Every one of our four routes runs two ways: a shared group departure at a fixed time, or a private tour you arrange around your own schedule. The question we get most after “which tour should I do” is “should I do it private or shared” — and the honest answer depends less on budget than most people assume, and more on three things: your schedule, your group’s fitness spread, and how much you actually want other travelers around you that day.
This isn’t a generic pros-and-cons list. It’s specific to what actually changes across our four tours when you switch from shared to private.
Table of Contents
What Actually Changes
Departure time. Shared group tours run on fixed slots — for example, Morada de los Dioses departs at 7:00, 9:00, 11:00, or 1:00 PM, and you pick the slot closest to your plans. Private tours can typically depart whenever works for your day, within reason, which matters most for Rainbow Mountain: shared departures leave Cusco between 3:00 and 4:30 AM specifically to beat afternoon weather, and that window doesn’t move for a shared group. A private tour gives you more say over exactly when within that early-morning range you leave, but it won’t move the fundamental need for an early start — the weather risk that drives that timing doesn’t change just because you’re paying more.
Pace. On a shared tour, the group moves together — photo stops, rest breaks, and the practice session all happen on a schedule that works for everyone, not just you. On a private tour, if your group wants to spend an extra ten minutes at the Salineras de Maras or skip ahead because someone’s ready to move on, that’s your call, not a negotiation with strangers.
Group size. Our shared departures run up to roughly 15 people per group, depending on the route and season. Private tours are arranged for your party specifically — often 2 people, sometimes 3 or more, with per-person pricing adjusting based on your group’s size (contact us for a private quote on any route; we don’t publish a flat private rate because it depends on your group size and the route).
Price. Shared group pricing is fixed and published on each tour page — $25 per person for Maras Moray, Huaypo Lagoon, and Morada de los Dioses, $80 for Rainbow Mountain. Private tours cost more per person than the shared rate, which is standard across the industry: you’re not splitting the guide’s time, the vehicle logistics, or the base costs across as many people.
Route by Route: Where Private Actually Matters Most
Rainbow Mountain is where the private-vs-group decision has the most real consequence, because of the early departure and the altitude. If your group has a mix of fitness levels or someone who wants a slower pace at 5,000 m, a private tour lets your guide adjust the day around that person specifically rather than the whole shared group waiting or, worse, someone feeling pressured to keep pace. See our full Rainbow Mountain tour details for the shared-group itinerary this compares against.
Maras, Moray & the Salt Mines is a case where shared group tours work well for most travelers — the route isn’t physically demanding, and the two stops (Moray, then the Salt Mines) have natural pacing built in regardless of group size. Private makes sense here mainly if you want flexibility on timing rather than pace itself. Details on the shared-group version: ATV Tour Maras, Moray & Salt Mines.
Huaypo Lagoon is our most relaxed route already, so the gap between private and group experience is smaller than on Rainbow Mountain. Where private adds real value: if you want the optional Maras Salt Mines extension on your own timeline rather than the group’s, or if you’re bringing kayak or paddle-boat time into the day and don’t want to rush it for others. See ATV Tour to Huaypo Lagoon.
Morada de los Dioses has multiple daily shared departures already, which covers most scheduling needs without going private. This is probably the route where private makes the least practical difference, unless you’re combining it with something else that same day and need a specific window.
A Simple Way to Decide
Ask yourself these, in order:
- Does your group have very different fitness or comfort levels? If yes, lean private, especially for Rainbow Mountain.
- Do you need a specific departure time that doesn’t match the shared slots? If yes, private solves that directly.
- Is budget the main constraint? If yes, shared group gets you the same route and inclusions at a lower per-person cost.
- Do you actually enjoy meeting other travelers during a tour? Some people do — shared groups aren’t just a budget compromise, they’re a genuinely social way to do these routes for a lot of guests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is private always more expensive than shared?
Per person, yes — that’s standard across the industry, not specific to us. The exact private rate depends on your group size and route, so contact us for a quote rather than assuming a fixed multiple of the shared price.
Can a group of 2 book a shared departure instead of going private?
Yes. Shared group tours are open to any group size within the shared capacity — you don’t need to fill a certain number of seats to join one.
Does the guide-to-guest ratio change between private and shared?
Our guide ratio is up to 8 guests per guide on shared departures. Private tours are arranged around your specific group size, so the ratio is typically closer by nature of the smaller group.
Which of the four tours benefits most from going private?
Rainbow Mountain, mainly because of the altitude and the early departure — a private tour gives your guide more room to adjust pace for your specific group.