2-Day Tour to Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain Cusco

Terrifying & Disorganized

**DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY** I booked a 2-day tour package for Machu Picchu (Day 1) and Rainbow Mountain (Day 2), and the entire experience was chaotic, disorganized, and at times genuinely concerning. Day 1 (Machu Picchu). Lylia was our main point of contact on WhatsApp and the person coordinating everything from the start. We were told we would be picked up directly from our Airbnb between 3:00–3:30 AM. The night prior, I confirmed the pickup time and exact location with Lylia, and she reassured me everything was set. The next morning at 3:30, after not seeing anyone, I messages Lylia and told her no one was there. We then received a call from someone named Lisbeth, who did not speak English, telling us to go to Plaza de Armas. We immediately started walking there (about 10 minutes away), only to then be told by Lylia to hurry and go to a different location, Plaza Regocijo. When we arrived at Plaza de Armas, no one was there and Lisbeth stopped responding. Lylia then gave us another contact, Marina, who also did not answer, followed by a third contact, Jorge. When we finally reached Jorge, we got into his car and drove for about 5 minutes before he suddenly stopped in the middle of a street. He got out, and we were immediately surrounded by about 15 men all telling us to get into a different car. I repeatedly asked who they were, but no one could provide any clear explanation or verification. The men just kept insisting we get into the car. I tried calling Lylia to confirm whether this was legitimate, but she does not speak English, so we had no way to verify what was happening. At that point, we did not feel safe getting into the vehicle. We left the situation and called an Uber ourselves. Thankfully, we made the 1.5-hour drive to the train station and arrived with about 10 minutes to spare. At no point were we informed ahead of time who would be picking us up, what vehicle to expect, or that we would be transferred between multiple drivers before reaching the bus. That is basic information that should always be communicated. Being shuffled around in a foreign country, in unmarked vehicles, with no clear coordination is extremely unsettling. As two women in an unfamiliar place who do not speak the language, being surrounded by a group of men yelling at us to get into a car in the middle of the street without any verification was honestly terrifying. After this, I asked Lylia to refund the cost of the Uber that we had to book due to their failure to safely and clearly coordinate transportation. She said she would, to which I am hopeful she will follow through on. After this experience, I again confirmed with Lylia that Day 2 (Rainbow Mountain) pickup would be directly from our Airbnb. She confirmed, and I even sent a Google Maps screenshot of the exact location. She told us pickup would be between 3:50–4:00 AM. At 3:30 AM the next morning, I received a message from someone named Brian asking for our address, which I immediately sent again, despite having already provided it multiple times. By 4:15 AM, no one had arrived and there was no update. When I followed up, I was told a taxi was coming. At 4:45 AM, two men finally picked us up without any explanation of who they were or where we were going. They eventually dropped us at a bus where we joined the group and Brian. From that point on, the tour itself was fine. However, once again, there was no clear communication about pickup, drivers, or expectations. The process was confusing and poorly coordinated. I have traveled to many countries and consider myself an experienced traveler, and I have never experienced anything like this. The lack of communication, constant changes, and failure to provide basic logistical clarity made this a very stressful and uncomfortable experience. I would not recommend this company.

Response from the operator: Dear Kimberly: We greatly appreciate your review; it helps us correct our mistakes and continue to improve our services. We acknowledge the lack of coordination on the part of our staff and partners regarding your pickup at the Airbnb listing, and we sincerely apologize. Picking up guests at Airbnb accommodations has always been a bit complicated for us, as the locations are hard to find, many lack visible names or numbers, and some are on narrow streets, pedestrian-only streets, or stairways that are inaccessible by vehicle. For this reason, we agreed on a meeting point. However, on this occasion, it was impossible for the shuttle service to pick you up, as you and the shuttle staff were in two different locations. The minibus was already running late to reach the Ollantaytambo train station, so it left, and we sent another smaller vehicle to take you to Ollantaytambo, but you refused to get in because there were two male tourists who were also traveling with you to the Ollantaytambo train station, and you preferred to take an Uber instead. The additional cost you paid to Uber has already been reimbursed. On the second day, the minibus was unable to reach your Airbnb to pick you up, so we sent a smaller vehicle to pick you up and catch up with the minibus. Once again, we offer our sincerest apologies; this will not happen again.

via Tripadvisor