Passeios por Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain

I was hesitant because there were no reviews, but I really wanted to visit Vinicunca, so I applied with mixed feelings and had a great time. I suffered from altitude sickness, so I checked if oxygen cans were available, and they quickly responded via WhatsApp that they had them. And our guide! Humberto was so excellent that I really wanted to leave a review. He was professional in everything, from quick and clear explanations switching between English and Spanish to checking the number of people and the schedule. Both breakfast and lunch were well-served buffet style. Make sure to try the coca tea. Although the weather was so unpredictable that it was often hard to see, we still reached the 5,036m summit. From where ATVs can't go, you can rent sticks or ride a horse round trip (120 soles round trip). If you can afford it, I highly recommend horse riding, haha. Since it's high altitude, you get out of breath after just 5 steps, but the people leading the horses run while pulling the horse I'm on. And it's cold! We were prepared because of our previous travel experiences, so we were fine, but other foreigners struggled a lot with the cold. Gloves are essential. Since it was snowing and raining, sunglasses are also a must. Near the summit, there are many llamas with sunglasses that you can take pictures with, but I don't know how much it costs. It probably won't be 10 soles... They also sell alpaca soup and snacks. Bring extra money besides the 30 soles entrance fee~

Habría sido un 5 si no me hubieran hecho esperar 20 minutos en el punto de encuentro cuando la temperatura exterior era de -1. No esperes demasiado del desayuno y almuerzo buffet gratuitos. Solo te llenará, pero no es comida realmente buena. Como viajero individual, debes quedarte con el guía para que te pueda tomar fotos. La entrada de 25 soles no está incluida.

Antonio was a very good guide and the driver was professional. Antonio encouraged us during the ascent and helped us cope with altitude sickness. I highly recommend this tour!

I participated in this tour hoping to go during my stay in Cusco. I was picked up around 4 AM near my hotel, and the tour ended around 3 PM. The guide explained things in both Spanish and English. At the site, I paid about 70 soles one way to go up near the summit by horse or motorcycle. I was told it would take about 1 hour and 20 minutes even walking slowly, but since the ride from Cusco to the trailhead was very bumpy and I felt carsick on the mountain roads, I chose the motorcycle. On the way back, I walked, but I don't think it took even an hour. Some tour participants were suffering from altitude sickness and seemed to be struggling, and another person vomited in the car on the way back. Honestly, it's not a clean road like in Japan for 4 hours one way, and I can't lie and say I was perfectly fine. The tour itself was reasonably priced, and the guide was good, but I think it's something you should seriously consider before going.

This was the only place where there was no sales pitch, and the itinerary was simply breakfast - hiking - lunch - back to the hotel. Perhaps they knew everyone would be exhausted after hiking a mountain over 5,000 meters high 😌. I rode a horse both ways, so I was fine, but if you don't ride a horse, it's a 6km round trip walk. All arrangements were excellent, and the timings were exactly as stated. Remember to be patient; local travel agencies only provide itinerary information the night before departure (without the guide's contact number), and the guide will only call you at the designated pick-up time.

The full-day itinerary, including transportation, breakfast, lunch, and Rainbow Mountain tickets, costs less than NT$1000. Although the one-way drive is nearly 4 hours, it's still a great value! Rainbow Mountain is 5000 meters above sea level, and the shuttle bus stops at 4600 meters. Travelers can choose to walk up for about 45-60 minutes, or pay extra to take an ATV or ride a horse! I chose the lazy option of riding a horse up, but I still had to walk the last 20 minutes. If I hadn't been short on cash, I probably would have chosen to ride a horse both up and down the mountain.

The cold and altitude sickness were tough, but it was truly beautiful. Not only the Rainbow Mountain, which you often see on social media, but also the scenery during the hike—everything that met my eyes was a magnificent view. Breakfast and lunch were buffet style, so for this price, that alone was satisfying. The cost performance is quite good.

The day before, an email will be sent to inform you of the pick-up time for the next morning. You will be picked up at the hotel entrance. The journey is long, but Rainbow Mountain is very beautiful. Breakfast and lunch are included.