Rainbow Mountain Tour from Cusco: Full Day with Optional Red Valley
A 12-hour rainbow mountain tour from Cusco with a 4:30 am pickup, breakfast and lunch in Cusipata, and a climb of about two hours to the viewpoint.
Updated 20 October 2026
In shortA full-day trip to Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) with hotel pickup at 4:30 am, a two-hour drive through the South Valley to Cusipata, buffet breakfast, then a climb of roughly two hours from the trailhead at 4,326 m (14,189 ft) to the viewpoint at 5,020 m (16,466 ft). The day lasts 12 hours and ends near the main square at about 4:30 pm, with a professional guide in English and Spanish. It suits walkers who have already spent two or three nights in Cusco and want the classic full day at the lowest listed starting price.
12 htour length
from $22per adult
★ 4.94062 reviews
What the rainbow mountain tour from Cusco includes
Twelve hours, door to door. Pickup is at 4:30 am from your hotel in the city centre, the exact time depending on where you are staying, and the drive south through the South Valley takes about two hours to the town of Cusipata. Breakfast is a buffet there, before the vehicle continues to the trailhead at 4,326 m (14,189 ft).
From the trailhead the climb takes about two hours at a moderate gradient, with arrival at the Vinicunca viewpoint, 5,020 m (16,466 ft), at around 10:30 am. You get time at the top before walking back to the vehicle. Lunch is another buffet in Cusipata, then the road back to Cusco, with the drop-off around the main square at about 4:30 pm.
The price starts at $22 and the listing holds a rating of ★ 4.9 (4062 reviews), which makes it the most reviewed tour on this site. Included: hotel pickup in the city centre, buffet breakfast, lunch, walking sticks, oxygen assistance, an air-conditioned vehicle and a professional guide in English and Spanish. The entrance to Rainbow Mountain and the entrance to the Red Valley are not included in this tour.
The Red Valley is optional and adds no extra cost to the walking, but you have to tell the guide before the hike starts, not at the top. Its entrance is separate from the Vinicunca one and is also not included here.
Two things decide how your day goes. Altitude first: Cusco sits at 3,399 m (11,150 ft) and this walk takes you more than 1,600 m higher, so give yourself two or three nights in the city before you go, keep the first 48 hours to mild exercise, and skip alcohol over that period. Weather second: May to October is the dry window, and even then the sun is strong and the temperature at the viewpoint can fall fast, so bring layers, a hat and sun protection in any month.
The classic full day, from $22
Pickup from your hotel in the city centre, buffet breakfast and lunch in Cusipata, walking sticks, oxygen assistance and a guide in English and Spanish. The Red Valley is optional and both entrances are paid separately.
Cusco Pickup from your hotel at 4:30 am, then roughly two hours by road through the South Valley to the town of Cusipata.
Vinicunca Mountain240 min Buffet breakfast in Cusipata, then the transfer to the trailhead at 4,326 m (14,189 ft) and a briefing. The climb is about two hours at a moderate gradient, reaching Vinicunca, 5,020 m (16,466 ft), at around 10:30 am, with time at the viewpoint. The Red Valley is optional and must be requested before the hike begins; there is no extra cost for walking it, and its entrance is not included. You then return to the trailhead, where the private transport waits to take the group back to Cusipata for a buffet lunch and a short break before the drive to Cusco, arriving at about 4:30 pm.
Cusco The vehicle drops you around the main square, one block from the city centre.
Photos: ours and the tour operator's
What is included
Included
Pickup from your hotel in the city centre
Oxygen assistance
Lunch
Walking sticks
Breakfast
Air-conditioned vehicle
Professional guide in English and Spanish
Not included
Entrance to Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca)
Entrance to the Red Valley
Meeting point, pickup and cancellation
Pickup: from your hotel in the city centre; the exact time depends on where your hotel is.
End of the tour: one block from the city centre, around the main square, at about 4:30 pm.
Cancellation: for a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Ages: adult 0+. The climb is not recommended for children under 10 and the site is not wheelchair accessible.
How this rainbow mountain tour from Cusco compares
This page's tour is the cheapest listed start at $22 and runs as a large standard departure, so expect to be at the viewpoint during the busiest stretch, between 9:30 am and midday. The 8AM option on the second listing leaves later and lets you walk after most buses have left, at $85. The group tour at $30 covers breakfast and has a vegan option; the two remaining listings sit between $32 and $39 for a similar full day.
Colours read strongest between 5 and 10 in the morning, which is the argument for the small-hours starts, while a later departure is the argument for space at the top. Both trailhead routes are reported open 6:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the entrance for Vinicunca is included only on the Premium day trip; on the tours in the table below it is paid separately.
Tour
Length
From
Rating
Excursion to Rainbow Mountain Full Day Optional Red Valley (this page)
