Experience the best of the Ausangate Trek to Rainbow Mountain 4 Days 3 Nights, considered one of the most popular treks in Peru. It will take you through some of the most beautiful Andean landscapes in the country, including glaciers, turquoise lakes and soaring mountain peaks.
This Ausangate trek takes us truly off the beaten path, from the most iconic snow-capped mountains in the Vilcanota Range, and the Rainbow Mountain also called Vinicunca. On the way you will see alpacas, llamas, condors, the Ausangate mountains offer biodiversity of both flora and fauna, this makes the Ausangate trek special and wonderful.
Our Ausangate Trek itinerary allows you to experience diverse landscapes, delve into remote Andean culture and interact with many isolated communities of the Peruvian Andes and an unforgettable night sky. This Ausangate Trek is a new route in the Andes, hidden in a well-hidden section in the shadow of one of the most sacred peaks in Peru.
You will have through briefing with your guide 1 or 2 days before your Ausangate Trek 4 Days 3 Nights. Your guide will meet you at your hotel and you can take this opportunity to ask questions and make any final preparations.
We will pick you up from your hotel at 5:00am to begin this Ausangate Trek. You will have private transportation and drive 3 hours to the trailhead at Upis (12,464ft), where we will meet our horseman and horses, and have some time to prepare for the great adventure and enjoy the breakfast accompanied by the view of the Andes and snow-capped mountain range of Vilcanota with Ausangate Glacier Peak (20,944 ft.) in the background.
After breakfast, we will walk through the Upis valley inhabited by llamas and alpacas, enjoying the views of the Andes, as we continue our walk, we will be able to see impressive views of the Ausangate glacier (20,944 ft.) and meet some farmers wearing their traditional costumes. Upon arriving at the community of Upis (13,776 feet), we will enjoy our lunch prepared by our chef.
In the afternoon you will have a chance to relax and soak in a natural hot spring whose cost is 10 PEN, or just walking around trying to shoot the best sunset on incredible views of the snow-capped Ausangate range.
After nutricious breakfast, We will have a 3 hour uphill hike to reach Arapa pass (4,800 m /15,748). where you will have magnificent views of the surrounding area. Perhaps in some months of the year we will have some snow hikes, but mostly in dry season you always get great views.
Likely you will get to see vicuñas, which are the most impressive animals still living wild in Peru and belong to the family of Andean camelids. Their fleece is the most expensive wool today the world over.
After taking a few amazing pictures, we will continue on to our lunch spot, with a gradual downhill hike for another 1½ hours to a beautifull area where you will enjoy the lunch. It will be another 2½ hour hike to arrive at our campsite at Pucacocha (4,500 m/14,764 ).
This campsite is one of the most beautiful campsites located at the skirt of the Ausangate peak and at the bank of the lake. You can see amazing sunsets from here and perhaps some condors and eagles flying nearby.
After hearty breakfast, we will start with a 2-3 hour steep climb to Alpaca Pass (4,870m/15,978ft). A lo largo de la ruta esta mañana, te sorprenderán las impresionantes vistas de los glaciares y los valles de un verde intenso. Siente la impresionante presencia del Apu Ausangate y toma fotografías de sus hermosas lagunas color turquesa.
Once you reach the summit of this mountain, you will be located right in front of Ausangate and you can really enjoy the Chilca Valley, with many alpaca grazing along these hills. After taking some great pictures you will continue for another 2 hours gradual downhill, then we reach our lunch spot located in Anantapata (4,750m/15,584ft).
Once we’ve filled our hungry stomachs, we’ll take the opportunity to rest and relax a little before continuing with an ascent for 2 hours to the Warmisaya (4,985m/16,355ft). It will be 1½ hour slow pace to reach the summit of this highest pass of the trek. Along the way it is possible to see some condors, and vicuñas if we are lucky enough.
From there, you’ll feel like you’re a bird flying through the mountains and can observe the vastness of the horizon. We only have to descend one hour to Surineqocha lagoon, where our night’s camp will be waiting for you. You’ll be able to observe the incredible sunset behind Rainbow Mountain that’ll fill you with tranquility and a wonderful feeling of inner peace.
This is a perfect place at night to spot the famous Inca constellations and do some stargazing!
After an early final breakfast with your Ausangate trek team and enjoying the famous traditional warm drinks such as coca tea, it will be about 1½ hours gradual uphill trek until we reach the famous rainbow mountain and the Red Valley (5100 m/16,732ft). Your guide will walk you to the best spots to get the perfect postcard pictures of these incredible mountain and the other surrounding mountains.
Your guide also will explain why these mountain are special and really are something quite different from any other mountains in the Vilcanota Range. This is due to a composition of various minerals which make different colors of stone striations formed right in the middle of the red mountains. This is definitely one of the key tourist highlights in South America and one of the most beautiful natural attractions in Peru. There is nothing else like it!
After taking your photos and enjoying the views which you have come so far to see, you will continue the expedition to the end of the trail. This is all downhill along the Llacto Valley for about 1 hours where you will enjoy your final lunch with your team. We will then drive back to Cusco – about 3 hour max drive and we will drop you off at your hotel. The drive itself provides really nice views of the Andes, passing some traditional villages along the way. You will be arriving into Cusco around 4pm.
Hiking to Ausangate Trek and Rainbow Mountain 4 Days 3 Nights is like any other high altitude trek, so it is essential to be well prepared. As it begins in the dead of night morning, consider to pack the following Items:
Prices are valid from March 2024 through January 2025. All prices quoted are $USD
* We need a minimum of 2 people to run the tour. We guarantee that your tour will be limited to a maximum of 8 people.
Important: Price includes up to 7 kilos of your personal belongings to be carried by the mules (NO need of extra Porter hire!).
5 Days 4 Nights
Cusco city & Sacsayhuamán tour
Sacred Valley: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero
Machu Picchu guided visit
Rainbow Mountain trek
15 Days 14 Nights
Arrival & city tour in Lima (Miraflores, Barranco, Historic Center)
Arequipa & Colca Canyon: sightseeing & condor viewing
Lake Titicaca: Uros, Amantani & Taquile with homestays
Sacred Valley, Cusco & Machu Picchu (Inca Trail or train)
Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) day hike late in the itinerary
4 Days 3 Nights
Descent through Apurímac Canyon from Capuliyoc to Chiquisca—dramatic landscapes
Ascent via Marampata to Choquequirao archaeological site at 3,050 m
Full day exploring Choquequirao’s terraces, plazas, water channels & llama mosaics
Return trek through Santa Rosa, Chiquisca with views of Apurímac Canyon