco.
• 18:30 pm – Arrive at your Cusco hotel.