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
How the saddle horses work at Vinicunca: who owns them, where they take you, what they cost and the stretch you will always walk.
Somewhere on the climb to Vinicunca, usually around the first long rise, a traveller realises the air is thinner than expected. That is where the saddle horses come in. Local families from the communities of Pitumarca lead animals up and down the trail all day, and you can take one from almost any point between the trailhead at 4,650m and the final slope below the viewpoint. It is not a service we sell: you negotiate it on the spot, in cash, with the person who owns the horse.
Each animal belongs to a family from the community. They walk beside you the whole way, leading the horse.
There is no card payment on the mountain and no fixed tariff. Agree the price before you get on.
Horses stop roughly 10 to 15 minutes below the viewpoint. The final slope is too steep and narrow for animals.
In June and July the horses near the trailhead are taken first. If you think you may want one, arrange it early.
| Option | Effort | How it is arranged |
|---|---|---|
| Walking the whole way | About 1h30 up at 5,090m | Included in the hiking tours |
| Horse for part of the climb | Short walk at the end | Cash, directly with the owner on the trail |
| Horse up and down | Minimal walking, except the final slope | Cash, agreed for the round trip |
| Quad (ATV tour) | 3 to 5 minutes on foot | Booked in advance, from US$70 |
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💡 Note: if you already know that the climb is beyond you, the quad tour is more comfortable and more predictable than counting on a horse being free when you need it.
Bring cash in small notes. Change is scarce at 4,800m.
Our honest answer: plan to walk, and treat the horse as the backup. Most travellers who have spent two days acclimatising in Cusco reach the viewpoint on their own legs, slowly. But bring the cash anyway. The worst outcome is wanting a horse at 4,900m and having nothing to pay with.
If you already know that a long climb at altitude is out of the question — knees, age, a health condition, small children — don’t build the day around finding a horse. Book the quad tour, where the vehicle does the climbing and the walk is 3 to 5 minutes, or consider Palcoyo, which is lower and far shorter on foot. The comparison of the three rainbow mountains covers it.
These animals and the families leading them are a large part of what the community earns from tourism. Agree the price before you mount, pay what was agreed, and don’t haggle it down at 5,000m. If the service was good, a tip for the person who walked beside you for an hour is well received.
Hiking from US$29 with trekking poles included, or the quad tour from US$70.
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