Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain Tour

Palccoyo Mountain Tour Itinerary:

4:00am – 6:30am: Pick up – Transfer to Colca- Breakfast

Our guide will pick you up early at the hotel, and then we will head south of Cusco. Once we arrive at the community of Cusipata, we will enjoy a basic buffet breakfast for 30 minutes at a rural restaurant. If you need to make last-minute purchases for snacks, water, or sunscreen, you can take advantage of this stop.

7:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Transportation to Checacupe – Visit to the 3 Bridges – Panoramic view of the Red River – Transfer to Palccoyo

Once everyone is ready, we will embark on a journey to the base camp of Palccoyo. During this trip, we will visit the 3 bridges of Checacupe (Inca Bridge, Colonial Bridge, and Republican Bridge). From Checacupe to Palccoyo, we will see unforgettable landscapes, including mountains and colorful valleys filled with llamas and alpacas. Our guide will let us know when we are passing by the Red River so you can appreciate its beauty.

9:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Arrival at the base camp of Palccoyo – Hike to Palccoyo – Optional visit to the Stone Forest

When you arrive at the base camp of Palccoyo, you will be at an altitude of 4,700 meters. Our guide will point out key topics, safety recommendations, and highlights of the route before we begin. This hike takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, during which you can enjoy landscapes and panoramic viewpoints until we reach the 3 Colored Mountains of Palccoyo. From this site, you will be able to see Ausangate, the highest mountain in Cusco. At this point, we will take the best photos before continuing our hike to the Stone Forest of Palccoyo, where we will reach an altitude of 5,000 meters at the highest point.

11:30 AM – 4:30 PM: Return to transportation – Lunch – Return to Cusco.

Once we visit the Colored Mountain of Palccoyo and the Stone Forest, we will descend for 30 minutes to the parking area to return to the rural restaurant, where a delicious buffet lunch will be waiting for us. Afterward, we will begin our return to Cusco. We will arrive near Plaza Regocijo (two blocks from the Plaza de Armas) at approximately 4:00 PM. Our guide will pick you up early from your hotel, and then we will head south from Cusco. 

Note: Due to the geography of the area, restaurant options are limited. Guru Explorers is always on-site monitoring to offer the best alternatives, considering that, being a rural area, the restaurant standards will be more basic compared to those in a city.

The price of the Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain Tour (Group Service) includes:

• Departure from your accommodation in the Historic Center of Cusco. Sometimes, the selected accommodation may be located on streets with restricted access for tourist vehicles. In these cases, the guide will suggest a nearby point where you can walk to meet them, so they can pick you up from a permitted street.
• Return to Plaza Regocijo, one block from Cusco’s Plaza de Armas.
• Professional guide in English and Spanish (other languages are available on private tours). The guiding may be bilingual in englinsh and spanish.
• Buffet breakfast and Lunch at a rural restaurant (vegetarian and vegan options available upon request). Being a rural area, the restaurant standards will be more basic compared to those in a city.
• Trekking or hiking pole (on request).
• Entrance tickets to the Palccoyo Mountain
• Oxygen bottle available with the guide upon request in case of emergency.

The price of the Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain Tour (Group Service) does not include:

• Souvenirs
• Tips for the guide and driver (contribution is voluntary)
• Meals not mentioned in the description
• Drinks

What to bring for the hike to Palccoyo Mountain:

• Choose comfortable walking shoes, warm jacket, hats or caps, gloves, sunglasses, sunscreen, water, rain gear or poncho (especially in November – April).
• Passport or ID card.
• Travel insurance.
• Cash (local currency) In Peru, there is usually a fee to use public restrooms. We recommend bringing coins or cash for these situations. 

Considerations for the alternative tour to the Rainbow Mountain:

What does it mean that the tour is shared?

• It means that you can share the tour with a group of tourists of different nationalities and ages, both from Guru Explorers and from different operators (group of approximately 16 people). It is an excellent opportunity to connect with travelers from different parts of the world! Remember that this type of tour is operated by Guru Explorers or our strategic partners who respond to our same standards. If you prefer a tour where you do not share with other people, please ask us for the Private Tour option.
• How is the guiding in this type of shared tour? This tour focuses more on experiences than on detailed historical narration. The guide will point out specific topics, safety recommendations, and highlights of the route before starting. During the hike, the beauty of the landscape will speak for itself. As it is a shared tour, it’s important to remember that the guide will be constantly moving among the group members, who will progress at different paces. In the end, everyone will meet again at the top, where they can enjoy some free time to rest and take photos before beginning the descent. If you prefer a more personalized guiding experience, we recommend our private tour, with an exclusive guide just for you.

Other considerations

• Transportation: The seating arrangement in the transportation is random, based on the order of arrival and pickup.

• Pickup and Schedule: One day before the shared tour, you will be assigned a pickup time range and an approximate return time. It is important to be punctual to avoid delaying others. The duration of the tour may vary depending on the group’s pace and traffic, so the return time is only an estimate. Please remember that neither traffic nor the pace of tourists is the responsibility of Guru Explorers. 

• Access Limitations: Due to restricted access for tourist vehicles on some narrow streets or because of traffic congestion, a nearby pickup point may be suggested to start the tour. 

• Physical Conditions: This Palccoyo tour requires stable physical conditions to complete the route, although it is less demanding than other tours like the Rainbow Mountain or Humantay Lake. During the hike, there is an ascent of 200 meters, from 4700 meters to 4900 meters above the sea.

• Acclimatization: It is recommended to acclimatize in Cusco before taking the Palccoyo tour. This way, your body will be better adapted to the altitude of the region.

• Age Restrictions: This Palccoyo tour is not recommended for children under 10 years old; adults over 60 should consider that this activity requires a reasonable level of fitness.

• Time at the Summit: Please note that the time spent at the Palccoyo mountain summit is limited to approximately 45 minutes. This is to preserve the health of passengers, as staying longer could increase the risk of altitude sickness at 4900 meters above sea level.

• Medications: The guide is not authorized to administer medications. Please consult your doctor before taking altitude sickness pills.

• Route: As we are in a mountainous area, the road may have many curves, which could cause motion sickness in some people. If you are prone to motion sickness, we recommend consulting your doctor about the possibility of taking preventive medication.

• Remember that, since these are outdoor activities, the natural features of the landscape may vary depending on weather conditions and the natural daylight. Each visit is an authentic experience, where nature reveals itself in unique and unrepeatable ways.

Not Allowed:

• Pets.
• Smoke.
• Large suitcases or bags.

Not recommended for:

• People with heart problems, back problems, asthma or high blood pressure.
• People in wheelchairs.
• Pregnant women.

According to Peruvian regulations, foreign tourists may be exempt from the local tax IGV (VAT). As a formal and registered travel agency, we are required to submit to the local authorities a copy of the document you used to enter the country, as well as your date of entry. For this reason, a few days before your arrival, we will contact you to request a photo of that document and ask you to let us know the date you entered Peru. If we do not receive this information, we will be required to add the 18% corresponding to the IGV tax. 

Thank you for your cooperation!

Cancellation Policy

• More than 30 days in advance: Penalty is 20% of the total amount
• Between 7 and 30 days in advance: Penalty is 40% of the total amount
• Less than 7 days in advance: Penalty is 100% of the total amount

Date changes

• More than 30 days in advance: Penalty is 5% of the total amount
• Between 7 and 30 days in advance: Penalty is 10% of the total amount
• Less than 7 days in advance: Penalty is 100% of the total amount
• Subject to availability.
• There will be no refunds in case of delayed flights, train delays, bad weather, or other external factors.

Force Majeure Policy

• Guru Explorers values your time and makes every effort to follow the itinerary. However, it may be affected by force majeure events such as weather conditions, rain, natural disasters, protests, roadblocks, or other circumstances beyond our control. In such cases, no refunds or compensation will be provided, as these are unforeseeable and unavoidable situations. Nonetheless, we will do everything possible to offer efficient alternatives and solutions for your enjoyment. Any additional costs resulting from changes or alternative activities will be the responsibility of the client and not Guru Explorers.