Rainbow Mountains and the Last Inca Bridge

Discover the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain and the Last Handmade Inca Bridge

Our “Rainbow Mountains Palcoyo and Queswachaka Bridge” tour is a great choice for anyone wanting to see the beautiful colourful mountain and experience a taste of the Quechuen culture. This tour is wonderful for families and for hikers of any level. Enjoy amazing views of Palcoyo and see three different coloured mountains in one tour!

Afterwards, experience another beautiful sight Peru has to offer: the Q’eswachaca Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Q’eswachaca Bridge is a beautifully constructed Inca bridge, testament to tan old Inca tradition and age-old engineering. The bridge is composed of ropes and is carefully crafted and reconstructed every year by the Quechuen people. Don’t just look! Take a thrilling walk across the bridge and experience it firsthand!

Maximum altitude: 16,400 ft (5,000 m) above sea level.

Tour Itinerary

CUSCO - RAINBOW MOUNTAINS OF PALCCOYO

We have an early start on day 1, leaving Cusco at 6:00 am via private transport.

After an approx. 3 and a half hour journey, during which we’ll spot many alpacas and natives communities living in the mountains, we’ll reach the trailhead. From there we’ll be hike for approx. 1 hour.

This hike is accessible for all ages and hiking levels. We will be reaching altitudes of 5000m (16400ft) above sea level. The view is definitely worth the effort! Once at the peak, we’ll have the chance to have a amazing sight over 3 different coloured mountains.

After returning to our car (45 minute downhill walking), we’ll drive for approx. 1 hour to get to the Checacupe Inca Rope Bridge.
CHECACUPE INCA ROPE BRIDGE

The Checacupe Inca Rope Bridge is a suspension bridge built above a river, constructed by the Inca Empire. These bridges were an important part of the Inca road systems and are great examples of Inca engineering and innovation. Bridges of this type were extremely useful since the Inca people did not use wheeled transportation, therefore, traffic was limited to pedestrians and livestock. They were frequently used by Chasqui (messengers from the Inca era) to deliver messages throughout the Inca Empire.

After an approx. 15 minute drive, we’ll stop for lunch. (please note that Breakfast and dinner are not included in the package price)
INCA BRIDGE QUESWACHAKA - CUSCO

After lunch, we’ll drive for about 1 and a half hours to the Inca Queswachaka (Q’eswachaca) Bridge.

Sustaining ancient traditions over centuries is no small task, but is incredibly well managed by local Quechue communities in the Cusco region. Four Quechue communities unite themselves every year in order to completely rebuild the bridge from scratch. The secrets of this design and construction process are handed down from generation to generation and their aim is to maintain exactly the same style using the same materials that were used more than 500 years ago by Inca engineers.

Thanks to this tradition and the strong will of the 1,000 people who take part in the bridge´s annual reconstruction, we can step away from the history books and enjoy an interactive experience of the Inca culture. Come and experience Inca engineering work from the 21st century and take a walk across the Queswachaka (Q’eswachaca) Bridge!

Optional: For those of you who want to make a short downhill trek, approx. 30 minutes, on a ancient Inca trail, we can take a trail on part of Qhapaq Ñan to the Queswachaka (Q’eswachaca) Bridge.

At around 5:30 pm we’ll leave the Queswachaka (Q’eswachaca) Bridge and drive for about 3 hours in order to get back to Cusco at around 8:30 or 9:00 pm.