Vinicunca is a ridge of coloured earth above 5,000 metres, about three hours by road from Cusco. This guide is for you if it is on your list. It helps you decide when to go, how long to wait in Cusco first, what to carry, and whether the day is right for you at all.
When the colours show
The best months are May to October, the dry season, when skies are usually clear. From November to April it rains, and snow can cover the summit. The stripes disappear under it and the last stretch of the climb gets harder.
Snow is not limited to the rainy months. In July 2018 a heavy fall led Cusco's regional tourism authority to ask operators to stop running trips to the mountain. Rain, snow, wind and rockfalls on the access roads have since led the authorities to consider closing it again. If you are travelling in a wet spell, check the conditions before the day.
Whatever the month, the afternoon is the weak part of the day. The weather often turns after midday, and the top is at its busiest between about 10:30 and 11:00, when the group tours arrive. Plan to be on your way down early in the afternoon.
Acclimatise first, and how long for
This is the decision that matters most. Cusco is already well over 3,000 metres, and the ridge is more than 1,500 metres higher. Spend a few days in the city before you go up, and walk slowly once you are there.
Acute mountain sickness feels like a hangover: headache, often with loss of appetite, dizziness, tiredness or nausea. It usually starts between two and twelve hours after you arrive at altitude. Three points from the medical guidance are worth knowing before you book:
- Being fit does not protect you. Fitness has no effect on the risk.
- Children are as likely to be affected as adults.
- Avoid alcohol for your first 48 hours at altitude.
If symptoms get worse on the mountain, the answer is to go down. Turn back, and do not try to push on to the top. Your driver is waiting at the trailhead.
The order of your days in Cusco helps. Our guide to day trips from Cusco suggests starting with the city tour, then the Sacred Valley, and leaving Vinicunca until you have had a few days at height.
How the day runs
You are collected at 07:00 from your hotel or apartment in Cusco. The drive takes about three hours, and the last hour is on a dirt road. You reach the trailhead at around 10:00, and from there you walk.
Allow about three hours on foot to the top and back. The ascent alone takes most people between an hour and a half and two hours. The driver starts back towards Cusco at around 13:15, with a stop for a late lunch on the way if you want one, and you are at your hotel in the late afternoon, at about 17:00.
Be clear about what this tour is. It is transport only: a private vehicle and driver for the day, fuel, tolls and parking. The entrance fee, a guide and meals are not included. Your driver waits at the trailhead while you walk. If you would like a guide, message us and we will price one.
Because the car is yours, the day can bend. You can leave earlier from the top, skip lunch or stop for longer on the way down.
On your own, on a group tour, or in a private car
Vinicunca is in the district of Pitumarca, in Canchis province, a little over 100 kilometres south-east of Cusco. It is about three hours by car or tourist bus. Group tours reach the top between about 10:30 and 11:00, and that is when it fills up.
A group tour fixes the timing for you. A private car lets you set the pace on the walk and turn back when you choose, without holding up a coach. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to carry
At the summit, the air is thin, the sun burns and the temperature can drop within minutes. Pack for all three.
- Warm, waterproof layers: a fleece or down jacket under a rain shell, a hat and gloves.
- Sun cream, sunglasses and a hat with a brim.
- Walking shoes or boots with a good grip.
- Water and something to eat on the walk, since meals are not included.
- Your entrance fee, which you pay on the day, and some local cash for small purchases on the trail.
Horses are available on the way up. Local muleteers keep a horse station on the route, and a horse can carry you for part of the climb. It helps with the effort, but it does not lower the altitude.
Who should not go
It is a hard walk at high altitude, and it is not for everyone. It is not suitable for people with heart or breathing problems, or for pregnant women. If you have had altitude sickness badly before, talk to your doctor before you plan this day.
Think twice too if you arrive in Cusco the day before. The ridge needs those days in the city first, so do not squeeze it into the start of a short trip. If your trip is short, the Maras, Moray and Chinchero tour gives you a full day out without the climb.
Groups of more than 16 travel in two vehicles on one booking. Message us and we will price it.
Questions people ask
Why is the mountain striped?
According to the Geological Society of Peru, the bands are old marine, lake and river sediments, laid down between about 65 and 2 million years ago and lifted into mountains. Oxidised minerals and erosion gave them their colours: red from clays, green from iron, magnesium and copper oxides, mustard yellow from limonites and sandstones.
What is the snow peak behind it?
Ausangate, the highest snow-capped peak in the Cusco region at 6,384 metres. It has been revered as an apu, a guardian mountain, since before the Spanish arrived.
Is it a new attraction?
Fairly. Vinicunca opened to tourism in 2016, and at its peak it received up to 2,000 visitors a day.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Choose a date in the dry season if you can, after a few days in Cusco, and keep the next day free in case you need the rest. The pick-up, timings and what is included are on the Rainbow Mountain private day trip page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
