Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley Tour from Cusco with Meals

What the rainbow mountain and red valley tour covers

The listed price starts at $39 per adult and the rating is 4.9 (2455 reviews). The Vinicunca and Cusipata entrance is included, so nothing is left to settle at the control point; the Red Valley entrance stays optional. Transport is private, with a blanket, a first-aid kit and an oxygen mask on board, and the guide works in English and Spanish.

People underestimate the walking. Vinicunca's catalogued altitude is 5,036 m (16,522 ft) and the trail begins around 4,650 m, so the climb is short on the map and slow on the ground: about 1 hour 45 minutes up from Hanchipata-Llama Chimpana and about 1 hour back down. The 3:00 am pickup exists for a reason, since the colours read strongest between 5 and 10 in the morning and foot traffic at the viewpoints peaks from 9:30 am to midday.

The Red Valley branch adds roughly an hour on foot from the Vinicunca viewpoint and takes you away from most of the crowd. Treat it as a decision you make on the day, once you know how your legs and breathing are holding up at that altitude. May to October is the dry window; in every month the air is thin and the sun is hard, so bring layers, a hat and sun cream.

The day step by step

1. Cusco
   Hotel pickup runs between 3:00 am and 3:30 am in the historic centre. The first leg to Cusipata takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, which puts you on the trail well before the standard morning buses arrive.
2. Cusipata 30 min
   A 30-minute breakfast stop in the town of Cusipata, with hot Andean food and a chance to sit still at altitude. After that, about an hour more by road, through the village of Pitumarca, to Hanchipata-Llama Chimpana, where the hike starts.
3. Vinicunca Mountain 120 min
   The ascent begins at the foot of the Ausangate range and takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to the viewpoint. Llamas and alpacas graze beside the path. Walk slowly and keep drinking; the guide stays with the group and carries oxygen and the first-aid kit.
4. Red Valley, optional 60 min
   From the Vinicunca viewpoint you can carry on for about an hour to the Red Valley, where the red and copper slopes see far fewer people than the main ridge. The Red Valley entrance is not included in this tour.
5. Cusipata and back to Cusco 60 min
   The descent to the trailhead takes about an hour, where the driver waits. Back in Cusipata district there is a one-hour buffet lunch of local dishes, then the drive to Cusco, arriving around 3:30 pm. Drop-off is on Avenida El Sol, in front of the Qorikancha temple, around 4:30 pm.

What is included

Meeting point, pickup and cancellation

• Pickup: from hotels in Cusco's historic centre. Private residences, short-term rentals and bus terminals are not covered. Where the streets are too narrow for the vehicle, the operator sets the nearest reachable meeting point, and pickup times can shift by 30-45 minutes.
• Drop-off: Avenida El Sol, in front of the Qorikancha temple, around 4:30 pm.
• Cancellation: full refund if cancelled at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
• Ages: adult 10 and over.

Other Vinicunca and Red Valley options compared

Four other full-day options pair the same two viewpoints at different prices and group sizes. The $28 and $30 departures are the budget end, the $120 one is the most expensive of the group, and the $35 option runs the shortest day at 8-9 hours; the page you are on is the only one of the five that lists the Vinicunca entrance as included.

Tour details from the operator's listing, checked 20 October 2026. Prices and times can change; the booking page has the current ones.

More ways to plan your visit

The Red Valley add-on

The Red Valley add-on

Avoiding the crowds at the viewpoints

Avoiding the crowds at the viewpoints

Altitude on the Vinicunca trail

Altitude on the Vinicunca trail