Ananiso Canyon & Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain

All briefings are done at our office at 5:00 PM one or two nights before your trek. If you are unable to make this time, you need to coordinate another time with a member of the Xtreme Tourbulencia office team. Briefings are approximately 40 minutes long.

Xtreme Tourbulencia is one of the only companies to pick you up directly from your hotel. As long as your hotel is in the center of Cusco city, we will coordinate this pickup based on a time that your guide will discuss at the briefing. Pick up times may vary 30 – 45 minutes based on traffic conditions and previous pickups.

Cusco is an old city with cobblestoned streets and very narrow passageways. Smaller hotels and Airbnbs are often located on streets that cars can’t pass through.

They also are frequently on hillsides with long steep climbs, making it difficult to carry luggage. We highly recommend that you book accommodations with better access. We have a list of hotels that are all comfortable with easy access to pick up and drop off.

You must be honest with your guide about any health conditions or concerns you might have. While our guides are not medical professionals, they do have first aid training. We also work with a clinic in Cusco that can help assist our team.

You are responsible for assessing whether a tour is suitable for you. You should consult your physician to confirm your fitness for travel and participation in any planned activities. You should seek your physician’s advice on vaccinations and medical precautions.

Xtreme Tourbulencia will not provide medical advice. It is your responsibility to assess the risks and requirements of each aspect of the tour based on your unique circumstances, limitations, fitness level, and medical requirements.

If you develop extreme altitude sickness or any other illness that prevents you from hiking, and you still wish to visit Machu Picchu by train, we will work with you to coordinate this trip. Since this will be a new trip, it may require additional fees. We will use as much of the original itinerary to keep costs low.

If you experience issues while hiking and can not continue, a porter will accompany you to the closest road and wait while a car comes to pick you up and bring you to the nearest health clinic.

Group tours are made up of all different types of people, with various hiking skills and ages. By agreeing to a group tour, you agree that some people might be slower or faster than you are.

Everyone can go at their own pace for the trek, and the guide will work with the group to spend time with everyone. Groups might request some modifications to the tour, and the guide will work with everyone to make the best decision for the group.

Unfortunately, strikes are frequent in Peru and can disrupt our tours. Roads are often blocked, and trains stopped. We will make sure your trek continues as planned, even if that means leaving the night before your start date.

Under these circumstances, tours might need to be canceled. But our operations department will coordinate with you in this situation. Your safety is always our top concern and will dictate how we decide.

You are responsible for your items throughout the tour. Please be diligent about where you leave your things and remember to remove all items from our vans, your tents, restaurant, etc.

Do not leave anything unintended during your hike. Other trekkers or teams might pick it up not knowing whose it is.

Tipping is part of the tradition of any trek to Machu Picchu. While we pay good wages to our entire team, anything extra is always appreciated. Please know that this is not obligatory and that you should never feel pressured into this.

Typically the participants in a group pool their tipping money together for the porters and chef. The amount recommended is $20 USD per person per trek.

For the guide, this is more personal and needs to be decided based on your relationship with them and done separately from the group. Porters and Chefs prefer soles if possible. Guides are happy with U.S. dollars, Peruvian Soles, or even your credit card.

Travel insurance is inexpensive and strongly recommended. With trips being planned months ahead of time, you never can predict what could happen. Adventure travel includes more risk than the average trip.

Insurance is a way to protect the investment you have made on this journey. We can help recommend an agent to walk you through this type of insurance if needed.

Of course, the weather is unpredictable. Typically the dry season in Cusco is from April through October, but this does not stop rain from falling in June or the sun from coming out in December so just be prepared.

No matter what month you are doing the trek, make sure that you have rain gear that includes a waterproof jacket, pants, poncho, and waterproof gloves. Many people forget about gloves, but being cold and wet makes hiking very unpleasant.

Also, prepare for four seasons. Several of the treks through the Andes involve various microclimates and you will need to be prepared. Layers are always key since they are easy to adjust to different temperature changes. Be prepared with a warm packable down jacket since the evening will be cold.

It’s also important to note that the weather can change a listed itinerary. There are times that routes become impassable, and our guides will be forced for your safety to rework your tour.

More Information About the Weather

When traveling to Cusco, altitude sickness (soroche) is a factor to consider due to the region's high elevation. Since the air contains less oxygen, your body needs time to acclimatize. To ensure a pleasant experience, we recommend spending two days resting in the city before embarking on any tour, whether it involves sightseeing or hiking. Stay hydrated, drink the traditional coca infusion, and move at a leisurely pace; our expert guides will accompany and assist you at every stage of the journey.

The airport in Cusco currently is only for domestic flights, so all international travelers by plane must disembark in Lima and go through Customs. Even if your flight to Cusco is the same day by the same airline carrier, you must grab your bags in Lima and then check them back in.

The best way to get to Cusco is by air, and there are several options in airlines. LATAM tends to be the most expensive but has the most options and flights. Expect delays or flight cancellations. Due to the high altitude of Cusco, it tends to be difficult to land, and any inclement weather will stop air traffic.

Bus travel is always available, and while the trip can be long, especially from Lima, the buses in Peru are very well maintained and comfortable. This option is strongly encouraged if coming from a city closer to Cusco, like Puno. Lima buses will take about 20 hours to arrive.

Unlike Vinicunca, which involves a steep, strenuous hike and heavy daily crowds, Palcoyo features a gentle, low-impact walk to view three colorful mountains and a unique Stone Forest. Combined with the hidden geological wonder of Ananiso Canyon, this tour offers a peaceful, crowd-free alternative focused on untouched landscapes, pre-Inca cave art, and authentic high-Andean culture.

Both attractions are located southeast of Cusco in the Canchis and Quispicanchi region:

• Ananiso Canyon: Located in the Pitumarca district (approx. 4,200 m / 13,780 ft).
• Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain: Located in the Checacupe district (approx. 4,900 m / 16,076 ft).

The drive from Cusco city takes around 3 to 3.5 hours each way.

This is a full-day tour lasting approximately 11 to 12 hours, usually starting early in the morning (around 4:30 AM – 5:00 AM) and returning to Cusco by mid-to-late afternoon (around 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM).

The highest point reached on the tour is at Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain, which stands at 4,900 meters (16,076 feet) above sea level. Ananiso Canyon rests slightly lower, at roughly 4,200 meters (13,780 feet).

The trail difficulty is classified as Easy to Moderate:

• Palcoyo: A short, gradual walk of about 30 to 45 minutes on flat/slightly inclined terrain to reach the main viewpoints.
• Ananiso Canyon: A pleasant 1 to 1.5-hour walk along the floor and edge of the gorge with minimal steep inclines.

Due to the high altitude (reaching up to 4,900 m), we strongly recommend spending at least 2 days (48 hours) in Cusco or the Sacred Valley prior to this tour to allow your body to adjust and reduce the risk of altitude sickness (AMS).

Ananiso Canyon features vertical limestone rock walls rising over 150 meters (500 feet) high, carved by thousands of years of water erosion. Highlights include pristine Andean streams, high-altitude flora, Andean wildlife (such as alpacas and birds of prey), and ancient pre-Inca cave paintings depicting wildlife and pastoral life.

Palcoyo features three distinct rainbow-colored mountains striping the landscape in red, green, and yellow mineral hues. It also houses a towering Stone Forest (Bosque de Piedras)—a collection of jagged, natural rock formations—and offers stunning 360-degree views of the Vilcanota mountain range and distant snow-capped peaks.

Yes! Most itineraries stop in the charming town of Checacupe to admire its three historic bridges spanning the Pitumarca River, built across different eras: an Inca rope bridge foundation, a Spanish colonial stone bridge, and a 19th-century republican iron bridge.

The best time to visit is during the dry season (April to October), characterized by clear blue skies and sunny days. The rainy season (November to March) can bring snow or cloud cover at high altitudes, though mornings are often clear.

High-altitude weather is unpredictable and changes quickly. Mornings can be very cold (between -2°C to 5°C / 28°F to 41°F), while afternoons can feel warmer when the sun is out, though winds remain brisk and chilly.

Basic restroom facilities are available at the vehicle parking areas in both Palcoyo and Ananiso Canyon, as well as at breakfast/lunch stopping points. There are no facilities along the walking trails themselves.

Dress in warm, breathable layers that you can shed as the day warms up:

• Clothing: Thermal base layers, fleece jacket, windproof/waterproof outerwear, warm beanie, and gloves.
• Footwear: Sturdy, broken-in hiking boots or comfortable trail shoes with good grip.
• Essentials: Sunscreen (SPF 50+), sunglasses, a sun hat, rain poncho, reusable water bottle, and a daypack.

Yes! Because the walk at Palcoyo is short and low-impact, this tour is one of the most family- and senior-friendly high-altitude excursions in the Cusco region, provided all participants are well-acclimatized to the altitude.

Yes, it is highly recommended to bring small denominations of cash in Peruvian Soles (PEN) for local community entrance fees, souvenirs, tips for your guide and driver, or taking photos with local villagers and their dressed-up alpacas.