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Easy, fast & RISK free Booking guaranteed. Personalized service in a Small Group. Great Value for money.Ausangate offers you a 5-day trek offers you a real taste of Andean life, as you will find and see modest communities where the natives still speak the Inca language (Qhechua) and where traditional methods of life are still used. You will also see hundreds and hundreds of alpacas. So if you want to take a genuinely Peruvian hike off the beaten track, this is the tour for you.
Our new itinerary avoids many of the areas that get crowded with other hikers.
Day 1: Cusco– Pukutuni School – Pucaccocha
The Rainbow Mountain Trek team from Cusco Sunrise Travel will pick you up at 4 a.m. Then you’ll have a three hour drive to the trailhead at Pukutuni School. Here you’ll enjoy some breakfast and meet your Cusco Sunrise Travel team including the local chef, porters and horsemen.
Then you’ll have a three-hour hike to your lunch spot at Upis village in the skirt of Ausangate Mountain. After you’ve enjoyed your freshly prepared lunch, you’ll hike for 1.5 hours uphill to the first pass called Vicuña Pass (4850 meters above sea level). We’ll break there for a bit to allow you to enjoy the views.
Then you’ll continue the last leg of Day 1 on the Rainbow Mountain trek with a 3-hour walk to your evening campsite at Pucaccocha. You’ll be able to enjoy breathtaking views along the way. You’ll see stunning views of the valleys, waterfalls and glacier peaks.
Your Cusco Sunrise Travel chef and porters will be waiting for you at your evening campsite. They’ll prepare food and get your tent set up so you can just relax and enjoy your surroundings.
Trailhead elevation: 4200m
Walking distance. 16km
Campsite elevation. 4600m
Weather: Cold
Rate: Challenging
Day 2: Pucaccocha – Condor & Alpaca pass – Sororni Lake
After an early nutritious breakfast cooked by your Cusco Sunrise Travel chef, you’ll continue the Rainbow Mountain Trek with a 2-hour climb to Condor pass (4900 meters above sea level). On the way, you’ll have magical views of Ausangate mountain, lagoons and perhaps even see some llamas and alpacas. It is then a gradual downhill hike for 2 hours to your lunch spot. After lunch, you’ll have a small climb to Alpaca pass (4950 m) where you can see a small part of Rainbow Mountain. After one more hour of downhill hiking, you’ll get to this evening’s campsite. Here your Cusco Sunrise Travel team will take care of all the details while relax you and experience one of the most beautiful spots to take in the Andean sky.
Walking distance: 08 km
Campsite elevation: 4700m
Weather: cold
Rate: Challenging
Day 3: Soroni Lake – Rainbow Mountain – Kayrawiri – drive to Ollantaytambo and train to Aguas Calientes
Spending the night in the mountains means you’ll be one of the first to arrive at the stunning Rainbow Mountain. You’ll enjoy a pleasant breakfast with hot drinks served by your Cusco Sunrise Travel team to start your morning. You’ll hike 2 hours gradually uphill to get to this famous mountain.
On the way, you’ll have the chance to see some wildlife of vicuñas. Upon your arrival the views will be stunning and because it’ll be so early you should be able to get some spectacular photographs without worrying about crowds. Your Cusco Sunrise Travel guide will explain all the mountains’ different colors and minerals. Once you are ready to leave it’ll be 1 hour to the end of the trail. You’ll then say goodbye to your Cusco Sunrise Travel trekking team and continue from this point with your Rainbow Mountain Trek guide.
It’ll be a 4-hour drive to Ollantaytambo where you’ll have some dinner before catching your 7 p.m. train to Aguas Calientes. Then you’ll have the opportunity to take a nice hot shower and sleep in a comfortable bed in a local hotel.
Walking: 6 km
Weather: Cold
Rainbow mountain elevation: 5030m
Rate: Challenging
Day 4: Machu Picchu & return to Cusco
Today is the day on the Rainbow Mountain tour that you’ll get to visit Machu Picchu. To get the most out of the day Cusco Sunrise Travel encourages every one of our groups to start the day early. You can grab some breakfast before catching one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu (starting at 5:30 a.m.).
The hotel will hold your bags for you, allowing you to only have to bring your day pack with you. It’s a 30-minute bus ride from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. Once you arrive at Machu Picchu your tour guide will introduce you to the world-famous Machu Picchu ruins.
The very first thing your guide will do is bring you the best place to watch the sunrise and get pictures. Once the sun rises, your tour guide will walk you around the main areas and explain the history for a 2.5 hour long walking tour. You’ll learn more about the history and culture of the Inca Empire. At the end of the guided tour participants in the Rainbow Mountain Trek will have some time to yourselfs to walk the ruins without interruption or if you arranged to hike Huayna Picchu* (must be booked in advance as it sells out and costs $75 per person). Then your guide will show you where to begin this hike which will take no more than 2 hours round-trip.
For your return trip from Machu Picchu we recommend beginning heading back to Aguas Calientes town by no later than 2 hours before your train departure. Your guide will inform you of your train times before your return. It’s a 2 hour return train trip from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. In Ollantaytambo the Cusco Sunrise Travel staff will be waiting for you at the train station’s exit door to bring you back to Cusco by car. It’s about a 2 hour car ride to Cusco. You do have the choice to hike the Machu Picchu Mountain instead of Huayna Picchu Mountain. However, this hike is more challenging and takes three hours minimum, round-trip (at an extra cost of $75 per person).
Included
- Professional Guides: All of Cusco Sunrise Travel’ guides on our Rainbow Mountain Trek studied English and tourism at Cusco National University. They all grew up in the Cusco region and are committed to teaching others about their heritage. They’re fun yet professional and will ensure you are safe and happy on your Rainbow Mountain tour.
- Briefing: The night before your Lares Trek around Rainbow Mountain and Ausangate to Machu Picchu, you’ll come to Cusco Sunrise Travel’ office at 6:30 p.m. for your briefing with your trekking guide. You’ll receive your Cusco Sunrise Travel duffel bag for your items that must include your sleeping bag and air mattress (ours weigh 2.5 kg and 1 kg respectively). All duffel bags will be carried by your porters and will only be available at your campsite each day (morning and evening). Any items that are needed while hiking should be packed in your daypack.
- Porters & Horsemen: Cusco Sunrise Travel includes a personal porter who is responsible for carrying your duffel bag containing your items. There is no additional fee for this. Your duffel bag will be provided at your briefing the night before and to be filled with your necessities for the next night and day. You will not have access to your duffel bag until you arrive at your evening campsite.
- Emergency Horse: All of Cusco Sunrise Travel’ alternative treks include an extra horse for our clients to use if they need a break from trekking.
- Transportation: All your transportation is included in this trek. You’ll be picked up directly from your hotel around 4:30 a.m. and brought to the trailhead to begin your trek. Once you complete the trek, you’ll be brought back directly to your hotel in Cusco for drop off.
- Equipment: Cusco Sunrise Travel has the best equipment. We use Eureka Timberline 4 person tents that are shared by only two people. You’ll have a spacious dining tent to enjoy your meals in.
- Food: The Cusco Sunrise Travel chefs cook delicious meals that many previous trekkers have loved. We honor all food restrictions so be sure to add any that you have on your booking form and let your guide know at your briefing. Food is typically all served family-style.
- You’ll enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day for the trek along with a happy hour of tea and snacks. A snack will be provided each morning for you to enjoy along the hike. Your last meal with your chef will be after breakfast on day four. Lunch on the last day is not included.
- Water: Beginning from your first lunch until your last breakfast Cusco Sunrise Travel will supply all the water needed. This water is boiled, filtered, and then cooled before distributing. You must bring personal water bottles and or a camelback, we recommend carrying about 3L worth. You’ll be able to refill your water at each meal.
- First Aid: Every Cusco Sunrise Travel guide has received training in first aid from a physician. We conduct mandatory training sessions every February which every tour guide must attend. Your tour guide will always have a first-aid kit for basic medical situations (traveler’s diarrhea, cuts, scrapes, etc.) and oxygen. We’ll get you off the trail as quickly and comfortably as possible if needed and ensure you get directly to a clinic for treatment.
- Extras: Cusco Sunrise Travel believes it´s the attention to small details that separates us from other tour companies. Every Cusco Sunrise Travel trekker receives a small pillow to sleep with, a foam mattress for insulation, a day pack cover to protect their things while hiking, and a rain poncho. We work very hard to ensure that you have the very best vacation.
- Satellite Phones: Cusco Sunrise Travel’ top priority will always be the safety of you and our team. While all Cusco Sunrise Travel guides are prepared and trained to deal with issues clients may have on the mountain. Being a phone call away from any doctor, hospital, or friend helps everyone feel assured that they are safe. Radios which all our guides have are limited in how far they can reach so Cusco Sunrise Travel has added Satellite Phones to every trek. Every guide will have a fully charged phone that can be used anywhere on the mountain to reach us. They can be used by our clients for non-emergencies as well. While they are not cheap to use, they’re available just in case you need to check in at home.
Not Included
- Rentals: Every trekker needs a sleeping bag when camping. Inflatable air mattresses and walking sticks (with rubber tips) are optional but encouraged. If you don’t want to bring any of the above, they are all available for rent:Sleeping Bag: $20
Inflatable Air Mattress: $15
Walking Sticks (Pair): $15
- Rentals: Every trekker needs a sleeping bag when camping. Inflatable air mattresses and walking sticks (with rubber tips) are optional but encouraged. If you don’t want to bring any of the above, they are all available for rent:Sleeping Bag: $20
- Your original passport (student card).
- A small day pack with water to drink.
- Comfortable shoes or joggers.
- camera and raincoat or poncho.
- A fleece or jacket, basic toiletries.
- Sun hat, sun cream, insect repellent for mosquitoes.
- Some extra money for lunches, drinks, snacks and souvenirs.
Ausangate Camp
Ausangate Mountain
Rainbow Mountain
