Ausangate Trek and Rainbow Mountain

Explore The Pristine And Sacred Andes

Ausangate Trek and Rainbow Mountain

Ausangate is a snow-capped mountain located in the Vilcanota mountain range, a jewel of spirituality in Andean religions. Being the highest peak in the Cusco region at 6,385 m (20,948 ft) and the fifth highest in Peru. From time immemorial, “Ausangate” has been a sacred element in ideologies, traditions, and customs in Andean society. It is revered as an Apu, a sacred Quechua deity that protects both life and water.

This intrepid adventure of Ausangate trek and Rainbow Mountain is a 33 km/20.5 mi. backpacking trip designed for those seeking a quiet trek off the beaten path. Along the way, you’ll encounter whimsical shapes, desert meadows, and colorfully dressed hills. You’ll find yourself surrounded by intense turquoise lakes that form at the base of glaciers. You can relax in natural hot springs at the end of the first day. The breathtaking landscapes offer endless vistas that include alpacas, llamas, and chinchillas. With a little luck, you may also see wild vicuñas and condors.

After enjoying the many unparalleled views for three days, we will finish by exploring Vinicunca, the “Rainbow Mountain,” and the “Red Valley,” the most beautiful and colorful mountains in the Andes.

Brief Information Of Ausangate Trek And Rainbow Mountain

We know how important this vacation is for you, so we do not want you to have any doubts or lack anything during your trip to this wonder of the world. Therefore, all of our tours have a briefing at your hotel 1 to 2 days prior to departure. Our guide or office staff will provide you with a detailed description of your trek including their professional recommendations to ensure your comfort and enjoyment. They will answer all of your questions and address any last-minute concerns you may have. You can trust their expert suggestions because they’ve made this trek many times, with many groups, and with many types of people!

Our briefing is held at 7:00 pm in your Hotel, however you may change it by coordinating with us a week prior to departure.

First Day: Cusco – Tinke – Upis Camp

We will start the trip by picking you up from your hotel in Cusco at 05:00 am to head to the small village of “Tinke” (3,700m / 12,140 ft) at 122 km southeast. Then, we will drive along an unpaved road to the starting point of the Ausangate trek (4,136m / 13,570). Here, we will meet all the staff of “Allyn Pacha Cusco” and we will have a delicious breakfast prepared by our talented chef before start the adventure. We will begin with a slight ascent (also known as Peruvian flat), hiking through communities surrounded by herds of llamas and alpacas under the care of local shepherds dressed in traditional clothing. After 3-hours of trekking, we will arrive at the “Upis” camp (4,447 meters / 14,590), located at the foot of the Ausangate mountain. After lunch, we will have the opportunity to take a dip in the natural hot springs; a great place to relax! Then we will have a delicious dinner. We will rest under the spiritual and beautiful snow-capped Ausangate in our comfortable camping tents.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, coffee break and dinner
Accommodation : Camping facilities
Distance : 8 km / 5 miles
Walking time : 3 hours
Physical difficulty : Easy 2/5.

Second Day: Upis-Paso Arapa-Mirador Cocha- Pucacocha Camp

You will start the day with a steaming cup of coca tea and nourishing breakfast, which will help us acclimatize to the altitude. Then, we will go up the mountain to the “Arapa” pass (4,750 meters / 15,590 feet), a good spot to catch clean air.

The trek continues following a gentle downhill path around Ausangate mountain until we arrive at viewpoint that overlooks lakes Pucacocha and other lakes with intense turquoise colors. Along the way, we’ll see Quechua people herding their llamas and alpacas, and we may even see herds of wild vicuñas, and condors flying above us.

Our evening camp (4,600 meters/ 15091.86 feet) is surrounded by colorful lakes with the spiritual guardian Ausangate mountain in the backdrop. Perfect place to rest! and listen to your guide talk about the history, culture and geography around you.

Our staff will set up the tents so you can enjoy the rest of the day and taste the delicious lunch and dinner prepared by our trekking chef.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, coffee break and Dinner
Accommodation : Camping facilities
Distance : 10 km / 6.2 miles
Walking time : 6-7 hours
Physical difficulty : Moderate 3/5.

Third Day: Paso Pucacocha – Ananta – Paso Warmisaya- Surine Cocha

Today the hike is arduous and high altitude as we make our way over 2 high passes. From the camp we ascend to the “Pucacocha” Pass (4,920 meters / 16,140 feet). There, we will have a breathtaking scenery and we will fell tiny by the sheer size of the “Ausangate” glacier. Its 360 ° panoramic view is simply amazing!

Then we will descend to the “Anata” valley; a beautifully vivid green valley with countless alpacas and llamas. This is nice place to have lunch. After a relaxing siesta, we will follow the ascending path where we will discover a small mountain with the colors of the rainbow.

Once in the Warmisaya Pass (5,000 meters / 16,405 feet) we will be able to see below us Surine Cocha camp and appreciate the view of “Vinicunca” rainbow mountain, and red hills in the distance.

Our Surine Cocha” evening camp sits on the shore of this beautiful lake at 4,800 meters / 15,748 feet.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, coffee break and dinner
Accommodation : Camping facilities
Distance : 10 km / 6.2 miles
Walking time : 8 hours
Physical difficulty : Challenging 4/5.

Fourth Day: Surinacocha-Rainbow Mountain-Red Valley-Cusco

On our last day we will arrive at the very popular “Rainbow Mountain” in South America and the second most visited tourist attraction in Peru. Here we go “mountain of colors”!

We will get up early to enjoy a warm breakfast, to head straight to the rainbow mountain for a gentle climb until reach the Vinicunca viewpoint (5,036 meters / 16,522 feet). From here, we can contemplate the extravagant natural beauty of the “rainbow mountain” and the red valley in its maximum tranquility. It is an absolutely mind-blowing sight!

Then we will head downhill, where our transport will take us to have lunch, we will return to Cusco city with and drop off at your hotel. The bus ride lasts approximately 4 hours.

Meals : Breakfast and lunch
Accommodation : Camping facilities
Distance : 6 km / 3.8 miles
Walking time : 3-4 hours
Physical difficulty : Moderate 3/5.

Taylor M

2024-07-01

An experience of a lifetime! We had the absolute pleasure of meeting Eli from Allyn Pacha tours for our 9 day trip in Cusco Peru. Eli is extremely knowledgeable and so accommodating! He truly goes above and beyond for his travelers and assures you have a wonderful experience! He is excited to show you around and share his knowledge and secretes in order to miss the crowds and see incredible views. I cannot say enough how impressed I was with his hospitality. Our decision to book our tours with Eli through Allyn Pacha was the best choice we have ever made while traveling. This decision made our entire experience in Peru absolutely unforgettable. From the beginning research phase, Eli was extremely responsive, answering any and all questions and offering suggestions to make the most of our itinerary and time in Peru. During our trip my fiancé came down with altitude sickness and with no hesitation, Eli rushed over and nursed my fiancé back to health with his natural herb remedies. From start to finish Eli went above and beyond to continue to amaze us. Whether it be him nursing us back to health, surprising us with pillows and blankets for the car rides, making sure we were ok every step of our journey, and or being a phenomenal photographer, the list could go on and on. We are so thankful to have met Eli and to be in such great hands. Eli is extremely knowledgable, funny, kind-hearted, and genuinely cares about offering amazing experiences. He has worked 20+ years in the industry and knows the ins and outs of not just history and site-seeing’s, but how to make experiences the most enjoyable for his guests. I would 1000% recommend booking your Peru trip with Eli from Allyn Pacha. It’s never a goodbye, it’s see you later. Thank you Eli, until next time!

Cade F

2024-06-27

Trip of a lifetime. 10/10. This trip and trek was an experience I will never forget. It was incredible. Elistan was the man, and quickly became someone I’m glad to be able to have spent such an incredible trip with. He’s intelligent, kind, and really cares about the people he works with. Elistan was someone that people were always happy to see on the trail as it seemed a lot of people knew the kind of person he was. This hike had me a bit nervous in time leading up to the hike, but with the calming experience of Elistan and his crews top notch service we not only completed but enjoyed every second of the hike. The 5 star meals along the way at 14000 ft are another story. Certainly wish I could eat the meals that this teams chef provided 3 times a day. I also had to be very careful during the hike because I had an engagement ring in my pack! I told Elistan about my intentions in very short notice. We discretely came up with a game plan, and I proposed at the Sun Gate. Elistan was incredible and the team in its entirety is the real reason my brand new Fiancé and I had so much fun. If you are planning a trip and want to make some memories you will have forever please take my word for it and just do it with this team. I promise you won’t forget it.

Emily N

2024-06-23

Allyn Pacha tops the rest! Our decision to book our tours with Eli through Allyn Pacha was the best choice we have ever made while traveling. This decision made our entire experience in Peru absolutely unforgettable. From the beginning research phase, Eli was extremely responsive, answering any and all questions and offering suggestions to make the most of our itinerary and time in Peru. We (my fiance and I) ended up spending 6 days in total with Eli, touring the Sacred Valley, going on a city ruins tour around Cusco, and embarking on the 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Eli is extremely knowledgable, funny, kind-hearted, and genuinely cares about offering amazing experiences. He has worked 20 years in the industry, and knows the ins and outs of not just history and site-seeing, but how to make experiences the most enjoyable for his guests. The service Eli provided to us on the Inca Trail was above and beyond what we saw other companies offering. We signed up for a private tour, and Eli, his chef, and team of porters took excellent care of us. Porters play an important roll on the trail, carrying food, cooking materials, sleeping tents, eating tents, and anything used on the trail. They carry heavy bags daily to ensure the guests experience is nothing short of amazing. In other companies, it is known that porters are not always treated well, or compensated fairly. It was seen that Eli takes excellent care of his porters. He noted that he was once a porter, and understands how hard they work. He makes sure they feel like an equal part of the team. Multiple times throughout the trek, porters from other companies would greet and talk to Eli. Most porters work for more than one company at a time, and many asked Eli when they could come work for him next. This to me just proves how Eli's service is phenomenal not only for his guests, but his staff as well. Before the trek, I had some nerves about how difficult it would be to complete. Eli provided me constant reassurance and explained how each day would look. We had plenty of breaks, and walked at a comfortable pace. Being just the two of us, we had complete control of our speed, and were able to slow down or speed up when needed. Additionally, Eli even helped my fiance in surprising me with a proposal at the Sun Gate! He kept the secret for the entire trek, and they secretly planned the proposal without me suspecting a thing. I cannot recommend Eli with Allyn Pacha enough. If you are looking for a small group, individualized experience, please give Allyn Pacha a chance. You will not be disappointed!

Rachel Y

2024-05-28

The BEST Guide Wow, I can't say enough great things about Allyn Pacha. Our guide, Elistan, was loaded with knowledge about the areas we visited, history, and culture. He was extremely fun to be around the couple days we toured the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Had it not been for him, we would not have been able to visit Machu Picchu due to our last minute planning. I am beyond thankful for their expertise and guidance on this trip. I cannot wait to come back and explore more. Thank you!!

Ethan A

2024-04-20

Unforgettable Trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu This trek and tour of Machu Picchu was fantastic! Juan was very flexible, accommodated all of our requests, and provided a well-planned, seamless itinerary. He was very friendly, and the five of us shared many laughs along the trail. Each night he organized for us to stay with a local family, allowing us to experience the local culture and customs. At Machu Picchu Juan knew where to be and when so that we could best-experience the UNESCO site, and had endless knowledge to tap into. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

melissa c

2023-10-25

Eli the man who knows everything Eli is super amazing and knowledgeable. I wanted to do a Machu Picchu train tour and he was able to find tickets where as everywhere else I went told me it was sold out and the next available is a week later. He arranged a driver to pick me up from the hotel at 4 AM, got to the train station at 5:40 am and provided a cute box breakfast. The next day after the Machu Picchu tour I wanted to see alpacas and llamas, He was able to accommodate me on my last minute trip! He’s your go to guy if you ever need anything or last minute planning. He knows everyone in Peru from the ticket lady in Machu Picchu to random tour guides from other companies, to restaurants waiters, to alpacas.

Vicent A

2023-10-02

a perfect day in the mountains of the seven colors My wife and I went on a day trip with Elistan to visit the mountains of the 7 colors on our honeymoon, everything went perfectly. Elistan recommended that we get up very early so we could enjoy the mountains alone. He knew the area and the weather situation perfectly, so in the early morning he picked us up with a driver and a private car (for the 4 of us), he arrived 10 minutes before the start. hour to wait for us at the door, and gave us each a pillow, two blankets and two boxes with breakfast, so that we could sleep during the journey and have breakfast when we arrived at the destination. Once there we had breakfast while it began to get light and we climbed following his advice on height and physical performance. We enjoyed almost two hours of the mountains exclusively for ourselves and he explained many things to us. Afterwards we went to eat at a restaurant that I knew, it was buffet style but of quality. In the afternoon on the way to Cusco, he was explaining to us everything we wanted to know, and we stopped at a delicious bakery where we bought a loaf of chocolate-filled bread for 9 soles (€2.5) and they gave us bread and water. Finally he dropped us off at the hotel. It is highly recommended, it was like taking a trip with two friends, I hope we can return to Peru to repeat. PS: he knows about photography, the photos I upload were taken by him.

ariell p

2023-09-14

Exploring with Allyn Pacha Had the absolute pleasure of meeting Eli and James from Allyn Pacha tours for our 15 day trip in Peru. Eli is extremely knowledgeable and so accommodating! He truly goes above and beyond for his travelers and assures you have a wonderful experience! He is excited to show you around and share his knowledge and secretes in order to miss the crowds and see incredible views. I cannot say enough how impressed I was with their hospitality and patience with our large group. I have gained a friend in Eli and I will be visiting him when I return to Cusco for another adventure packed trip! Eli you are wonderful! See you next time!!!

Eve H

2023-05-08

One day Ince Trail - DO IT, it's absolutely amazing!! I'd heard about the Inca Trail, wanted to do it, but didn't have the four days needed for it...and then I stumbled across the one day option that Allyn Pacha offers, and I'm so glad that I did. The last 7.5 miles of the trek are stunning, and coming to Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate was nothing short of magical. Initially I'd been a little worried about being the only person on the trek...what if the guide was awkward and I was stuck with them ALL day?!...but Eli is the BEST. He's funny, sweet, engaging, and so knowledgable. Was able to answer every question I had, he is a wealth of information. We hiked on a day when there was a lot of mist, and he was like a mist ninja - knew exactly when and where to wait, for how long, so that I could see all the sights and get all the pictures that one dreams of when going on this journey. This is going to sound cheesy, but - it was truly an experience of a lifetime.

Sara Manley

2023-02-14

Truly an incredible experience!!! Eli is absolutely the best! I highly recommend this company. I spent 2 days with Eli visiting the different Inca sites and touring the Sacred Valley. Eli went in-depth about the Inca culture and history. It was a very custom and special experience. Will definitely be back to do his other tours!

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