Cusco
~3,400 mInca walls under colonial balconies, at about 3,400 metres
Cusco & the Sacred Valley
Rainbow Mountain
Striped mineral slopes at about 5,000 metres. Only once you're acclimatised
- Altitude
- ~5,000 m (16,404 ft)verify
- Altitude band
- Very high
- Time needed
- Full day from Cusco
Vinicunca's stripes of red, ochre and green are real, though photos turn the saturation up. The viewpoint sits around 5,000 metres, so this is a day for the end of your time in the Andes, never the start. The nearby Palccoyo route is a gentler alternative with fewer people.
Altitude note: The viewpoint is roughly 5,000–5,200 m: higher than anywhere else most visitors go (verify).
Sleep here only after acclimatising lower down. Go slowly. Altitude, explained
Highlights
- Vinicunca viewpoint
- Red Valley
- Palccoyo, the quieter alternative
What to eat here
Mate de coca
Coca-leaf tea, offered on arrival at many Andean hotels. A traditional mild remedy for the altitude, though not a substitute for acclimatising.
Native potatoes
Peru grows thousands of potato varieties: purple, yellow, knobbly, striped. Ask for papas nativas and see how many you can tell apart.
Cusco & the Sacred Valley
Nearby too
The Sacred Valley: lower, greener and the best place to start
Machu Picchu
~2,430 mThe citadel itself, and everything you need to get the timing right
The Inca Trail & Salkantay
~4,215 mTwo great walks to Machu Picchu, each with its own rules
Add Rainbow Mountain to your trip
Tell us when you'd like to go and what you'd love to see. Your Peru Specialist will come back with ideas, honest advice on altitude and timing, and a clear price.