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Traverse the sharp colorful ridges of the Rainbow Mountain of Pallay Punchu
Discovered during the COVID-19 lockdown, Pallay Punchu is the third rainbow mountain in Cusco, after Vinicunca and Palccoyo. Although it has gained popularity on social media, it still remains an unexplored destination. Its impressive silhouette of sharp ridges and intense colors makes it a truly unique place that is still rarely visited. If you're looking for an off-the-beaten-path experience, don’t miss the chance to spend at least one day discovering this extraordinary spot.
To get there, you’ll head south of Cusco, to a remote area where only you and nature will be present. You’ll feel privileged as you admire the stunning views of the landscape with Langui Lake in the background. Let yourself be amazed as you walk along the perfect multicolored lines of the mountain, painted in shades of cyan, brown, and magenta. You’ll also learn about Andean traditions and the local geology, surrounded by majestic red mountains and wide grasslands.
Join this unique adventure—and don’t forget your Andean poncho to capture the best photos!
Pallay Punchu Tour - Day Tour Map
- Itinerary
- Inclusions
- Before You Go
- Packing List
- Pricing
- Enquire Now
Highlights
- Embark on an adventure to the least visited Rainbow Mountain in Cusco, Pallay Punchu.
- Walk through pastures and fields that seem to be from a movie, and survey one of the most impressive Andean landscapes of the region.
- Appreciate the blue lagoon of Langui from side to side.
- Learn the meaning of Pallay Punchu and the fascinating geological history of the area.
- Snap your best picture walking along the steep edges of the mountain all the way to the peak.
Detailed Itinerary
Cusco - Cusipata - Marangani - Pallay Punchu
Highlight of the day: Traverse the sharp borders of Pallay Punchu. The views from the top are surreal!
Pallay Punchu, the third Rainbow Mountain in the Peruvian Andes
Start this adventure with a journey of approximately 4 hours from Cusco. Then, you’ll head towards the Sicuani area and enter a remote region, far from populated areas. From there, you’ll start a one-hour hike through grasslands and the diverse native fauna of the Andes.
Once at Pallay Punchu, you’ll walk along the sharp ridges of the mountain and be amazed by its unique range of colors, while enjoying breathtaking views of the Langui Lagoon and parts of the Andes mountain range.
You’ll also learn about local traditions and take unforgettable photos wearing your Andean poncho. Afterward, you’ll begin the descent to enjoy a well-deserved lunch before returning to the city of Cusco in our private transport, taking with you the best memories of this unique journey.
This exciting adventure begins around 4:00 a.m., when we pick you up from your hotel. We’ll take you on a one-and-a-half-hour journey to Cusipata, where you’ll enjoy an energizing breakfast. After that, we’ll continue by road toward Marangani.
Once there, you’ll begin a challenging uphill hike of approximately one hour. You’ll walk along a trail surrounded by grasslands and stunning reddish terrain, accompanied by the native fauna of the region—alpacas, llamas, and even vicuñas. Upon reaching Pallay Punchu, which in Quechua means “woven poncho,” you’ll be able to climb its sharp ridges and feel as if you’re soaring over the surface of another planet.
This mountain stands out for its lines, perfectly sculpted by nature over millions of years. You’ll be able to distinguish various colors such as red, brown, yellow, green, magenta, ochre, and more. As you admire this spectacular display of colors, you can also approach the edge to take in the breathtaking view of the Langui Lagoon, with its blue waters stretching over 15 km.
You’ll reach an altitude of 4,700 m / 15,419 ft, so we recommend being well-acclimated to avoid altitude sickness during the trip. Later, we’ll return along the same path and enjoy a delicious buffet lunch in Cusipata. Finally, we’ll arrive back in Cusco, ending this amazing tour.
Why Travel with us
At Salkantay Trekking, we specify the included and non-included services under all the tour itineraries listed on our website. We take care of all the logistics, but please pay attention to the details to avoid missing anything. Some items may be different for specific programs, so please read carefully before booking with us.
What Is Included?
Permits & Entrance Tickets
Entry fee to Pallay Punchu Mountain
High Quality Service & Safety
Experienced Tour Guide - All our guides have professionalism, experience, responsibility, seriousness and passion, which will make your trip safe and comfortable.
English and Spanish speaking official tour guide. Along the entire route, your guide will explain the culture and surroundings and keep you safe, sound, and comfortable to enjoy your trip worry-free!
Medical Kit or First AID Kit - Our guides are trained to deal with basic emergencies.
All Salkantay Trekking guides have received specialized training in first aid. We hold mandatory training sessions with our guides every February. Your guide will always carry a first aid kit to face basic emergencies (altitude sickness, travelers' diarrhea, cuts, scrapes, etc.) as well as oxygen. If necessary, we’ll evacuate you from the path as quickly as possible and ensure that you arrive at a clinic for treatment.
Extras Included in our Service - You’ll receive a cover to protect your backpack on the road and a rain poncho.
We believe our attention to small details sets us apart from other local companies. You’ll receive a cover to protect your backpack on the trail and a rain poncho.
24/7 Customer Service
We have telephone service available 24 hours/day for ease of communication and preparation with the agency leading up to your tour.
Meals
Breakfast and Lunch
Snacks and water
For the hike, we'll provide you with a water bottle and snacks with local fruits, cookies, chocolate, caramels, etc.
One cloth snack bag per person
To avoid the use of plastic bags that contaminate our environment, we'll give you a cloth bag for your snacks.
Transportation
Transport
All transportation is included in this tour. We’ll pick you up from your hotel and after the end of the trip, we’ll drop you back at the door of your hotel in Cusco.
What Is Not Included?
Personal Hiking Clothes and Gear
Travel Insurance
Tips for our staff
Tipping is the standard in any excursion in Peru. Although we pay good salaries to our team, something extra is always welcome.
Additional costs or delays beyond our control
This includes the occurrence of events such as landslides, adverse weather conditions, itinerary changes for safety reasons, illnesses, pandemics, changes in government policies, political instability, strikes, force majeure, and similar situations.
In most cases, we guarantee your tickets and full logistics in advance—paying ahead for permits, schedules, accommodations, supplies, and even staff mobilization to ensure everything is ready. Therefore, any additional costs that arise due to such unforeseen events must be covered by you, as we must also reorganize several aspects on our side.
We sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation in these circumstances.
Here we leave you with a brief list of extras that you can enjoy during this package.
Huayna Picchu Mountain
Huayna Picchu is the mountain behind Machu Picchu and which can be climbed in 45 minutes. Although this excursion is up to you, our guide will take you to the place of entry. This walk requires an entrance ticket which we can assure for you if we have enough time in advance.
Your entry ticket will be purchased to coincide with the dates of your excursion on the Inca Trail. The entry can be done in two shifts: from 7:00 am to 8:00 am or from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. We buy the tickets in the second shift so that our clients can fully enjoy their guided tour of Machu Picchu. Remember, the shifts only indicate the time of entry. You can go up and down Huayna Picchu without haste.
The ticket for Huayna Picchu costs US$ 75.00 per person.
Machu Picchu Mountain
Machu Picchu Mountain is another of the mountains that surround the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. It offers even more incredible views than Huayna Picchu, but it takes 1.5 hours to reach the top. This walk requires an entrance ticket which we can assure for you if we have time in advance.
The excursion entrance to Machu Picchu Mountain is open in two shifts as well, the first from 7:00 am to 8:00 am, and the second from 9:00 am to 10:00 am.
The ticket for Machu Picchu Mountain costs US$ 75.00 per person.
Vistadome Train
All our tours include the PeruRail Expedition train. This train leaves Aguas Calientes at 2:55 pm. The Vistadome train is a higher category service that offers more comfortable seats, a panoramic design that will allow you to see through the roof, as well as an entertainment show on board. The Vistadome train leaves Aguas Calientes at 2:55 pm as well (subject to availability), and goes to Ollantaytambo train station. From there, we’ll take you on our transport to your hotel in Cusco.
You can access this service for an additional payment of US$ 70.00 per person.
We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as carefree as possible. In this section, you’ll find the answers to all the questions you have about traveling with Salkantay Trekking in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.
Briefing or Informative Meeting
All information meetings and briefings are held in our main office in Cusco (or your hotel) at 5:00 pm, one night before the tour begins. These meetings last approximately 30 to 45 minutes. If you’re unable to attend, you must coordinate another time by email, by phone or at the Salkantay Trekking office.
Can I store my luggage at your office?
Of course! During the trip, your main luggage can be stored at our office (you can organize it with us on the briefing day or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.
Any equipment that you won’t need on the trek can be stored safely in your hotel. Nearly every hotel will provide this service. Don’t leave items of value with your bags; put them in the hotel safe and obtain an itemized receipt (in the unlikely case of theft, many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt itemizing everything). It’s best to put items such as credit cards inside a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.
Pick up of guests
Please note:
- All pickups are within Cusco City, but we recommend booking a hotel in the historic center for its convenient location.
- Our guide or staff will confirm the pickup time the day before the tour.
- Due to traffic conditions, the pickup time may vary between 30 and 45 minutes.
- Cusco is an old city and has many narrow cobbled streets. Some hotels and Airbnbs are located on streets without car access or on long, steep slopes, making it difficult to transport luggage. For such reasons, we strongly advise you to book accommodation with good access.
Group Tours
Group tours are made up of different types of people, then physical conditions and ages can vary. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you also accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route.
It may be the case that a group wishes to modify the tour; however, the guide will be the one who decides, after consulting with all the participants, if such modifications are possible.
Strikes and demonstrations
Strikes and demonstrations are common in Peru, and this may interrupt some of our tours. Roads can be blocked, and train tracks can be taken over. However, we will try to keep your trip as originally planned, even if it means leaving the night before the scheduled date.
Under these circumstances, tours may also be canceled. In case of changes or cancellations, everything will be coordinated with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority, and our decisions will be made to protect it.
Lost objects
Please pay attention to where you leave your things and remember to take everything once you leave our transport or restaurant. You’re the only one responsible for your objects during the tour.
WHAT SHOULD YOU BRING?
ESSENTIAL
CLOTHING
EQUIPMENT
RECOMMENDED
"Pallay Punchu Tour" can leave any day of the week, from March through January. We don’t operate this itinerary in February because of the rainy season & maintenance of the route.
2025 Land Cost
Group Price: US$ 120.00 per person
This small-group journey is guaranteed to operate with just two guests.
Notice that PayPal charges a fee of 5%, which we ask the client to cover since it's due to the use of its service. This tax is just for online deposits.
Price Guarantee
Once your booking has been confirmed, we guarantee the price won’t increase, whatever the circumstances. So please, before booking, ensure you’ve read all our important tour information.
Thank you for your interest in having an adventure travel experience in Peru curated by Salkantay Trekking. Please take a moment to complete our short form, so one our friendly Adventure Consultants could provide you all the information for your trip of a lifetime in Peru.
Our Pledge | Your privacy is respected and protected. The Salkantay Trekking Company will never share, sell, or make public any of your personal contact information to third parties.
Remember | One of our Travel Experts will contact you soon to confirm the availability of the trip you chose, give you more information, and/or provide you alternative options. Once availability is established, we will ask for a deposit and a completed online registration to confirm your spot on the trek. Please call us at (+51) 958 191 179 with any questions or to confirm availability over the phone.
Note | Due to the rainy season and trail maintenance, we don't offer this trek during the whole month of february. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you, we are working to provide you a better service!
Feel free to reach us via email at info@salkantaytrekking.com or by calling us directly at (+51) 958 191 179
Every Day: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Triunfo Street 392, Office 212 (2nd Floor), Cusco, Peru
