Martina F
August 29, 2026
Trekking Vinicunca e Ausangate
Abbiamo fatto il tour di due giorni e una notte facendo il trekking di Vinicunca e Ausangate. Le guide Marco e Inti sono state impeccabili! Super consigliato!
Climb Rainbow Mountain on day one, sleep in Pacchanta beside natural hot springs, and walk the seven glacier lakes of Ausangate on day two, with no camping and everything arranged.
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The Ausangate Trek 2 Days is a tour from Cusco that combines Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca, 5,036 m) and the 7 Lakes of Ausangate. On day one you hike to the Rainbow Mountain viewpoint and sleep in a guesthouse in Pacchanta. On day two you walk the 14 km loop of glacier lakes, up to 4,770 m, and return to Cusco.
Day 1 starts before sunrise. You're picked up at your hotel in Cusco between 4 and 5 AM and drive south through the Vilcanota valley to Cusipata, where breakfast is waiting. From there the road climbs to the Chillihuani community and the start of the trail.
The hike to Rainbow Mountain is short but high: a steady climb of about 1.5 to 2 hours at a slow pace, up to the viewpoint at 5,036 m. On a clear day, the striped slopes of Vinicunca face the snowy wall of Ausangate, the mountain you'll sleep beneath that night. After photos and the guide's explanation, you walk down for lunch.
Instead of returning to Cusco, you drive about 3 hours across the highlands to Pacchanta, a Quechua herding village at 4,330 m. Your bed is in a local guesthouse, steps from the natural hot springs. It's the perfect place to rest your legs before dinner.
Day 2 starts at the foot of Ausangate. After breakfast you walk the 14 km loop of the 7 Lakes of Ausangate: seven glacier-fed lakes, red, green and turquoise, each with its community sign. Back in Pacchanta for lunch, you head to Cusco in the afternoon with two of the region's most beautiful hikes done.
Day 2 follows the signposted 14 km loop of the 7 Lakes of Ausangate, from Pacchanta and back. Their official names, on the community signs, are Hatun Puka Qocha, Huch'uy Puka Qocha, Oqe Qocha, China Uturunku Qocha, Ch'uñu Qocha (the highest, at 4,770 m), Orqo Uturunku Qocha and Anqas Qocha. Each one has its own color, from rust red to deep blue.
See every lake with its photo, meaning and altitude on our Ausangate 7 Lakes hike page.
Ausangate
Ausangate
Ausangate
Ausangate04:00 AM
Hotel pickup in Cusco's historic center. Between 4:00 and 5:00 AM, depending on your hotel. Dress warm.
06:00 AM
Breakfast in Cusipata. Andean buffet breakfast in the Vilcanota valley.
07:00 AM
Drive to Chillihuani. The road climbs to the Chillihuani community and the start of the trail.
08:00 AM
Hike to Rainbow Mountain. A steady climb of 1.5 to 2 hours at a slow pace.
10:00 AM
Rainbow Mountain viewpoint (5,036 m). Your guide explains the mountain, and you get 40 to 60 minutes for photos, with Ausangate on the horizon on clear days.
11:00 AM
Walk down to the vehicle, about 1 hour.
12:00 PM
Buffet lunch.
01:00 PM
Drive to Pacchanta (about 3 hours). No return to Cusco: you head straight to the foot of Ausangate.
04:00 PM
Check-in at your guesthouse in Pacchanta (4,330 m). Free time; the hot springs are next door (S/ 5–10, not included).
07:00 PM
Traditional dinner in Pacchanta.
07:00 AM
Breakfast in Pacchanta.
07:45 AM
Start of the 7 Lakes hike. You pay the S/ 20 entrance fee at the gate of the Ausangate Private Conservation Area and start a steady 1.5-hour climb.
09:15 AM
First lake: Hatun Puka Qocha (4,580 m). From here the trail is mostly flat or downhill.
09:30 AM
The 7 Lakes loop. Huch'uy Puka, Oqe, China Uturunku, Ch'uñu Qocha (4,770 m), Orqo Uturunku and Anqas Qocha, with time for photos.
12:30 PM
Back in Pacchanta for lunch.
01:30 PM
Free time. A last soak in the hot springs if you skipped them the night before.
02:30 PM
Return to Cusco (about 3 hours).
05:30 PM
Drop-off in Cusco's historic center.
Times are approximate and depend on road conditions, weather and the group's pace. The order of the lakes may change if your guide walks the loop the other way.
Yes, the Ausangate Trek 2 Days combines both in one trip: Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca, 5,036 m) on day one, a night in a guesthouse in Pacchanta, and the 7 Lakes of Ausangate on day two. They can't be done comfortably in a single day, because each is about 3 hours from Cusco on different roads.
"Ausangate trek to Rainbow Mountain" usually means a multi-day camping trek around Ausangate that ends at Vinicunca. The Ausangate Trek 2 Days is a shorter version: you reach Rainbow Mountain and the 7 Lakes by vehicle and two day hikes, and sleep in a guesthouse in Pacchanta instead of a tent.
Yes, for most travelers the Ausangate Trek 2 Days is less tiring than two separate day trips. You skip about 3 hours of driving, and on day two you wake up at the foot of the lakes instead of leaving Cusco at 4 AM, so you sleep more and start the long hike with more energy. Lodging and 5 meals are included.
Choose the Ausangate Trek 2 Days if you want Rainbow Mountain and the 7 Lakes with a bed and only one night away from Cusco. Choose a 3- to 5-day Ausangate trek if you want more time in the Vilcanota range and to walk deeper around the mountain, beyond what day hikes reach.
The Ausangate Trek 2 Days is moderate to hard because of the altitude. Day one is a short but steep 1.5- to 2-hour climb to 5,036 m. Day two is longer: a 14 km loop above 4,300 m. Fit beginners can do it after at least 3 days of acclimatization in Cusco.
The Rainbow Mountain viewpoint is at 5,036 m (16,522 ft), the figure on the sign at the top and in Peru's official tourism inventory. Many sites say 5,200 m, but that refers to nearby ridges no tour visits. The 7 Lakes of Ausangate sit between 4,550 and 4,770 m, and you sleep in Pacchanta at 4,330 m.
You sleep in a local guesthouse in Pacchanta, a Quechua herding village at 4,330 m, in a bed and not a tent. It's simple rural lodging, steps from the village's natural hot springs, and nights drop below 0 °C, so bring warm sleepwear. Dinner and breakfast are included.
The Ausangate Trek 2 Days reaches Rainbow Mountain from the Cusipata side, through the Chillihuani community. From the trailhead you climb about 1.5 to 2 hours to the viewpoint at 5,036 m. The other main access is from Pitumarca (Quesiuno). Instead of returning to Cusco, the vehicle then continues to Pacchanta for the night.
Rainbow Mountain is real and naturally striped by minerals, but many online photos are edited to look brighter. In person the colors are earthier: red, ochre, green and lilac. Sun makes them stand out; clouds soften them, and snow, more frequent from December to March, can cover them completely.
No, entrance fees and the hot springs are not included in the Ausangate Trek 2 Days. You pay in cash on site: about S/ 30 for Rainbow Mountain and S/ 20 for the 7 Lakes (2026), plus S/ 5–10 for the Pacchanta hot springs. There are no ATMs in Pacchanta, so bring small notes from Cusco.
The best time for the Ausangate Trek 2 Days is May to September, the dry season, with clearer skies and firm trails; June is the most reliable month. From December to March, afternoon rain is common and snow can hide Rainbow Mountain's stripes. Nights in Pacchanta are below freezing all year.
The Ausangate Trek 2 Days with Ausangate Trek costs $129 per person (2026). It includes hotel pickup in Cusco, all transport, a night in a Pacchanta guesthouse, 5 meals, a professional guide and emergency oxygen. Entrance fees are paid separately. You can book online on this page with the Book Now button.
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Your Rainbow Mountain photo, a night by the hot springs under Ausangate and seven glacier lakes the next morning, all arranged: transport, lodging and 5 meals. From US$129 per person.
Free cancellation up to 72 hours before · Minimum age 10 (active teens)
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