Rainbow Mountain Full-Day Tour from Cusco with Small Group

Cusco, Peru

1 day
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Spend a day hiking through Peru's famous candy-striped landscape, Rainbow Mountain, on this guided tour from Cusco. Hike with a guide for 5.5 miles to a viewpoint of the scenic mountainside, and then head down past glacial lagoons and through the dramatic landscape before returning to Cusco.

Visit the famous Rainbow Mountain on a guided day tour from Cusco
Take in incredible views of the landscape below
Breakfast and lunch included
Hotel pickup and drop-off from Cusco included

What's Included

Pre-Departure Briefing at your hotel 1 or 2 days before your trek.
Pick up from your hotel and transportation to beginning of the trek
Return transportation to your Cusco hotel.
Breakfast and Lunch (Local restaurant.)
Emergency oxygen bottle and medical kit.
01 Trekking pole

Dinner, snacks and water
Tips - Gratuities
Horses (Option to hire one if you need at the beginning of the trek) 35.00 USD

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

03:00 AM

What To Expect

Cusco (Pass By)

Cerro Colorado Vinicunca (Pass By)

Centro Historico De Cusco (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Minimum age is 18 years
Not wheelchair accessible
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required

Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Viviana_S

Our guide was Edgar and pickup was at 3:30am on the dot. Stopped for breakfast about 2 hrs away which was a buffet and delicious (they had coffee and eggs, among other things). Then drove appx 1 more hour to reach the entrance. Very glad we took a private tour because the elevation was rough and we needed to take our time. Edgar was very patient and helpful. We rode horses part of the way up which was 30 soles each. There are bathrooms along the way that are 1 sol each. The last part of the trail you cannot ride a horse and was very steep, but we slowly made it. Had some coca tea at the top, stamped the passport, took some pics and started heading back. Walking back was a breeze in comparison...first descent can be hard on the knees but otherwise ok. Lunch on the way back was a buffet at the same breakfast place and was very good. Definitely worth it and do not regret paying extra for a private guide.

Reviews

5.0

75 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-7 of 75 reviews

Fantastic day!!

Christine_A, Feb 2024

This was one of the very best tours I’ve ever been on - Rhonald made sure we had the perfect day. The timing of everything was excellent, breakfast and lunch were delicious, and Rhonald made sure we were feeling good the whole time and had plenty of time to enjoy the views and take pictures. Absolutely recommend!!!

Worth it!

Viviana_S, Jan 2020

Amazing tour and amazing destination

Allison L, Jan 2019

Such an incredible day! Edgar was our guide and Juan Carlos our driver. We were picked up about 3;40 am from our hotel. They do an excellent job of communicating with you beforehand to ensure pick up time and give you the essential info about the journey. You drive for about 2 hours and then have breakfast, then journey on for another hour down a very bumpy dirt round that climbs up to the start of the trail for Rainbow Mountains. Edgar helped to negotiate our horses, which we opted for one way (up only) which was 60 soles. That took about 45 minutes to get up to where you then have to walk the rest of the way. It was an incredible amazing view from the top. They allow you plenty of time for picture taking. Bring small change/bills for picture taking with alpacas/llamas and any small trinkets you want to buy at the top. Then you journey back down and and drive back and have lunch (at the same place) - food was great by the way. The back to Cusco. Edgar was fabulous and very helpful. My husband got altitude sickness and he stayed back with him to make sure he was OK. I highly recommend this tour group.

My family had a great time on this...

Katey B, May 2018

My family had a great time on this tour. Our tour guide was friendly and accommodating for all and very professional. He let us know the option to rent a horse and how to properly pay for it so there was no confusion on expectations I read another review somewhere where some guy paid twice. Our entire group ended up renting a horse at one point or another because the hike is rather exhausting. The rainbow mountain is so much prettier in person and we are glad we did this tour. The included breakfast and lunch were both good. After we were picked up very early our tour guide told us we could go back to sleep for two hours until we arrived at the breakfast restaurant. The van's seats reclined and were comfy enough to fall back asleep so we felt more rested by the time our trip started. Would highly recommend this tour.

This was ALOT more difficult than...

Kathy_d, Jan 2018

This was ALOT more difficult than expected. I was glad that we took horses but they could only take you so far and then you had to walk. I did get altitude sickness and our guide Juan Carlos was quite attentive and encouraging towards me to make it at least half way. My kids made it to the top but even they thought it was a challenge! I especially liked the prayer that Juan Carlos did at the top to the Inca gods. This tour is definitely not for everyone. It was more physically challenging than I expected.

Now this trip was absolutely...

Miguel D, Nov 2017

Now this trip was absolutely fantastic!! I highly recommend this group and in particular our tour guides. We were scared that we were unable to find an oxygen can to take with us, but the tour guides came prepared with everything. I highly recommend you bring your own Coca leaves to get you by. The guides were also super helpful in helping us carry our bags, as well as their own on the challenging trek up the mountain. This hike is not for those afraid of a challenge, but I will say that I saw senior citizens and young children make the hike, all of average physical aptitude. It does develop a sense of encouragement amongst the group, and I still keep in touch with our group now two months after the trip. They pick you up from your hotel and bring you back, so transportation is not an issue. They take you to breakfast in the mountains before the voyage begins as it was much needed. It took us 2.5 hours to hike up, and 1.5 to hike down. We got amazing pictures, and even better, an amazing experience out of it. I only wished I had used the same tour guides for Machu Picchu.

Wow! Cross Over Tours was fantastic...

Sunita D, May 2017

Wow! Cross Over Tours was fantastic. This tour was totally personalized. The guide, Juan Carlos, met us at our hotel the previous evening and told us what time to be ready, what to pack, what to wear and what to expect. We were picked up at 3 am in the morning at our hotel. After a 2 hour drive, we stopped for a wonderful and bountiful breakfast included in the cost. Another hour to Rainbow Mountain. Juan Carlos got us walking sticks. He advised us to rent a horse if we were not up to walking the 8 km each way in that elevation. I took a horse for 80 solas wheras the others in my party decided to walk. After the hike back and forth, we stopped off at the same restaurant for a generous and yummy Peruvian lunch. We stopped off at an original Inca rope bridge along the way and Juan Carlos told us about that also. And then were driven back to the hotel. We reached back at about 7 pm. We highly recommend this tour, this tour company and specifically our guid, Juan Carlos. He is passionate about Peru, is very knowledgeable, extremely helpful and knows how to motivate you to complete the trek. He knows most of the Peruvian people who work this mountain. Friendly, sense of humor and just a nice guy. We truly enjoyed this experience.