ATV Riding near Cusco: Rainbow Mountain at 5000m
Operate the quad bike yourself across high-altitude terrain to Rainbow Mountain
This ATV activity near Cusco takes you from the city to Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) at over 5,000 meters, where you ride a quad bike for 40 minutes on a 4-kilometer route before spending 45 minutes on the mountain itself. Hotel pickup is included with breakfast and lunch at Cusipata, a guide in English or Spanish, and a professional briefing before you start; the 8:30 a.m. departure meets at Plaza Regocijo instead and does not include pickup or breakfast. The full day runs 12 hours from departure to return.
12h
Step-by-step itinerary
Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain ATV Tour
- Hotel pick-up in Cusco
- Transfer to Cusipata for breakfast
- Drive to Kayrawiri village
- Receive ATV instructions
- ATV tour around Rainbow Mountain
- Visit and enjoy Rainbow Mountain
- Return to Cusipata for lunch
- Transfer back to Cusco city
The Experience
The day starts with pickup from your hotel (confirmed the day before), with departures at 3:00, 4:00, 6:00 or 8:30 a.m. A two-hour transfer takes you south to Cusipata, where breakfast waits before the next leg. Then comes an hour and twenty minutes to the rural village of Kayrawiri, where the guide briefs you on the quad bike before you mount it.
The ATV ride itself is 40 minutes round trip across 4 kilometers of high-altitude terrain, followed by 45 minutes to walk and explore Rainbow Mountain's colored slopes at full elevation. You operate the quad bike yourself — not a passenger, but the rider. The mountain sits above 5,000 meters, and the operator notes the experience happens "like never before: extreme adventure in the Andes. Less hiking, more adventure." After the ride and the mountain, you return to Cusipata for lunch, then back to Cusco.
A professional guide travels with you in English or Spanish. The tour includes a first aid kit, and single or double quad bikes are available depending on your booking. Riders must be at least 12 years old. The operator does not recommend this activity for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy, or poor cardiovascular health, though it suits all fitness levels otherwise.
What’s included
- Hotel pickup and return to Cusco (except the 8:30 a.m. departure, which meets at Plaza Regocijo).
- breakfast and lunch at Cusipata.
- a professional guide in English or Spanish.
- the ATV briefing before you ride.
- a first aid kit.
- and single or double quad bikes according to your booking.
Operated by World Explorer Peru
Is this one for you?Choose the early departures (3:00, 4:00 or 6:00 a.m.) if you want hotel pickup and breakfast included; the 8:30 a.m. option meets at the plaza instead and skips the morning meal, which suits travelers already in central Cusco. All options give you 40 minutes operating the quad bike yourself at high altitude, not watching from a passenger seat.
Traveler reviews
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Top questions
What time does the ATV activity leave Cusco?
Departures run at 3:00, 4:00, 6:00 and 8:30 a.m. from your hotel (confirmed the day before). The 8:30 a.m. option meets instead at Plaza Regocijo at 8:20 a.m. and does not include hotel pickup or breakfast.
How long do I actually spend riding the ATV?
The ATV ride is 40 minutes round trip covering 4 kilometers, followed by 45 minutes to visit and explore Rainbow Mountain itself. The full day from pickup to return to Cusco is 12 hours.
What happens before I ride the quad bike?
After hotel pickup and a two-hour transfer to Cusipata, you eat breakfast there. Then a one-hour-twenty-minute drive takes you to Kayrawiri, where a professional guide briefs you on the ATV before you start.
Is the quad bike a single or double, and who decides?
Single and double quad bikes are available depending on your booking choice at checkout. You operate the bike yourself — you are the rider, not a passenger.
What meals are included?
Breakfast and lunch are both included at Cusipata, before and after the ATV ride and Rainbow Mountain visit. The 8:30 a.m. departure does not include breakfast.
What is the minimum age to ride?
Riders must be at least 12 years old. The operator does not recommend the activity for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy, or poor cardiovascular health.
ATV Riding near Cusco: Rainbow Mountain at 5000m
12h · EN · ES · at your hotel
from US$ 80 per person
★★★★★★★★★★4.7973 reviews
