Montaña de Siete Colores - Vinicunca

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.

La caminata en sí se considera moderada en cuanto al terreno, ya que el sendero es relativamente gradual y sin tramos de escalada empinados. Sin embargo, debido a la extrema altitud, puede resultar desafiante. Caminar a un ritmo constante y mantenerse hidratado hará que la caminata sea realizable para cualquier persona con un nivel físico básico.

El mirador principal en la cumbre se encuentra a 5,020 metros (16,470 pies) sobre el nivel del mar. El punto de inicio de la caminata en Phullawasipata comienza aproximadamente a 4,600 metros (15,090 pies).

El ascenso a pie desde el estacionamiento hasta el mirador principal toma aproximadamente entre 1.5 y 2 horas, dependiendo de tu ritmo. El trayecto de regreso en bajada toma alrededor de 1 a 1.5 horas. La distancia total de ida y vuelta es de unos 7 km (4.3 millas).

Recomendamos encarecidamente pasar al menos 2 días completos (48 horas) en Cusco o el Valle Sagrado antes de realizar este tour. La Montaña de Colores es una de las excursiones de un día de mayor altitud en Perú, por lo que una adecuada aclimatación es esencial para prevenir el mal de altura (soroche).

Sí. Los pobladores de las comunidades locales ofrecen alquiler de caballos al inicio del sendero y a lo largo de la ruta. El costo oscila entre 80 y 100 soles peruanos (solo en efectivo) por tramo. Ten en cuenta que los caballos son guiados por los arrieros locales y te llevan hasta unos 10 o 15 minutos antes de la escalinata final hacia el mirador.

Los recojos en el hotel en Cusco suelen comenzar muy temprano por la mañana, entre las 4:00 a.m. y las 4:30 a.m. Estarás de retorno en Cusco alrededor de las 4:00 p.m. a 4:30 p.m., lo que lo convierte en una excursión completa de unas 12 horas.

El clima de alta montaña en los Andes es impredecible y puede cambiar rápidamente. Las mañanas suelen ser muy frías y con viento (alrededor de 0°C a 5°C). Hacia el mediodía, el sol intenso puede elevar la temperatura hasta los 15°C. Pueden presentarse lluvias, nieve o granizo en cualquier momento, especialmente durante la temporada de lluvias (diciembre a marzo).

La mejor época para ir es durante la temporada seca (de abril a octubre), cuando los cielos suelen estar despejados y soleados. Los meses de mayor afluencia son junio, julio y agosto. Durante la temporada de lluvias (de noviembre a marzo), los colores pueden quedar cubiertos por nieve o nubes, aunque también hay días despejados.

Sí. El tour incluye un desayuno energizante y un almuerzo buffet con gastronomía local peruana en un cómodo restaurante de Cusipata. Contamos con opciones vegetarianas, veganas y para dietas especiales previa solicitud.

Hay servicios higiénicos disponibles en el restaurante de Cusipata, en la zona de estacionamiento/inicio de la caminata (Phullawasipata) y en puntos rústicos a lo largo del sendero (administrados por la comunidad local, con un costo aproximado de 1 a 2 soles en efectivo).

Recomendamos vestir en capas térmicas (segunda piel, casaca polar y casaca cortavientos o impermeable). Lleva chullo o gorro térmico, guantes, calzado de trekking resistente, bloqueador solar de alto factor, gafas de sol, poncho de lluvia, botella de agua reutilizable y dinero en efectivo (soles) para propinas, ingresos o alquiler de caballos.

Nuestros guías profesionales están capacitados en primeros auxilios y seguridad en alta montaña. Llevan consigo un botiquín de primeros auxilios y un balón de oxígeno de emergencia en todo momento. Si sientes un malestar severo, el guía te asistirá para descansar o descender a una menor altitud de forma segura.

Pueden participar niños mayores de 8 años acostumbrados a caminar y realizar actividades al aire libre. Los adultos mayores en buena condición física y adecuadamente aclimatados también pueden disfrutar de la caminata. Sin embargo, no se recomienda este tour para mujeres embarazadas o personas con problemas cardiovasculares o respiratorios severos.

En la mayoría de tours clásicos, el boleto de ingreso se adquiere directamente en el control de la comunidad en Cusipata (aprox. 25 a 30 soles peruanos por persona, en efectivo). Revisa los detalles de tu reserva para confirmar si tu paquete incluye la entrada previamente.

La ruta por Cusipata es actualmente la vía más popular, segura y directa para acceder a Vinicunca. Ofrece una distancia de caminata más corta, acceso por carretera asfaltada en la mayor parte del trayecto, mejor infraestructura de restaurantes y hermosos paisajes a lo largo de todo el recorrido.