Things to do in

Arequipa

Get back to nature in the Andes mountains and look for condors, llamas and alpacas in their natural habitat. Marvel at the majestic landscape and remote towns along the way. Day 1: Benefit from pick-up at your hotel in Arequipa, and then look for llamas, alpacas and vicuñas in the magnificent mountains of the Sacred Valley. Get breathtaking views of the Misti, Chachani, Pichu Pichu and Ampato volcanoes from the highest point of the Patapampa route, and then continue to Chivay (entrance town to Colca Canyon) and have lunch at a local restaurant. Then you will be dropped off in your hotel in Chivay Town. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure. Day 2: Depart Chivay in the early morning and make your way towards the stunning Cruz del Condor viewpoint. See the pretty towns of Coporaque and Maca and get in touch with nature on a short hike before your arrival at Cruz del Condor, where you will get an hour to watch the majestic birds in flight. All the excursion will be explained by the professional guide. On the way back, eat lunch in Chivay before continuing to Puno, arriving at 7:30 PM.

Enjoy a 2-day trekking tour of Colca Canyon, and immerse yourself in beautiful landscapes while exploring one of the world's deepest canyons. Leave Arequipa and see Condor's Cross and views of Andean Valleys. Start the adventure very early with pickup from your accommodation in Arequipa, and travel to the Valley of Colca (3 hours). Make a short stop to have breakfast at Chivay. Continue the route towards the Condor’s Cross (3,800 m.a.s.l.) to watch one of the most amazing natural wonders: the condors flying. Reach the Pampas of San Miguel (3,300 metres above sea level). Hike at the bottom of the canyon, for 4.6 miles (3 hours). Arrive to the town of San Juan de Chuccho, to enjoy a well-deserved rest with lunch. Contine the trek through the towns of Cosñirhua y Malata for 2.5 more miles (2.5 hours). Arrive at Sangalle (2,225 m), a spectacular oasis where we will spend the night. Enjoy a bath in the pool, and have dinner at night. Wake up early the next morning to start the hike of 2.5 miles ascending the canyon slope, for around 3 hours, admiring the sunrise with incredible views, until we reach the town of Cabanaconde (3,230 m). Travel to the town of Chivay, making short stops to the viewpoint of Antahuilque, with beautiful views of Andean terraces and the valley of Colca. Visit the town of Maca, with a panoramic visit to its colonial church. Take time to visit the hot springs of Yanque and enjoy the powerful hot water pools have healing properties as well as relaxing effects before enjoying an optional tasty lunch at Chivay. You can take the transfer to Puno in a regular bus (optional), departing from Chivay at 01:00 p.m., and arriving to the main square of Puno at 7:00 p.m. Or, you can return to the city of Arequipa and pass near the National Reserve Pampa Cañahuas, home of different types of camelids such as llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and guanacos and arrive back in Arequipa. We will drop you off two blocks from Plaza de Armas.

Discover the natural splendor of the Colca Canyon on this day trip from Arequipa. Start your trip of right with a delicious breakfast. Have the option to choose between a tour with lunch and the entry fee to the Colca Canyon or from a tour without these inclusions.  Enjoy early morning pickup at your hotel or accommodation in Arequipa and travel in an air-conditioned vehicle to the incredible Colca Canyon. Stop for breakfast in the charming town of Chivay. Travel through the Andes villages before reaching the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint.  Marvel at views of the surrounding landscapes and try to spot the giant Andean condor in flight. Cross the Patapampa Pass and admire the unique flora and fauna of the area. Catch a glimpse of the peaks of the Misti, Chachani, Pichu Pichu, and Ampato volcanoes. Following your guided hike, have the option to go to the La Calera Hot Spring. At the end of your tour, the bus will return you back to the city of Puno, where you will be dropped off at your accommodation at approximately 7:30 PM.

Pick-up from your accommodation in Arequipa around 3:00 AM to start your journey to one of the deepest canyons in the world, taking the Yura road, bordering the Chachani mountain towards Pampa Cañahuas (Aguada Blanca and Salinas National Reserve)  habitat of the beautiful South American camelids, the vicuñas. At approximately 6:00 AM, arrive at the town of Chivay; where you will enjoy your breakfast and then continue your drive for about 1 hour to arrive at Mirador de la Cruz del Cóndor, strategic point of observation of the Canyon and the spectacular flight of the Condor. On return, stop in the villages of Pinchollo, Maca and Yanque that have beautiful colonial churches. From the viewpoints of Choquetico and Antahuilque, observe the impressive andenería of the valley, the pre-Inca tombs and a pre-Inca model of the area carved in stone. Return to the town of Chivay for lunch and to rest walking through the little streets. Have the opportunity to enjoy the thermal baths in La Calera (optional) whose thermos medicinal waters oscillate between 35 to 38 degrees (celsius) of temperature in which you will stay approximately 1 hour, return to the town of Chivay. At 2:00 PM start your drive back to Arequipa, along the way, visit the highest point between the Colca Canyon and Arequipa: Patapampa (4800 meters), from this place see the volcanic mountain range. You will be back at your accommodation in Arequipa around 5:00 PM.

Enjoy pick-up in Arequipa on this 2-day Colca Canyon Tour, then passing through the vast Salinas and Aguada Blanca Nature Reserve. See llamas, alpacas and vicuñas in their natural habitat. Stop at Patapampa, at 4,900 meters above sea level. Get breathtaking views of the Misti, Chachani, Pichu Pichu and Ampato volcanoes from the highest point of the Patapampa natural viewpoint. Continue to Chivay town for lunch (if option selected). After lunch, check in at your hotel, with some free time to adapt to the altitude. Early the next day, head to the Cross of the Condor. See the pretty towns of Coporaque and Maca and get in touch with nature on a short hike,  before your arrival at Cruz del Condor. At this natural viewpoint you’ll be able to see the amazing bird in flight. Your guide will tell you about the behavior of the condor. Return to Chivay for lunch (if option selected) before the drive to Arequipa, returning approximately 5:00 PM.

Enjoy early morning pick-up from your hotel or accommodation in Arequipa and travel to the incredible Colca Canyon. Arrive at the natural habitat of the giant Andean condor and look forward to a full-day tour of the breathtaking site. Stop for breakfast in the pleasant town of Chivay and travel through the towns of the Andes, before reaching the Mirador Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint. Take a short hike up to the viewpoint and experience picturesque views of the surrounding natural landscape. Cross the pass of Patapampa and admire the stunning flora and fauna of the Andes. View the peaks of the Misti, Chachani, Pichu Pichu, and Ampato volcanoes. Return to Arequipa at approximately 5:00 PM and be dropped off in the main square. 

Day 1: After being collected from your accommodation in Puno City, you will hit the road. Along the way be sure to look out for llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas in the magnificent mountains of the Andes, before you make a stop at a small cafe. You'll receive breathtaking views of the Misti, Chachani, Pichu Pichu, and Ampato volcanoes from the highest point of the Patapampa route. You'll then continue to Chivay, the entrance town of the Colca Canyon. Once there you will have lunch at a local restaurant, before being dropped off to your hotel in Chivay Town. You can then enjoy the afternoon at leisure, with the option to visit the La Calera water spring. Day 2: You'll depart from Chivay in the early morning and make your way towards the stunning Cruz del Condor viewpoint. Along the way you'll pass the pretty towns of Coporaque and Maca, before getting in touch with nature on a short hike. You'll later arrive to Cruz del Condor, where you will watch the majestic birds in flight for a full hour. On the way back you will enjoy lunch in Chivay, before continuing on to Arequipa City where you will arrive at approximately 5:00PM.

Discover the natural wonders of the Salinas Lagoon and the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reservation on this multi-stop day tour, including round-trip transportation from Arequipa. Surround yourself in nature and take a dip in the Lojen Hot Springs. Start bright and early with pickup directly from accommodation in Arequipa. Then start the journey to the Laguna de Salinas (Salinas Lagoon), making a few different stops along the way. After a 45-minute ride, arrive at your first stop: the Mirador de los Volcanes in the Chiguata District. From there, you’ll be able to observe the area’s representative volcanoes and take unbeatable photos. Reach the main square of Chiguata where its traditional holy spirit church is located. Take a seat and taste a traditional breakfast of the area (costs not included). In another hour, stop at Alto Simbral (4200 masl) where you can observe plants of the area such as queñua, areta, tola, and more. Arrive finally at the Salinas Lagoon where you’ll stay between 1 and 1.5 hours, making different stops to observe flamingos and water mirrors. The Salinas Lagoon is a high-salt Andean lake located at 4300 m. high within the protected Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reservation. Here, you’ll be surrounded by the volcanoes Misti, Ubinas, and Pichu Pichu. Afterward, head towards the Lojen Hot Springs and mini volcano to enjoy a relaxing bath (fees not included). After unwinding in the hot springs, return to Chiguata to have lunch (fees not included) and then start making your way back to the city of Arequipa. Arrive in the evening and get dropped off near the Plaza de Armas.

Itinerary We will pick you up at your hotel in Arequipa at 3:15 a.m. and, after a three-hour bus ride through southern Peru, we will reach the village of Chivay, at more than 3,000 meters above sea level, where we will stop for a delicious breakfast of bread with butter and jam, juice and coffee or tea. At more than 3000 meters above sea level we will stop for a succulent breakfast consisting of bread with butter and jam, juice and coffee or tea. Delicious! With our batteries recharged, we will head towards the Cruz del Condor viewpoint. From here you will be able to admire the Colca Canyon in all its splendor. Did you know that it is one of the deepest canyons in the world? In addition, we will see the occasional condor, as this area is perfect for the flight of this species of bird. We will leave the viewpoint and continue the route visiting other villages and viewpoints of the Colca Canyon as Wayrapunko or Antahuillque. Around 11:30 a.m. we will head to the thermal baths of Chacapi, where you will spend an hour enjoying its natural pools. After this dip, we will return to Chivay, where you will have free time to have lunch on your own. Finally, we will meet again and head for Puno, our final destination. During the six-hour drive, we will make stops to stretch our legs at the Patapampa viewpoint, from where you will be able to admire the majesty of the Ampato and Sabancaya volcanoes. We will also stop at the Salinas Reserve and Lagunillas, to see if we are lucky enough to get a close look at some of the herds of camelids or flocks of wild birds that inhabit these areas. We will finish the excursion at the Puno Terminal at approximately 7:30 pm.

You will start your day off early with a pickup from your hotel between 2:30-3:00AM. You will then take a 3-hour journey by car towards Colca Canyon, eventually reaching the town of Chivay where you will have breakfast at 6:00AM. You will then drive through the scenic landscape, passing agricultural fields, Antahuilque, the Choquetico Tombs, and the tiny village of Yanque on your way to the Cruz del Condor viewpoint. You will also be able to watch quietly and patiently for the opportunity to see the giant Andean Condor flying silently overhead from this impressive overlook point. Afterwards, you will return to Chivay by way of Maca Village, where you can watch farmers plowing their fields, before stopping at a beautiful 18th-century colonial church. Upon arrival to Chivay, you will stop at the La Calera Hot Springs where you can relax and soak in the therapeutic pools if you wish. You will then have lunch on your own in Chivay, with free time to visit the local marketplace and main square. At 2:00PM, you will make your way back to Arequipa visiting the viewpoint of Patapampa (at 4,800 meters), to view the Ampato Volcano, where the mummy Juanita was discovered. Afterwards, you will continue to Toqrapampa, where you can see small lagoons filled with Andean birds. Your last stop will be Pampa Cañahuas National Park, where you will be able to see llamas, alpacas and vicuñas before arriving to Arequipa at approximately 5:00PM. You will later be dropped off in the Arequipa City Center, after a fun and busy day!