From Cusco: Palccoyo Rainbow Mountains & Stone Forest Tour

Explore Palccoyo Rainbow Mountains and the Stone Forest on a guided full-day tour with meals, transport, and hiking support from Cusco.

Getting started

Begin with hotel pickup within Cusco’s Historic Center and meet your bilingual English and Spanish-speaking guide as you board the tourist vehicle. Settle in for the drive out of the city with round-trip transfers included in your day. After traveling through the highlands, your first main stop is Cusipata, where you will pause for breakfast before continuing toward Palccoyo.

What to expect

Cusipata

Cusipata is your food stop on the way to and from the high Andes, used as a base to fuel up for the hike and to recover afterward.

Features

• Breakfast and lunch in Cusipata are included, giving you time to sit down, eat, and adjust before and after walking at higher altitude.
• Your day trip includes assistance during the hike, so your guide can check in on how you are feeling before you continue toward Palccoyo.

Palccoyo Rainbow Mountains

Palccoyo’s Rainbow Mountains are known for colorful mineral layers that shape an Andean landscape you explore on foot with your guide.

Features

• A guided visit to Palccoyo Rainbow Mountains lets you follow a walking route with stops at scenic viewpoints where you can observe the striped slopes and take photos.
• Your expert English and Spanish-speaking guide explains the area during the hike and offers assistance during the walk so you can move at a pace that suits the group.
• A first-aid kit and portable oxygen travel with the group, providing on-hand support in case altitude or the conditions make the hike more challenging.

Stone Forest

The Stone Forest is a zone of unusual rock formations that overlook nearby peaks, visited as part of the same circuit.

Features

• During your guided visit to the Stone Forest, you walk among distinctive rock shapes and look out over surrounding mountains from natural viewpoints.
• A day trip format means your time in the Stone Forest is coordinated with your visit to Palccoyo Rainbow Mountains so transport, guiding, and hiking assistance are handled for you.

Journey between Cusco and Palccoyo

Travel between Cusco, Cusipata, and Palccoyo passes through highland scenery and traditional communities.

Features

• Hotel pickup, round-trip transfers, and Plaza Regocijo drop-off are included, so you are transported door to door from Cusco’s Historic Center to the highlands and back to a central square.
• Travel through traditional communities and highland scenery on the journey from Cusco while your bilingual guide is available to answer questions during the drive.

Wrapping up

At the end of the afternoon, your transport returns to Cusco, with drop-off at Plaza Regocijo so you can continue your evening in the historic center after your visit to Palccoyo Rainbow Mountains and the Stone Forest.