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Offered languages
- English
- Spanish
Most rainbow mountain day trips from Cusco visit one
mountain. This one visits three places.
The first is Pallay Punchu, a ridge of sharp striped rock
fins above the village of Layo, at 4,770 metres. The walk to
the top takes about 45 minutes from the parking area. The
better known Vinicunca stands 266 metres higher and takes
around an hour and a half on foot.
The second is Raqchi. The Temple of Wiracocha held the
largest roofed building the Inca are known to have built. A
central adobe wall still stands around twelve metres high,
with more than a hundred round stone storehouses behind it.
The third is Checacupe, where three bridges cross the same
river within a few metres of one another. A modern road
bridge, a colonial stone arch, and a rebuilt Inca rope
bridge woven from grass.
Visitor numbers at Pallay Punchu are still low. On most days
only a few dozen people reach the ridge.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
We will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco, if your hotel is outside the centre of Cusco, we will meet you by the fountain in the main square - Plaza de Armas.
Itinerary
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1Cusipata
A farming village in the Vilcanota valley, about two hours south of Cusco. The tour stops here for a buffet breakfast while it is still dark. Eat well at this stop. It is several hours until lunch, and food taken at a comfortable altitude helps more than anything you can do higher up. Toilets are available here.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Layo
Layo is a community at 3,978 metres on the shore of Langui Layo, the largest lake in the Cusco region. Your guide gives an introduction here to the community, the lake and the mountain above it. There is free time for photographs before the tour continues to the trailhead.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Pallay Poncho
Pallay Punchu is a ridge of sharp stone fins striped in ochre, red, blue and green. The colour runs vertically up the blades rather than in bands across a rounded hill. The name describes the shape. In Quechua a pallay punchu is the woven pattern of a ceremonial poncho, still made by hand in this part of Canas. From the parking area the walk to the top takes about 45 minutes. It is uphill throughout on uneven ground, but there is no scrambling and nothing exposed. The high point of the route is 4,770 metres. There is a guided explanation at the summit and free time for photographs. The altiplano runs flat to the horizon on one side and Langui Layo lies far below on the other. An entrance ticket is collected at the trailhead and must be paid in cash in local currency.
2 hours 30 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
4Cusipata
A buffet lunch is served after the descent, at an altitude where eating is more comfortable than on the ridge.
1 hour • Admission ticket free -
5Parque Arqueologico De Raqchi
Raqchi held the largest roofed building the Inca are known to have constructed. What survives is its spine. A central adobe wall runs the length of the temple, still standing at around twelve metres, with the stone bases of the columns that once carried the roof ranged on either side. Behind the temple stand the colcas, more than a hundred round stone storehouses used to hold grain and dried food for the Inca state. Together they form one of the clearest surviving pictures of how the empire fed and organised itself. Your guide walks you through the site.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
6Checacupe
A short panoramic stop where three bridges cross the same river within a few metres of each other. One is a modern road bridge. One is a colonial stone arch. One is a rebuilt Inca rope bridge, woven from grass and replaced by hand in the traditional way. Five hundred years of engineering in a single view.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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