The majority of travellers that come to Peru go to Cuzco and head straight to Machu Picchu. Naturally, we were doing that as well, but Cuzco has a lot more to offer than just its main attraction. In between our four-day trek to Machu Picchu, my brother and I had five days to explore Cuzco and it’s beautiful and varied surroundings.
One thing that we really wanted to see was the Rainbow Mountain or Vinicunca, which is its Peruvian name. Famous for its bright mineral colours, the Rainbow Mountain has become a popular day trip for tourists in Cuzco in recent years. We wanted to see for ourselves if it was really worth all of the hype.
We found a random travel agent in the center of Cuzco that sold us the trip for 80 soles each. The next day, at 5 AM, we were picked up by our driver and guide, joined a small group in a minivan and then headed towards the mountains.
The ride to the starting point was tedious, through treacherous mountain roads and tiny villages with beautiful mountain views throughout. After two hours of driving, we stopped by a little local café, where they had breakfast ready for us. It was nice to finally see the others in daylight and talk to them while filling our stomachs and getting mentally prepared for the upcoming journey towards the Rainbow Mountain.
Soon after finishing our breakfast, we were off on the road again for another hour of driving. On this stretch, we saw soooo many cute alpacas on the mountains, in the valleys and even on the road!
We were excited to finally be at the starting point at around 8 AM, but also a bit worried about altitude sickness. We were now at 4400 meters above sea level, and even in Cuzco, which is “just” 3399 meters above sea level, Brandon and I noticed that we got lightheaded just from walking through the streets. Now we were even higher up and our end point was at circa 5200 meters above sea level. Usually that wouldn’t be a problem, but coming from flat Denmark just two days ago, and having only had one day to adjust to the major difference in altitude, we felt it was too dangerous to go on a strenuous hike to even higher altitude.
Instead, we decided to pay 80 soles extra to rent a horse each that took us most of the way up to the Rainbow Mountain.
Our guide had chosen to take us on the shorter and less popular route to the mountain. I’m not really sure why, but it was actually nice to have the place to ourselves without the hoards of people that the other trail sees.
The trek took about 1½ hours and was extremely comfortable due to being on the horse. To be honest, I was quite disappointed that we didn’t get to ride the horse ourselves, as I didn’t know that a guide would be leading the horse all the way up there. In hindsight, I would’ve chosen differently.
The trek was absolutely gorgeous. We trekked through a mountain pass with snow-covered mountains on both sides. Even if the Rainbow Mountain would disappoint us with its colour or lack thereof, the trip was worth it because of those magical views.
At such a high elevation, it gets really cold, but thankfully the sun was out all day, so it wasn’t too bad. Also, I was bundled up in my new alpaca outfit including scarf, hat and gloves, so I was as comfortable as can be.
While riding the horse, I kept thinking back on my time in Kyrgyzstan with Steve, where we also went on horse treks, although longer ones and without a guide to pull the horse along. In many ways, Cuzco actually reminds me of Kyrgyzstan. The high altitude, the bright sun, the cool air, the rosy cheeks of the locals and the high and snowy mountains. Both places are favourites of mine!
About 400 meters from the top, the horses stopped and it was time to get off and walk. The last part was the steepest and toughest part of the hike, but we didn’t mind, as we also wanted to do some walking! Also, the altitude didn’t hit that hard as we were taking it slowly. 15 minutes later, we made it to the top, where we were met by crowds and crowds of other tourists coming from the other trail.
To say that the Rainbow Mountain is as colourful as the name states is an overstatement of epic proportions. It definitely has some colour and it is very beautiful, but I’ve seen better, both in Arizona and in Iran. To be honest, the mountain itself doesn’t live up to the hype, but the place definitely does! The views were simply majestic!
We climbed the mountain in front of the Rainbow Mountain for a better view, took some photos, and then it was time to head back down again. We quite quickly made it back down to the horses that were waiting to take us all the way back to the parking lot. The way back actually only took about one hour for us, so we ended up waiting half an hour in the van for the others to come.
Then it was time to head back to Cuzco, another three hours on the treacherous roads that none of us were looking forward to. Again, we stopped by the little local café to have some food, this time a lovely dinner buffet with FOUR vegetarian dishes (that’s so rare!!). Then we hit the road again until we finally reached Cuzco at 4 PM, tired and worn out from a tough, but amazing day in the mountains.
So – was riding a horse most of the way to the Rainbow Mountain cheating? Some may think so, but for us it was the safest and best option if we wanted to actually get there and not faint while doing it. We enjoyed both the horse ride and the short hike and were glad that we got to try both!
I absolutely love horseback riding and it’s definitely something that I want to do some more on my travels, although preferably longer trips and with no guide pulling us along!
How to visit Rainbow Mountain
- Don’t book the trip online, as the prices are way too expensive! Instead, wait until you get to Cuzco and book it then. We booked ours the day before we left for the trip and it was no problem at all.
- The price varies from around 60-90 soles per person. Transportation, guide and food is included. Horses are not included and cost 80 soles per horse.
- The entrance price is 10 soles, but you can negotiate it into the price of the tour itself, so you get it for free – we did that.
- Don’t do the hike shortly after getting to Cuzco, as you might get sick from the high altitude. Either wait it out for a week to get used to the altitude or rent a horse.
- I also recommend renting a horse if you are in bad physical shape. But keep in mind that you’ll have to walk the last 400-ish meters, which is quite steep.
- Remember warm clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen! It’s cold up there and the sun is extremely strong!
- Don’t forget to get a good night’s sleep before going on the tour, as you probably won’t be able to sleep in the car (the ride is very bumpy!).
- Enjoy and remember your camera!
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