Vinicunca or Rainbow Mountain

Hi everyone! In this article, I am going to give you some tips to visit the Rainbow Mountain.

The Rainbow mountain has become one of Peru’s most visited attractions for the last years. What stands out the most of this destination is the impressive colorful landscape that nature offers us from the top of the mountain.

The Vinicunca mountain is also known as montaña de 7 colores or rainbow mountain. The mountain owes its colours to the minerals in the soil, such as clay, quartz, iron, magnesium, and sulphate.

Vinicunca is in the Pitumarca district, in the province of Canchis, in the department of Cusco. To get there you need to go by car up to the final stop, about 4 hours from Cusco city and two hours walking from the stop. Although the trip is a bit long, it is definitely worth it.

We recommend taking a one-day planned tour since the access is a bit rough and getting to the stop is not easy. To make the most of the day, the departure of the tourist cars that go to the mountain is very early, between 4 and 5 am. There is a stop on the way to have breakfast at a local restaurant. The trip continues on a dirt road for about two hours.

We suggest travelling light and taking plenty of water or coca tea. The walking distance is not very long, but the lack of oxygen due to the altitude hinders the climb. The maximum altitude is 5,200 m.a.s.l.

After visiting the mountain, you will go back to the car to return to Cusco. There will be a stop on the way to have lunch at a local restaurant.

The best season to visit the mountain is winter. Even though it is the coldest season, it also has the best views. During summer, (between November and March) the trip is a bit risky due to thunderstorms, rain and snow.

We recommend taking with you:

• Trekking shoes
• Water or coca tea
• Sunblock
• Cap
• Gloves
• Scarf
• Warm jacket
• Camera

If you prefer going on your own, you should take a local bus to the Cusipata town. There, you can hire a taxi to take you to the final stop and wait for you there to go back to the stop. You will also have to pay for the entrance fee to the mountain.

Another way to visit the Vinicunca is by making a 7-day (approximately) trek to Ausangate. In this case, it is necessary to hire a travel agency.

Find out more about one of our suggested trips to visit the mountain HERE.

Until the next entry!

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