The Rainbow Mountain at Ausengate near Cusco is a treasure so hidden that only the gods and a few lucky tourists have been able to enjoy it. This hidden world is one of those places that tourists have yet to discover. Although there are many tours to the Rainbow Mountain, it can be difficult to find information regarding this enchanted area. Are you an adventurer dreaming of an undiscovered gem located off the beaten path? If you think all the beautiful places on the planet have already been populated by tourists, you haven’t seen the Rainbow Mountain at Ausengate near Cusco yet.
We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 3:00 a.m. It’s a three and a half hour drive in our private van from Cusco to Chillca. On the way, we will pass through some traditional villages and have some incredible views of the Andes. When we get to the trail for this hike, we’ll stop and enjoy a lovely breakfast prepared by our trekking chef. After breakfast, we will start the trek from Chillca, at 3.700 m / 12,139 feet high. From there, it will be a four hour uphill hike to reach the famous Rainbow Mountain. Along the way, you can enjoy breathtaking views of the Andes, glacial peaks, red mountains, rocky hills, and native llamas and alpacas grazing in the valley. Upon reaching the summit of the mountain, you will be able to spot some more of the Andean fauna.
This is the only place in Cusco where you can see wild vicuñas, the Andean camel living at an altitude of 5.000 m or above. The vicuñas belong to the same family as the llamas, although they are smaller. Their wool is the most expensive wool in the world as they are now a protected species and vicuña wool production is restricted. Once we reach the top of the Rainbow Mountain, you will have ample time to soak up the majesty of the red mountains that surround this area. You will also have an incredible view to the valleys and the Ausangate Glacier Peak in front of you. Ausangate is the highest mountain in the Cusco region (just below 7.000 m or 21,000 feet high) and is part of the Vilcanota mountain range. While you enjoy these magnificent views, our staff will bring you some hot drinks and share some information with you about the composition of these mountains and how it became striated with a rainbow of colors.
After taking some amazing pictures and soaking up the views (maybe we’ll even see some condors floating in the air), we’ll begin our two hour, downhill hike. Then, we will meet with our trekking chef and enjoy a delicious, freshly prepared hot lunch. After lunch, we’ll start our journey back to the village of Chillca, where we’ll take our private van back to Cusco. We will drop you off at your hotel around 7 p.m.