Cusco: Machu Picchu Train & Rainbow Mountain 2-Day Trek

Two Days, Two Peaks: Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain from Cusco

You're picked up before dawn on day one for a train ride to Machu Picchu, a two-hour guided tour of the ruins, and free time to explore. Day two starts even earlier with a three-hour van ride to Rainbow Mountain, a 3.5-hour trek to 16,520 feet, an hour at the summit, and a traditional lunch before returning to Cusco by late afternoon. All transport, entrance fees, guide, and meals on the mountain day are included. You arrange one night's accommodation between the tours.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Machu Picchu2h
2. Rainbow Mountain14h

Day 1: Machu Picchu visit by train

• Pick up at hotel early morning
• Train to Aguas Calientes
• Bus to Machu Picchu
• Guided tour of Machu Picchu ruins
• Free time to explore Machu Picchu
• Bus back to Aguas Calientes
• Train to Ollantaytambo
• Van transfer to Cusco hotel

Day 2: Rainbow Mountain hike and return

• Pick up at hotel at 2:15am
• Drive 3 hours to trail start
• Peruvian breakfast at trail start
• Hike 2 hours to Rainbow Mountain summit
• Rest one hour at summit
• Hike 1.5 hours back down
• Gourmet lunch in traditional mud-house
• Return drive to Cusco hotel

The experience

The 3am pickup was earlier than expected. You're standing outside your Cusco hotel in the dark, still half-asleep, when the van pulls up and your guide (fluent in English, patient with the groggy questions) hands you coffee and explains the day ahead. The train to Aguas Calientes leaves in a few hours, and the one-hour journey itself becomes part of the experience: the landscape shifts from high-altitude city to cloud forest, the rails hugging the Urubamba River the whole way down. By the time you reach Machu Picchu, the site is still quiet. Your guide walks you through the highlights of the ruins for about two hours (the Temple of the Sun, the agricultural terraces, the precision stonework that still baffles engineers), and then you're free to wander on your own for the rest of the afternoon. Most people spend another hour or two just sitting with it, trying to understand how the Inca built this at 7,970 feet above sea level without modern tools.

That evening you board the train back to Ollantaytambo, where a van is waiting to drive you the rest of the way to your hotel in Cusco. You arrive between 6 and 8pm, tired but not destroyed. The next morning (and yes, it's another early one) you're picked up at 2:15am for the Rainbow Mountain trek. The van ride to the trailhead takes three hours. They give you a Peruvian breakfast before you start hiking, which turns out to matter more than you'd think at 14,600 feet. The actual hike to the summit takes around two hours, gaining elevation steadily but not brutally. What stops you isn't the altitude so much as the colors: the mountain really does look painted, bands of red and turquoise and gold striped across the rock. You get about an hour at the top, then head back down over 1.5 hours. A chef meets you in a traditional mud-house with a gourmet lunch (not the freeze-dried stuff you'd expect), and then it's the three-hour van ride back to Cusco, arriving between 4 and 5pm.

The whole thing is logistically tight but not rushed. Your guide is with you the entire time, speaking fluent English or Spanish depending on your group. All transport between your hotel and both sites is included, as are entrance fees, the train ticket, the bus up to Machu Picchu, breakfast and lunch on the Rainbow Mountain day, snacks, water, and a rain poncho in case the weather turns. You do need to book your own accommodation for the night between the two tours (that one night in Cusco in the middle), but everything else is handled. The order can flip depending on availability, so confirm your schedule once you book.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cusco on both days.
• round-trip train ticket from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.
• transfer from Cusco to the train station and back.
• entrance to Machu Picchu.
• two-hour guided tour of the archaeological site with a fluent English or Spanish-speaking guide.
• round-trip bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.
• private van transport to and from the Rainbow Mountain trailhead.
• Peruvian breakfast, snacks, water, and gourmet lunch on the trek day.
• rain poncho.
• first aid kit and oxygen.
• access fees to private land on the mountain.

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English or Spanish03:00

Guide in English or Spanish03:00

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 03:00

AgesAdult (17 to 70 years) · Child (10 to 16 years) · Under 10: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Demanding physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by FlashpackerConnect LLC

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see both Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain without arranging trains, buses, entrance fees, or timing the two sites yourself: the back-to-back schedule and included transport compress two major hikes into two days and remove the logistics from your hands.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (10 to 16 years). Under 10: they can't be included in the booking.

What time do I need to be ready on day one?

Pickup is between 3:00am and 3:30am to catch the train to Aguas Calientes.

How long is the train ride to Machu Picchu?

About one hour from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, with views of the Urubamba River valley the entire way.

How much time do I spend at Machu Picchu?

Your guide leads a two-hour tour of the main highlights, then you have the rest of the afternoon to explore on your own.

What is the elevation of Rainbow Mountain?

The summit is at 16,520 feet (5,035 meters). The hike starts at 14,600 feet and takes 3.5 to 4 hours round trip.

What meals are included?

On the Rainbow Mountain day: Peruvian breakfast before the hike, snacks during the trek, and a gourmet lunch in a traditional mud-house after you descend. Meals are not included on the Machu Picchu day.

Do I need to arrange my own accommodation?

Yes. You need to book one night's accommodation in Cusco between the two tours. All other transport and lodging logistics are handled.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The tour operates in all weather. A rain poncho is provided, and you should dress appropriately for mountain conditions.

Can the order of the tours be changed?

Yes. The itinerary can be reversed based on availability. Your schedule will be confirmed once you book.

Is the Huayna Picchu hike included?

No. The entrance fee for Huayna Picchu (the steep hike up the mountain at Machu Picchu) is an additional cost and must be requested separately.

What documents do I need?

A valid passport is required. You'll need to provide your passport name, number, expiry date, and country at the time of booking.