Your amazing Rainbow Mountain Trek Adventure begins with pick up from your hotel at 4am! We set out on our drive for 3 hours through the South Valley, on our way to the trailhead at Llacto (4,638m / 15,216 ft).  Along the way, there are amazing views of farming Inca terraces, traditional villages, valleys and high Andean peaks.

The hike to the rainbow mountain will take around 2 hours and is a distance of 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). Throughout your journey you will pass through a vibrant green valley with the snow capped peak of Apu Ausangate towering in the distance. You will see hundreds of roaming alpaca, and have the chance to truly see how Quechua people live. As you get closer to the Rainbow Mountain you will begin to see the first signs of the colored minerals that formed the painted hills. Your guide will explain what makes up the existence of the Rainbow Mountain and how it was formed, and finally with one last push you will hike up to a vantage point that gives you a 360 degree view of the beautiful landscape that makes up the sacred land.

We will have snacks on top and take a relaxing break to soak up the vistas, where you can enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. At this time you can also enjoy some coca tea that the locals prepare for visitors. We will spend approximately 30 minutes at the top. Afterwards, there is an optional hike across to the top of the Red Valley. This walk takes about 45 minutes longer to get back to the trailhead. Shortly after you will have a gourmet lunch prepared by our chef in a traditional mud-house and depart back to Cusco, arriving around 4pm.

• Horseback is available to hire the morning of the trek from local horsemen. Horses are not the property of Andean Great Treks. If you choose to hire a horse please note horsemen do not speak English nor do they always stick with the group of hikers and the guide as the horses walk faster than the hikers. Should you choose to hire a horse you assume all liability and ride at your own risk. Andean Great Treks is not responsible for any accidents that occur from riding a horse.