BEST TIME TO VISIT RAINBOW MOUNTAIN

The best time to hike Rainbow Mountain is from April through November because it is the dry season in the Andes and you will have blue skies, amazing views, and the sunshine makes it the best comfortable hiking conditions. However certain months are better than others. We recommend shoulder seasons just before and after the rains that is late April, May, September, October, and early November. During those months the weather is still dry, temperatures are pleasant, and the trail is less crowded.

Note: there is always the possibility of weather changing dramatically, regardless of the season.

When is the worst time to hike Rainbow Mountain?

The worst month to hike Rainbow Mountain is January, being specific late January. This time of year the rain is intense. So landslides blocked the road. The snow covers the Mountain, and you can see 10 meters in front of you because the mist is thick in the Mountains.

Rainbow Mountain in the Rainy season.

The rainy season starts around mid-December and typically extends into March. During this time of year, the Trail is wet and muddy. The visibility can be poor due to mist that covers the Mountains so you won’t see the panoramic vistas, and you won’t take great photos.

The weather pattern in the rainy season in the Rainbow Mountains is:  sometimes in the morning the weather is good and in the afternoons it starts raining or in the opposite way, bad weather in the morning and good weather in the afternoon.

When is the best time of the day to visit Rainbow Mountain?

The answer is 7 – 9 am or anytime after 2 pm because early in the morning there are few people on the lookout and in the afternoon all the crowds already left.

If you want to be before the crowd at Rainbow Mountain, you have to leave Cusco at 03 am. There are a few companies that leave Cusco at 3 am, one of them is AB Expeditions. They take small groups.

When is the busiest time in Rainbow Mountain?

The busiest time to visit Rainbow Mountain is June, July, and August. These months align with the dry season in the Andes as well as summertime in the northern hemisphere.

Try not to go to Rainbow Mountain on a Sunday.

Locals from Cusco and Peruvians take the weekend to hike Rainbow Mountain, turning it more crowded than the other days of the week.