Comments on: Rainbow Mountain Hike – Ultimate Guide For An Epic Adventure

By: Dee

Dee — Thu, 28 May 2026 06:23:29 +0000

Thanks for this awesome guide! I'm with a group tour flying into Lima, staying 2N in Sacred Valley. 1N in Machu Picchu. I'm tight on schedule as this is a group tour. I plan to break from the group for 1 day to do Rainbow Mts. So after 2N in Sacred Valley and 1N in Machu Picchu on 1Sept, we drive into Cusco on 2 Sept arriving around 5PM. I plan to rest & sleep 8PM-2.30AM. Would a 3AM pickup next morning 3 Sept be too ambitious to do Rainbow due to insufficient acclimatizing? I don't have any other window of time to do it as I have to rejoin the group after. Would the 2N in Sacred Valley & 1N Machu Picchu and 1/2N in Cusco count for anything at all?

30,31 Aug: Two overnight stays in Sacred Valley
1 Sept: One overnight stay in Machu Picchu
2 Sept: Drive/Arrive Cusco 5pm. Half Overnight stay in Cusco. Sleep 8PM-2.30AM
3 Sept: 3.00AM Early morning pickup for Rainbow Mt (Back 2PM hopefully short visit to Sacsayhuaman after)

Is this crazy? Or doable? I've only climbed up to 2285m previously (Mt Sinai). No altitude sickness then. But this is more than double that! So I am honestly worried and unsure if my 2N+1N in SV & MP counts for anything towards acclimatization?

Appreciate your insights. Thanks in advance

By: Alison Macallister

Alison Macallister — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 07:30:45 +0000

In reply to LineBet. So glad that you enjoyed this article! Happy travels

By: LineBet

LineBet — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 07:39:53 +0000

This guide is fantastic! The tips on acclimatization and the best times to hike really helped me plan my trip. The photos are stunning and got me even more excited about the adventure ahead. Can’t wait to experience Rainbow Mountain for myself!

By: Alison Macallister

Alison Macallister — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 08:55:47 +0000

In reply to TuBiDy. Glad you found this helpful! Enjoy it!

By: TuBiDy

TuBiDy — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 07:42:05 +0000

What an amazing guide! I’m really excited to try the Rainbow Mountain hike after reading this. The tips on best times to visit and the packing checklist are super helpful. Can’t wait for this epic adventure!

By: Mark Whitman

Mark Whitman — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 08:58:52 +0000

In reply to Pavani Parupudi. Hi Pavani, thanks for your message. Huayna Picchu is the mountain directly behind Machu Picchu. It's a short (1-2 hour hike up and down) and can only be accessed from within Machu Picchu. Rainbow Mountain is a day trip from Cusco. It is quite a bit higher than the highest pass on the Inca Trail, so it is good to do towards the end of your journey. Your itinerary sounds great. I would do Rainbow mountain as a day trip from Cusco after you have visited Machu Picchu.

By: Pavani Parupudi

Pavani Parupudi — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 19:58:10 +0000

Hi Alison,
We reach Cusco in April 2024.
We acclimatize ourselves for 2 days in Sacred Valley exploring Andes at 9,160 Feet – Sacsayhuaman & Pisaq Archaeological Site on one day and Moray Archaeological Site & Maras Salt Mines on another day.
We are planning to do the KM104 Trek on one day.
So, the next day – can we plan to do the Rainbow Mountain Hike?
We are considering the alternatives between Huayna Picchu which is more steeper and Rainbow Mountain after doing the 7miles KM104 trek.

Any advice please that could help us decide?
If you can send me in the email too that is fine. Appreciate your feedback

Thanks
Pavani Parupudi
parupudip@hotmail.com