Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesEnglish, Spanish
Group sizeUp to 9 travelers
Pickup offeredSee the meeting and pickup details below
Overview
Most rainbow mountain day trips from Cusco visit one
mountain. This one visits three places.
The first is Pallay Punchu, a ridge of sharp striped rock
fins above the village of Layo, at 4,770 metres. The walk to
the top takes about 45 minutes from the parking area. The
better known Vinicunca stands 266 metres higher and takes
around an hour and a half on foot.
The second is Raqchi. The Temple of Wiracocha held the
largest roofed building the Inca are known to have built. A
central adobe wall still stands around twelve metres high,
with more than a hundred round stone storehouses behind it.
The third is Checacupe, where three bridges cross the same
river within a few metres of one another. A modern road
bridge, a colonial stone arch, and a rebuilt Inca rope
bridge woven from grass.
Visitor numbers at Pallay Punchu are still low. On most days
only a few dozen people reach the ridge.
What's included
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Professional guide
Guided visit to the Raqchi archaeological complex
Panoramic stop at the three bridges of Checacupe
Private transportation
Buffet breakfast and buffet lunch
Entrance ticket at Pallay Punchu, paid in cash on site in local currency
What to expect
Cusipata
45m
A farming village in the Vilcanota valley, about two hours
south of Cusco. The tour stops here for a buffet breakfast
while it is still dark.
Eat well at this stop. It is several hours until lunch, and
food taken at a comfortable altitude helps more than
anything you can do higher up.
Toilets are available here.
Layo
30m
Layo is a community at 3,978 metres on the shore of Langui
Layo, the largest lake in the Cusco region.
Your guide gives an introduction here to the community, the
lake and the mountain above it. There is free time for
photographs before the tour continues to the trailhead.
Pallay Poncho
2h 30m · Admission ticket not included
Pallay Punchu is a ridge of sharp stone fins striped in
ochre, red, blue and green. The colour runs vertically up
the blades rather than in bands across a rounded hill.
The name describes the shape. In Quechua a pallay punchu is
the woven pattern of a ceremonial poncho, still made by hand
in this part of Canas.
From the parking area the walk to the top takes about 45
minutes. It is uphill throughout on uneven ground, but there
is no scrambling and nothing exposed. The high point of the
route is 4,770 metres.
There is a guided explanation at the summit and free time
for photographs. The altiplano runs flat to the horizon on
one side and Langui Layo lies far below on the other.
An entrance ticket is collected at the trailhead and must be
paid in cash in local currency.
Cusipata
1h
A buffet lunch is served after the descent, at an altitude
where eating is more comfortable than on the ridge.
Parque Arqueologico De Raqchi
1h 30m · Admission ticket not included
Raqchi held the largest roofed building the Inca are known
to have constructed. What survives is its spine. A central
adobe wall runs the length of the temple, still standing at
around twelve metres, with the stone bases of the columns
that once carried the roof ranged on either side.
Behind the temple stand the colcas, more than a hundred
round stone storehouses used to hold grain and dried food
for the Inca state.
Together they form one of the clearest surviving pictures of
how the empire fed and organised itself. Your guide walks
you through the site.
Checacupe
20m
A short panoramic stop where three bridges cross the same
river within a few metres of each other.
One is a modern road bridge. One is a colonial stone arch.
One is a rebuilt Inca rope bridge, woven from grass and
replaced by hand in the traditional way.
Five hundred years of engineering in a single view.
Meeting and pickup
Pickup details
We will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco, if your hotel is outside the centre of Cusco, we will meet you by the fountain in the main square - Plaza de Armas.
Additional information
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
