Mount Ausangate (6,377mts/20,921ft) is the highest and most sacred mountain in Southern Peru. The mountain has always been central to the religious beliefs of the Inca people, who still go on annual pilgrimages to its icy slopes. With spectacular glacial views, and the unequaled beauty and solitude of Mt. Ausangate, this spectacular trek is for true outdoor adventurers seeking the trek of their lives!
Camp near hot springs and turquoise lakes inhabited by numerous bird species, including Andean goose and the almighty Andean condor as you hike the surrounding slopes of this mystical and spiritual mountain and enjoy the unique experience of walking among herds of llamas and alpacas in remote native Quechua villages.
A new added feature to the itinerary of the Mt. Ausangate trek is the opportunity to visit and wonder at the natural colors of Rainbow Mountain. The Rainbow mountain trek offers a selection of wildlife; including soaring condors, vicunas, bobcats and pumas. The colorful sandstone mountains in the Vinicunca area is probably the coolest thing you’ll see in Peru.
Click on the link to find out more about our Ausangate Rainbow Trekking Experience..!
5200 m.s.n.m
Up to 8
Group or private
Adventure, self-guided
Challenging
6 days / 5 nights
Your guide will meet you in Cusco at 6 in the morning, and take you via private transportation to the starting point of our trek in Tinqui where we load up the gear onto the pack horses. Hike for the next 3 hours or so before settling down for a scrumptious local lunch. After lunch continue hiking to our first camp. This day we only hike for a few hours until we arrive at the village of Upis. Here have the opportunity to take a soak in the hot springs, while enjoying coca tea, and relaxing your muscles until dinner.
With two passes to cross today, an early wake up at 5am. Have your tea in your tent before you will fuel up with a big breakfast for the day ahead. The morning starts with a hike up Arapa pass (4,958m/16266ft) before we descend a bit to our lunch spot near Lake Puma Cocha– a deep blue lake and a perfect stop for a break. See alpacas and llamas herded by the locals. Ausangate mountain will be to your left, while your expert guide explains the history of the locals and giving more details on the landscape you encounter along the way.
After lunch we continue uphill for our second pass, Pucacocha (5000m/16404ft) where if you’re lucky you may see condors and vicuñas. Descend to our campsite of Chillca where you will be surrounded by high mountains and incredible hanging glaciers. Watch for the glacier crashing into the lake below! As always camp will be set up for you to change and rest your weary legs while dinner is being prepared.
Today starts with the Chillca pass (5051m/16571ft), a very colorful mountain but only a taste of what´s to come. After crossing the pass enter into the Red Mountain valley, a wild desert landscape with vibrant colors all around, and llamas roaming the ground below. Approach the top of the pass, see the beautiful Rainbow Mountain in the distance, but your not quite there! From here you descend and continue walking until one final climb to Rainbow Mountain. Soak in the sights and enjoy what you’ve worked so hard for. Enjoy lunch in the surrounding area, and head back down the valley to make our way to the stunning Lake Ausangate where camp will be set up and waiting for you to take a rest.
Covering less kilometers today, as yesterday was a big day, we pass beautiful glacial tarns, lush green pampas, and follow the edge of the river. Today is a great day for spotting wildlife so keep an eye out for condors, and vicuñas.
With only one pass to cross today, take our time today enjoying the deep blue lagoons, and alpine glacial colored lakes along the way. If you are brave enough you can even jump in to cool off or take a swim. Views of the massive Ausangate mountain are still visible, only today you will get to enjoy them from a new angle along with views of the Pacchanta Valley. Our goal is the hot springs of Pacchanta where we will enjoy a nice soak and the views of the Ausangate Mountain above.
Today is the easiest day of our trek as we make our way back to the starting point of Tinqui, walking on flat ground and celebrating our accomplishments. Once we arrive at the village of Tinqui, you will have your last lunch. Everything is packed up in our private transportation to make our way back to Cusco where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel arriving around 5pm.
Note: This itinerary is subject to change without prior notice according to weather conditions, strikes, roadblocks, or other events which are beyond our control. We will always do our best to follow the itinerary as closely as possible.
The Ausangate Rainbow Mountain Trek is available to depart any day of the week as long as we have a minimum of two people.
PRICE – US$757 per person
Personal porter included!
This price includes an extra porter who will carry your belongings up to 7 kgs, we will provide you with a duffle bag to put your personal belongings.
“Please read the following information carefully; it will help with your questions about our services and the Ausangate Trek”
You will be greeted at the airport in Cusco and taken to your hotel, please ensure that you inform us of your full flight details at least 14 days prior to the start of your trek. Look out for our representative holding an orange board with INCA TRAIL HIKE PERU at the arrivals terminal.
It will take place the night before the trekking departure at 6pm at our office which is located at Garcilaso Street 210 , Office Nº:213 (2nd Floor) in the la CASA DEL ABUELO.
Of course! During the Ausangate trek your main luggage can be stored at our office or at your hotel, both are free.
FIRST, to book your Ausangate Rainbow Mountain Trek, we need you to fill out our booking form by clicking on BOOK NOW on our homepage or click the link BOOK NOW.
Please be ready with the following information (FROM EACH PARTICIPANT in your group). We cannot purchase an Ausangate Rainbow Mountain Trek entrance tickets without the following information:
SECOND, we require a deposit of US$200.00 per person in order to purchase a permit for the Ausangate Trek. You can make you deposit by clicking on the VISA or PAYPAL symbols on the top of our home page, or on our booking page.
It would be greatly appreciated if you pay in cash at our office (US dollars or Peruvian soles) here in Cusco. We have many cash machines in the historical center to withdraw money. You can also pay by VISA or PAYPAL online but you will have to pay a 5.5% service charge, charged by VISA and PAYPAL. To pay your balance through PAYPAL, you need to log into your PAYPAL account using our email address of info@incatrailhikeperu.com.
Unfortunately the answer is generally “No”. Once the tickets have been bought the government does not allow any changes, so we can’t change any departure dates. Tickets are not transferable nor refundable.
With alternative treks we may be able to change dates for a fee depending on what has been already purchased. Please contact the office as soon as possible if you need to change your date.
If you cancel your Ausangate Rainbow Mountain Trek, the deposit is non-refundable!
The weather is very unpredictable and it’s difficult to forecast. BUT you will come across different weather patterns as you pass through the numerous microclimates and it will depend on your location. With the Ausangate Rainbow Mountain Trek, we highly recommend you bring some very warm clothes and good rain gear in your day backpack. It can be very cold at the high altitudes of this trek.
In general if you exercise regularly and spend 3 days in Cusco, or in the Sacred Valley for acclimatization to the altitude, you may be just fine.
The recommended medicine for altitude sickness is WATER, COCA TEA and OXYGEN IF NEEDED; our guides are trained to treat you for Altitude Sickness. For more detailed information on Altitude Sickness click this link: Altitude Sickness.
We offer the Cusco City Tour and Sacred Valley tours that you can book while you are acclimatizing. Check out our day tours on our Main Page.
The maximum group size is 8 people. Usually our groups are between 2-6 people. INCA TRAIL HIKE PERU specializes in SMALL, PRIVATE groups and provides a personalized service.
You will have 1 cook per group. The number of porters depends of the size of the group. For a group of 2 trekkers, they will have 4 porters, 4 trekkers will have 6 porters, 6 trekkers will have 9 porters, 8 trekkers will have 12 porters.
The evening before you start your trek, you will be given a SMALL DUFFLE BAG to pack your clothes for the next four days. Your weight allowance is up to 7kg/15p. Your team of porters will carry your duffle bag for you, together with the food and camping gear. It’s important to be aware, that you will not have access to your items in the duffle bag until the end of each day, as the porters will always be ahead of the group. During the Ausangate trek, you need a day backpack big enough to carry your personal belongings such as a warm jacket, a rain jacket, your camera, sunscreen, snacks, water, etc. Usually a 30 to 50 litre backpack is sufficient.
Yes, it is a challenging trek because most of the time you are over 4 000 meters or 13 123 feet. You need to be in good physical condition and used to hiking.
In preparation: try walking 15kms a day or go to a fitness club in the months leading up to the trek. It is also important to be well acclimatised to the altitude. Try to spend at least 3 days in Cusco (3350m/11,047ft) prior to starting the trek.
It has been highlighted by most of our clients, especially by the female ones who want a private, clean and sanitary toilet!! Our toilet facilities have an individual tent and a “camping toilet with a seat.” Check out the picture, which illustrates how we set up our camping toilet on the trek by using this link: picture of toilet tent. Our toilet is always set up a comfortable distance from our campsite. At night if you need to use the toilet it is readily accessible and clean, unlike the dirty facilities supplied by the government.
In the event that you are unable to finish the trek due to a health issue, we will assist you to the nearest town for help with transportation. We always carry oxygen on the trek for any respiratory problems. In extreme cases, a helicopter pick up can be arranged at your own expense. (Travel insurance required). There are no refunds in the unlikely situation that you are unable to finish the trek.
Absolutely!! Included in the package and on the last day we will drop you at your hotel in Cusco! If you have booked your hotel in the Sacred Valley like Ollantaytambo or Urubamba, we will drop you there too!
If you’re happy with the services provided, a tip – though not compulsory – is appreciated. While it may not be customary to you, it’s of great significance for the people who will take care of you during the trek. It inspires them to give excellent service and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many INCATRAILHIKE Peru destinations. Of course you are free to tip as much as your budget will allow, depending on your perception on the quality of service and the length of your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Local, sustainable & responsible tourism operator for that we incorporate the universal principles of tourism: protect the environment and benefit the local communities by respecting their culture and religion. With this in mind, we have trained all our local staff to know and understand, respect the places and the local people.
As a professional direct local tour operator we provide you with a duffle bag at your briefing and INCLUDE an extra porter who will carry up to 7 kgs or 15 pounds including your 2.5kg sleeping bag, mattress and extra clothing.
We highly recommend a small backpack 30 to 40Litres for hiking in the day. A big backpack will not be allowed into Machu Picchu. The remainder of your belongings will be in your duffel bag at camp.
Cusco
Cusco
