Red Valley ATV & Rainbow Mountain Hike

An ATV ride to the Red Valley, followed by a hike of about 40 minutes to Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca). A combination of off-road adventure and a high-altitude walk, with views of the Ausangate range.

The tour leaves Cusco early in the morning and drives about an hour and a half to the village of Cusipata, where breakfast is served. From there, travelers continue for about one hour and twenty minutes to the ATV base, where they receive a safety briefing and a short driving practice session on new automatic quad bikes, suitable even for beginners. Travelers can choose how many passengers ride on each ATV. The group rides for about 10–15 minutes across the high plateau to the Red Valley, where reddish, iron- rich rock formations open up in front of them. From there, travelers hike about 40 minutes to Rainbow Mountain, whose colorful stripes were formed by minerals in the soil, with free time for photos and the Ausangate range in the background. At the end, the group returns for an Andean-style lunch and drives back to Cusco.

Trip details:

• Duration: full day
• Maximum altitude: approx. 5,000m
• Difficulty: moderate, mainly because of the altitude
• New automatic ATVs, suitable even for beginners
• No special requirements for riding
• Recommendation: 12 days of acclimatization in Cusco