Traverse the sharp, striking colors of the Rainbow Mountain of Pallay Punchu
Found during the Covid-19 lockdown, Pallay Punchu is the third Rainbow Mountain in Cusco, after Vinicunca and Palcoyo, that’s been made popular on social media. It’s made up of spectacular, sharp edges and is still uncrowded, so don’t miss taking at least one day to explore this new and exceptional place southeast of the imperial city.
You’ll pass by the beautiful blue lagoon of Langui as you walk about two hours to the top. Feel privileged to appreciate the breathtaking views in the area as you walk along the mountain’s perfect lines with shades of cyan, brown, and magenta. You’ll also learn about authentic Andean traditions and geology while flanked by staggering red mountains and pastures. Join us, and don’t forget to bring your Andean poncho for 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 - Sicuani - Layo - 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 the adventure with a drive of about 4 hours from Cusco. You’ll stop by the beautiful Langui Lagoon before arriving at the town of Layo. From here, we’ll start our one-hour uphill hike through pastures and alongside the diverse fauna of the area. Once at Pallay Punchu, you’ll be able to climb mountain sharp borders to appreciate from close-up its many colors, as well as the views of the lagoon and part of the Andes mountain range.
You’ll also learn about geology while you hike, and take amazing photos if you bring a woven poncho with you for the experience. After lunch, you’ll return to Cusco by private transportation, taking the best memories of this tour.
This exciting adventure begins around 4:00 AM, when we pick you up from your hotel. We’ll take you by car two and a half hours away to Cusipata to eat an energizing breakfast. After that, you’ll continue down the road toward Sicuani, along the way taking in the beauty of the Blue Lagoon of Langui, which extends more than 15 km across. You’ll stop by the shores to enjoy the sights before continuing to Layo, where the hike begins.
Once there, this challenging hike is uphill for about one hour. You’ll walk on a trail leading through pastures and impressive red lands accompanied by typical fauna of the area: alpacas, llamas, and, if lucky watch kestrels, peregrine falcons, or the famous condor flying overhead. When we get to Pallay Punchu of the Apu Taqllo which, translated in Quechua, means “woven poncho,” you’ll have the opportunity to climb the sharp edges of the mountain and feel like you’re flying over the surface of another planet.
This mountain stands out because of its precise lines, perfectly sculpted by nature across millions of years. You’ll be able to distinguish diverse colors like red, brown, yellow, green, magenta, and ocher, among others. While you enjoy the wonderful pigmentation of various tonalities, you can also lean out across the edge to get an even better look at the impressive Langui lagoon and a part of the Andes mountain range.
You’ll reach an altitude of more than 4,730 m (15,518 ft), so we recommend that you are acclimatized before your tour to avoid any altitude sickness. We’ll return to Layo by the same trail, and find the perfect spot for lunch near the Lagoon shoreline. If you prefer, you can enjoy an optional and larger meal at a rural restaurant in Cusipata. Finally, we’ll go back to Cusco to end this immersive adventure.
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 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!
- Bilingual Tour Guide in group service or shared (English and Spanish)
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 Box Lunch
Snacks and water
For the hike, we’ll provide you with a bottle of water and snacks, including local fruits, crackers, chocolate, candies, etc.
One cloth snack bag per person
To avoid use of plastic bags that contaminate the environment, we’ll give you a cloth bag for your snacks.
Hygiene products
We'll provide you with a small towel and soap to clean your hands before each meal.
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?
Lunch in the Restaurant of Sicuani and Dinner
Personal Hiking Gear
Travel Insurance
Tips for our staff
Tipping is usual on any excursion to Peru. Although we pay good salaries to our team, something extra is always welcome.
Additional costs or delays beyond our control
Landslides, bad weather conditions, itinerary modifications due to a safety concern, illness, pandemia, government policy changes, political instability, strikes, act of God, etc.
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 346 - Main Square of Cusco, Peru
From March to May, due to the high demand for Machu Picchu tickets, Circuit 2, which we include, is mostly sold out. Therefore, for new reservations from March 1st onward, if Circuit 2 is unavailable on your selected date, we can offer Circuit 1 or 3 at no extra cost. Both are excellent alternatives, subject to availability.
