The Mountain of 7 Colors, known locally as Vinicunca or Rainbow Mountain, is a spectacular natural wonder located in the Peruvian Andes, in the department of Cusco.

Known by many tourists as a wonderful country with incredible landscapes that seem to have been taken from a movie: Peru, thanks to its particular geography and being part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, makes it possible for places such as the Mountain of 7 Colors to be appreciated by the human eye and the lens of our cameras, leaving us amazed by this divine creation.

1. Let’s talk a little about the discovery and history of the Mountain of 7 Colors:

Thanks to social media, particularly Instagram in its beginnings as a digital platform, the Mountain of 7 Colors began to become popular starting in 2015.

The Hill of 7 Colors had always been known by the locals of the communities of Pampachiri, Titinco and Paucar Pata; however, the main economic activity of the people who live in these rural communities is mostly livestock farming, particularly the production of alpaca wool.

It is worth highlighting that technological advances in connectivity and smartphones with powerful cameras also began to take off around 2015, and with this, the popularity of this place gradually increased up to the present day, becoming the second most visited place in Peru after Machu Picchu.

1.1 Who “discovered” it then:

A couple of explorers and hiking enthusiasts from Colorado in the United States, who were doing a 6-day trek around a route known as the Ausangate snow-capped mountain, were walking at a good pace and asked their guide if he could tell them where the campsite was, since they wanted to get ahead of the rest of the group.

Upon arriving at the campsite and not having much to do beyond contemplating the majestic snow-capped mountain, they decided to ascend to a viewpoint. From the top, they launched a drone and saw something out of the ordinary in the background of the landscape, so they took the initiative to continue walking until they could see what had captivated them and what they wanted to witness with their own eyes. Visibly far from the campsite and the guide, after 4 more hours of hiking they arrived at the spectacular Mountain of 7 Colors.

After taking photos of it from every angle and returning to their country, they decided to post these images on Instagram; from then on, the rest is history.

Some skeptical minds thought it was the magic of Photoshop and that a mountain of seven colors could not exist, while others asked: Where is it located? How do you get there? Does that place really exist on planet Earth?

This is how, thanks to the efforts of many entrepreneurs from Cusco, local community members and, to a certain extent, government support, the route to the Mountain of 7 Colors was opened.

2. Where is it located and how to get to the Mountain of 7 Colors?:

The Hill of 7 Colors is located 110 km from the city of Cusco in a southeasterly direction, along the interoceanic highway Cusco – Puno, popularly known by tour guides as the Pitumarca route, since it is necessary to pass through this important district before reaching the mountain.

2.1 How to get to the Mountain of 7 Colors?

The only way to reach this tourist destination is by hiring the tourist services of a travel agency or renting a car, since there is no urban transportation or, alternatively, shared cars that take you to this area as there usually are in other departments of Peru.

2.2 The journey by car:

This tour will take you a full day, the journey lasts 3 hours by van or private car from the city of Cusco to the beginning of the hike and the same amount of time to return.

2.3 The hike:

When you get out of the vehicle, you will find yourself at 4,700 meters above sea level, a considerably high elevation, so we recommend leaving this hike for one of the last days of your stay in Cusco.

In total, you will walk 7 km round trip. The most important part is the first half, which is the uphill section from 4,700 m to 5,036 m, where you will feel your breath leaving you with every step you take; however, both the landscapes and the challenge to your own body and mind are worth it.

The hike will take you a total of 4 hours round trip, with the ascent being the most difficult part, especially in the last 700 meters where you can already see the Mountain of 7 Colors, but every step will take your breath away.

2.4 Where to have lunch on the route to the Mountain of 7 Colors?

If you travel with a travel agency, you do not have to worry about where to have lunch or whether the food will be good or not, since, for example, we will include a delicious buffet breakfast and buffet lunch.

On the other hand, if you rent a car and go on your own, you will have to bring your own food, since the restaurants in this area work with prior reservations and do so exclusively with travel agencies, largely because they are far from the main road and literally the only customers they have are the tourists brought to them by travel agencies.

3. Altitude sickness on the Mountain of 7 Colors:

Altitude sickness, popularly known in Peru as SOROCHE, occurs due to hypoxia or lack of oxygen in the brain that will make you feel dizzy, nauseous, short of breath, and make your heart beat faster.

But don’t worry, not everyone suffers from this discomfort and not everyone experiences it with the same intensity. The most common and normal thing is to feel that your heart is beating fast and that it is difficult to breathe, nothing that cannot be solved by simply stopping to take a rest and continuing.

For extreme cases, our guides carry a small oxygen tank in case an emergency occurs. What we always recommend at all times is to tell the guide about your symptoms, as well as to follow their instructions.

In the 10 years of experience that several of our guides have, only 5 times have we had to tell our tourists not to continue to the summit, and we accompanied them back to the vehicle, providing them with oxygen.

I mention this so that you can get an idea that it is very rare for a tourist not to reach the summit of the Mountain of Seven Colors.

3.1 How to avoid or mitigate the effects of altitude sickness on the Mountain of 7 Colors tour?

• The best remedy is to drink MUÑA tea (a type of Andean mint) after every meal.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Always keep warm at night when walking around the city of Cusco and do not wear only a T-shirt.
• Drink coca tea only in the mornings and after lunch in order to be able to fall asleep at night.
• Sleep an average of 7 hours.
• Do not go partying the night before this tour.

3.2 Altitude sickness in children:

Traveling with the little ones of the family is a once-in-a-lifetime experience; however, traveling to the Hill of 7 Colors with children could be a worrying experience, especially if they are under 6 years old and do not have an active physical lifestyle.

The Hill of 7 Colors becomes very demanding for them, in some cases due to the combination of icy winds and altitude sickness. If for one reason or another this aspect concerns you and your little boy / little girl suffers from this condition, we recommend keeping them warm and returning to the car as soon as possible and, of course, descending to a lower altitude, so that the body can absorb more oxygen.

Although our guides receive annual first-aid training, altitude sickness is nevertheless something that may or may not affect you, which is why our recommendation is to first walk through the streets of the city of Cusco and observe your physical condition, leaving the tour to the Mountain of 7 Colors for the end of your visit to the imperial city of Peru.

4. Entrance fees to the Mountain of 7 Colors 2023

Starting in September 2023, the cost of admission to the Mountain of 7 Colors increased in price, with the actual rates being 30.00 soles for foreigners and 20.00 soles for tourists from Peru who carry their DNI.

The amount collected from admission to the Hill of 7 Colors is distributed between two communities. The first payment of 10.00 soles is collected by the municipality of Cusipata, and the second remaining payment is collected by the community of Chillihuani. With these funds, the roads are maintained and support is provided to the local community members.

5. Horse rental at the Hill of 7 Colors

How many times have we needed a push to reach the goal? At the Rainbow Mountain Peru the same thing happens, the local community members rent their horses to all tourists who need that boost so as not to fall behind or to those who wish to arrive with a spectacular look for the photo.

We always recommend renting the horse only for the uphill section, which costs 60.00 soles; however, you can rent it for both sections, round trip, for the cost of 100.00 soles. These payments are always made in cash and the arrangement is made directly with the locals.

There is no way for the travel agency to guarantee the availability of one, because there is no phone signal at the Mountain of Seven Colors.

6. How many people visit the Hill of 7 Colors daily?

The Mountain of Seven Colors receives an approximate average of one thousand tourists daily, so renting horses can sometimes be complicated.

Since the official opening of this route, the number of visitors has not stopped growing, making it, to date, the second most visited place in Peru after Machu Picchu.

Thanks to this large influx of both foreign and national tourists, many jobs are generated directly and indirectly, allowing greater dynamism in the domestic economy and helping hundreds of people move forward.

7. The weather on the Mountain of Seven Colors

In the Peruvian Andes, only 2 types of seasons are experienced, dry and rainy, and the Mountain of 7 Colors is no exception to the rule.

The dry season runs from May to October, being the best time of the year to visit this majestic place, since the sky is always sunny with few clouds and with a beautiful blue tone.

On the other hand, the rainy season runs from November to April, the rains begin gradually and also stop gradually, with February and March being the months when seeing the Mountain of 7 Colors is like tossing a coin into the air, since during these two months it usually rains and snows a lot.

7.1 What is the best season to visit the Mountain of 7 Colors then?

Honestly, everything depends on the person and their perspective. Personally, I love the rainy season, since the photos come out with an artistic and unique touch compared to the dry season, when you arrive at the place, take the photo and that’s it.

On the other hand, during the rainy season, the Mountain of Colors takes on more vivid tones, with clouds that contrast with that beautiful landscape, making each photo seem as if it had been taken on different days.

For now, we will leave this topic here; we leave it up to you to decide whether you prefer blue and clear skies or mystical mountain landscapes with clouds and gradients of light.

7.2 The temperature on the Mountain of 7 Colors:

99% of the time the weather is frigid, with temperatures that can drop to -10°C in the mornings, especially during the months of June and July, which curiously are the months when the sky is completely clear and blue.

The temperature during the other months of the year can drop to -3°C when you get out of the vehicle and warm up to 8°C, which is not much if we put it into perspective, particularly because at those altitudes the winds that blow are frigid.

Consequently, we recommend that you always go well bundled up and with a backpack so that you can store the clothes you take off.

8. Origin and geological formation of the Mountain of 7 Colors in Peru

8.1. Geological formation:

Before the existence of the Mountain of Seven Colors, each of its layers formed part of a flat surface about 250,000,000 years ago, which, as a result of the Earth’s nuclear winters, accumulated reddish layers of copper and other ferrous metals that, in the long run, with the collision of tectonic plates, particularly the continental plate of America and the Pacific plate, would form the Andes.

The mountain range where the Mountain of Seven Colors is located is called the Vilcanota Mountain Range, and it includes not only the aforementioned mountain but also a series of majestic snow-capped mountains, as is the case of the Ausangate snow-capped mountain at 6,494 meters above sea level, which you can appreciate once you reach the viewpoints of the Mountain of 7 Colors.

8.2 The minerals that compose it:

The Mountain of Seven Colors is composed of metallic minerals and oceanic sediment, among which minerals such as copper, zinc, iron, and gypsum mainly stand out.

8.3. Myths about the Mountain of 7 Colors:

A very popular and widespread myth, both on the internet and among local guides, is that the Mountain of 7 Colors was covered in ice and that due to climate change and rising temperatures this “snow-capped mountain” melted, giving rise to the appearance of the Mountain of 7 Colors.

This myth is completely false; it is enough to take a look at the snow-capped mountain located in front of the Mountain of 7 Colors to realize that such deglaciation never occurred; in fact, by logic and deduction, such melting would have flooded large parts of the department of Cusco.

This myth arises because during the months of February and March it usually snows heavily, to the point that it completely covers not only the Mountain of Seven Colors but also the entire hiking route; however, this phenomenon is normal and natural, and it occurs every year.

The records of Federico Kauffmann Doig, a Peruvian anthropologist, archaeologist and historian, mention that many parts of the Peruvian Andes were covered with much more massive ice around 4500 B.C.; planet Earth experienced global warming and, consequently, many snow-capped mountains melted.

Likewise, this gave way to the extinction of the megafauna and a migration of different human groups to various parts of the Andean territory. It would not be surprising if this area had also been covered by some ice many years ago and was uncovered with deglaciation.

Let us remember that the populations of this area have been alpaca breeders for hundreds of generations; likewise, there are still pilgrimage rituals to the nearby snow-capped mountain (Ausangate), the pilgrimage of the Lord of Qoillor Riti (Lord Jesus of the Shining Snow), a tradition that we will leave for another post, but which is worth mentioning.

9. Final conclusions:

Whatever time of the year you plan to visit the Mountain of Colors, we recommend that you always go well bundled up, carry an extra backpack, and schedule this destination for the last day of your stay in Cusco, since it is located at 5,036 meters, so that you can avoid or greatly mitigate altitude sickness SOROCHE.

The Mountain of Colors is a truly extraordinary natural wonder that has become increasingly popular among travelers. Being well prepared, physically ready, and respectful of the environment will ensure you a memorable and pleasant experience exploring this incredible geological wonder.