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Rainbow Mountain entrance fee 2026: what ATV riders pay
Almost every Rainbow Mountain tour sold in Cusco leaves out one cost: the community entrance fee. It is not a trick — the viewpoints belong to Andean communities who charge for access to their land — but it catches out travelers who were never told about it, and the gate only takes cash in Peruvian soles.
This guide covers exactly what ATV riders pay, who receives the money, how to have the right cash ready on the day, and which of our two tours already includes the fee so you have nothing to pay at all.
The fee in one line
On our classic ATV + Red Valley tour you pay S/30 per person in cash at the community gate — roughly eight US dollars — and that single payment covers both viewpoints on the route: the Red Valley and Vinicunca. On the ATV Express the fee is included in the $90 per person price, so you pay nothing at the gate.
| Tour | Entrance fee | How it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| ATV + Red Valley | S/30 per person | Cash in soles at the gate |
| ATV Express | Included | Nothing to pay on the day |
| Private ATV tour | S/30 per person | Cash in soles at the gate |
Who charges it, and where the money goes
The two viewpoints are owned and ticketed by the communities of Pampachiri and Chillihuani. For generations this was grazing land for llamas and alpacas; since Rainbow Mountain became famous, the communities have organised access, maintain the paths and run the gate. The fee is their income from the visitors who cross their territory, and paying it directly is the fairest way for that money to reach them.
The communities set the tariff themselves and can change it without notice. That is why we name it separately on the classic tour instead of building a figure into the price that might be wrong on the day you travel.
Prefer the entrance already paid?
The ATV Express includes the entrance fee: $90 per person with your own quad, meals, guide and hotel pickup.
From $65 per person
Check availability Ask on WhatsAppHow paying works on the day
You do not need to find the gate or queue on your own. The group stops at the community control on the way, your guide tells everyone when to have the money ready, and each traveler pays and receives a ticket. Keep your passport with you, because the ticket is issued against it. On the Express, the fee is already part of your booking and you simply carry on.
A cash checklist for the day
Our ATV packing list covers everything else to bring.
- Soles, not dollars or cards. The gate accepts nothing else.
- Small notes. Change is not always available above 4,000 m, so bring tens and twenties.
- A little extra for snacks, a hot drink, toilets or a tip for the guide and ATV team.
- Change money in Cusco the day before. There are no ATMs on the route, and at a 4:00 AM pickup nothing in Cusco is open yet.
- Keep the cash in an inside pocket, not in the daypack, which travels in the support vehicle while you ride.
The full cost of the day
Breakfast, lunch, hotel pickup, the guide and helmets are always included. You hold the booking with a 20% deposit and pay the balance in Cusco, in US dollars or soles. See every scenario, including groups and private service, in our ATV price guide.
| Your group | Tour price | Gate fee | Paid on the day |
|---|---|---|---|
| One rider, own quad | $65 | S/30 | Balance + fee |
| Two people sharing one quad | $120 | S/30 each | Balance + fees |
| One person on the Express | $90 | Included | Balance only |
Classic tour or Express: which works out better?
For a single traveler, the classic tour with their own quad plus the gate fee comes to a little less than the Express, and it adds the Red Valley. The Express costs a little more but includes the fee, keeps the walking to five minutes each way and gives every traveler their own quad. If walking at altitude is your concern, that difference is usually worth paying; our comparison of the two ATV tours goes through it in detail.
Book knowing every cost
No booking fees and nothing hidden: reserve the ATV + Red Valley tour or the all-inclusive Express with a 20% deposit, and cancel free 30 or more days ahead.
