Rainbow Mountain was made possible by climate change and made famous by Instagram. Once covered by snow, ice, and permafrost, the colors of Rainbow Mountain were only recently revealed by a warming climate. Luridly saturated images began appearing on social media, and the mountain quickly became one of the most popular destinations in Peru. Despite the hype and the crowds, the mountain is incredibly beautiful and worth the trek if you have the time and the stamina.
Guides and Getting There
Rainbow Mountain is about a three-hour drive from Cusco along a rough road, and by 8am or so it’s already mobbed by tourists. There are countless tour operators in Cusco who offer trips to Rainbow Mountain, some for as little as $15 or $20, and some for well north of $100. Most offer an early breakfast on the way to the mountain and lunch on the return trip. Rainbow Mountain Travels strikes the right balance at $49 with good guides and comfortable buses (though the food is just OK). They also have one of the earliest departure times (around 3 am). As unpleasant as that sounds, we highly recommend leaving Cusco as early as possible. If you don’t, the mountain will be swarmed with crowds when you get there, and your Instagram photos will be full of strangers.
Regardless of which tour operator you pick, you’ll need to bring plenty of supplies. You’ll be hiking at 16,500 feet above sea level, where the weather can be unpredictable, so bring plenty of layers (at least one or two insulating layers and a rain/wind layer). You’ll also need water, snacks, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, and trekking poles (optional, but helpful). The hike isn’t too bad, but it is at a high elevation. If you’re struggling, you can pay extra to rent a horse (bring cash if you’re planning on this), though you can only ride to the foot of the final ascent up to the viewpoint.
Red Valley
The Red Valley is close to Rainbow Mountain, and only requires a short detour on your hike back to the parking lot. It’s spectacularly beautiful, and we highly recommend visiting it; check to make sure your tour operator allows this option (Rainbow Mountain Travels does). You’ll pay an additional 20 soles in cash to visit, but it’s well worth it. Not only is the valley serene and picturesque, but the vast majority of Rainbow Mountain visitors don’t go there. When we visited, we had the entire valley to ourselves while, just over the ridge, Rainbow Mountain was crawling with tourists.
