Rainbow Mountain ATV Tour is a spectacular adventure in the Andes Mountains. This experience is an adventure of another level at over 4000 meters/13123 ft. of altitude to reach the famous Rainbow Mountain located at 5020 meters/16469.82 ft. Join Auri to learn the ins and outs of this adventure in one of the most spectacular destinations in Peru.
Where is Rainbow Mountain?
The mountain of colors of Vinicunca or Vinincunca is located in the Vilcanota mountain range and in one of the most glaciated sections of the Andes mountain range in the southeastern region of Peru between the regions of Cusco and Puno. Rainbow Mountain is located just over 100 kilometers southeast of the city of Cusco. It is located between the district of Pitumarca in the province of Canchis and the district of Cusipata, both in the province of Quispicanchis.
How high is Rainbow Mountain?
The top of the Rainbow Mountain is at 5,200 meters and the tourist viewpoint, from where the panoramic views of the place are taken, rises to a height of 5,036 meters. An additional fact is that the imposing snow-capped Ausangate, the highest mountain in the Cusco region and the fifth-highest in Peru with its 6385 meters of altitude, is located very close to the Rainbow Mountain. From Vinincunca you can see the Apu Ausangate, a mountain considered sacred since pre-Inca times.
What does Winicunca or Vinicunca mean?
This amazing mountain has several names such as “Mountain of 7 colors”, “Colored Mountain”, “Rainbow Mountain”, “Rainbow Mountain”, “Colorful Mountain”, “Rainbow Mountain” among others. The official name given by the local people since ancient times is Vinicunca or Winicunca, Quechua name from the words “Wini” that some say come from the expression “Wini Rumi”, which is translated as “black stone” due to the number of rocks of this color present in the area.
Vinicunca or Winincunca its original name from the Quechua dialect, Wini = dyed or colored, Cunca = Neck. Well, certainly when arriving at this point of the mountain of colors it opens as a step to continue towards the lower valleys, and around it is all colorful, great variety of colors of the Andes, also you can see these colors reflected in the local villagers’ clothes.
By giving a more specific approach to the area where the mountain is located, the name Vinicunca would allude to a geographical feature, a mountain pass or narrow pass. That is why, in our opinion, an approximate translation would be “colorful mountain pass”.
Why is Rainbow Mountain Peru colorful?
The gorgeous colors of the rainbow mountain are due to the complex geological history of marine, river and lake sediments. The colored lines correspond to different layers of marine sediments that settled on the ground before the collision. The sediments date from between the Tertiary and Quaternary periods, in other words, from 65 to two million years ago. These marine sediments were transported by the water that once covered the area.
Over time and during the formation of the Andes Mountains, the sediments formed layers with different grain sizes that were arranged according to their weight. Then they acquired their striking colors due to the oxidation of their minerals, exerted by the humidity of the area, and their erosion. So, Rainbow Mountain colors are due to the humidity and the erosion of thousands of years.
How to get to the Rainbow Mountain?
On your own:
This option is somewhat tedious due to the distance and altitude at which the Rainbow Mountain is located with respect to the closest villages to it. It is not recommended because the community of Cusipata, one of the closest to Rainbow Mountain is more than 100 kilometers south of the city of Cusco. However, you can get to Cusipata by taking public transportation from Huayruropata Avenue in Cusco city towards Sicuani and getting off in the town of Sicuani.
The cost probably varies between 10 and 15 soles to Cusipata. The problem is to find a vehicle from Cusipata to get to the point where the hike starts (Phuluwasipata) and after visiting Rainbow Mountain, another problem is to get transportation back.
Route through Cusipata to Vinicunca
This route is less demanding for visitors to Rainbow Mountain, we start the journey by transport from the city of Cusco to Cusipata (1:30 hours approx.), where we take a bus to the community of Chillihuani and arrive at Phulawasipata car terminal with a journey of 40 minutes approx. From this point we start the great adventure (hike) to the mountain of Vinicunca that lasts approximately 2 hours, this depends on the pace of walking of the visitor.
The Cusipata route has an option for the visitor, if you feel that you can not continue the walk and want to reach the goal, there is the option to rent horses to help transport you, either up or down. Horseback transportation has an additional cost of approximately $25.
Route through Pitumarca to Vinicunca
Pitumarca is the second most popular route that will take you to the mountain of the seven colors, the route starts from the city of Cusco. This route is the one used to make the adventure on ATVs from the community of Pitumarca to the beginning of the trail to reach Rainbow Mountain. The adventure called Rainbow Mountain ATV Tour.
Rainbow Mountain ATV Tour full day
The Rainbow Mountain excursion starts early in the morning as a traditional tour to Rainbow Mountain Peru.
The viewpoint of Rainbow Mountain is at 5020m/16469 ft. altitude, the highest point of Rainbow Mountain is at 5040m/16535 ft.
Unlike the route to Rainbow Mountain through the village of Cusipata, which involves an arduous hike, this one
which requires an arduous hike, Rainbow Mountain ATV tour is ideal for those who want to reach Rainbow Mountain through an adventure on wheels and then take a shorter hike to get to this spectacular destination.
To book this famous hike contact Auri’s team, who will be happy to give you more information and design a personalized luxury experience for you.
BOOK RAINBOW MOUNTAIN ATV TOUR
Rainbow Mountain ATV tour itinerary
This full-day ATV Tour to Rainbow Mountain (Rainbow Mountain ATV tour) begins with an early morning transfer from your hotel in Cusco. We will drive for 2 hours and 40 minutes to the Andean community of Japura (Pitumarca), where you will be served a traditional Andean breakfast buffet.
After breakfast, the tour guide will brief you on safety measures, as we will drive you to the starting point of the ATV excursion to Rainbow Mountain.
We will start the experience with a short ATV ride so you can try them out and feel comfortable on them. Then, we will start the ride to Qosqopata, a small community at 4900 meters/16076 ft. of altitude. The distance to cover is 1.5 kilometers / 0.94 miles and this can be covered in about 35 minutes.
Qosqopata offers a closer view of the Rainbow Mountain. From here, it is an easy hike to the summit. The trek offers captivating views of the highest mountain in the Cusco region and the fifth highest in Peru, Ausangate sacred mountain. The tour guide will share some interesting facts about the mountain while you soak in the peaceful views of the Andes.
Once you have taken spectacular shots and felt the Andean energy throughout your entire being, we will hike back to the Qosqopata area. We will then ride the ATVs back to Japura (Pitumarca). Here we will serve a buffet lunch to replenish the energies of the day.
After lunch we will return to the city of Cusco arriving approximately between 5 and 6 pm.
Duration: Approximately 14 hours.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT RAINBOW MOUNTAIN ATV TOUR
- Minimum altitude: 3,890 m / 14,189 ft (Community of Japura)
- Maximum altitude: 5,037 m / 16,466 ft (Rainbow Mountain)
- Total ATV time: 1 hour and 30 minutes approximately.
- Hiking time: 45 minutes ascent; 25 – 30 minutes descent.
- Difficulty level: Moderate to difficult.
What is the best time to visit Rainbow Mountain, Peru?
The recommended time to appreciate this splendid landscape is during the DRY SEASON in Cusco (between the months of April to October). Between these months the sky is generally clear and Vinicunca offers us its best colors due to the incidence of the sun’s rays and the clear sky. The colors of the mountain vary according to the climate, the seasons and the hours of the day, being the best time to visualize them during hot months, clear days and at the time with greater solar incidence.
During the dry season, it is sunny throughout the day, you can distinguish the beauty of each strip of color. Other times of the day where the colors are beautiful and colorful are during the mornings and afternoons, since with the first and last rays of the sun the minerals shine much more, being distinguished clearly.
In the rainy season, which is from November to March, there are times when part of the mountain is covered with snow and can not be appreciated 100%, but each natural phenomenon makes the beauty of this place is incredible.
Peru has many incredible places to discover. With many years working at the travel industry, Auri Travel is happy to help with your travel plans to Machu Picchu and other places around the country. Come and enjoy your Peruvian Adventure with us!
