Alternative Rainbow Mountain Palccoyo Hike: Explore Peruvian Landscapes in Exclusive Small Groups
4.9
15 Ratings
Cusco
Embark on an exclusive small group tour to the alternative Rainbow Mountain Palccoyo in Peru. Avoid the crowds and immerse yourself in the stunning landscapes while connecting with local communities and indulging in delicious Peruvian cuisine.
Duration: 11 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain - We begin our day with pick-up from the hotel at 5:00am and begin our drive towards the Rainbow Mountain alternative trail head of Pallcoyo, with an altitude of 4900 m asl (16125 ). Located south of Cusco, we drive for approximantely 4hrs in a private transport. Along the way we see beautiul andes moutains as well as lush green valleys, and hundreds of alpacas and llamas. If we are lucky we will stop for vicuas and observe them in their natural free state. When we get to Apacheta, we will have a small breakfast with tea and will begin our hike towards to Tres Rainbow Mountain. A er a 30 minute hike, we will reach the overlook and see the beautiful rainbow mountains. Here we will be able to observe the 360 panoramic views as well have opportunity to get closer to the mountains for about an hour making our way back to the transport. We return to Cusco by 3:00pm.
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Breakfast
  • Bilingual Guide (English)
  • Snacks
  • Lunch
  • Oxygen Tank & First Aid Kit
  • Tickets & Entrances to Palccoyo
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • No Accommodations included
Additional Information

Uncover this distinctive and lesser-travelled journey that remains unnoticed by many. An exclusive tour or small group of 6, steering clear of throngs and exclusive explorers on the trail, uncovering the stunning vistas! This is the ideal substitute for the Classic Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca).

Why should you tour South America?
-This trip is an exclusive or a small-group quest.
-We engage with local communities.
-Savour the native cuisine! Peruvian Buffet lunch.

  • Prior acclimatization is required. the maximum altitude 4800m (15.700ft)
  • Bring warm clothes: gloves, hat, etc.. (extra pair of socks)
  • Bring waterproof clothing in case of weather changes (very frequent)
  • Sunglasses, Sunscreen, Lipstick, Buff-mask
Location
Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain
14_02'38.6s 71_15'24.2w
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(15 Ratings)
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Dario_r
Apr 18, 2024
One of a kind magical place - Jose Soto was a great guide throughout the trip and the hike. He even saved my drone from a slingshot
Review provided by Viator
Dianamc23
Oct 6, 2022
Fantastic tour, quality / price worth - Had a fantastic time in this tour, Jesus is a great tour guide, very patient, caring, shared a lot of great histories and a good photographer. The tour over all was great, pick up on time, good driver, small group and the food at lunch was absolutely fabulous. A plus we’re the amazing ladies from the US that made this even more fun and interesting. The place itself was amazing, really appreciated that it’s not crowded and the guide took us to different paths so we don’t clash with other groups. The best tour I took so far in South America, it’s worth to spend more money to get more quality and avoid crowds. Definitively recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Natalie
May 17, 2022
Fantastic - Great guide and very knowledgeable. My favorite part of the trip was hiking up with the alpacas, so very cool. We were one of the first groups on the mountain, priceless. Highly recommend Visit South America for your tours!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Singer007007
Apr 30, 2022
Great guides to avoid tourism masses - My wish was to be the first to see the mountain prior the loads of regular Tourism buses coming which thankfully to this guide agency was possible. I really loved the fact that the agency was very prompt and quick at responding and available for a private booking to Palccoyo. I felt at all times secure and the guide did everything to accomodate my needs. I recommend anyone to book with this agency! Was one of my best experiences so far!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sopgl
Feb 25, 2020
Amazing! - Did the Palccoyo hike and the Salkantay trek earlier in December and had an amazing time! Can’t recommend Visit South America enough and my guide, Noah, was amazing! They took care of everything for me and Noah even took pictures during the hike. Looking forward to travel with them again!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vishvess
Nov 3, 2019
Great location great tour - Alternative was just simply breathtaking... definitely worth a visit . No crowds . We basically had the entire mountains to ourselves .. Noah our tour guide was also amazing. He was knowledgeable and made the trip fun
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vishvesh_s
Oct 12, 2019
Great place , Great Guide - Simply put the place was just outstanding. Barely any crowd and the views are breathtaking... the guide (Noah) was also super nice and really helpful. He was really on top of things . Highly recommend it ..
Review provided by Viator
Nicolerv631wy
Oct 9, 2019
Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain - I had a marvelous time! words cannot describe how great my time was in Cuzco thanks to Visit South America. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is trying to visit Cuzco but also trying to visit deeper in the ruins, places, and culture. There is so much to see other than Machu Piccu and the people at Visit South America will guide you through every corner and experience that you are looking for before leaving Peru. Amazing staff and dedication with their customers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vic-ido
Sep 1, 2019
The only Rainbow Mountain to visit - I did this tour by myself and it was perfect, I felt comfortable and safe with both the driver and the tour guide. This is an amazing experience, very few tourists as this place remains relatively unknown (maybe Rainbow mountain many years ago). It means you get great views with little impediment. Also, you have three rainbow mountains to look at, the climb to the summit is about an hour and you also get an amazing view of the snow capped Salkantay mountains, along with the llamas and alpacas, the whole experience is incredible. The tour guide Jhimy is amazing, super friendly, has good english and has an excellent knowledge about the Cusco region and beyond. Jhimy answered all of my (many) questions and we had a good laugh along the way and he was patient with my frequent stops to acclimatise and take pictures. We had a delicious breakfast along the way, with snacks provided for the hike and then lunch afterwards. I couldn't recommend this tour enough, especially if you don't want to do the overcrowded and less fun Rainbow Mountain.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hansmafia
Jul 29, 2019
Great Tour with Wonderful Guides - We went with Palccoyo instead of Vinicunca as it is less crowded, and because every mom and pop shop in Cusco sells tours of Vinicunca and not Palccoyo. The company that is the middle man (Visit South America) is located in Orange County CA (So Cal) and are really easy to work with. They contacted the driver and the English speaking tour guide to set everything up. They help facilitate a pick up location from our hotel and a designated time. The listing on TripAdvisor says 2-8 persons per tour, but we were a little spoiled as it was just the two of us plus our driver and tour guide in a 4x4 Hyundai. The tour guide provides a cold breakfast that is disgusting at best (but still nice that they provide it) and a lunch. I recommend bringing your own snacks or food to munch on in case you do not want a burger bun with a slice of ham and cheese. Once at the mountain, you get a great view of the three Rainbow Mountains in a quick hike (30-40 minutes up and 30-40 minutes down) without the crowd that you get at Vinicunca. The tour guide provides oxygen for those who have trouble hiking at 16k+ feet. I would highly recommend this tour. Yes, it is more expansive than Vinicunca, but you get a private tour guide and driver, and less of the crowd. There was a total of 20 people max on the mountain at one time when we were there. That alone was worth the extra money. You wont be disappointed if you visit Tres Rainbow Mountain in Palccoyo through Visit South America!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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May 2024
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