Hiking Rainbow Mountain in Peru: A One-Day Guide
From Cusco, it’s about a three-hour drive to reach the Vinicunca mountains — and this hike ended up being my favorite experience in all of Peru.
Getting to Rainbow Mountain from Cusco
I paid around $35 for a company in Cusco to shuttle us to and from the trailhead, with stops for a locally made breakfast and lunch in a small village along the way. I’d recommend booking once you’re already in Cusco — some online companies charge as much as $180 for the exact same service.
The hike: 12,000 to 17,000 feet
The hike itself is no joke: about three hours each way, climbing from 12,000 to 17,000 feet in elevation. It was my first real experience with altitude like that, and the thin air takes a serious toll — by the top, I could only manage about ten steps at a time before stopping, dizzy, to catch my breath. If you’d rather not push through it entirely on foot, you can pay about $20 partway up to have a horse and guide carry you the rest of the way to Rainbow Mountain and back.
Villages along the way
What made the day so memorable wasn’t just the view from the top — it was the journey there. The trail winds through untouched, genuine mountain villages, and we walked right through people’s daily lives the entire way. Combined with the impossibly colorful, striped slopes waiting at the summit, it made for one of the most incredible days of the whole trip.
The views at the top are every bit as stunning as the photos suggest — dizzying in more ways than one, and absolutely worth every one of those ten-step intervals.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is the Rainbow Mountain hike?
It’s a challenging high-altitude hike, about three hours each way, climbing from 12,000 to 17,000 feet — the elevation affects most first-timers more than the distance does.
How much does a Rainbow Mountain tour cost?
Booking with a local company in Cusco runs about $35 for round-trip transport plus breakfast and lunch, versus $180+ through some online booking sites.
Can you ride a horse up Rainbow Mountain?
Yes — partway up the trail, you can pay about $20 for a horse and guide to carry you the rest of the way to the summit and back.
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