Chocolate Lake, Rainbow Mountain & Waqrapukara Trek – 3 Days

Our 3-day trek across the Vilcanota mountain range’s remote high-altitude deserts and isolated settlements, known as the Chocolate Lake, Rainbow Mountain & Waqrapukara trek, will take you through these areas. Furthermore, the sacred Ausangate mountain, which is the highest in the area at 6,372 meters (20,905 feet), will be seen to you in all its grandeur.

We pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at the scheduled time, and we drive you for about 3.5 hours to the community of Huchuy Phynaya, where our cook will make a filling breakfast before you begin the hike. The hike is uphill for about two hours, and along the way, we will see some herds of llamas and alpacas nearby as well as some lovely scenery. Unquestionably stunning panoramic views will surround Ausangate Chocolate Lake, giving us the impression that we are in another country.

Upon arrival, we will have beautiful pics of this lake and free time to explore around; our tour leader will continuously explain the importance of the mountains and the reason for the red color of the lake, which will be interesting to learn.

After that we descend to the beginning of our climb, where our cook will be waiting for us with a delicious lunch, we will then travel for 40 minutes to the community of Hanchipacha, where our staff will set up your tents, and in the evening we will enjoy our tea time and dinner. We’ll have a clear glimpse of the Milky Way at night thanks to the sky.

Accommodation: Tent (4-season tent, 4 people made a tent for 2 people, allowing greater comfort).
Maximum Altitude: 4.780 m.
Meals: Breakfast,  Lunch, Tea, and Dinner.
Distance of walking: 06 Km / 3.72 miles.
Highlights: Ausangate Mountain, Chocolate Lake, Vino Cocha.

A wonderful day is in store for us; we will be the first ones at Rainbow Mountain since it is only a 30-minute drive from Hanchipacha to the beginning of our hike. After a filling breakfast, we head to Qayrahuiri, where we begin the trek to Rainbow Mountain. The path is gently uphill for an hour, and once we arrive, we will have enough time to appreciate this special location and take the most stunning pictures without any other tourists around.

Next, we hike for 30 minutes to the Red Valley of Rainbow Mountain. This breathtaking Red Valley is a chain of streams and mountains that exhibit a distinctive natural reddish pigment because of the abundance of minerals, and that displays this breathtaking landscape that was already thought to be one of the potential attractions of the Cusco region.

When we’ve finished our tour of the Vinicunca Rainbow mountain, we’ll head back to where we started, where our chef will be waiting with a delectable buffet meal. The Pomacanchi Lagoon will be our next stop. The first lagoon we will see on this trip is Pomacanchi, therefore we will place our tent there.

There are trout, pejerreyes, huitas, ccarachis, and ch’iñis in the Pomacanchi lagoon, which has a maximum depth of 140 meters. We will have the day free to explore this lagoon; that evening, we will eat a delicious dinner and spend the night in our tents close to the Pomacanchi lagoon.

Accommodation: Tent (4-season tent, 4 people made a tent for 2 people, allowing greater comfort).
Maximum Altitude: 5.038 m / 16,528 ft.
Meals: Breakfast,  Lunch, Tea, and Dinner.
Distance of walking: 04 Km / 2.48 miles.
Highlights: Rainbow mountain, beat the crowds, the Red Valley, Pomacanchi Lake.

Today we will climb to the Waqrapukara incan site; after breakfast at around 6 am, we continue in our mobility for another 30 minutes via a winding gravel road to the location known as Punta Carretera. Before moving on to Waqrapukara, we will stop here for about 10 minutes to complete our last preparations. For the first two hours of our walk, we will begin on a flat, slightly curved road with minor ascents and descents. We will also travel through stunning scenery, including high Andean lakes (Cochas).

We will descend from the summit after we get to the Waqrapukara vantage point. We shall halt so that we can snap the initial photos of the Waqrapukara Archaeological Complex. After that, we will keep descending for around 40 minutes until we arrive at the same ceremonial center. As we get closer, we’ll see enormous rock formations that add depth to the Apurimac River Valley.

We will spend an hour and a half touring Waqrapukara’s ceremonial hub. We will continue our 2-hour descent to Huayqui Community, where the views are breathtaking, after taking in the incredible splendor and taking some photos. Along the trip, in addition to these stunning views, we will see some fascinating ancient rock art. Some of these cave paintings are in remarkably good condition for their age.

After returning to Pomacanchi Lake in our transport, our outstanding cook will be waiting for us with lunch, then we’ll drive to Cusco and check into your hotel there at 6:00 p.m.

Maximum Altitude: 4,250 m / 13,943 ft.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.
Distance of walking: 12 Km / 7,45miles.
Highlights: Pomacanchi Lake, Waqrapukara.

• Pre-trek briefing (briefing at the hotel or Office).
• Pick up from your hotel on the morning of departure.
• Roundtrip private transportation.
• English / Quechua / Spanish professional guide speak.
• Second Tour Guide over 12 people.
• 1 duffle bag per person to pack your 7 kilos of stuff
• Local food service (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 Dinners, snacks).
• Vegetarian and free gluten food for no extra cost.
• First-aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle.
• Entrance fee to Chocolate Lake, Rainbow Mountain, and Waqrapukara.
• Master Chef.
• Dining equipment including portable chairs and tables.
• Tents – 2 people in a 4-person tent, which allows for greater comfort and storage of backpacks.
• Thermarest air-inflate Comfortable sleeping Mattress.
• Portable environmental Biodegradable toilet.
• Camping spot fees.

• Extra expenses.
• Dinner – Day 3.
• Travel and health insurance (bring copies with you please).
• Sleeping bags (it can be rented from us for US$ 15 for the entire trip).
• Walking sticks (it can be rented from us for US$ 10 for the entire trip).

• A travel insurance card is essential.
• Sleeping bag.
• Walking sticks.
• Rain gear (jacket and pants) or poncho. Plastic ponchos can be purchased for about $ 2 in Cusco.
• Strong footwear waterproof trekking boots are recommended. Extra socks are a must.
• Warm clothes include jackets, fleeces, gloves, scarf, and knit / tour beanies. Thermal clothing is also recommended, especially for sleeping.
• Flashlight and extra batteries.
• Camera, films, and batteries.
• Hat or cap to protect you from sun, rain, and cold.
• Sunblock.
• Toilet paper.
• Snacks: biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc.
• Non-disposable canteen (Nalgene type) and water for the first morning.
• Your own special medicines you may need, paracetamol, second skin blisters, etc.
• Cash – sufficient for snacks, tips, and souvenirs.
• Eager and adventurous spirit to enjoy your hike.

We also offer a special service only for you or your group, you have the power to choose the size of your group and the date of departure, we will never add other people since it will be organized only for you.

Our Chocolate Lake, Rainbow Mountain & Waqrapukara Trek – 3 Days private service includes additional items such as:

Additional Inclusions:

• Extra emergency horse to ride.
• North Face 4-season tents.
• Sleeping bag / Silk Liner included.
• 02 Waking Poles per person.
• 1 Duffel Bag to carry all your sleeping bags, self-inflating pad as well as clothes.
• Private round trip transportation.
• Tour Guide to explore Red lake, Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley all day. And of course, we pay a little more to our Staff and Guide.

Our prices for the Chocolate Lake, Rainbow Mountain & Waqrapukara Trek – 3 Days are reasonable and are in different packages with the prices that are handled in the city of Cusco, and discounts will apply automatically for groups of over 5 people when booking this tour together at the same time.
We are a local tour operator that never shares service with any other company in Cusco, most agencies in Cusco share their service to save operating costs with poor quality. We guarantee to make the trip even if there are only 02 people in your group.
Our booking process is simple and you can secure your trip with only a 30% deposit and pay the rest at the destination.

We want your vacation to Peru to be as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. This section contains answers to any inquiries regarding going with Huaynas Expeditions. Please read the following information; it will assist you if you have any queries regarding our services.