Hiking
Classic · VinicuncaUS$ 29
Red Valley + VinicuncaUS$ 29
Quad · ATV
Vinicunca quadUS$ 70
Red Valley + quadUS$ 75
Classic · VinicuncaUS$ 29
Red Valley + VinicuncaUS$ 29
Vinicunca quadUS$ 70
Red Valley + quadUS$ 75
Hour by hour, from the pickup in downtown Cusco to the return at 16:30 — exactly how the classic hiking day to Vinicunca unfolds.
The Rainbow Mountain Classic itinerary runs Cusco – Cusipata – Vinicunca – Cusco in a single day. We pick you up between 04:20 and 04:40, drive roughly two hours south to the village of Cusipata for breakfast, then continue up to the Phulawasipata camp at 4,650m. From there the guided ascent to the 5,090m viewpoint takes about an hour and a half. After time at the top for photographs and the guide's explanation, you walk back down, have a buffet lunch in Cusipata and reach Cusco again around 16:30.
Cusco – Cusipata – Vinicunca – Cusco
We collect you from your hotel or Airbnb in downtown Cusco. The exact time depends on where you are staying and is confirmed the day before.
Tourist transport heading south along the Vilcanota valley, through villages and grazing land.
Arrival in Cusipata (3,310m) for breakfast and a proper break before the climb.
The road climbs to the Phulawasipata camp at 4,650m, where the trail begins.
The guided ascent starts. The path is wide and clear, the pace deliberately slow — the altitude does the work, not the terrain.
Photographs at the viewpoint, the guide’s explanation of how the colours formed, and the Ausangate glacier at 6,384m on the horizon.
The descent to the camp, roughly an hour, and the drive back to Cusipata.
Andean buffet lunch and free time before the return journey.
The drive back north towards the city.
Drop-off in the centre of Cusco.
From Cusco at 3,350m to the Vinicunca viewpoint at 5,090m, and back the same day.
| Point | Altitude | What happens there |
|---|---|---|
| Cusco | 3,350m (10,990 ft) | Pickup and return |
| Cusipata | 3,310m (10,859 ft) | Breakfast and buffet lunch |
| Phulawasipata | 4,650m (15,256 ft) | Trailhead, where the hike starts |
| Vinicunca | 5,090m (16,700 ft) | The Rainbow Mountain viewpoint |
| Ausangate | 6,384m (20,945 ft) | The glacier on the horizon |
Tap a column header to highlight it
💡 Note: the climb from Cusipata to the trailhead is done by road, so the real effort is the 440m of ascent between Phulawasipata and the viewpoint. Our vehicles carry an oxygen tank and a first aid kit. See the altitude guide for how to prepare.
It is properly cold at the trailhead before sunrise and mild by mid-morning. Dress in layers you can shed.
The guide sets a deliberately slow pace. Rushing the first ten minutes is the most common mistake travellers make.
On the way down you can take the self-guided Red Valley route, for an extra fee paid on site.
Yes, and sometimes it should. Weather above 4,500m changes fast, and the guide may adjust the timings, shorten a stop or change the order of the day to keep the group safe. Treat the times above as a reliable guide rather than a contract.
Pickup in downtown Cusco, round-trip tourist transport, breakfast in Cusipata, the buffet lunch, a certified English–Spanish guide, trekking poles, and oxygen and a first aid kit on board. The Vinicunca entrance ticket is paid separately — add it in the booking form or pay it on site. See what's included for the full breakdown.
Reserve online in under two minutes — instant confirmation, secure checkout.
Complete your Peru adventure with these expert-guided full day experiences.
"Life is short and the world is vast — the sooner you start exploring it, the better."
