Vinicunca — Rainbow Mountain — is one of the Andes’ more surreal geological sites, a day trip from Cusco. Peruways runs the guided version: 4 a.m. hotel pickup, breakfast en route, 5 km round-trip hike to the 5,036 m viewpoint, lunch, back in Cusco by late afternoon. The colored stripes come from mineral oxides exposed when glaciers retreated. Guides explain the geology and the local herding communities you pass through. Horses are available for the uphill section.
Book your Rainbow Mountain day with Peruways. Spend at least 2 nights at Cusco altitude before you go — Vinicunca will catch anyone who hasn’t acclimatized.
