Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain Full Day Tour from Cusco

Recommended by 91% of travelers

Cusco, Peru

12 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

from $60

Desde Cusco a la Montaña de Colores en Cuatrimotos

from $82

Small-Group Tour: Rainbow Mountains Hiking from Cusco

Cusco, Peru

4.2

(5)

Small-Group Tour: Rainbow Mountains Hiking from Cusco

from $35

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Go off the beaten path in Peru and discover Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain, a lesser-known alternative to Vinicunca's Rainbow Mountain. Ideal for those with limited time, this small-group day tour from Cusco offers hotel pickup and drop-off, letting you enjoy views of three distinct rainbow mountains and the Ausangate glacier without much walking.

An easier alternative to Vinicunca's Rainbow Mountain
See three distinct rainbow mountains without much walking
Small-group tour (maximum 15): A more personal experience
Hotel pickup and drop-off included for hassle-free transfers

What's Included

Professional English–Spanish-speaking tour guide
Entrance fees
Hotel pickup and drop-off in downtown Cusco
Round-trip transportation from Cusco
Buffet breakfast and lunch
First aid kit, oxygen tanks and walking poles (optional)

Souvenirs
Tips for the guide and driver (voluntary)

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

Plaza de Armas Cusco Hotel
Portal Mantas 114, Cusco 084 Peru

Pickup details

Pickup is available from any hotel in downtown Cusco.

Operating hours
.4:00 am

Itinerary

Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Checacupe

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Nevado Auzangate

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for pregnant travelers

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Laura_L

It was AMAZING!!! Our driver and guide were awesome. Such a pretty place. Glad we went here and not the more popular one. Walking up to the rock garden wasn’t easy (but you didn’t have to go up). Spectacular views! And it wasn’t overrun with tourist junk.

Reviews

4.7

based on 57 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Awesome trip!

Laura_L, Mar 2026

Beautiful views, but communication and altitude support need improvement

Tracy_S, Dec 2025

We enjoyed our trip to Palcoyo Mountain overall, but there are a few areas where the tour could be improved. We were picked up from our Airbnb around 4:50am and then drove about 1.5 hours in a Sprinter van with approximately 15 other guests to the breakfast stop. Breakfast was buffet-style and included restrooms and coca tea (which I highly recommend, as you start to feel the altitude around this point). After breakfast, we drove about 30 minutes to visit the Inca Rope Bridge (mandatory fee of 5 soles per person), and then continued for another 2 hours to the base of Palcoyo Mountain. Once you exit the van, the altitude is immediately noticeable. The hike begins with a set of stairs, which ended up being one of the most challenging parts. Hiking poles were provided and were helpful during this portion. The hike itself took about 2 hours round trip. At the summit, there are alpacas you can take photos with and vendors selling souvenirs. After the hike, we drove about 1.5 hours back to the same location as breakfast for a buffet lunch, followed by another 2-hour drive back to Cusco. This is definitely a long day trip, with a significant amount of time spent commuting. Areas for improvement: The listing states that the meeting point is the plaza, but after booking it says pickup will be arranged. This was confusing, and since the tour company was unresponsive on Viator, I had to look them up and confirm details via WhatsApp. It took multiple attempts to get a response, so pre-trip communication could be much clearer and more reliable. The listing mentions that oxygen would be provided, but there was no oxygen available on the day of the tour. We brought our own as a precaution, which we were grateful for, but several guests were clearly struggling with the altitude. I contacted the company in advance to let them know my mother (65 years old) would be joining and asked whether a slower pace could be accommodated or what options would be available if she couldn’t complete the hike. Despite asking multiple times, these questions were never addressed. On the day of the tour, she was unable to finish the hike due to altitude. When we asked if she could wait in the van (as it was very cold and windy on the mountain), we were told no because the driver needed to sleep. This meant she had to wait outside in the cold for nearly two hours. Thankfully, local residents were extremely kind and provided blankets, but this situation was disappointing and could have been avoided with clearer expectations communicated in advance. Overall, this is a well-organized tour from Cusco to a beautiful, less-crowded site. Just be aware that it’s a very long day and that communication and altitude-related support could be significantly improved.

Polccoyo Rainbow Mountain.

Jenni_M, Oct 2025

This experience was fantastic from booking to conclusion. Good communicatiin re: pick up day before. Really good breakfast and lunch stops. Great guide and skilled driver. The drive to Polccoyo is very scenic and the whole region around the Rainbow Mountains is stunning. The guide kept a check on everyone's health and there were walking poles and oxygen for those who needed them. Polccoyo has a number of rainbow mountains plus stunning rock formations. The walk was manageable. The absence of instagrammers was bliss, but I guess that won't last. Currently only one very narrow road in and out. So glad to have seen this now.

View is incredible,drop...

ZongLiu, Oct 2025

View is incredible,drop point is not your hotel,you have to take texi back, breakfast is less than typical, lunch is good

This was such an amazing...

Paula_P, Sep 2025

This was such an amazing location! It was one of the highlights of my Peruvian Adventure! The hike was challenging for this 50 yr old, but not terribly difficult. I just took my time going up to the top of the stone forest. This is a great option if you want to see the beautiful landscape but not in huge crowds. The breakfast and lunch were in the same location… neither meal was very good. But I would book again in a heartbeat because everything else was perfect and well run.

Amazing Experience

Ryan_M, Apr 2025

Seeing the rainbow mountains was a bucket list item for me and it did not disappoint. The weather was beautiful (not guaranteed), but it was mostly sun with a mix of clouds that you could see casting shadows on mountains in the distance. Joel was a great guide who was willing to take pictures of you and your group as many times as you wanted. He was knowledgable, friendly and kept the mood high. The elevation is a struggle, even if you are in good shape and on altitude medicine. I am not sure how one does Vinicunca because this was easier and still felt hard. The walk isn't that long and there are plenty of places to stop and admire the beauty of the mountains. From this tour, you see several beautiful rainbow mountains up close and at a distance. The food we got for breakfast and lunch was pretty good.

This was a wonderful tour...

Yusra_B, Dec 2024

This was a wonderful tour - everything was smooth from booking to pickup and drop off. Marco - the guide - was truly wonderful and helped everyone adjust to the elevation.

Great experience

Phillip_J, Aug 2024

The tour was great with wonderful views and history of the mountains and their meaning to the culture. The hike can be hard with the elevation but it is worth the views. Our guide was fantastic and offered a lot of encouragement

Excellent hiking experience!

Jory_O, May 2023

We hiked with our guide Miguel to Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain and it was an excellent adventure. The breakfast and lunch was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and experienced! We would recommend this to everyone.