As our legs were still hurting from the stairs we climbed in Machu Picchu, we decided to take it easy the day afterwards. However, cruel it would be if we’d miss the famous rainbow mountain range, a day trip from Cusco.
The tour that most people take to the area has a focus on the mountain of Vinicunca. The hike towards this area is long (3 hours) and on very high altitude (above 5000 meters) ánd really really crowded. As we informed about tours to the rainbow mountains in Cusco, one of the agencies mentioned a trip to the area near Palccoyo, nicknamed the “Three Rainbow Mountains.” You’ll basically visit the same area as Vinicunca, but enter through a different access. The plus side of this trip is that the hike isn’t so difficult, but you still have the gorgeous views on the multi-coloured area.
With only a couple of other tourists it was almost unreal to experience this place. The hike is at high altitude (starting point around 4900 meters), so perhaps you might feel out of breath if your not used to thin air yet. The walk grants some spectacular views of the range. Every 100 meter another gorgeous red or green valley or unique rock formation is to be seen. This is another advantage over Vinicunca; you won’t see just one beautiful multi-coloured mountain, but many. As it started to snow at the end of our visit, we also were better able to see the contrast between the colourful range and the white peaks behind it.
So, what can I say… I really loved this trip, because we could enjoy the beauty of the area without flocks of other tourists. So that sounds rather appealing to you as well, don’t hesitate, just go for this alternative tour – before it’s too late! Check out our short drone movie to see what it’s like. Don’t get distracted by us lunatics in the end :). And for more details and photos about the trip, click here!
