Cheap can be costly: How much does a tour in Peru really cost?
An extremely cheap tour in Cusco usually means that the agency operates informally, does not pay fair wages to local guides, evades taxes, or cuts corners on safety and transportation maintenance. Cheap becomes expensive when your safety is at stake.
You arrive in Peru, at any tourist destination, and you are bombarded with flyers. One agency offers you the Rainbow Mountain for 50 Soles, and the one next door offers it for 35 Soles. How is such a difference possible?
The answer is simple and concerning: exploitation, informality, and risk.
For a tour to operate with the minimum safety standards (which MINCETUR requires), the agency must cover:
Fair payment to an official, licensed tour guide.
Transportation with up-to-date technical inspections and tourist SOAT (Accident Insurance).
Entrance tickets to communities or archaeological sites.
Food prepared according to health and safety standards.
Payment of taxes (IGV).
When an agency charges you rock-bottom prices, they are cutting costs in one of these areas. Generally, they hire unlicensed guides (labor exploitation), use vehicles in poor condition (risk of fatal accidents on Andean roads), or take no responsibility if something goes wrong, leaving you stranded at over 4,000 meters of altitude.
In tourism, the price reflects formality. Use the Buho Smart directory to choose operators who compete fairly and legally, ensuring that your experience in the Andes is unforgettable for the right reasons.
To do a quick search, ask for their RUC and run a query, click here, in the Safe Travel block.
You can also run the query directly at: