Which Is The Best Rainbow Mountain Tour Company?
In my opinion, Rainbow Mountain Travels is the best tour company to choose when booking a trip to Rainbow Mountain. Here’s why:
- They offer a reasonable price ($49) that comes with a quality experience.
- They are reliable and pick you up on time. This gets you up the mountain early enough to avoid huge crowds.
- They also provide a quality experience that makes the day out feel more than just paying for transport by providing excellent food and engaging tour guides.
It’s a no brainer really. This is definitely the best tour company for backpackers as you are getting a quality tour for a reasonable price. Make sure to pick Rainbow Mountain Travels.
| Feature | Local Tour Company | Rainbow Mountain Travels |
|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$15-30 |
$49 |
|
Reviews |
Unknown |
4.5 stars from 1115 reviews |
|
Pick Up Time |
5.00AM Onwards |
3.00 – 3.30 AM |
|
Group Size |
Bus – 25+ people |
Min-van (15 people max) |
|
Accommodation |
Basic, wooden river lodge |
Better, jungle ecolodge |
What To Expect On A Rainbow Mountain Tour?
Almost all the Rainbow Mountain tours on offer from Cusco have the same itinerary.
Pick up from Cusco, a 3-hour drive to the mountain, breakfast, hiking up the mountain, and then returning back to Cusco (possibly with lunch included as well).
Here is a breakdown of the itinerary to give you a better idea of how the day is organised:
- 3:30 AM – Minibus pick up in Cusco
- 5:00 AM – Breakfast stop
- 7:30 AM – Arrive at Rainbow Mountain / Briefing
- 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Trek to summit
- 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Red Valley trek
- 12:00 PM – Head back to Cusco
- 13:30 PM – Lunch
- 15:00 PM – Arrive back in Cusco
For more details on the full trek, what to expect and how to pack – head to the Rainbow Mountain trek guide linked below:
“We ended up with a better itinerary than anything a travel agent suggested – and without the hefty price tag!
Jerry & Maria – 5 Weeks In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Spending hours researching… and still feeling stuck
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
Comparing Rainbow Mountain Tours
I’ve researched three Rainbow Mountain tour companies – one cheap, one mid-price and one expensive – and compared them on reviews, price, pick-up times, group size, and food options.
Here’s a quick price breakdown:
- Cheap Rainbow Mountain Tour – Cusco Street Vendor or Local Tour – $15-30
- Mid-Range Rainbow Mountain Tour – Rainbow Mountain Travels – $49
- Expensive Rainbow Mountain Tour – Visit South America – $125
Option #1 - Local Rainbow Mountain Tour Company
- Cost: $15-30
- Departure Time: 5.00AM onwards
- Pros: Great if you are on a budget
- Cons: Large groups, later arrival
This type of tour is cheapest option available for travellers wanting to visit Rainbow Mountain.
It will be best for those of you on a shoestring budget who just want to see Rainbow Mountain and aren’t bothered about how they go about it.
You should be able to find prices for around $30 from the street vendors or smaller tour companies around Cusco – or you can just go via Get Your Guide.
These are usually larger tours with more people, so whilst the pick up time is early, most of the morning is spent driving around the town picking people up which may delay your arrival to Rainbow Mountain.
The example below is a highly rated tour:
Option #2 - Rainbow Mountain Travels
- Cost: $49
- Departure Time: 3.00AM onwards
- Pros: Early arrival, quality tour guides, great food stops
- Cons: Early start which isn't ideal for some
In my opinion, this tour offered by Rainbow Mountains Travels is the best Rainbow Mountain tour for most tourists.
One of the reasons why this is such a popular tour is that you are picked up between 3:00 AM and 3:30 AM so that you can get to the mountain before all the other tours. It also means you will be able to trek to the top unimpeded. Most other tours will pick you up at around 5:00 AM so you probably won’t beat the crowds.
By the time I was coming back down, there were queues of people slowly making the final trek to the summit, all stuck behind each other.
This is an extremely popular tourist destination with approximately 1,500 people visiting a day and the path can get busy once all the tour buses have arrived.
For more detailed information on Rainbow Mountain Travels tour, itinerary and other useful tips and tricks for hiking Rainbow Mountain, head to the full guide below:
Option #3 - Private Rainbow Mountain Private Tour
- Cost: $100+
- Departure Time: 2.30AM onwards
- Pros: Earliest possible departure time so you will be the only ones on the mountain
- Cons: Expensive
The final option to visit Rainbow Mountain is on a private tour.
This is perfect for luxury travellers who want to avoid the crowds and have the mountain to themselves. Most private tours leave super early, or arrive late in the evening when the rest of the tours have left.
You will have a unique and personal experience unimpeded by other tourists.
If you are big on photography, then you will have time to take photos without worrying about a queue behind you or people getting in your way.
Whilst I haven’t been on a private tour myself, I imagine the entire experience is also a lot better and done to a much higher standard – for example you will get lots of extra added comforts such as snacks throughout the day and hot drinks.
Other Rainbow Mountain Tour Options
If you want to mix it up and do something a bit different to the standard tour, check out an ATV tour instead:
“We ended up with a better itinerary than anything a travel agent suggested – and without the hefty price tag!
Jerry & Maria – 5 Weeks In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Spending hours researching… and still feeling stuck
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
Alternatives To Rainbow Mountain
If you are concerned about the difficulty of the Rainbow Mountain trek, but still want to experience the Andes mountains and the beauty of the countryside around Cusco, then there are alternative tours you can book.
A second ‘Rainbow Mountain’ has popped up alongside the original, known as Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain but this mountain isn’t just a cheap copy.
Palccoyo has many advantages over its larger, more famous sibling which I think everyone should know about and consider visiting on their travels.
Palccoyo is a much easier trek compared to the original, reaching 5,000m with a much flatter route to the summit. The viewpoint is 200m (656 ft) lower than Vinicunca, and at these altitudes, it genuinely makes a difference. The hike is shorter in total, it’s around 1km, and you climb 150m.
Check out this simple comparison of the two mountains and tours to see if it’s for you:
Rainbow Mountain FAQs
Whilst this natural wonder is a must-see, there are a few things you should know before attempting the climb to decide whether it’s worth your time.
Here’s everything you need to know about preparing for Rainbow Mountain:
What Is Rainbow Mountain?
Rainbow Mountain, also known as Vinicunca, Montaña de Siete Colores, or Montaña de Colores is a multi-coloured mountain with varying layers of colours streaking across its surface.
The mountain’s colourful appearance is due to the different minerals present in the slopes; clay, iron, sandstone, magnesium, and many others create an array of blues, yellows, greens, and deep reds.
It’s one of Peru’s most famous tourist attractions and is well worth a visit. I’ve included it in one of my 13 reasons to visit Peru:
How Do You Get To Rainbow Mountain?
The best way to get to Rainbow Mountain is to book through a tour company in Cusco. Tour companies set off from Cusco, but the actual mountain is located 100 km south-east of Cusco.
The journey takes around 3-4 hours from Cusco to the starting point of the trek. Then it takes 1-2 hours to reach the summit depending on your level of fitness.
For more backpacking guides on Cusco including the best places to stay and fun activities to do, check out the posts linked below:
Can I Go To Rainbow Mountain By Myself?
I personally wouldn’t recommend going to Rainbow Mountain without a tour company or guide as it would be way too much admin.
Firstly, you would have to drive there yourself and likely find some accommodation in the small towns close to the mountain. Also, the final section of the drive up through the valley is not for the faint-hearted and is probably best left to experienced guides. The roads are muddy and full of alpaca.
Overall, it would be a difficult thing to manage and is likely dangerous. Best to stick with the tours and the expert knowledge of the locals.
How Long Does It Take To Hike Rainbow Mountain?
The Rainbow Mountain trek lasts roughly 3 hours in total.
From the start to the summit, it takes about 1 hour to hike Rainbow Mountain. This will vary depending on your fitness levels, however. You start at 5000m and only need to trek 200m to reach the summit, so it isn’t a long hike at all in terms of distance – it just takes long because everyone is so out of breath.
Getting back down should take an hour, maybe less as going down is always faster.
After the trek, there is also an option to trek to the red valley. This is another short but steep climb to see even more incredible scenery. This takes an hour to reach the viewpoint and then climb back down. Tour companies give you enough time to do both if you want.
Love trekking and want to see what else Cusco has to offer in terms of incredible hikes? Check out the posts below:
Is Rainbow Mountain A Difficult Hike?
The Rainbow Mountain hike is difficult in terms of altitude, not so much in terms of distance and elevation.
You will be spending the whole time at an altitude of over 5,000m (16,400 ft).
Once you step out of the van, you will feel it instantly. You will have obviously experienced the high altitude in Cusco, but at this height, it’s even harder to breathe.
The viewpoint is 5,200m (17,060 ft) above sea level, so the climb to the top is challenging.
Due to the altitude and incline, it then takes about 45 minutes to an hour to make it to the top. This part is only around 100m in elevation but it’s so hard to breathe that you can’t go faster than a snail’s pace.
For more on backpacking in Peru, check out our itineraries and travel routes:
“We ended up with a better itinerary than anything a travel agent suggested – and without the hefty price tag!
Jerry & Maria – 5 Weeks In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Spending hours researching… and still feeling stuck
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
