Rainbow Mountain, Red Valley and 7 Ausangate Lakes Tour

The tour starts at 5:00 a.m. with pickup from your hotel in Cusco. Then, we will travel for 1 hour and 30 minutes to Cusipata, where we will enjoy a traditional Andean breakfast to recharge our energy.

We will continue our journey to Chillihuani, the starting point of our hike. Here, the guide will provide a briefing, hand out trekking poles, and you will be able to use the restrooms.

The hike to the Rainbow Mountain (5,100 m.a.s.l.) takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Along the way, you will see alpacas, llamas, and Andean birds. Upon arrival, our guide will explain the geological formation and biodiversity of the area. From the viewpoint, you will have an impressive view of the Ausangate Mountain (6,385 m.a.s.l.), the fifth highest mountain in Peru.

After enjoying the landscape and taking photos, we will hike to the Red Valley, a place with uniquely colored reddish mountains. Afterwards, we will descend back to the starting point and board our transport to Cusipata, where we will enjoy a buffet lunch.

In the afternoon, we will continue our journey to the community of Pacchanta, where a traditional Andean dinner awaits us. Here, you can relax in the medicinal hot springs before spending the night in a rustic cabin with a local family.

• Maximum altitude: 5,100 m.a.s.l.
• Hiking distance: 8 km
• Difficulty: Level 2
• Hiking time: 3 hours and 20 minutes

Our day begins at 7:00 a.m. with a hearty breakfast prepared by our hosts in the community of Pacchanta, who are known for raising Andean animals such as alpacas, llamas, and guanacos, as well as preserving the hot springs that come from the depths of the mountain.

At 9:00 a.m., we will begin our hike. Make sure to bring a small backpack with essentials: warm clothing, water, snacks, rain gear, etc. We will start the route crossing small streams that originate from the lakes, while enjoying views of the impressive snow-capped peaks of Ausangate and Callangate.

After 1 hour and 30 minutes, we will reach the first lake:

1. Puca Cocha Lake (4,500 m.a.s.l.): This is the Red Lake, whose reddish color is caused by iron sediments and other minerals reacting with sunlight.

We will continue ascending to the next lake:

2. Patacocha Lake (4,860 m.a.s.l.): The highest lake in the circuit. Its clear waters reflect the snow-capped peaks of Callangate and Ausangate, offering panoramic views of the mountain range and surrounding lakes.

We will descend to reach the next lake:

3. Alqacocha Lake (4,750 m.a.s.l.): Here we will have a very close view of the Ausangate Mountain, making it an excellent natural viewpoint.

Further along, we will descend a bit more to reach the next lake:

4. Comercocha Lake: This lake stands out for its turquoise waters, whose color comes from minerals carried by glacial meltwater.

We will continue towards two nearby small lakes:

5. Orco Otorongo Lake (4,620 m.a.s.l.) and China Otorongo Lake (4,600 m.a.s.l.): Known as Male Jaguar and Female Jaguar due to the color of their waters, resembling jaguar fur.

Finally, we will reach the last lake:

6. Blue Lake: Considered by many as the most beautiful of the seven, its waters reflect the Ausangate Mountain impressively.

After the hike, we will return to the community of Pacchanta, where a delicious Andean lunch awaits us. At the end, we will head back to Cusco, arriving around 6:00 p.m., and drop you off at your hotel to conclude the service.

• Maximum altitude: 4,860 m.a.s.l.
• Hiking distance: 7.5 km
• Difficulty: Level 3
• Hiking time: 4 hours