Highlights Pallay Punchu Rainbow Mountain Full Day
Highlights
- Amazing Andean landscapes
- Beautiful Rainbow Mountain colors
- Breakfast and Lunch
- Snow capped mountains, Peaks and Valleys & Blue Lake of Langui
- Pick Up from Your Hotel in Cusco
- Tour lead by award-winning Expert Guides
- See llamas and alpacas and their local owners along the route
- Overview
- Itinerary
- Inclusions
- What To Pack
- Faq's
- Pricing
- Enquire Now
Pallay Punchu is the third rainbow mountain in Cusco, after Vinicunca and Palcoyo. It is made up of spectacular sharp edges and is still not very crowded.
To get to Pallay Punchu you will pass through the beautiful blue lake of Langui and walk for approximately two hours to the top. You will feel the privilege of appreciating the impressive views of the area while you travel along the perfect lines of the mountain with shades of cyan, brown and magenta. Additionally, you will learn about authentic Andean traditions and geology while surrounded by amazing red mountains and grasslands.
DAY 01: CUSCO – CUSIPATA TOWN – LANGUI LAKE – PALLAY PUNCHU – CUSCO
- Pick up time from your hotel is from 4:30 to 5:00 am
- It takes 3 hours car ride from Cusco to the trail head
- It takes 3-4 hours uphill hiking from the trail head to the rainbow mountain (10km up)
- The time that you spend in the rainbow mountain is around 30 minutes to one hour depending on the weather conditions
- Car ride back to Cusco takes around 3 hours
- You will be back in Cusco around 4:30 pm
After picking up everyone from their respective hotels, we will go to the town of Cusipata by car for 2 hours where we will make a stop at the restaurant to have a delicious breakfast, which will take about an hour.
We will continue to the Langui Lake for a stop near its shores before beginning our hike in Layo.
Once there, we will begin a challenging uphill hike for approximately two hours. We will travel through a path full of grasslands, impressive reddish lands, accompanied by the typical fauna of the area: alpacas, llamas, the peregrine falcon, and if we are lucky, the famous condor. When you arrive at Pallay Punchu del Apu Taqllo, which translated from Quechua means “woven poncho”, you can climb the edges and feel like you are flying over the surface of another planet.
This mountain stands out for its lines, perfectly sculpted by nature over millions of years. You can distinguish different colors such as red, brown, yellow, green, magenta, ocher, among others. While you enjoy the wonderful pigmentation of tones, you can also lean over the edge to better contemplate the impressive view of the Langui Lake and part of the Andes mountain range.
On this hike you will reach an altitude of more than 4,600 meters above sea level, so we recommend that you be acclimatized to avoid altitude sickness. The time that you will spend at the rainbow mountain is about 30 minutes to an hour depending on the weather conditions, sometimes it is cloudy, foggy or a little rainy and it is very cold in that case you may stay about 30 minutes, if the weather is sunny and clear you can stay around an hour enough time to know the Rainbow mountain.
On our way back, we will take the car back to Cusipata for an hour where we will stop to have a buffet lunch and then 2 more hours by car back to Cusco.
Included
- Round trip transportation
- Breakfast (fruit juice, hot chocolate, coffee, tea, fruit salad, and bread or pancakes with butter and jam)
- Buffet lunch
- Walking stick
- Entrance fee for Rainbow Mountain
- Groups ranging between 12-14 people, maximum 16 people
- English speaking, professional guides
- First-Aid equipment and oxygen bottle for emergencies
Not Included
- Personal gear
- Tips
We recommend dressing as follow for the Raimbow mountain tour
- Wool hat
- T-shirt
- Layer
- A jacket
- Long pants
- Sunglasses
- Gloves
- Small Backpack to carry water, some snacks, camera, etc.
What to bring for the tour
- 2 liters of water (there are options to buy along the route)
- Snacks such as, apple, cereal bar, sweets and chocolates
- Sun cream
- Rain jacket or poncho
- Cash in soles for extras and entrance fee to the Red Valley
Frequently Asked Questions RAINBOW MOUNTAIN and RED VALLEY DAY HIKE
How long does it take to hike Pallay Punchu Rainbow Mountain?
The way up takes between 3 to 4 hours on a steep uphill trail. If you take the same way down, your return will be about 2 hours.
When is the best time to go?
The best time to go is typically the dry season, from May to November. However, the trek is available year-round and can offer various benefits throughout the year.
Do I need to bring my passport for this tour?
No. You do not need to bring a physical copy of your passport. However, it is always beneficial to have a copy of your passport or a photo stored on your phone in case of an emergency.
What type of transportation do you use?
Our fleet consists only of Sprinter Mercedes Benz, modern minibuses that has all the documentation required by the national authorities. The vehicles are maintained daily and kept in good, clean condition.
Will the altitude affect me?
Each person reacts differently to altitude. If you plan to hike the Salkantay trail, we recommend arriving 2 or 3 days before the start the trek to acclimate. You can use this time to rest, enjoy the city, or complete other day tours.
What can I do to prevent altitude sickness?
Arriving in Cusco at least two days before your trek and drinking lots of water can help to prevent altitude sickness. You may also want to try coca tea, which naturally helps with the effects of altitude. Coca tea can be ordered at almost any cafe, restaurant, or hotel, or can be prepared by boiling water with dried coca leaves. We also recommend eating light food the day before the trek and taking any medications prescribed by a doctor.
How do I reserve a space for the rainbow mountain?
Just click on the “Book Now” button below and fill out all the required information. One of our sales advisors will contact you immediately and once you place your deposit, we’ll send you a confirmation email. You can also contact a specialist by WhatsApp at +51974217700.
Do you require a deposit?
Yes. We require a booking deposit of $20 USD for the Rainbow Mountain tour. However, if you cancel the tour within a 24-hour notice, we will provide a 100% refund or reschedule your trip. If you do not cancel within 24-hours, the deposit will not be refunded.
What happens after I make my deposit?
Once we confirm the deposit, we will send you a confirmation email with all of the details of your tour.
Can I go by horse to the Pallay Punchu Rainbow Mountain?
No. No horses are available on this trail.
How long will I stay in the rainbow mountain?
We usually spend about one hour at the rainbow mountain viewpoint. However, this depends on the group pace and weather conditions.
PALLAY PUNCHU RAINBOW MOUNTAIN – GROUP SERVICE – SEASON 2024 (from March 2024 to January 2025)
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REGULAR PRICE: USD 100 dollars per person
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OFFER PRICE: USD 65 dollars per person
Our OFFER PRICE apply for people who already booked with us one of our tours to Machu Picchu such Salkantay trek, Inca jungle, Machu Picchu tours, etc.
Our prices for the Pallay Punchu Rainbow Mountain are reasonable and are in line with the prices that are handled in the city of Cusco. If you book this tour online or directly at our office in Cusco, the price does not vary, we always keep the same price and the quality of the service we provide will always be the best.
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BOOKING
Booking online: If you like to book the Pallay Punchu Rainbow Mountain tour online, we request a deposit of 20 dollars per person and the remaining balance you can pay once you arrive in Cusco at our office if you are not able to come to our office you can pay to the tour guide once you are on the tour also is possible to pay the full amount online.
Booking at the office: If you like you can come to our office in Cusco to book the Pallay Punchu Rainbow Mountain tour one of our salesperson will give all the details of the tour and taking your reservations, this tour you can book even a day before.
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