Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain Full Day Tour

Although we didn't do the traditional rainbow mountain day trip for comparison, we can say that this was probably our favorite experience during our 10-day trip to Peru! We chose Palccoyo because we weren't sure how we would do hiking in the altitude and we wanted to avoid the crowds -- and we were so glad we did! We actually got to see several rainbow mountains, gorgeous vistas from the top of our hike and the so-called "stone forest," a series of large angular rocks that were incredibly photogenic. Becker, our guide from AB Expeditions, did a great job of making sure we were handling the altitude well, and he shared lots of interesting details and stories about the area. It's a long drive to get there, mostly on windy dirt roads, but we stopped for a delicious buffet breakfast on the way there and at the same place for lunch on the way back. Overall, definitely a worthwhile expedition!

It is a long day of about 12 hours with a very early start at 4 or 5 am. Breakfast is provided at a mass kitchen about 2-3 hours later in a buffet style. The drive to the base of the hike is scenic but much of it is on gravel/dirt roads and a lot of zigzagging drive, sometimes scary as the road is narrow. The hike to the top of the mountain takes about 50-60 minutes but if the weather is good and you make it to the top you see 3 colourful rainbow mountains. Even in summer, the temperature can drop to zero or even lower. The effort is worth the views. You have to be reasonably fit to attempt this due to the rarified atmosphere at almost 5000 metres. Unlike the other rainbow mountain in Peru, Vincunca, Palccoyo is easier hike but still can be tough depending on your age and fitness. More importantly it has far fewer visitors than Vinicunca so it is better. From the top of the mountain you see 3 different rainbow mountains compared to a single one at Vincunca. You also see many al paca and llamas on this trip as well as local villages. It is worth the effort.

We chose Palccoyo rainbow mountain instead of Vinicunca mountain because we thought it will be too rigorous on our 55+ year old bodies :). It was a great choice and we had a great tour guide Junior. He wanted us to leave at 3.30 AM from Cusco because we will be the first on the mountain. We had a light breakfast from the hotel and some coffee midway at a restaurant. By around 6.30 AM we were on the mountain. 1. We were the first on the mountain, which in some places the track is somewhat narrow. We took our own time to climb enjoying the beautiful views. My recommendation is to go early, enjoy the serene scene with no one disturbing you. 2. Mountain dwelling Vicuña, an animal that is rare were there. When people start to come they disappear to the mountains. 3. Though the climb takes you to 16,000 ft, we were ok with oxygen since we had already spent around 4 days in Cusco area. 4. It was very cold in the morning, almost freezing, therefore take good warm clothes. Towards our way back the winds started and that can create some dust storms in dry winter. Out of the three mountains we could see rainbow patterns on two, the other was covered in snow. About one hour later the other travelers started coming and soon it was all packed. Luckily, we were on our way back then. Enjoy the mountains, rock forest, take some pictures with Alpacas and breathe the Andean air. This is a must do.

Incredible views. We had a great guide in Alfredo. He knew everything and was great to work with with. Very knowledgable, patient, and warm. Excellent tour!

Views are amazing! One of our best experiences in Peru! Our guide was awesome and we learned a lot from his explanations. Will recommend!

The trip to Palccoyo was an amazing experience and we had the time of our lives. Traveling to and from the site is a bit arduous due to poor road conditions; however, the driver did a fantastic job and we felt safe. The guide was very knowledgeable about the area and went above and beyond in providing service and ensuring we enjoyed our visit. We were well pleased and would do it again.

Some friends who had been to Peru recommended us to visit Palccoyo instead of the famous Vinicunca because the famous one is always crowded, it is very cold and it is also a much more demanding hike. It was a total hit. We loved the colorful mountains of Palccoyo, which are more than 1 mountain and it is exactly the same as we had seen in the pictures of the famous colorful mountain. We loved the walk, the scenery, there were very few people and we were quiet, we took lots of cool photos... We definitely recommend visiting Palccoyo if you are in Cuzco. We did it with Paceros Agency Travel and everything was great, we did two more excursions with them.

Our guide Maria and experience was amazing! The views driving there are as spectacular as the mountain itself.

perfect place to see different colors and nuances of mountains, a special place at 4,780 meters above sea level.

Amazing experience . Private tour from Cusco. With private driver and guide. Not the standard route that is very busy, but via Palccoy Rainbow tour. It is the lightest tour to get into the Rainbow Mountains. A very nice trip from Cusco, about 3 hours. A very large part goes all the way inside. Admission is 15 Sol p/p. You reach approximately 4850m, then a reasonable 1-hour hike up (5200m) and down. Very easy to do and literally and figuratively breathtaking. It's under construction there. Still wonderfully quiet now. It is cold, so warm clothes, hat and gloves.