After “which route should I do?”, the question we get most on WhatsApp is “should we go private or join a group?” The answer has less to do with money than people expect. It depends on three things: how fixed your schedule is, how different the people in your group are in fitness and nerves, and whether you’d enjoy sharing the day with strangers. This guide compares private vs group ATV tours on our four routes from Cusco, with real prices, so you can decide in a couple of minutes.
Table of Contents
Private vs group ATV tours: the short version
- Group (shared) tour: fixed departure, you ride with other travellers, lowest price per person.
- Private tour: just your party, timing and pace set around you, higher price per person.
Everything else is the same: the ATVs, the safety briefing, the practice run, the helmets and gloves, the hotel pickup, and the ratio of one guide for every 8 riders at most. On both formats you choose at the base whether to drive your own ATV or ride as a passenger.
What really changes between private and group
Departure time
Shared tours leave at set times. Most pick up from hotels between 5 and 6 AM; Morada de los Dioses also has later slots (7:00, 9:00, 11:00 and 1:00 PM). A private tour gives you more say over when you leave, within the limits of each route. Rainbow Mountain always starts before dawn, private or not, because the weather near the summit is usually clearest in the morning.
Pace
In a group, photo stops, breaks and the practice run follow a rhythm that works for everyone. In a private tour, if you want twenty minutes at the Maras salt pools instead of ten, you take them. If someone in your party wants to go slowly on a particular stretch, nobody else is waiting.
Who you ride with
A shared departure mixes couples, solo travellers and small groups. Plenty of people like that; you often end up having lunch with the people you rode with. A private tour is only your party, which suits families, friends who want their own day, or anyone who’d rather not make small talk at 6 AM.
Price
Price is the most visible difference in private vs group ATV tours, but rarely the one that decides it. Shared prices are fixed and published on each tour page. Private prices depend on the route and how many of you there are, so they’re higher per person.
Prices on our four routes
| Route | Shared group, per person | Private tour, per person |
|---|---|---|
| Maras, Moray & Salt Mines | $38 | $55 (2–3 people); larger groups on request |
| Huaypo Lagoon | $35 | $52 (2–3 people); Salt Mines extension on request |
| Morada de los Dioses | ~$25 | On request |
| Rainbow Mountain | $80 | On request |
Entrance fees are paid separately in cash on most routes; Morada de los Dioses includes its entrance. Our ATV tour Cusco price guide breaks down what’s included in each price.
Private vs group ATV tours, route by route
Rainbow Mountain
This is where the choice matters most. It’s a 12–14 hour day with a final walk at over 5,000 m. If one person in your party is worried about the altitude or simply walks slowly, a private tour lets the guide build the day around them instead of the whole group waiting. For fit travellers who are already acclimatized, the shared tour at $80 works very well. Details on the Rainbow Mountain ATV tour.
Maras, Moray & the Salt Mines
Shared tours suit most people here. The riding is forgiving and the two stops, Moray and the salt pools, set a natural rhythm. Go private if you want a particular start time or extra time for photos at the Salineras. See the Maras, Moray & Salt Mines ATV tour.
Huaypo Lagoon
Already our most relaxed route, so the gap between private and group is small. Private is worth it if you want to add the Maras Salt Mines on your own timing, or rent a kayak at the lagoon without anyone waiting on the shore. More on the Huaypo Lagoon ATV tour.
Morada de los Dioses
With four shared departures a day, most schedules already fit. Private makes sense mainly if you’re fitting it around a flight or another tour on the same day. See Morada de los Dioses.
Three common situations
These are the setups we see most often, and the format that usually works best for each.
A couple on a two-week trip
You have a few flexible days, you’re both reasonably fit, and you don’t mind company. Join a shared group on Maras Moray or Huaypo Lagoon early in the trip, and again on Rainbow Mountain once you’ve acclimatized. You save money, you meet other travellers, and the day is no less complete.
A family with a teenager
Our minimum age to drive is 15, and parents often want to keep an eye on their teenager’s first ride without a group of strangers watching. A private tour on Maras Moray or Huaypo Lagoon gives the guide time to go through the practice run at your family’s pace, and you can stop whenever you like. If the teenager would rather ride as a passenger, that’s decided at the base.
Friends with very different fitness levels
One of you runs marathons, another gets breathless on the stairs in San Blas. For the half-day routes, a shared group still works. For Rainbow Mountain, this is the classic case for going private: the final walk at over 5,000 m is where the difference shows, and on a private tour nobody feels they’re holding anyone back.
When people weigh private vs group ATV tours, these situations usually settle it faster than the price does.
Four questions to decide
- Are the people in your party very different in fitness or confidence? If yes, lean private, especially for Rainbow Mountain.
- Do you need a departure time that the shared slots don’t offer? Private solves that.
- Is budget the main thing? Shared gives you the same route, ATVs and inclusions for less.
- Do you enjoy meeting other travellers? Then shared isn’t a compromise. For many people it’s the better day.
If you’re a first-timer and unsure either way, our guide to ATV tours in Cusco for beginners explains how the practice run works, which matters more than the format. And if you’re still planning your wider trip, Peru’s official tourism site is useful for the rest of your Cusco days.
FAQs about private vs group ATV tours
Is a private tour always more expensive?
Per person, yes. You aren’t sharing the guide, the transport or the base costs with other travellers. For two people on Maras Moray, for example, it’s $55 each instead of $38.
Can two of us join a shared tour?
Yes. Shared tours have no minimum; couples and solo travellers join all the time.
Is the guide ratio different?
On shared tours it’s one guide for every 8 riders at most. On a private tour the group is usually smaller, so the guide’s attention is spread across fewer people.
Can we drive our own ATVs on a shared tour?
Yes. On both formats you decide at the base whether each person drives their own ATV or rides as a passenger.
Which route benefits most from going private?
Rainbow Mountain, because of the altitude and the long day.
How do I get a private quote?
Send us your dates, the route and how many people on WhatsApp. We’ll reply with a price and a suggested start time.
Still deciding between private vs group ATV tours? Tell us who’s coming and what worries you about the day, and we’ll suggest the format we’d pick in your place.