Visit this wonder of the world on these tours to Machu Picchu.
The tourist packages to Machu Picchu are one of the best decisions to travel through the Andes of Machu Picchu and the outstanding tourist circuits of the Cusco region, with extensions to other tourist destinations like Puno and Arequipa. Outdoor tours among Inca ruins, archeological parks, and short nature walks in the Andes are the perfect vacation for your next travel destination in Peru, South America.
In the Andes Mountains, Rainbow Mountain, often called Vinicunca Mountain, soars 5,200 meters (17,100 feet) above Cusco. The mountain is well known for its vivid colors, which are brought on by various minerals. Red, yellow, orange, and green represent the hues that create a truly captivating display.
The Rainbow Mountain Trek is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. The views from the mountain’s peak make the challenging walk up there worthwhile. The views of the surrounding mountains, valleys, and glaciers are visible from the summit.
Our journeys include lunch, a professional guide, and transportation. Also, we provide a range of departure times to work with your schedule.
If you are interested in learning more about Andean cosmology and traditions or looking for a spiritual experience, then a spiritual tour in Cusco is a great option. Many different experiences are available, so you can find one that fits your interests and needs.
During these spiritual sessions, individuals may engage in various activities and ceremonies to establish a connection with the spiritual realm and foster personal growth and healing. These practices often draw inspiration from the natural elements, mountains, lakes, and other sacred sites that hold significance in the Andean culture.
The Amazon of Peru is a unique and mysterious place. The diversity and fantastic flora of the Amazon rainforest have long drawn us in, and our photographer’s hearts have yearned to capture stunning images of the abundant wildlife there. Visiting the Amazon Rainforest in Peru is one of the best travel experiences, “it has something to offer everyone,” whether you’re exploring it from a lodge or on a boat.
Enjoy the diversity of nature while exploring trails, looking for caiman and river otters, and standing on platforms in the thick canopy of the Amazon rainforest.
After spending the day exploring the most biodiverse region on earth, our Amazon vacation packages include transfers, knowledgeable local guides, and a cozy jungle lodge to unwind in.
Expeditions for adventure lovers fall between moderate and strenuous; exploring the lost city of the Incas is the perfect combination with the Short Inca Trail and the rainbow mountain of Peru.
Tour Plan: Cusco | Ollantaytambo | Km 104 | Chachabamba | Wiñaywayna | Inca Sun Gate | Machu Picchu Ruins | Llactoc | Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain
Short Inca Trail plus Rainbow Mountain Trek 3 Days
A quick version of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is one of the iconic routes of Peru and South America. We present one of the best combinations of outdoor adventures in the Andes of Cusco.
Explore this extraordinary adventure for hikers. We will visit the Short Inca Trail and Rainbow Mountain Trek for three days in Machu Picchu, the famous rainbow mountain with the red valley.
This breathtaking adventure will take you through stunning landscapes, including the famous Rainbow Mountain and the ancient Inca Trail. Get ready for an unforgettable experience that will leave you in awe of the natural beauty of Peru.
If you’re an adventure seeker and love exploring nature, then the 3-Day Rainbow Mountain and Short Inca Trail treks are perfect for great Peru vacations.
Overview
Rainbow Mountain & Short Inca Trail 3 Days Overview
You’ll hike through breathtaking landscapes, explore ancient ruins, and immerse yourself in the rich culture of Peru. Along the way, you’ll learn about the rich history and culture of the Inca people and their connection to the land.
Day 1: Short Inca Trail Hike
Day 2: Machu Picchu Tour
Day 3: Rainbow Mountain Hike
Highlights
Explore the Andes through the iconic tourist circuits of the Cusco region
See the Short Inca Trail and Rainbow Mountain for 3 days, plus the lost city of Machu Picchu.
Itinerary
Rainbow Mountain & Short Inca Trail 3 Days Itinerary
Combining Rainbow Mountain and the Short Inca Trail: The beauty of this adventure lies in its perfect combination of natural wonders and cultural immersion. Starting in Cusco, you’ll embark on a journey that takes you from the colorful slopes of Rainbow Mountain to the historic path of the Short Inca Trail.
DAY 1
Premium Short Inca Trail
We leave the city of Cusco at approximately 05:10 to board the train service from the Ollantaytambo train station. The train ride lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes. We get off the train with our tour guide at kilometer 104. We cross the suspension bridge to reach the control of the Historic Sanctuary of the Inca Trail Network, and we present the original passports with the permits and tickets to start the trek. Guided visits to the Inca archaeological complexes of Chachabamba, Wiñaywayna, and Intipunku
There are three hours of ascent and two hours of the semi-undulating path until reaching the viewpoints of Machupicchu. The entrance to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is a masterful example of the quality of the paved trail.
At 4:30, your guide with our van will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco and transfer you immediately to the Ollantaytambo train station.
Train info:
Train Company: INCA RAIL
Route: Ollantaytambo to KM 104 Service: The Voyager 41 Train departure: At 06:40 At the train station: At 06:10 KM 104 Arrival: 07:50
At 9:30, we will immediately start walking the Inca Trail.
At 16:30, board the bus service that goes to Aguas Calientes.
Informative information about the walk
Starting Altitude: 2100m (6900 ft).
Highest Altitude: 2730m (8,792 ft).
Walking Distance: 10 km/6.3 miles
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
TRAIL DETAILS TO THE PUERTA DEL SOL
Hiking time: Total time: 6 hours approx.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Hiking distance: Total hike: 10km / 6.21 miles.
Age restrictions: none.
Elevation: 2720 m/8924 ft.
Location: Southwest of the citadel of Machu Picchu.
Description of the hike: The trail is flat but uphill for 80%, and the remaining 20% are stone stairs.
Advantages: The hiking trail offers incredible views of the local geography and the wonderful
Archaeological remains: Inca terraces and the gate “La Portada del Sol.”
The unevenness route: The imbalance of this route is 250 meters starting from the door of the sanctuary of Machu Picchu
Food
Box Lunch
Physical Level
2, Moderate
Walking Distance
11km (6.14 miles)
Hiking Time
5 Hrs
Starting Altitude
KM 104: 2,000m (6,560 ft)
Minimun Altitude
Machu Picchu Ruins: 2,400m (7,874 ft)
Highest Altitude
Inti Pinku: 2,720m (8,920 ft)
DAY 2
Machu Picchu Tour
Machu Picchu is an enigmatic and mysterious city.
Description of activities: Buffet breakfast at the hotel, then board the shared bus service of the Consettur company for “30 minutes of travel”.
We arrive at Machu Picchu. We present the entrance ticket with the respective passport and begin the guided exploration of Machu Picchu (two hours is enough time to visit all the essential sites of the citadel). At the end of the guided tour, we leave the Inca citadel to go to Aguas Calientes. In the afternoon, we board the train to return to Cusco via Ollantaytambo. In Ollantaytambo, the private vehicle awaits us for the transfer service to reach the hotel.
Train service information: [Inbound Journey]
Train company: INCA RAIL
Service: MACHU PICCHU-OLLANTAYTAMBO (1 hour and 30 minutes of train ride).
Class: The Voyager 44
Departure: 14:30
At Station: 14:00; otherwise, you may not be allowed to board.
Ollantaytambo arrival: 16:04
Cusco arrival by transport: 17:50
Meet at the train arrivals area at the Ollantaytambo train station. Just look for a KONDOR PATH TOURS sign with your name.” Group name: Rainbow Mountain & Short Inca Trail 3 Days
Food
Breakfast
Physical Level
1, Easy
Walking Distance
A light walk
Hiking Time
2-hour guided tour
Starting Altitude
Machu Picchu Pueblo: 2,065m (6,774 ft)
Minimun Altitude
Machu Picchu Ruins: 2,400m (7,874 ft)
Highest Altitude
Cusco: 3,350m (10,990 ft)
DAY 3
Rainbow Mountain Experience
We start the trip from Cusco around 06:00, “not too early and too late,” which we believe suits the entire group of adventurers since the service is private. We arrive at the end of the Cusipata carriage trail to walk along the walkers’ path.
We reached the top of the Mountain of Colors and continued to the Red Valley. The two routes are beautiful sites with impressive panoramic views of the Andes Mountains and unique scenic landscapes south of Cusco.
The visit is completed with the sighting of alpacas along the route in their natural habitat.
It will take approximately 3 hours to reach the famous viewpoints.
The tour ends around four or 15:30 (Cusco).
Useful Information
Starting Altitude: 4,900 m/16,076 ft.
Highest Altitude: 5,100 m (16,732 ft).
Walking Distance: 7 km (Total)
Difficulty: challenging-moderate.
Food
Box Lunch
Physical Level
5, Challenging
Walking Distance
7km (4.3 miles)
Hiking Time
100-minutes
Starting Altitude
Llactoq: 4,900m (16,076 ft)
Minimun Altitude
Llactoq: 4,900m (16,076 ft)
Highest Altitude
Rainbow Pass: 5,100m (16,732 ft)
Inclusions
Short Inca Trail & Rainbow Mountain 3 Days Included
A bilingual local tour guide who speaks Spanish and English has a “current card to enter the tourist circuits.”
Private tourist transport for transfer services
Authorization to get off the train at km 104
Train ticket service: Railway company INCA RAIL
Outbound Journey: OLLANTAYTAMBO – KM 104: Class: The Voyager 41, departure at 06:40
+$75 Huayna Picchu
+$75 Montaña
+$60 RE-ENTRY TO MACHU PICCHU
Discounts
This applies to the following services: Machu Picchu Fee
Student discounts of $30
Additional equipment for the Colorful Mountain
Warm clothes for the low temperatures of the Andes; the weather is changeable. Bring an excellent warm jacket, gloves, and scarf. Also, bring full rain gear; it is better to be cautious.
Travel Guide
Facts of the Rainbow Mountain & Short Inca Trail 3 Days
INTRODUCTION TO THE ADVENTURE
The Inca Trail is considered one of the best engineering works of the Inca Empire that remains today. This network of roads spans 30 thousand kilometers and covers countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, and Colombia. Many sections were the basis for the construction of modern roads. Others are considered protected heritage by the states. One of the most famous stretches is the 39-kilometer route that leads to Machu Picchu.
Enjoy outdoor activities like hiking along the trails of the Incas.
In the citadel of Machu Picchu, the weather is warm and humid during the day and cool at night. Hiking is enjoyable for all travelers, allowing them to walk more uncovered during their trip.
Temperature: The temperature ranges between 12 and 24 degrees Celsius; although the area is rainy (about 1,955 mm per year), especially between November and March, the intensity of the rains alternates rapidly.
Rainy Season: From December to March or April is the rainy season in Machu Picchu. April to November or December is the dry and sunny season, with a particular nuance in the spring month of September, with a spectacular subtropical forest landscape.
The rainy months concentrate approximately 80% of the annual rainfall volume, ranging from 1,600 to 2,300 millimeters. The average humidity is 77% during the dry months and 91% during the rainy months.
In the rainy season, from September to April, showers and drizzles are almost daily, followed by clear blue skies and intense sunshine, given its location in the Amazon jungle. Rains are latent in any month, from March to December, even in the dry season.
The landscape surrounding Machu Picchu
You can find archeological sites and monuments of high historical value in Machu Picchu, the Intihuatana, the Intipunku, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Sacred Plaza, the Temple of the Condor, etc.
From the air, Machu Picchu, the Inca city of Machu Picchu, is shaped like the condor, the sacred bird of the Incas.
Machu Picchu has crossed two mountain ranges: the Urubamba and Vilcanota.
The Inca City was built on the ‘Vilcabamba batholith.’ The prominent mountains that surround it are Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu.
The Vinicunca Mountain, better known as the Mountain of the Seven Colors or simply the Rainbow, is one of the new attractions in Cusco.
It is located more than 90 kilometers from Cusco, on a summit altitude of 5,200 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.).
It has a mountain formation, naturally dyed in various shades of a complex combination of minerals.
The mountain and the summit of Vinicunca are dyed in various shades, including red, purple, green, yellow, pink, and other variations.
Pricing & Book Now
HIKING SERVICE Season 2025
The Short Inca Trail and Rainbow Mountain Trek 3 Days require at least two trekkers for a private service.
Number of persons
Price per person
2
$ 704.00 USD
At least three hikers are needed for a shared group service on the Short Inca Trail and Rainbow Mountain Trek 3 Days.
Number of persons
Price per person
$588.00USD
Inquire
INQUIRE ABOUT THE 3 DAY SHORT INCA TRAIL PLUS RAINBOW MOUNTAIN TRIP
Short Inca Trail and Rainbow Mountain, 3 Days
Confirmed Departures
Great news! Kondor Path Tours has reserved departures for many dates. If you want to explore this tour, you can join our existing groups!
Feel free to choose the date that works best for you during the month and year you plan your trip. Whether you want to hike the Inca Trail or discover the Sacred Valley, we have a spot for you! Don’t miss out on the adventure—book your place today!
If you don’t find departures for the dates you wish to travel, you can open a new group with at least 3 people; otherwise, you can write to us via email or WhatsApp.
We used Kondor Path for 5 different tours.
My husband, 21 year old daughter and I used Kondor Path for several tours. First of all, every tour you book with them is private. Loved that! They went at our pace for every tour. If we wanted to skip something, add something, go slower or faster, they accommodated us. We did the alternate Ollyantaytambo tour, Super Sacred Valley tour, 1/2 day Cusco tour, Machu Picchu guide and a two day tour from Puno to Arequipa with a stop at the Colca Canyon. Our guides were Wilfredo, Odon and Andres and our drivers were Anibal and Raul. All 5 of these men were excellent. The drivers did such a good job and Anibal was excellent at helping me at some of the stops that involved climbing (I am a giant klutz!) All three of our guides were knowledgeable and taught us so much about the locations, Incas, and pre-Incas. I had a bit of an oxygen issue when we passed 16,000 feet and Andres was so good about helping me back to the car and Raul got us down in altitude quickly and safely. Our daughter had a massive nose bleed at MP and Odon helped her to get it stopped. If you find yourself in Peru, do yourself a favor and use Kondor Path!
Tanja B
2024-05-13
Lares 1 day hike was amazing
I did the 1 day Lares Trek private tour with Kondor Path Tours and liked it a lot. They picked me up from my hostel and hours later we arrived at Lares Town to have some breakfast from locals which was really delicious. Later during the hike we met even more locals which gives you a feeling of how they are living. My guide explained everything so well and it was so interesting. As requested I got really good Vegetarian food. Thanks to my guide Alfredo Santacruz and the driver I felt comfortable during the whole trip. Thank you for this amazing experience!!
Kyrsten B
2024-05-04
Great Short Inca Trail Experience
Just finished the short Inca Trail hike with Kondor Path tours. An excellent experience from beginning to end. Responded quickly, everything well organized, our guide Bonette was fabulous. Set the perfect pace for our family, knowledgeable, considerate. The trail itself is amazing- entering Machu Picchu through the sun gate at the end. Spectacular scenery.
Allyx T
2024-04-27
Amazing trip thanks to Fredi!
Our tour was fantastic. We did the 2 day Salkantay trek, spent the first day hiking the Salkantay trail and got to take a horse part of the way. The lunch was great and everything was thought through ahead of time by our guide, Fredi. Fredi was truly the highlight of our trip! An amazing guide and so fun to spend time with- we learned a ton from him, felt safe, and had a blast. I would definitely book with Kondor Tours again for a chance to spend time with Fredi on another adventure. Some of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen- truly and unforgettable adventure
Lucas B
2024-04-24
Excelente private tours
We did a two day tour from Cusco to Machu Picchu with the salt mines and it was all perfect. Our guide Alfredo was extremely helpful and I couldn’t rate him any higher. Perfect English, knew all the shortcuts, helped us with everything we need.
ksdl2005
2024-02-17
Must do tour
We did the trip to Machu Picchu with them and the horse ride up to rainbow mountain… we never do tours because we don’t like to spend money unnecessarily… this was so worth it it’s a private tour and the logistics of the train the ride there the bus the entrance and all the times to just fit in is hard to schedule also the time of departure to go back … it was so worth it.. the guides are amazing and you learn way more about their culture and they speak great English.. you learn so much on just the rides… also they bring oxygen and the roads are pretty rough so unlike the trouble of scheduling and getting up so early and the rough roads and altitude sickness you just lay down and sleep on the trip instead of a bunch of people on a bus jsut the ride alone is worth it … this is a no brainer to do ….and once again I never spend money on excursions or tours they also are first to book the tours so you get the much sought after circuit 2
Ani T
2023-12-21
Wonderul site, great tour operator and excellent guide
We had an evening flight so wanted to do something during the first half of the day, really glad we picked this half-day tour of the Sillustani ruins. The tour agent (Kondor Path Tours) was very flexible about our pickup time and dropoff options, so that really helped. We were able to arrange a later pickup in the morning that included all our luggage and then they dropped us off at the Juliaca airport after the tour. But the Sillustani towers themselves are a real treat to see and learn about all their history. The site itself is very serene and beautiful, with the lake in the background from the main viewpoint. Our tour guide (Richy/Ricardo) was excellent and very helpful and knowledgeable. He gave us not only the ancient history of Sillustani and the adjoining areas, but also a more contemporary history of Peru and the Puno region I have to add that he went over and above by even helping us to check our bags in at JUL airport!
ladyshalyn
2023-10-22
Maras and Moray + Pachamanca
Easily the best tour experience I had during my trip to Peru. I highly recommend Kondor Tours as the customer service is top-notch. James responded to my queries almost instantly each time and was very helpful. We were even treated to a can of cusquenia beer each when we visited the office! Our guide Alfredo was absolutely amazing and we were fortunate to have him as our guide for the tour. He is very passionate about his job and shared so much valuable information with us. He has a very candid character and we were very comfortable throughout! I highly recommend requesting for him as your guide (the best we had while touring Peru for 3 weeks). Also, I would say opting in for and additional traditional peruvian pachamanca meal experience must not be missed. The community people were very warm and gracious hosts and it is eye opening to witness the preparation of such a traditional feast normally done only for special occasions like weddings. We even had time for dancing! Two thumbs up for sure!
Niels K
2023-08-10
3-day Choquequirao Trek
We took a three-day private group trek to Choquequirao as a family of five. Kondor Path Tours organized a pick-up and drop-off in Urubamba instead of Cusco and did an extra stop at the Saywhite archeological site. Everything went very smoothly during the entire trip, meals and accommodation were as expected or better. The trek itself is quite demanding (particularly in three days), but the nature/ views/ Choquequirao/ dearth of tourists largely compensate. Anyway, we were looking for a physical challenge! Our guide Oron was great. Explaining, motivating, solving potential problems/ demands. We would definitely recommend Kondor Path Tours.
Anja
2023-08-05
Proffecional company and perfect guide
Kondor Path Tours are so proffecional and easy to work with. We went with them on the 2 days short Inca trail to Machu Picchu with our three children. The correspondence was great and everything was perfectly planned in every detail. Our guide Alfredo was so friendly, knowledgeable and pleasant to be around! Thank you Kondor Path Tours - we couldn’t have asked for more!!
