In the morning of horseback riding tour to rainbow mountain, we will pick you up from your hotel or Airbnb in Cusco at 4:00am and then we will travel towards the Southern Valley of Cusco in our private transport. Despite the early morning, you’ll have the opportunity to catch some more z’s along the way in our comfortable transport with the cozy blankets that we provide for you.

Along the way, we’ll observe picturesque Andean towns, agricultural platforms from the Inca period, fertile valleys, and beautiful rolling mountains. After driving for approximately two hours towards the south, until we reach the district of Cusipata – Paucarpata in the province of Quispicanchi, we’ll stop off to enjoy a delicious continental breakfast.

After enjoying a breakfast, we will head back to the Van to continue the journey for another hour through dirt road until we reach the starting point of the Rainbow Mountain tour. As we travel through traditional villages, with amazing views of the ancient Inca terraces, still used for farming, we will observe the herds of sheep, llamas and alpacas and the occasional shepherd or local people moving about their daily activities.

Once we reach to the trailhead of Vinicunca Mountain Horse Tour, or bus parking place, located at 4,630m (15,190 ft.). There we’ll marvel at the Peruvian Andes’ spectacular view, the Andes’ Mountain range and glacial peaks.

We will then start our adventure horseback riding excursion to one of the new natural attractions in Cusco, known as the “7-Color Mountain” or Rainbow Mountain, or also called WINIKUNKA (Vinicunca), declared as “Unique Natural Treasure in the World”.

As we ascend, we will observe the typical flora and fauna of the Andes, including the presence of llamas and alpacas grazing along the hillsides; this area is home of numerous indigenous Quechua people who are still preserving their ways.

As we approach the famous Rainbow Mountain, we’ll begin to see the colored minerals that form the painted hills and also, we will have some great views of ice-glaciers. If we’re lucky, we might spot wild vicuñas roaming across the alpine landscape, fauna of the non-domesticated place of the camelid family in South America.

After climbing on horseback for about 1 hour, we’ll reach to the base of the rainbow mountain “Vinicunca” and then we’ll have to dismount and climb the final stretch on foot for about 25 minutes to reach the summit of Rainbow Mountain.

Just a short previous note:

• Horses are not allowed to go all the way to the viewpoint of Vinicunca or the Mountain of Colors, according to local laws and regulations.
• The last part of the hike up Rainbow Mountain may take less than 25 minutes or more, depending on your speed and fitness level.

Upon reaching the viewpoint of Rainbow Mountain, known locally as Vinicunca, or the Mountain of Colors (5100 m /16, 732 ft), we’ll be rewarded with sweeping panoramic views of not only Vinicunca Mountain but also with the impressive view of the Ausangate Mountain (6,384 m / 20,945 ft.) – the tallest peak in the Cusco region.

At the lookout point of Vinicunca Mountain, we’ll take our time to admire the astounding beauty of this impressive natural formation, the valley with grazing alpacas and the ‘Red Valley’ in the distance, and feel the thrill of witnessing an unforgettable spectacle.

Then we will explore the surrounding a little and take in the stunning landscape while your guide explains the theories that exist regarding the origin of this mountain, about geography, ecosystem, and color of the mountain that seems like it’s been taken from a colorful dream. Use this opportunity to take some incredible photos or simply immerse yourself in the landscape.

We’ll spend around 30 minutes to an hour at the top, depending on how fast you hiked and the weather conditions. If you wish to spend more time there, let your guide know. Once we’ve had time to take in all the magnificent sights, we’ll set off on our return walk down for about 15 minutes to the horse station.

Onwards, we return journey also on horseback by the same path to the point where we started the horseback ride (Llaqto), where our transportation will be waiting to take us back to Cusipata to enjoy a delicious Andean lunch. After lunch, we’ll board our private transport once again to get back to the city of Cusco, arriving between 4:30pm to 5:00pm.

The last stop will be at the door of your hotel, and thus, we conclude our Rainbow Mountain Horse Ride Tour, hoping that you have enjoyed this horseback riding to this natural attraction with a local 100% Peruvian Tour Operator.