PALCOYO MOUNTAIN: AN ALTERNATIVE HIKE (WITH LESS PHYSICAL EFFORT) TO RAINBOW MOUNTAIN

Palcoyo Mountain: Rainbow Mountain

The first Rainbow Mountain in Cusco is Vinincunca and thousands of travellers go every day to visit it, however, about 20 km away there is a rainbow mountain of similar beauty to Vinincunca and it is Palcoyo Mountain. This Mountain shows ocher and red colors, with green, blue, and white stripes. This beautiful mountain is not very crowded, because it is not famous as the Vinincunca mountain (rainbow mountain), so your photos will be much better than Vinincunca.

The road to Palcoyo mountain only requires a long walk of 1 hour (approximately), which makes this mountain an easily accessible tourist attraction and can be visited by anyone who wants to know the beautiful natural landscape.

How was Palcoyo mountain formed?

The colors of Palcoyo Mountain are due to a geological process that aligned the different strata of the earth in different colored layers. In the same place, there is a group of rocks known as stone forests, which are rock peaks the size of trees that look like a true geological labyrinth and you can walk in this stone forest.

How to get to Palcoyo Mountain?

The trip to the Palcoyo mountain begins in Cusco city. Just a 3-hour trip heading Southeast to Combapata (by Car). We will not get to the town of Combapata but we will pass near the Checacupe bridge (Inca bridge). If you book the Rainbow Mountain Palcoyo tour with Peru private tours, we will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco (which is safer and easier for you) and provide you with a buffet breakfast in Checacupe.

Once we arrive at the Palcoyo parking lot, we will start the hike to the top of this mountain for an hour (approximately), the walk is calm and there are no slopes to climb. When you reach the top, you can take a look at the beautiful natural landscape of Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain.

On the way back you will be able to enjoy delicious novoandinas meals in restaurants of the local population (this way we can help the development of local towns).

Doing the Rainbow Mountain Palcoyo tour will take you all day.

What is the difference with Vinincunca Mountain?

To get to Vinicunca the walk is at least 4 hours round trip with considerable unevenness, if your pace is slow it will probably take you longer. In contrast, there is an alternative walk to the Rainbow Mountain Palcoyo that lasts 1:30 hours (approximately 90 min) round trip along a flat path.

Both Rainbow Mountains are 5,000 meters above sea level, so the risks of suffering from altitude sickness are the same, although the physical effort is greater towards Vinincunca. I recommend that you measure your strength and choose the rainbow mountain that suits you best.

Recommendations before going to Palcoyo Mountain:

Palcoyo Mountain is located at 4,900 meters above sea level, so it is important that you take precautions to take care of your health. The best recommendation is: Spend at least two rest days in Cusco before going to Palcoyo mountain (to avoid altitude sickness).

Due to its location, the cold in the mountains is icy, so it is important that you have warm clothes and shoes for trekking.

Book Any Of These Guided Tours In Cusco Now

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Contact Us

You can contact the Peru Private Tours team; we will happy to help you plan a once-in-a-lifetime experience during your journey in Cusco.

Contact us at info@pptoursperu.com or our WhatsApp number +51 915 105 124.

Peru Private Tours is a luxury company that designs services to meet too high requirements you can make a tailor-made trip to Peru and enjoy places that are worth visiting.