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You want to see the stunning colors from the rainbow mountain, but the long hike up Vinicunca scares you? There is a little-known but great alternative. If the hike up Vinicunca is challenging as it is going up a lot, is long, and the altitude can cause problems to some people, the way from Palccoyo is easier, shorter and mostly flat. Moreover, as Palccoyo is a new route, you will also most likely be alone with your group or with a few other groups. Your pictures will then be better, and you will also see three rainbow mountains instead of just one with the classic tour to Vinicunca. This tour is a must-do in the area.
Our tour will start with an early pick-up from your accommodation in Cusco between 6.30 a.m to 7:00 a.m. We will drive for two hours passing through many colorful colonial towns before reaching Combapata district where we will have chance to use the toilets and have a littel break (while having breakfast here).Then we will drive for 1 hour and a half more along the Salcca Valley. On the way, you will enjoy a nice view over the mountains as we follow a small river to get to the starting point of the hike (4850m/15912ft).
We will then start our hike and walk for 45 minutes to 1 hour (1km) to our viewpoint (5,000m/16,404ft.). From there, we will have the most unique views of Ausangate (highest snow-capped mountain of Cusco 6375m/20915ft) and of the three rainbow mountains. As this is an alternative route to the well-known Vinicunca, you will be able to enjoy the views without crowds of tourists, to take magnificent photos and to remember forever the stunning views. After taking our pictures and appreciating the view, we will make our way back to our bus, have lunch and head back to Cusco. You will be dropped off in the center around 6:30 pm.
We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as easy as possible. In this section, you will find speedy answers to all those questions you had about Palccoyo Trek in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.
Has another question that we haven’t answered here? Drop us a line, and we will get back to you asap!
All information meetings are held in your hotel at 6:00 p.m., one night before the tour begins. If you cannot attend, you must coordinate another time at the (Peru Hike) offices. These meetings last approximately 30 to 45 minutes and there you will be given a small duffel bag, in which you’ll put all the belongings you intend to bring on the trek that won’t be in your day pack.
The trek has to be paid for in full by at least 7.30 pm two days before departure. For example, if your tour departs on a Wednesday, then you must come to our office before 7.30 pm on Monday.
It would be much appreciated if you pay the trek balance in cash US dollars or local currency. You can withdraw some money from several ATMs along Avenida Sol (either in US dollars or local Peruvian Soles). You can pay by credit card or PAYPAL online, but you will have to pay an 8% service charge, charged by VISA and PAYPAL. We do not accept bank checks or payment of the balance by traveler’s checks.
Of course! During the travel, your main luggage can be stored at our office(you can organize briefing day or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.
Any equipment that you are not going to need on the trek can be stored safely in your hotel. Nearly every hotel will provide this service. Don’t leave items of value with your bags, put them in the hotel safe and obtain an itemized receipt (In the unlikely case of theft many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt itemizing all the items). Best put items such as credit cards inside a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.
Peru Hike Company can pick you up from your hotel, as long as it’s in the Historic Center of Cusco. The pickup time will be coordinated with your guide in the briefing. The pickup time may vary between 30 and 45 minutes due to traffic. Cusco is a very old city, therefore, it has many narrow cobbled streets. Some hotels and Airbnbs may be located on streets without access to cars or on long, steep slopes, making it difficult to transport luggage. We strongly recommend that you book accommodation with good access.
Group tours are made up of different types of people. Physical conditions and ages can vary. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you also accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route. It may be the case that a group wishes to modify the tour; however, it will be the guide who decides, after consulting with all the participants, if said modifications can be made.
Strikes and demonstrations are usually frequent in Peru and this may interrupt some of our tours. Roads can be blocked and train tracks can be taken over. However, we will try to keep your excursion as planned, even if it means leaving the night before the scheduled date. Under these circumstances, tours may also be cancelled. In case of changes or cancellations, all situations will be coordinated with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority and our decisions will be made to protect it.
You’re responsible for your objects during the tour. Please pay attention to where you leave your things and remember to take everything once you leave our trucks, tents, or restaurants.
We booked our trip through Peru hike company (highly recommended).
Eber and our driver picked us up at our hotel in Cusco at 4am. We drove to the breakfast restaurant then went off to the village of Palccoyo.
It is difficult to describe the scenery there other than to say it is spectacular. Eber was with us every step of the way explaining everything about the area. He generously offered to take pictures of us throughout the tour, and of course Eber knew all the great spots for pictures. The rainbow mountains and red mountains were stunning. Each different viewpoint made the scenery look slightly different due to the sun, clouds, colors. Sooooo beautiful there.
We made our way to the third rainbow mountains where you are very close to the natural striations with the other rainbow mountains in the background. Amazing views and a wonderful guide. Eber packed hot muña tea again which helped us warm up, such a great way to soak in the views all around us.
The elevation here is quite high, so we took our time on the short hike up to the stone forest. Eber stopped often to let us catch our breath.
The stone forest is also breathtakingly beautiful ( looks like something out of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings). The sharp stone walls shoot out of the ground…nature is truly amazing.
We have many pictures of us at Palccoyo taken by Eber that we will treasure and help remind us of our time in Peru.
We are so glad we did this tour with Eber and pretty much had the place to ourselves. We only started seeing other tourists on our way back to the car. We really enjoyed our tour of Palccoyo with Rainbow Mountain Expeditions…glad we skipped the crowds of Vinicunca rainbow mountain.
