Getting from Cusco to Rainbow Mountain

Cusco to Rainbow Mountain in 2024 – the ultimate guide on making your way to Rainbow Mountain the best way possible with all the important information needed!

Brief Summary (much more detail below):

• The best way to get to Rainbow Mountain from Cusco is with a reputable tour company as it’s dangerous and strongly not recommended to make on your own way.
• Rainbow Mountain Travels is the best tour operator based on safety, customer service, guides’ experience and being top rated on Tripadvisor. Click here to check them out!
• Private tours are also available for those looking for a more personal experience.
• Best to book in advance.
• Official Rainbow Mountain website: www.rainbowmountainperu.com

Getting from Cusco to Rainbow Mountain

Having become so popular in recent years, you’d imagine there would be more than 1 way to get there but that isn’t the case with Rainbow Mountain. Due to the dangerous road to Vinicunca with no public transport available, risky trail, and high altitude, it’s NOT recommended to go on your own, which means you can only really go with a tour company.

Deciding on which one to go to Rainbow Mountain with is never easy since visiting an attraction as beautiful as the mountain tends to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But as always, when choosing a tour company, there are a few things you MUST consider to make sure you have a great trip.

What safety measures does the tour company provide?

This should be the number 1 priority when researching a tour company to Rainbow Mountain. The altitude and difficult terrains can cause accidents and/or injuries when not supervised by a trained, professional guide. Some things to look for to assure you that the company is trustworthy and safe are if it’s an official tour company, provides a first aid kit at all times, takes oxygen tanks (not all companies do this!), and the overall assistance leading up to the tour.

What time does the tour start?

Having become so popular in recent years, Rainbow Mountain is gaining more visitors day by day. Although great for local tourism, it can be a bit annoying for travelers looking for a bit of peace to fully enjoy the magical feeling of the mountain and to capture photos/videos of it.

Because of that, it’s important to find a tour with an early departure which assures first arrivals to the peak of Rainbow Mountain. The earliest tour leaves at 3:00am and guarantees to beat the crowds for that perfect experience.

What have others said about the tour company?

Online word of mouth has become one of the most reliable ways to truly know how the experience with a tour operator is, especially when going to a country for the first time. With sites such as TripAdvisor, we can check the good and the bad for all the options available to make an informed decision at the time of choosing.

It’s simple really, the more reviews and good scores they have, the better the tour operator tends to be. Have a look at the TripAdvisor pages of the Rainbow Mountain tour operators you are deciding between and decide on the best one!

Recommended read: My Experience Climbing Rainbow Mountain

Like with many tourist hotspots, you unfortunately come across dodgy tour operators offering cheap tours to Rainbow Mountain. These usually come with a high risk of something (if not all) going wrong. If a price seems too cheap or if it feels to good to be true, it usually is.

Based on the 3 factors we’ve mentioned, it’s strongly recommended to check out Rainbow Mountain Travels. They’ve been top-rated on Tripadvisor for years now, with many of our past passengers talking wonders about them. Not to mention their impeccable safety record and professional tour guides. And best part of it all, they guarantee first arrivals to the mountain. Definitely have them on your list when choosing a tour company to Rainbow Mountain!