Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain
Day 01
Palccoyo Mountain
Trip Itinerary
Day 1
Dia 1: PALCCOYO RAINBOW MOUNTAIN
Highlight of the day: The spectacular view of the colorful mountain Palccoyo from its viewpoint..
PALCCOYO RAINBOW MOUNTAIN ITINERARY
Cusco – Palccoyo Mountain – Cusco
We begin our day with pick-up from the hotel at 5:00 am and begin our drive towards the Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain trailhead. Located south of Cusco, we drive for approximately 4hrs in private transport until the trail where we will provide you with breakfast.
Along the way, we see beautiful Andes mountains as well as lush green valleys, local people working on their land, and hundreds of alpacas and llamas. If we are lucky we will stop for vicuñas and observe them in their natural free state. When we get to Apacheta, we will begin our hike toward Palcoyo Mountain. After hiking for 10 minutes we get the viewpoint from where you enjoy the first Rainbow Mountain. We take pictures and drink our wáter. Then we hike for another 10 minutes we get to the second viewpoint where we will take pictures of the second Mountain. Then we hike another 10 minutes to the third viewpoint and you will be impressed by the third mountain. This viewpoint is the place from where you take the classical Postcard Picture of Palcoyo.
After enjoying the beautiful colorful mountains, we will hike back to the Trailhead. Then we take the van for about 2 hours until Ttio town where will have our lunch in a local house prepared by our Chef. After enjoying our delicious meal, we drive another 1 hour and a half to Cusco. We will drop you off at your hotel at 05 pm roughly.
Stone forest(optional)
If you feel good once you get to the third viewpoint, we can hike another 10 minutes to the Stone forest. You will see beautiful rock formations once you get to the top. The trail is switchbacked and steep. But the view from the top is amazing. You will see Ausangate Mountain in a distance and all 3 Rainbow Mountains. Another good thing to climb is, you don’t come back by the same trail, you hike in a loop.
B, L
Meals
Accommodation
Moderate
Difficulty
3 km / 1.86 miles
Walking Distance
4,900 m / 16,070 ft
Highest Elevation
Campsite Elevation
Inclusions
Palccoyo Mountain Included
- English speaking guide, plus an assistant guide for a big group.
- First aid kit, including oxygen.
- Breakfast and lunch.
- Snacks for the trek.
- Private transportation to and from your hotel in Cusco.
- Entrance fees to Palcoyo Mountain.
- Pick up and drop off from the hotel.
- Pre-Trek briefing the night before the trek to go over the itinerary, meet your guide(s) and answer any questions.
Not Included Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain
- Gratitudes for the staff.
Pricing
Trip Details
Trip Details Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain
HIGHTLIGHTS
Palcoyo Mountain is beautiful place to get to an altitude you usually never get to. You will pass by small Andean villages and a lot of Llamas and Alpacas. Once at the base of Palcoyo Mountain, you could see one of the three peaks from the parking lot itself. You will be the only ones there, so we pretty much had the mountains to yourselve, which is kind of nice after visiting all the other places in Cusco/Sacred valley which are over-crowded with tourists.
The hike to the summit is mostly, as the locals like to call it, Andean flats, i.e., a gradual incline to the summit. It takes around 35-40 minutes to reach the summit. Once there you will be entertained by your guide with some interesting facts. After the hike, you will take a van then drive to Ttio town where you will your lunch in a loca house.
Why you should hike Palcoyo Mountain with us?
- We skip the crowds!— Everybody else goes to Palcoyo Mountain at the same time. That means they’re all up at the top at the same time. We leave from Cusco at 05:00 am. You will get the Palccoyo Mountain before the crowd.
- Our chef will prepare your lunch in local family’s house and you will have chance to feed the guinea pigs of the family.
- The lunch is prepared by our AB Expeditions chef. If you have any food restrictions, our chef will take care of it.
- Our drivers drive carefully on the narrow road.
- Our vans are new in a really good conditions.
- Our guide always bring oxygen tanks which is important as you get over 5040 meters/16,500 feet above sea level! Not all travel agencies offer this, so this is definitely something to look out for when choosing the best Rainbow Mountain tour operator.
- Small groups(a máximum 08 people).
- You will take your time and you will enjoy the hike without pressuse.
- Friendly, attentive, tour guides with fluent English and ample knowledge on all things concerning Palcoyo Mountain Peru.
What to Pack
What To Bring
WHAT TO BRING FOR PALCCOYO RAINBOW MOUNTAIN
- 1 Liter and half of the water (per person- at least!).
- Water-resistant trekking shoes.
- Warm clothing (thermal underwear, fleece, hat, gloves, and socks).
- Waterproof clothing (poncho).
- Synthetic or cotton clothing (socks, trousers, shorts, t-shirts).
- Sunhat and sunglasses.
- Sun cream.
- Water bottles such as Nalgene.
- Basic medications.
- Walking sticks.
- Personal items.
