Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain – Exclusive Private Tour, Easier Hike
Description
The Cordillera Rainbow of Palccoyo is the first sister of the famous mountain of the seven colors "Vinicunca" but with better accessibility. Its more than nine thousand natural hectares have a color similar to the rainbow, which gives it a cheerful and at the same time mystical atmosphere. In addition, in this tour in addition to appreciating this geological beauty we will visit other sites that will make this trip an unforgettable experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Once again the nature of the city of Cusco shows us another impressive natural attraction "The rainbow mountain range of Palccoyo" where we will enjoy the beauty and colour of the region, likewise we can appreciate the variety of flora and fauna that shows us this beautiful place. This attraction is relatively new and many people of the region did not know about this Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain Range, since before it was covered by snow, which did not allow to see its coloration; However, due to global warming, the snow has disappeared and now with our new excursion it is possible to visit the Palccoyo Rainbow Range (Combapata). Cusco - Checacupe - Raqchi - Rainbow Archipelago of Palccoyo - Cuatro Lagunas - Cusco Our company Machu Picchu Peru Tours will pick you up at your different hotels from 06:30 a.m. to 07:00 a.m., then head for two hours south of Cusco to the town of Checacupe arriving at approximately 09:00 a.m. Upon arrival to Checacupe we will observe the evolutionary process of the road system through three colonial bridges located in the same town of Checacupe: Incan bridge, Colonial Bridge and the Republican Bridge, you can also see a colonial temple with fine carving works in wood, gold leaf and that houses the paintings of the Cusco school (Diego Quispe). Once the visit of this archaeological centre is finished, we will depart to the Rainbow Mountain Range of Palccoyo, located at 4,900 meters above sea level. Once arrived at this point we will begin our walk of 40 minutes approx. Where we will appreciate the valleys of eroded glaciers and the Permian formations of brilliant colours that stand out among the others and that is inhabited by alpacas and llamas. We can also appreciate some communities and farmers that live in the low areas of the Rainbow Mountain Range of Palccoyo. We will also appreciate the Ccacca Loma stone forest and the red mountain. After having visited the Rainbow Mountain Range of Palccoyo, we will continue with our circuit and we will go to Raqchi (Palace of God Wiracocha), in this place we will appreciate more than 151 colcas (QULLQAS) or granaries that were used to store grains like corn and quinoa, potato, chuño, dried fish brought from the coast, dried alpaca meat, brought from the Collao plateau, which were used for ceremonial purposes. The most important structure of Raqchi is the Temple of God (wiracocha), a huge rectangular structure of two floors that measures 92 meters long by 25.5 wide. The structure is composed of a central adobe wall between 18 and 20 meters high, with an andesite stone base. It has windows and doors, flanked on both sides by a row of 11 circular columns with the lower part in stone and the upper one in mud. Continuing our tour of the Rainbow Mountain Range of Palccoyo, we will go to San Pedro to enjoy a delicious buffet lunch. After having enjoyed our lunch we will go to the circuit of the four lagoons, where we will observe the different lakes (Acopia, Pomacanchis, posposqo cocha, misky cocha), here we will have enough time to observe the variety of birds and the landscape that surrounds us. After all this beautiful tour and having visited the Rainbow Mountain Range of Palccoyo, we will return to the city of Cusco arriving at approximately 6:30 p.m. IMPORTANT: Our tours to the Rainbow mountain range of Palccoyo are suitable for travellers to enjoy these landscapes as all operators arrive early until 11:00 am; while we will be after them and with the ideal daylight to make excellent photographs.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We will be picking you up from your hostel or hotel within the historic centre of Cusco. If you are doing Airbnb or are doing a homestay we will communicate the easiest pickup point and will meet you there.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(11)
We had an amazing day at Rainbow Mountain that booked with Minka Peru Expeditions. Fredy was our tour guide and he was great!!! We got lucky as no one else booked for the day so Fredy just had the three of us. We told him that we had been mountain climbing for the two days prior and that we wanted to take our time going up the mountain. He kept saying “don’t worry be happy” and we walked up slowly and took breaks to sit or take pictures which was good because the high altitude was no joke. On the way we stopped at a restaurant and had buffet breakfast and one the way back we had buffet lunch the food was delicious and managed by local staff. The views on the mountain were absolutely beautiful. We highly recommend Minka Peru Expeditions. The pick up was on time at 5am, Fredy was knowledgeable and professional and the van driver was skillful going around all the windy bends going up the mountain to RM. We had a fantastic memorable day. Thank you Fredy !
Excellent experience. The trip was well organized and a good value. Breakfast and lunch were at a family owned restaurant in the mountains, supporting local economy. There is an hour of unpaved road to travel. The scenery on it is gorgeous and the drivers skilled. Transportation was clean and modern. I am 70+ female, and anxious about hiking at 16k feet. You can see the first rainbow mountain within minutes! The guides explained the trails, length, and let us go as far as we wanted at our own pace. He checked back on us frequently. I easily completed the trail to all three rainbow mountains. The were spectacular! This is a full day trip and a great value. Side note: the hotel pickup was an hour late due to unavoidable circumstances. The operator stayed on What's App Chat with me until the bus came. That evening the operator personally came to my hotel to apologize. I was offered a free 2 hour walking tour of Cusco the next day, which was FABULOUS. I HIghly RECOMMEND this company. They go the extra mle.
Excellent experience. The transportation was clean and modern. The breakfast and lunch were at a family run and operated restaurant, supporting local economy. The scenery on the journey was gorgeous. There is over an hour of travel on unpaved road . The drivers were very skilled but may be hard if you have motion sickness. The guide led us to the base of the trail, where you can see one mountain! He explained the length and difficulty of the options and let us choose our trails and pace. He checked on us frequently while we hiked. The mountains are stunning. I am 70+, female, and was able to reach the top of the trail to view the third mountain. Even if you can't hike you can see the first mountain. Well run tour. Side note: Due to unforseen circumstances, the pickup was an hour late. The tour operator stayed on Whats Up Chat, keeping me informed. That evening Freddy personally came to my hotel to apologize in person. The next day he took me on a complimentary 2 hour walking your of Cusco which was FABULOUS. This tour provider goes the extra mile. HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Great experience with the company, I recommend it 100%. The guides are very trained and experienced. Sunny day, with lunch and breakfast included. One of the best prices in Cusco in terms of quality and price. If I returned, I would repeat with the company. Thanks for the attention
A fantastic adventure through Palccoyo. The experience has been unbeatable, thanks to Freddy's attention and the wonderful views. The mountain is perfectly known and that is appreciated. He has a lot of charisma and is willing to help at all times. A 10/10. Likewise, any questions will be resolved immediately. I would repeat 1000 more times.
What a cool experience! The views around Palccoyo were unreal, and it was fun to hike around and see the rainbow hills and stone outcroppings. In the morning, we were picked up around 4:30am and drove for about an hour-ish to a restaurant for breakfast. It was tasty but light (maybe bring some snacks if you like a big breakfast). From there we visited a recreation of an Inca rope bridge. The last hour or so of driving was up a bumpy dirt road that switched back up the mountain. The views at the top were worth the ride! It's a stunning view, and we had a couple hours to explore and hike the loop trail up to some view points and through the "stone forest" (rocky outcroppings along the ridge of a nearby hill). The views were incredible! It's at a pretty high altitude (4,900 m or 16,000 ft), so make sure you are acclimated beforehand and/or use some local remedies like coca leaves. On the way back, we stopped at the same restaurant for a hearty lunch. They even took food sensitivities into account (gluten-free, no nuts, vegetarian, etc), and the food was very good. I was very happy with this trip and highly recommend it for anyone who wants to see colorful mountains in Peru!
I decided to go with this operator based on the good reviews. Sadly my experience was quite the opposite. To start with they were 50 minutes late for pickup. They did call 30 minutes after the pickup window to say they were going to be 5 minutes lates, but were still much later. On arrival the van was filthy - so dusty inside that our dark clothes showed brown marks by the time we arrived. The driver was pretty clueless and not anywhere near safe - speeding up and down and jumping on the brakes hard for no apparent reason - I’ve seen learner drivers who were safer and more skillful. Add to that that we were nearly two hours in before the “guide” spoke any English to us despite 10/11 on the bus booking an English speaking tour. It really was a comedy of errors. All things considered I ended up feeling like perhaps the tour was overbooked and they had to find an extra van/driver at the last minute. It’s really the only way to explain all of the issues. I feel bad rating then so low cause the guide eventually did try to get us on track, but it was too little too late. In summary - the mountain itself was amazing (keep 17 soles for entry fees rather than the 10 the ad suggests), but I can’t recommend this operator.
Fredy went above and beyond to make sure my teenage daughter and I had a fun, informative, and safe trip. Most of our tours got canceled and our trip to Peru Would’ve been a waste. However, Fredy reached out, made it happen, that we still see the best sites in Peru. I owe him great memories and pictures with my daughter because without him we would’ve been stuck in Cusco , not going anywhere; since other companies canceled last minute. I would’ve been so bummed if it wasn’t for Fredy. Thank you so much! You saved our trip ! :D
Spectacular location and Fredy is an amazing guy, we had a great day, the complete tour was fantastic
Freddy spoke decent English and knew quite a bit about the area. The driver was safe and the food was excellent. What I loved most was the drive through the country.
