Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley Tour: Four Departures Compared
One operator sells this route for $160 per person. The four departures below run the same trail on the same day for $19.25 to $39.20, and the difference is group size and how much of the Red Valley detour the guide builds in. Here is what the second half of the day actually involves, what you pay in cash at the ridge, and which of the four suits you. You can also compare every Rainbow Mountain day trip from Cusco, including the departures that skip the valley.
What this tour actually is
The banded ridge at Vinicunca, then the wide crimson bowl of Red Valley over the saddle behind it.
Two and a half to three and a half hours south from Cusco, with breakfast in Cusipata or Checacupe.
About 7 km to the ridge and back, 90 minutes up, plus 30 to 60 minutes each way for Red Valley.
Roughly 30 soles for Vinicunca and a separate Red Valley fee, both in soles, neither in the tour price.
Pickup 4:00 to 4:30 am, back in Cusco 4:30 to 5:30 pm on the standard combined route.
All four departures cancel free up to 24 hours before pickup.
Check dates for the most-booked departure
Live calendar for the Red Valley day trip.
Which of the four to pick
The honest split
These four listings are the same product from four operators. They collect you in central Cusco, feed you twice in the valley, and walk you up the same trail. What separates them is how many people share the van, whether Red Valley is written into the route or offered as a decision at the top, and whether the guide stays with the group on the climb.
None of them includes the Vinicunca entrance ticket. Budget the cash whichever you book.
Most reviewed: the $23.40 day trip
Six thousand reviews and a 4.8 rating make this the default choice, and Red Valley is part of the route rather than an upsell at the ridge. It leaves early enough to reach the viewpoint before the mid-morning wave. Groups run larger than the premium option, so expect a wait at the photo stops.
Cheapest: the $19.25 guided day
The shortest day of the four at 10.5 hours, and the lowest price of any guided Vinicunca departure. Both meals and a bilingual guide are included, and Red Valley is optional. If the difference between $19 and $39 matters more than group size, this is the one, and the trail is identical.
Small group: the $39.20 premium trip
Early trailhead access, a smaller van, and a guide who walks with the group instead of waiting at the bottom. Red Valley is written into the route. At high altitude a guide who stays within sight is worth more than it sounds at sea level, and this is the pick for anyone worried about the climb.
Highest rated: the $25 Chullos excursion
A 4.9 rating across 3,734 reviews, walking sticks and oxygen carried on the trail, and a 4:30 am pickup. Red Valley is optional here and the ticket is on you, so tell the guide before the hike starts. Reviewers name individual guides again and again, which is usually a sign of a well-run operation.
The four Vinicunca and Red Valley departures
All four reach the same ridge on the same trail. Prices are per person and set by the operator.
from $23.40Most reviewed Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley Day Trip with Meals
- Early departure to reach the summit ahead of the crowds
- Breakfast and buffet lunch included
- Red Valley add-on on the same day
- Hotel pickup in central Cusco
from $19.25Lowest price Guided Rainbow Mountain Day with Breakfast and Lunch
- Lowest price of any guided Vinicunca departure
- Shortest day: back in Cusco after about 10.5 hours
- Breakfast and lunch included
- Horses available at the trailhead for hire
from $39.20Small group Premium Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley Trip with Hotel Pickup
- Early access to the trailhead before the main wave
- Guide accompanies the group on the ascent
- Red Valley included in the route
- Hotel pickup, breakfast, and buffet lunch
from $254.9★ from 3,734 reviews Rainbow Mountain Full-Day Excursion with Optional Red Valley
- Buffet breakfast and lunch in Cusipata
- Walking sticks and oxygen assistance carried by the guide
- Optional Red Valley extension at no extra tour cost
- Maximum 18 travelers per departure
Side by side
| Tour | Price | Duration | Book | Red Valley | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Valley Day Trip | $23.40 | 12 hrs | Check | In the route | The default pick |
| Guided Day | $19.25 | 10.5 hrs | Check | Optional | Lowest price, shortest day |
| Premium Small Group | $39.20 | 12 hrs | Check | In the route | Nervous about the climb |
| Chullos Full-Day | $25 | 12 hrs | Check | Optional, own ticket | Highest rated, oxygen carried |
What Red Valley is, and what the walk to it involves
Thirty to sixty minutes past the crowd
Red Valley sits over the saddle behind the Vinicunca viewpoint, 30 to 60 minutes on foot from the spot where every tour group takes its photograph. The mirador stands at roughly 5,000 to 5,200 m, level with or slightly above the ridge you just climbed.
The crowds thin out fast on that path. Most groups turn around at the striped ridge, so the valley sees a fraction of the traffic even in July.
Why it is red
The colour is iron oxide in the clay, oxidised over millions of years and tilted upright by the same Andean uplift that striped Vinicunca. The green streaks running through it are chlorite. Where Vinicunca gives you narrow bands on one slope, Red Valley gives you an entire bowl of rust and crimson with almost no other colour in it.
It reads strongest from March to November, and clearest in the hour right after sunrise. Rain the night before deepens the red.
The descent route most people miss
You can walk back the way you came, or you can descend through the valley itself and rejoin the main path near the trailhead. The second option adds about 1.5 to 2 hours and it is the better walk: downhill, quiet, and you finish the day looking up at the slopes rather than back at a car park.
Ask the guide whether the group is doing the loop or the out-and-back before you set off. The two need different amounts of time on your legs.
The combined day, hour by hour
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04:00
Hotel pickup
The van collects you in central Cusco. Outlying districts get a nearby meeting point instead of a door pickup.
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06:30
Breakfast in the valley
A buffet stop in Cusipata or Checacupe, the same restaurant you will come back to for lunch.
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07:00
Trailhead at 4,630 m
Briefing, walking poles handed out, horses waiting if you want one. Toilets here cost a sol or two.
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08:30
The Vinicunca ridge
Ninety minutes to two hours up. The viewpoint sits at 5,036 m, with Ausangate on the horizon.
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09:30
The split
Groups divide here. Red Valley walkers head over the saddle; everyone else starts down.
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10:15
Red Valley mirador
The crimson bowl, thirty to sixty minutes past the ridge and far quieter than it.
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12:30
Back at the van
Either down through the valley on the loop, or back along the ridge trail you came up.
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13:30
Buffet lunch
Back in the valley village. Vegetarian options need flagging when you book, not on the day.
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17:00
Cusco
Drop-off near the main square between 4:30 and 5:30 pm. Plan nothing for the evening.
Know before you go
- Cash you need About 30 soles for the Vinicunca gate, a separate Red Valley fee, 1 to 2 soles for toilets, and 60 to 120 soles if you want a horse. Soles only, small notes, drawn in Cusco.
- Acclimatize first Two full days in Cusco at 3,400 m before the hike. Anyone who lands the day before should move the trip.
- What to bring Waterproof layer, warm mid-layer, hiking boots, wool hat and gloves, SPF 50, 2.5 litres of water, salty snacks.
- Not suitable for Pregnant travellers, heart or serious respiratory conditions, and most children under about 10. Back problems make the van ride harder than the walk.
- Horses stop short They run one way only and stop about 20 minutes below the ridge. The steepest section is on your own legs whatever you pay.
- Decide before the hike starts Tell the guide at the trailhead if you want Red Valley. The group splits at the top and nobody comes back for you.
Three things worth knowing
The $160 comparison
A well-known premium operator sells this exact route, Vinicunca plus the Red Valley descent, at $160 per person. It buys a smaller group, a stricter guide ratio and the Red Valley ticket folded into the price.
The trail, the ridge and the valley are identical. Whether that is worth six times the $25 listing is a judgement about company on the day, not about what you see.
Go up the ridge, come down the valley
The loop is the strong version of this day. Climb to the viewpoint with everyone else, cross to Red Valley while the ridge empties, then descend through the valley floor to the trailhead rather than retracing the busy path. Two extra hours, and the second half is downhill.
Rain the night before is good news
Wet clay reads darker and the reds saturate. A clear morning after an overnight shower is the best combination you can get in the dry season, and it happens often in April and in October at the edges of the window.
Where Red Valley sits
The Red Valley mirador lies over the saddle south of the Vinicunca viewpoint, in the Pitumarca district.
Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley questions
Is the Red Valley worth it?
For most walkers, yes. It is 30 to 60 minutes past the Vinicunca viewpoint, sees a fraction of the crowd, and the wide crimson bowl is the part travellers describe afterwards. The cost is an extra hour above 5,000 m on a day that already runs 12 hours.
How much does the Red Valley cost?
Red Valley charges its own community fee, paid in cash in soles at the ridge, on top of the roughly 30 soles for the Vinicunca gate. Neither is included in the four tour prices on this page. Carry small notes, since there is no card machine at 5,000 m.
Is the Red Valley included in a Rainbow Mountain tour?
The walk is included on two of these four departures and optional on the other two. The ticket is never included at this price level. A $160 premium operator does fold the Red Valley fee into its price, which is part of what the extra buys.
How long does the Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley tour take?
Ten and a half to twelve hours door to door, with pickup at 4:00 to 4:30 am and drop-off in Cusco between 4:30 and 5:30 pm. Descending through the valley instead of retracing the ridge adds 1.5 to 2 hours to the walking, not to the day.
When are the colours strongest?
March to November, and clearest in the first hour after sunrise. Overnight rain deepens the red in the clay. December to February is the wet season, when cloud sits on the ridge through the morning and the colours flatten.
How fit do I need to be?
The walk is 7 km with 400 m of gain, which is modest at sea level and hard at 5,000 m, where the air holds about half the oxygen. Two full days acclimatizing in Cusco matters more than fitness. Horses cover the lower two thirds if the altitude wins.
What walkers said about the valley
I highly recommend the extra red valley part, it took our breath away. At the top, lots of cute alpacas to greet you.
The views in Red Valley are so vast, I could hang out there all day. It definitely felt like being on another planet.
Well planned and gave us enough time for both rainbow mountain and red valley.
Published traveller reviews of the departures on this page, shortened for length.