A full day hike to the wonderful rainbow mountains, Vinicunca

The mountain of Vinicunca also known as Mountain of the Seven Colors or Rainbow Mountain, and by the local of the area as Cerro Colorado, has an altitude of 5,200 meters above sea level. Its name is due to the diversity of colors that you can see in different seasons, this natural phenomenon is as a result of the amount of minerals in its subsoil.

Located in the Cusco region, in our Peruvian Andes and in the province of Canchis, Vinicunca, is a hiking alternative that in recent years has been getting more tourist attention and that we have been offering as an option for those travelers who enjoy the scenery and challenging hikes.

The tour starts very early; we drive out of the city of Cusco to the starting point. It is considered a fairly tough walk, even for the most trained hikers, since it is done at a fairly high altitude above sea level for approximately 3 hours uphill and approximately 2 hours downhill. Not many travelers are used to this type of hikes, which makes it difficult for them to maintain the pace of walking. We include the rental of a horse since it is a good option for travelers who have less resistance.

The best time of the year to visit this wonder is during the dry season, in the months of July and August, since it is when you see the best colors and better pictures can be taken. In other months of the year, you can also see the mountain, but the colors blur a lot and turn into different shades, especially if it has rained, or they can be completely covered with snow when the temperatures drop significantly.

Access to the Rainbow Mountain itself is forbidden for obvious reasons, its preservation and protection is necessary, so Vinicunca can be seen from the adjacent mountain. For your visit it is necessary to get up early, there are no nearby lodgings, so it can be done in a single day. A week ago an announcement was made where new access has been discovered through the district of Cusipata, which will make the walk even more accessible and shorter.

If you are a traveler who has resistance and you like to breathe pure air in the heights, while enjoying incredible landscapes, we invite you to take this hike with us in your next adventure to Peru!