Everything you need to know about Rainbow Mountain (save + share this post): 1. Rainbow Mountain a 3 hour drive from Cusco and you can easily do a day trip. 2. The majority of tours leave at 3am but I like sleep & booked with a company that has 7:30am tours. This was much better as when we arrived most groups were walking down from the mountain so when we reached the top the crowds were minimal. 3. Rainbow Mountain’s elevation is 17,000 feet. It’s imperative you stay in Cusco (11,151ft) a few days prior so your body gets used to the altitude. 4. The hike is roughly 4.5 miles RT, most of it is flat but don’t let that fool you, the elevation is no joke and. Be prepared for the last stretch which is very steep and take frequent breaks. 5. Wear lots of layers. It was warm at the base of the mountain but towards the top & especially when the wind came through it’s windy & cold. 6. The best time to hike Rainbow Mountain is the dry season April-Oct, I did the hike in September. 7. You can rent a horse for the majority of the hike, but the steep part you have to hike yourself as horses aren’t allowed there. The cost is about 70 soles (roughly $17 at the time of this post). 8. Vendors at the base of the mountain will stamp your passport for a minimal cost of 2 soles. They actually do this at Machu Picchu too. There is controversy around doing this as some ppl say your passport can become invalid if you get these types of stamps. I have used mine 3x since w/no issue but maybe best to stamp a journal. 9. If you traveled to Peru 10 years ago you would not have been able to do this hike because Rainbow Mountain was just discovered around 2015. Prior to it was always covered by snow but global warming has caused the temperatures to rise & the snow to melt. 10. Most popularly called Rainbow Mountain the original name is Vinicunca, which comes from the native Quechua word meaning mountain of colors. The 7 colors of this mountain come from mineral compositions and depending on if it rained recently or not the colors vary in their brightness. Have you heard of Rainbow Mountain? Would you do this hike? #rainbowmountain #solotravels #bucketlistadventures