Red Valley ATV Tour + Rainbow Mountain Hike — From Cusco

First ride your ATV through the Red Valley, then hike to its viewpoint and on to Rainbow Mountain, with snow-capped Ausangate rising behind it. About two hours on foot, there and back, for fit, acclimatized travelers.

Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley, Peru: an ATV Ride and a Hike in One Day

Most people who come to Vinicunca see one view. You will see two, and walk from one to the other.

First you ride the ATV through the Red Valley. Then you set off on foot, up to the Red Valley viewpoint and on to Rainbow Mountain, with the snowy peak of Ausangate rising behind it. It is the most complete Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley ATV tour you can do in a single day.

• 4:00 AM pick-up at your hotel, with an Andean breakfast in Cusipata on the way

• 30 minutes by ATV through the Red Valley, past grazing llamas and alpacas

• 20 minutes up to the Red Valley viewpoint, 40 more to Vinicunca, and about 45 minutes at the top

• The same way back, a buffet lunch, and the Plaza de Armas by 4:30 to 5:00 PM

ATV Through the Red Valley: First Stop, and It Steals the Show

Before you see a single stripe of Vinicunca, the Red Valley opens up below you: rounded hills the color of rust, streaked with yellow, white and green, rolling all the way to the horizon.

It is not another angle on Rainbow Mountain. It is a whole different landscape, and plenty of travelers come home calling it the surprise of the trip.

Rainbow Mountain, With Ausangate Behind It

From the Red Valley the trail dips and rises, and then there it is: the striped ridge of Vinicunca, right in front of you.

You get about 45 minutes to enjoy it. Take your photos, explore with your guide and climb to the upper lookout, where Ausangate fills the background. At 6,384 m it is the highest mountain in the Cusco region, and in Andean tradition a sacred apu, a guardian mountain watching over the valleys below.

The Hike: Short Stretches, Big Views

The walking comes in short stretches, and every one ends in a view worth stopping for:

• 20 minutes up to the Red Valley viewpoint

• 40 minutes on to Rainbow Mountain

• The same way back to the ATVs, with both views already in your camera

Go at your own pace and stop for photos as often as you like. Prefer to ride? Locals wait with horses right where the walk begins and take you up to the Red Valley and on to the stone steps below Vinicunca, the one stretch everyone walks. S/ 70–100 each way, cash in soles. Just tell your guide before the ATV ride.

Is the Red Valley Worth It? Who This Tour Is For

This is your day if you:

• Want to see the Red Valley and Rainbow Mountain on the same day

• Love the idea of an ATV ride and a hike in the same morning

• Want to walk part of the way, not just stop for a quick photo

• Have spent two full days acclimatizing in Cusco

Itinerary

• 04:00 AM — Hotel pick-up in Cusco

• 05:30 AM — Andean breakfast in Cusipata (about 45 minutes)

• 06:15 AM — Continue by van to the Pachaschaka ATV station (about 1 hour 30)

• 07:45 AM — Helmet, safety briefing and a practice run on the ATVs (about 15 minutes)

• 08:00 AM — Ride through the Red Valley, past grazing llamas and alpacas (about 30 minutes)

• 08:30 AM — Park the ATVs and hike up to the Red Valley viewpoint (about 20 minutes)

• 08:50 AM — Red Valley viewpoint — time for photos of its red, yellow, white and green hills

• 09:00 AM — Hike on to Rainbow Mountain, down and up again (about 40 minutes)

• 09:40 AM — Vinicunca viewpoint — about 45 minutes for photos, to explore and climb to the upper lookout, with Ausangate behind

• 10:25 AM — Hike back the same way to the ATVs (about 1 hour)

• 11:25 AM — Ride back to the station (about 30 minutes)

• 12:00 PM — Van back down to Cusipata (about 1 hour 30)

• 01:30 PM — Buffet lunch in Cusipata (about 45 minutes)

• 02:15 PM — Van back to Cusco (about 2 hours)

• 04:30 PM — Drop-off near the Plaza de Armas, between 4:30 and 5:00 PM

What's included

• ATV ride through the Red Valley — About 30 minutes each way, from the Pachaschaka station to where the trail starts

• ATV with fuel — Single or double, with a briefing and a practice run before you set off

• Helmet

• Guided hike to both viewpoints — About 20 minutes up to the Red Valley, 40 more to Rainbow Mountain, and the same way back

• Hotel pick-up in Cusco at 4:00 AM — Or at a meeting point close by, if the van can't reach your street

• Round-trip tourist transport — Van to the ATV station and back, with drop-off near the Plaza de Armas

• Professional guide, Spanish and English

• Andean breakfast in Cusipata — About 45 minutes, on the way out

• Buffet lunch in Cusipata — About 45 minutes, on the way back

• First-aid kit and emergency oxygen — On every departure of this tour

Not included

• Entrance fees for the Red Valley and Rainbow Mountain — S/ 40 per person (about USD 13), paid in cash on site

• A horse for the walk, if you want one — S/ 70–100 each way, cash in soles only

• Extra drinks, snacks and souvenirs

• Personal gear — warm clothing, hiking boots, rain layer

• Gratuities

• Travel insurance

What to bring

• Boots or trail shoes with good grip — the path drops and climbs again between the two viewpoints

• Gloves — for the ride and for the cold at the top

• Warm layers — jacket, thermal top and a wool hat

• A rain jacket — the weather turns fast up there

• A buff or neck gaiter — for the wind and dust on the ATV

• Sunscreen, UV sunglasses, sun hat and lip balm

• At least 1 liter of water and some energy snacks — you walk for two hours at altitude

• Cash in soles, in small notes — for the entrance, and a horse if you need one

• A photo of your passport on your phone — rarely asked for, but worth having

• Trekking poles, if you use them — they help most on the way down

Good to know

• Difficulty: Moderate. About two hours on foot in total: 20 minutes up to the Red Valley, then 40 more down and up again to Vinicunca, and the same hour back. A challenge at this altitude, and worth every step.

• Altitude: The viewpoint is 5,036 m — the official MINCETUR figure, and the one on the sign at the top. Cusco is 3,399 m, so take the climbs slowly and stop for photos as often as you like.

• Acclimatization: Spend two full days in Cusco first, and walk on one of them — the ruins above the city are ideal. You will enjoy the hike far more with your body already used to the altitude.

• Horses: Locals wait with horses right where the walk to the Red Valley begins. They carry you up to the Red Valley viewpoint and on to the stone steps below Vinicunca, which everyone climbs on foot. S/ 70–100 each way, cash in soles only. Tell your guide before the ATV ride if you want one.

• Duration: About 13 hours. Pick-up at 4:00 AM, back at the Plaza de Armas between 4:30 and 5:00 PM.

• Best season: May to September is the driest, and June the most reliable. From November to April expect rain most afternoons. Snow can cover the colors in any month.

• Weather: Changeable, and nobody can guarantee it. It can be sunny on the ATV and sleeting at the viewpoint, so come ready for cold, wind and rain.

• Safety: The tour carries a first-aid kit and emergency oxygen. Tell your guide straight away if a headache comes with nausea or dizziness.

• Drop-off: Everyone is dropped near the Plaza de Armas, not at individual hotels.