Get an early start on the day with 4am pickup at your hotel in Cusco, then enjoy views of deserts, mountains, and herds of alpaca on the 3.5-hour drive to the Rainbow Mountain trailhead. Upon arrival at the trail, power up for your hike with a hot breakfast, and grab some snacks for the walk.
It will take between three and four hours to reach Rainbow Mountain, hiking from an elevation of 14,200 feet (4,300 meters) to 16,520 feet (5,035 meters). You’ll have sweeping views of the Andes, rocky hills, and red mountains throughout the trip, and the trail passes llamas and alpacas grazing on the valley walls. As you reach higher altitudes, you may see some vicuñas, a llama relative whose wool is the most expensive in the world, or even the enormous Andean condor.
Upon arrival at the peak, the trail guides will serve hot drinks, with time to soak up views of the multi-colored landscape and snap pictures of the surrounding mountains. When you’re ready to leave, begin the 2-hour downhill hike, then arrive at the trailhead to a hot lunch prepared by the team’s chef.
After lunch, visit some local homes to learn about daily life in the Andes Mountains, from religion to architecture and traditional crafts. This tour concludes with return transfer to Cusco, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel at roughly 7pm.
