My experience with Adrenaline ATV Tours was less than perfect. I have booked many, many tours via TripAdvisor/Viator and never had an issue with communicating with the tour operator, when necessary. For the Valley of Fire 3-Hour ATV Tour, however, I had absolutely no proactive communication from them prior to the moment when our driver (Darian, who was awesome, by the way) phoned to let me know what time he would pick us up. Mind you, it was the DAY OF tour, and no one had previously reached out to give us this important information. As well, the day before, I messaged the tour operator via the TripAdvisor portal (ācontact tour operatorā button). I sent one message in the morning and one message in the late afternoon. No response. Eventually, desperate to find out what our pick-up time would be the next morning, I called Adrenaline ATV using the phone number on my TripAdvisor booking. Whoever took my call was clearly not interested in getting me any specific information; he said we would be picked up ābetween 8:30 and 9 a.m.ā OK . . . I asked whether we could bring backpacks. āNo.ā He did not volunteer that lockers would be available for us to stow belongings in. I mentioned that I had sent two messages through TripAdvisor and he proceeded to tell me they donāt get those messages. Really?
Our next issue was that, after arriving and checking in at Adrenaline ATV, as soon as they learned we were rookie riders, we were immediately told we needed to āupgradeā to a different vehicle type. What? The TripAdvisor description specifically says āmost travelers can participate,ā with the caveat that this experience is not recommended for pregnant travelers or those with heart problems. Nowhere does it say that, if you are a first-time rider, we will recommend a different vehicle for you and charge you an additional $70. So, needless to say, we got off to a very rocky start.
Adding insult to injury, when we eventually arrived at the lunch stop, we learned that we were getting the ādefault lunch sandwich,ā because we didnāt respond to their e-mail asking for our preference. What e-mail? There was no e-mail. Ugh!
For those of you who are experienced riders, I have no doubt you will enjoy this experience, if your objective is to ride as fast as you can in incredibly bumpy, sandy terrain. But if youāre not experienced or you actually want to be able to view the gorgeous rock formations other than at the two stops that are incorporated into the ride, either plan to be a passenger or look for a different experience. And Adrenaline ATV (1) should really explain the experience in in more detail on TripAdvisor and Viator, particularly if theyāre going to charge more than the price that was quoted and paid at time of booking, and (2) work on improving their customer service.
I do want to end on a positive note, though. As mentioned, Darian was a terrific driver. And Justin, our guide, was also so pleasant and professional and clearly enjoys what he does.