Quad bikes to the Red Valley or Moray, rides above Cusco, zip lines near Chinchero and rapids on the Urubamba.
The short answer
From Cusco you can ride a quad bike to the Red Valley next to Rainbow Mountain or to Moray, go on horseback to the Devil's Balcony or the Temple of the Moon, zip-line at Racchi near Chinchero, or raft the Urubamba. On both ATV tours you drive yourself; the Rainbow Mountain one requires prior ATV experience and adventure travel insurance.
The horse rides and the zipline take half a day; rafting and the Rainbow Mountain ATV tour take a full day.
These tours mix sightseeing with a bit of action. They differ in length, in who drives or rides, and in the age and weight limits on each listing.
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| Photo | Tour | Activity and place | You drive or ride | Age and limits on the listing | Length | Entry fees | Cancellation | Reviews ↕ | Price ↕ | Book |
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Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley by ATV World Explorer Peru | Quad bike to the Red Valley, then a walk to Rainbow Mountain | Yes, single ATV; or as passenger on a double ATV. Prior ATV experience required | Up to 95 kg; travel insurance for adventure activities required | 12 to 14 hours | Not included | Free up to 24 hours before | ★ 4.7 (1,281) | $68 per person | Book now |
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Quad bike to Moray and the salt mines Quad Bike Cusco Tours | Quad bike to Moray, then by van to the Maras salt mines | Yes, alone or two per ATV | Not under 6 | 6 hours | Moray and salt mines not included, cash | Free up to 24 hours before | ★ 4.8 (736) | $27 per person | Book now |
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Horseback ride to the Devil's Balcony Horseback Riding Cusco | Ride from a ranch near Cusco to the Devil's Balcony behind Saqsaywaman | You ride; for beginners | Age 8 to 80; up to 90 kg | 4 hours | Included | Free up to 24 hours before | ★ 4.9 (253) | $77 per person | Book now |
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Horseback ride to the Temple of the Moon with an anthropologist Arnold Luque | Temple of the Moon, Chuki Marka and Inkilltambo above Cusco | You ride; trot and canter possible | Age 8 to 60; up to 100 kg; small group | 4 hours | Included | Free up to 24 hours before | ★ 5.0 (205) | $62 per person | Book now |
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Zipline in the Sacred Valley Sam's Zipline | Zip lines and a suspension bridge at Racchi near Chinchero | No, guided in harness | Age 6 to 70 | 4 hours | No entry fee mentioned | Free up to 24 hours before | ★ 5.0 (93) | $62 per person | Book now |
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Rafting and zip line on the Urubamba Mayuc River Rafting | Rafting on the Chuquicahuana section, zip line and lunch at the operator's river lodge | You paddle in a raft with a guide | Age 9 to 60 | 8 hours | No entry fee mentioned | Free up to 24 hours before | ★ 4.7 (85) | $79 per person | Book now |
Prices and ratings are loaded from GetYourGuide and Viator once a day; on treks the price shown is the cheapest option, which may leave out the sleeping bag, the hiking poles or the return train class you want.
Pick the day you want to go, or the first and last day you are in Cusco. We read the booking calendar of each tour and show the ones that still take bookings. For Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, book early: entry tickets, trains and trail permits are limited.
In the next 7 days, all 6 tours on this page still have places.
Days: Day trip
Days: Day trip
Days: Day trip
Days: Day trip
Days: Day trip
Days: Day trip
Open a card for the itinerary, the pickup, what is included and what is not, as the operator gives them.
Quad from Laya to the Red Valley, then a short walk to the viewpoint; ATV experience and insurance required.
Hotel pickup at 4:00 or 5:00 am, about 2 hours to Cusipata for breakfast, then on to the community of Laya. After a safety briefing and about 10 minutes of practice you drive an ATV for about 25 minutes toward the Red Valley (about 5,000 m), then hike about 40 minutes up to Rainbow Mountain (5,036 m). You return the same way, have a buffet lunch in Cusipata and reach Plaza Regocijo in Cusco between about 4:30 and 5:30 pm.
You drive the ATV yourself, and the operator requires prior ATV experience. A double ATV option lets two people share one vehicle; other options are a meeting point at the Plaza de Armas or a private tour. The entrance fee is not included. Active travel insurance covering adventure activities is mandatory but not part of the booking. Photos and videos are only allowed with the ATV stopped.
Hotel pickup in the historic center at a time sent the day before, or the fountain on the Plaza de Armas for the meeting-point option. The tour ends at Plaza Regocijo.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
An hour on your own Honda ATV to Moray, then the Maras salt mines by van; half a day.
Pickup from your hotel and about an hour to the ATV base, where you get instructions and time to practice. You then drive a Honda TRX 250 for about an hour to the Moray terraces, with photo stops on the way back to the base. The salt mines of Maras follow by van, with a tasting of salted chocolate, and you are dropped at the Plaza de Armas in Cusco after about 6 hours.
You drive yourself on the single-rider options; the shared option puts two people on one quad and needs at least two travelers. Only the Moray leg is ridden. Entrance to Moray and to the salt mines is paid in cash unless you pick an option with entrance tickets included, including a private single-rider option. Departures run in the morning or afternoon, plus one at 8:00 am. Guests in private apartments meet at the KFC on the Plaza de Armas.
Pickup from hotels in central Cusco, starting about 15 minutes before the tour. Guests in private apartments meet at the KFC on the Plaza de Armas or another nearby point. The tour ends at the Plaza de Armas.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Beginner-friendly ride from a ranch near Cusco; from age 8, up to 90 kg.
Transport from your hotel to a ranch about 15 minutes from Cusco, where you get a saddle and helmet. The ride passes Andean communities and Inca temples to the Devil's Balcony, a rock formation behind Sacsayhuamán above a river that runs through a cave. The whole outing takes about 4 hours.
You ride the horse yourself, accompanied by a guide and a muleteer who looks after the horses; beginners are welcome. The weight limit is 90 kg (200 lb) and riders must be at least 8. Besides the 9 am group departure there is a private option. The listing does not say if site entry is included.
Pickup from hotels in Cusco.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Small group, entries included, trot and canter for those who want them.
Pickup from your accommodation in or near the center of Cusco, then a ride of about 4 hours to Inca sites in the hills above the city: the Temple of the Moon, Chuki Marka and Inkilltambo. The guide is an anthropologist who explains Andean beliefs and rites at each site, and the horses come with continuous handling support.
You ride yourself; instructions cover all levels, and trotting or cantering is possible for confident riders. Entrance fees to the sites are included. The listing gives a limit of 5 guests in the title and booking rules, but 6 in the itinerary. Riders must be 8 to 60 and the listing advises against it above 100 kg (220 lb). Guiding is in English only.
Pickup from your hotel or apartment in or near central Cusco; the time is agreed one or two days before by message.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Zip lines and a suspension bridge at Racchi, with pickup in Cusco or Urubamba; from age 6.
Pickup from your hotel in Cusco (the title also names Urubamba and Ollantaytambo) and about 45 minutes by private vehicle to the base at the Racchi viewpoint near Chinchero. After fitting helmets, harnesses and gloves and a safety briefing, you spend about 1.5 hours on four zipline sections and a suspension bridge, then ride back about 45 minutes or continue to Maras, Moray or Ollantaytambo.
The description also names a drop swing, which the itinerary does not list. No food or bottled water is included. Ages 6 to 70 can book. Guests outside the central pickup zone or on pedestrian streets are met at Plaza Regocijo or Plaza San Francisco.
Pickup from hotels in central Cusco and nearby areas; the time is confirmed by WhatsApp or email before the day. Outside that zone the meeting point is Plaza Regocijo or Plaza San Francisco.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Chuquicahuana rapids with full gear, lunch, sauna and a zip line at the river lodge; from age 9.
Hotel pickup in Cusco and about 1.5 hours by private transport south to the operator's Cusipata River Lodge, where you leave your bags. You raft the Chuquicahuana section of the Urubamba, then have lunch at the lodge, use the sauna and hot showers, and try the zip line before driving back. The day lasts about 8 hours.
The listing shows two options: full-day rafting with lunch, and rafting with the zip line. The river section is described as intense but suitable without experience; the listing gives no rapid grade. Wetsuit, spray jacket, life jacket, helmet and neoprene shoes are provided, with a safety kayaker on the water. Photos and video cost extra. Ages 9 to 60.
Pickup from hotels and apartments in Cusco.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
World Explorer Peru takes the Rainbow Mountain road as far as the village of Laya. After a safety briefing and about 10 minutes of practice, you ride for 25 minutes to the Red Valley at about 5,000 m, then walk about 40 minutes to the Rainbow Mountain viewpoint and back the same way. The day starts with pickup at 4 or 5 AM and ends in Cusco between 4:30 and 5:30 PM. The conditions are strict: you need prior experience on an ATV, travel insurance that covers adventure activities, and the listing excludes people over 95 kg. It names 60, 70 and 80 as upper age limits in the same list, so ask before you book if that applies to you. The entry fee is paid in cash. For the walk without a quad, see Rainbow Mountain on foot.
Quad Bike Cusco Tours is the gentler ride: an hour by van to its base, instruction and practice, then an hour on a Honda TRX 250 to Moray, with photo stops toward the snow peaks. The ATVs stay at the base, and the van continues to the Maras salt mines, where you can try salted chocolate. You ride alone or two to a quad; children under 6 cannot join. Entry to Moray and the salt mines is extra and paid in cash. The listing explains that the general tourist ticket is valid for 10 days and the partial ticket for 2 days.
Both horse tours stay close to Cusco and take about four hours with pickup. Horseback Riding Cusco starts from its ranch about 15 minutes from the city and rides through farming villages to the Devil's Balcony, a rock with a window above a river behind Saqsaywaman. It is suitable for beginners, from age 8, and has a weight limit of 90 kg. Wear long trousers, closed shoes and a rain jacket, and leave jewelry at the hotel, the listing advises.
Arnold Luque, an anthropologist, leads a small group on horseback to the Temple of the Moon, Chuki Marka and Inkilltambo, with explanations of Andean beliefs. Trot and canter are possible for confident riders. The title says up to 5 guests and the itinerary up to 6. Entry fees are included, and the weight limit is 100 kg.
Sam's Zipline is based at the Racchi viewpoint near Chinchero, about 45 minutes from Cusco or Urubamba. The circuit has four zip lines and a suspension bridge and takes about 1.5 hours, with helmet, harness and gloves provided. Ages 6 to 70. Afterward the van takes you back, or on to Maras, Moray or Ollantaytambo, which makes it easy to combine with one of the Sacred Valley tours. Food and water are not included.
Mayuc River Rafting runs the Chuquicahuana section of the Urubamba, about 1.5 hours south of Cusco. The day starts and ends at the company's river lodge near Cusipata, which has hot showers, a sauna and a zip line; lunch is served there. The listing provides wetsuit, life jacket, spray jacket, helmet and neoprene shoes, with a safety kayaker on the water. Ages 9 to 60, with or without rafting experience. The listing also calls the tour wheelchair accessible, which does not fit a rafting trip; ask the operator if it matters. For rafting as part of a trek to Machu Picchu, see the Inca Jungle trek.
The Rainbow Mountain ATV tour reaches over 5,000 m and needs the same acclimatization as the hike (altitude and acclimatization). The other activities stay near the altitude of Cusco or below. All listings advise against them during pregnancy. World Explorer Peru also rules out back problems and recent surgery on its ATV tour; Mayuc advises against rafting with spinal injuries or heart conditions. All tours on this page can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before.
Yes, on both quad tours. World Explorer Peru also has double ATVs with a passenger seat but requires prior ATV experience from drivers; Quad Bike Cusco Tours gives instruction and practice at its base.
According to the listings: 6 for the zipline and the Moray quad tour, 8 for both horse rides, 9 for rafting. World Explorer Peru does not state a minimum age but sets weight and experience limits.
No. Horseback Riding Cusco describes its ride as suitable for little or no experience. Arnold Luque gives instructions for all levels and offers trot and canter to those who want them.
Yes. Sam's Zipline can drop you in Maras, Moray or Ollantaytambo after the circuit instead of taking you back to Cusco.
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