25 Aug 2022
Three friends and I booked the Rainbow Mountain ATV tour last minute and it became one of the highlights of our trip! Upon reservation, we reached out to the company on WhatsApp and arranged for the early morning pickup at our hotel. They arrived on time (3h30) and we got to watch the sunrise over the mountains during the 2h40m drive to the breakfast spot. Breakfast was buffet style and there was no shortage of food, they would cook more if you wanted more.
We settled into our ATVs and began the scenic drive up the mountains and it was breathtaking. The ATV trails wind up the side of the mountains and you cannot compare this experience with anything else! We stopped along the way up to take plenty of photos and admire the views. Heads up: they recommend you wear gloves and eye protection (glasses or sunglasses are sufficient). The helmets have built-in sun visors and clear face shields so even if you forget, you'll be fine.
Park entry fees are not included, so budget another 80 soles for entry into the park (10 for road entry and 70 for park entry if I remember correctly). We reached the base of the peak where we dropped off our ATVs and stopped by the bathrooms (1 soles). Then it was roughly 1.5 kilometers to the peak and it was absolutely gorgeous! At that altitude, make sure to take lots of breaks as you hike up. My friend and I are in decent shape but we were out of breath every 15 steps nearing the summit. Take your time and take in the views. Alternatively, you can take a horse (40 soles) or motorcycle (70 soles) up to the top if you don't want to walk. Keep in mind that they cannot take you to the peak so you'll still have to hike the final part. No need to pay for a round trip, walking down is easy.
Once we returned from the peak, we grabbed our ATVs and drove back the way we came, stopping for more photos and returning to where we started for lunch. Lunch was buffet style as well with a good variety of tasty food. We were a little late and got back to the hotel at around 7 pm.
The guide and driver were professional and kind and the cooks were very nice to us. The guide made sure we were comfortable driving the ATVs before we began the convoy and was always looking out for our safety. This is by far one of the best ways to experience Rainbow Mountain in one day and I HIGHLY recommend going with this company!
P.S. I've read reviews claiming that they were forced to buy sunglasses or that the guide left them alone. We were NEVER forced to buy anything and the guide was always respectful and looking out for us. The final climb to the summit is NOT easy, but it is doable if you are in decent shape. There will obviously be faster and slower people, but the route to the top is straight forward and the guide will be periodically checking in on you! Prepare to get very dusty as the ATVs kick up a lot of dust on the dirt trails.