Palccoyo Mountain and Waqrapukara Trek – 2 Days

If you don’t want to limit yourself to just one day around Palccoyo Mountain, you can always unleash your adventurous side and camp a night at Pomacanchi lake to then hike to the Waqrapukara Inca site. Waqrapukara is an awe-inspiring archaeological monument perched high in the mountain peaks above the Apurimac River; Waqrapukara in Peru has only recently been discovered. It was only made a national cultural heritage site as recently as 2017!.

The site rises up majestically from a deep ravine at a whopping 4300 meters above sea level (that’s 14,100 ft high). To put this into perspective, the elevation of Machu Picchu is just 2,430 meters (7,970 ft). The peaks of the Andean mountain range stretch out as far as the eye can see, and intense gusts of powerful wind barrel up the canyon below. Far down at the bottom, the winding path of the Apurímac river can be seen carving its path.

Palccoyo Mountain and Waqrapukara Trek – 2 Days availability:
The availability for Palccoyo Mountain and Waqrapukara Trek – 2 Days is unlimited.

Palccoyo Mountain and Waqrapukara Trek – 2 Days highlights:

• Palccoyo is still not so crowded by travelers as Vinicunca Mountain.
• The walk is simple and will not take you more than an hour.
• An impressive stone forest will attract your attention.
• The Palccoyo mountain range aims to become the new fashion destination.
• Discover the second Rainbow Mountain of Cusco.
• You will have the opportunity to appreciate the Ausangate mountain, the fifth highest mountain in Peru.
• The mountain’s reddish, green, and yellow tones will leave you speechless throughout the journey.
• Recommended for tourists who do not have extensive trekking experience or much resistance to altitude.
• Forget about the significant spots of tourists going up, down, and taking photos in the Vinicunca Mountain!.

Acclimatization:
We recommend you be in Cusco at least 2 days before your trek to be acclimatized to Cusco’s altitude so that you won’t have a problem during the tour.

About us:
We are Huaynas Expeditions, a direct local tour operator in Cusco; we do not share service with any other agency, as most of them do. We will make the Palccoyo Mountain and Waqrapukara Trek – 2 Days tour even if you are 2 people. We won’t cancel your trip! We are a responsible company with vast experience in the tourism industry; we have the best professional team to make your journey unforgettable.

Our tour begins with the pick-up from your hotel in Cusco. We will start our trip to the south of Cusco, and when we reach the town of Combapata, we will take an unpaved route until we reach the foothills of the Palccoyo mountain, where our experienced Chef will prepare us a delicious breakfast.

Then we start with our trek to the Palccoyo mountain; we can explore the area and enjoy the enigmatic nature where your adventure will be rewarded by unforgettable moments and beautiful landscapes. We will also visit the stone forest in the upper part, the view there is incredible, from where you can see the 3 mountains of colors that this place has and in the background the imposing mountain of Ausangate (the highest mountain in Cusco).

After completing our tour of the Palccoyo mountain, we will return to the starting point where our Chef will be waiting for us with a delicious Buffet lunch. Then we will go to the Pomacanchi Lagoon. We will set up our camp next to the lagoon of Pomacanchi, the first lagoon that we will visit on this tour.

The Pomacanchi lagoon has a maximum depth of 140 meters, where you can see trout, pejerreyes, huitas, ccarachis, ch’iñis. We will have a free afternoon to go through this lagoon and have our delicious dinner at night and spend the night in our tents next to the Pomacanchi lagoon.

Today we will hike to the Waqrapukara incan site; after breakfast at around 6 am, we continue in our mobility for 30 more minutes through a zigzagging unpaved road to the place called Punta Carretera. Place where we will stop for about 10 minutes to make the final preparations before walking towards Waqrapukara. We will start our walk along a flat road slightly stretched with small climbs and descents for the first 2 hours; we will also pass through beautiful landscapes, such as high Andean lakes (Cochas).

Once we reach the top, we will descend until we get the Waqrapukara viewpoint. We will stop to take the first pictures of the Archaeological Complex of Waqrapukara. Then we will continue descending for about 40 minutes until we reach the same ceremonial center. We will observe gigantic rock formations that give depth to the Apurímac River Valley as we approach.

We will explore the ceremonial center of Waqrapukara for an hour and a half. After contemplating so much beauty and taking a photo session, we will keep hiking down for 2 hours to Huayqui Comunity; the views here are out of this world! In addition to these breathtaking vistas, we will be treated to fascinating ancient rock paintings along the way. Some of these cave paintings are in an excellent state of preservation.

We will take our transport back to Pomacanchi lake, where our fantastic cook will be waiting for us with lunch; after lunch, we will drive to Cusco, arriving at your hotel at approximately 6:00 pm.

• Pre orientation one night before your departure.
• Pick up from your hotel.
• Roundtrip transportation.
• Professional guide with Spanish / English / Quechua speaking.
• Second guide for groups with over 12 people.
• Tents – 2 people in a 4 person tent, which allows for greater comfort and storage of backpacks.
• Thermarest air-inflate Comfortable sleeping Mattress.
• Cook and assistance of the Cook.
• Cooking equipment.
• Dining equipment, including chairs and tables.
• Portable environmental Biodegradable toilet (The Pett).
• Foodservice (2 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, 2 snacks) – nutritionally balanced menu.
• Vegetarian and free gluten food for no extra cost.
• Camping spots fees.
• First-aid kit.
• Emergency oxygen bottle.

• Entrance ticket to Palccoyo (10.00 Soles).
• Entrance ticket to Waqrapukara (10.00 Soles).
• Extra expenses.
• Travel and health insurance (bring copies with you).
• Sleeping bags (it can be rented from us for US$ 10 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.
• 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.
• Sandals or plastic slip thongs are also good to give your feet a chance to breathe at night if you want to take them.
• Warm clothes, including jacket, fleeces, gloves, scarf, and knit / tour beanie. 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 Palccoyo Mountain and Waqrapukara Trek – 2 Days private service, includes additional items such as:

• 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 your clothes.
• Private round trip transportation.
• Ticket to Palccoyo rainbow mountain.
• Ticket to Waqrapukara.
• Tour Guide, Cook, and driver only for you. And of course, we pay a little more for our Staff and Guide.

We offer 3 kinds of service, each with different price ranges and you can book in any of these services according to your convenience, we just need you to be a minimum of 02 people to organize your trip on the date that suits you, all our services are 100 % guaranteed.

We are a direct TOUR OPERATOR that never passes clients to other agencies as most agencies do it here in Cusco to save operating costs with poor quality.

We will make the trip even if there are only 02 people in your group.

Where is Palccoyo Rainbow mountain?
The Palccoyo mountain, still little known and far from many tourists, is located in the community of Palccoyo of the district of Checacupe, province of Canchis, in the Cusco region, at almost 5,000 m.a.s.l.

Why choose Palccoyo rainbow mountain instead of Vinicunca?
Palccoyo is still not as popular with travelers, so you will not have problems taking a quiet stroll that connects you with nature without interruptions. The walk is simple, and it will not take you more than an hour, but Vinicunca is a hike of at least 3 hours.

Are there toilet facilities in Palccoyo?
Yes, at the beginning of the walk, you will find public baths that cost S/.1 Sol.

What is the maximum Altitude we walk on this tour?
We could get till over 5,030 m.a.s.l. That is the point of the Stone Forest, but this is walk to the stone forest is up to you, you can stay at 4,980 masl from where you can see the three rainbows.

What if I suffer from altitude sickness?
Our tour guide is professional; he will treat you accordingly with the oxygen tank; we always provide an oxygen tank for this tour.