The White City and one of the deepest canyon
Arequipa & Colca Valley tour is complete way to know the tradition, architecture and nature of this amazing city.
Arequipa, is Peru´s second largest city. Located 1,024 kilometers (640 miles) south from Lima, the city was founded in 1540 and is one of the most attractive cities in the country. Arequipa has numerous colonial churches and mansions, including the Monasterio de Santa Catalina (Saint Catherine’s Monastery) which was founded in 1579 and it’s currently opened to the public after 400 years of cloister.
Arequipa is known as the “White City” because of its numerous buildings made of white sillar, which is a stone thrown by the Misti volcano.
The landscape is ruled by three volcanoes: Misti, Chachani and Pichu Picchu.
The nice weather and its altitude (2,300 meters above sea level – 7,500 feet) makes Arequipa the perfect place to acclimatize before you continue your trip to Cusco or Puno.
The Colca Canyon (3,300-meter deep) is one of the deepest canyons in the world and is the natural habitat of the majestic condor. It is located on the spectacular and picturesque Colca Valley that has small towns that were founded in the Colonial times and that were formerly inhabited by the Collaguas and Cabanas. The locals still preserve their ancient traditions and cultivate in the pre-Incan terraces.
Travel to Arequipa and visit the Colca Canyon which is the perfect place to see the condor, the biggest bird in the world, and to practice adventure sports.
**All our programs can be modified according to your requirements on duration, interests, activities, flight reservations or other additional destinations.**
When you arrive at Arequipa, our staff will be waiting to welcome you and to take you to your hotel. In the afternoon, we will start our tour taking a leap to the past walking around the Monasterio de Santa Catalina (Saint Catherine’s Monastery), where we will discover more than three centuries of history and contemporary life behind its walls.
We will go to Arequipa´s Main Square giving you detailed information about it and then, we will go to the Iglesia de la Compañía (The Church of The Company), famous for its exaggerated baroque façade and altarpieces and its San Ignacio’s polychromed dome, which is one of the most outstanding in the city.
Once we finish our visit to the historic center, we will go to the traditional Yanahuara town, known for its traditional arches and square where we will have a view from the city and the Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu volcanoes.
After the all the visits, you will be taken to your hotel or to a close restaurant.
Meals: None
Breakfast at the hotel. Group departure at 07:30 a.m. to one of the most beautiful valleys in Peru.
At the beginning, we will enjoy the majestic views of the Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu volcanoes. Then, we will arrive at the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve, where we will stop to see the vicuñas (the most important camelids in America) in their natural habitat. We will enjoy excellent views of the highlands and we will make several stops to take pictures. Our highest point on the road is “Pata Pampa” at 4,910 meters above sea level where we will be able to see the Ampato, Sabancaya, Hualca Hualca and Mismi volcanoes, as well as the Chila mountain range.
We will arrive at Chivay and make a short visit to the square and then, we will go to the restaurant where we will have lunch. In the afternoon, we will have activities with the guide such as trekking to the San Antonio ruins, visiting the thermal baths and the town.
Accommodation in the chosen hotel.
Meals: Breakfast
We will have an early breakfast so we can go to the “Mirador de la Cruz del Cóndor” (Condor’s Cross Lookout). Timely arrival to the lookout, where you will have enough time to see the canyon’s depth, and if the weather is favorable, you may take incredible pictures of the condor’s spectacular flight.
After a settled time, we will have a brief trek on the canyon’s edge to see its depth and terraces.
Return to Chivay, visiting the Pinchollo, Maca and Yanque neighboring towns on our way. Choquetico lookout views.
Arrival to Chivay and buffet-style lunch in a typical restaurant. After lunch, we will continue our tour returning to Arequipa city. Arrival to the city and transfer to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
After breakfast, transfer to the airport or bus station.
Meals: Breakfast
Destination | Tourist | Superior tourist | Superior | Deluxe |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arequipa |
Runcu Arequipa |
Conde de Lemos |
La Hostería |
Casa Andina Premium |
Colca Valley |
Colca Inn |
Pozo del Cielo |
El Refugio |
Colca Lodge |
Price per person: USD | 358 | 386 | 470 | 650 |
Arequipa | Conde de Lemos |
Colca Valley | Pozo del Cielo |
Price per person: USD | 386 |
---|
Prices per person in US Dollars, based on double occupancy.
INCLUDES:
NOT INCLUDED:
PRICES
All rates are expressed in US dollars, per person, based on double occupancy and are subject to change without notice.
ITINERARY
All our itineraries have been very carefully prepared taking your trip’s best operation into account. However, changing the order of some tours or routes might be necessary in some cases. Although these changes occur in few instances, the itinerary details should be taken as a basic guide.
AIR TICKETS
If Colourful Peru oversees buying and issuing local-flight tickets, their prices may vary until the date of the flight’s booking and payment. Furthermore, the airline might change the flight number as well as its departure hour.
Once the flight reservation and payment are made, the latter will not be reimbursable. Changes regarding name, flight, route, trip’s date or cancellations are not allowed.
Hotel reservations that are not part of an organized trip
Cancellations and Reimbursements
Booked trips
Cancellations and Reimbursements
(*) Note: some suppliers consider stricter cancellation conditions, consequently, they reserve the right to charge additional fees for other penalties in such cases.
Regarding the Inca Trail: the reserve is subject to its payment and there will not be reimbursements in case of cancellations, moreover, neither name nor date changes are allowed.
During peak season, the company reserves the right to change the cancellation regulations in case the suppliers apply other penalties or make the aforementioned changes.
LIABILITY
Live Corporation carries out your trip’s arrangements, books transfer services, hotel rooms or other travel services required on your behalf, consequently, the company takes no responsibility for the loss of items, flight or tours delays due to events of force majeure, accidents or other events.
Important!
Live Corporation disclaims any liability for medical conditions, pregnancy, mental or physical limitations that might put at risk the health or integrity of the passenger or third parties during the operation of the booked tours or that might jeopardize the trip’s progress. Therefore, the company will not be obliged to any refunds or to address claims regarding the aforementioned reasons, even when there are not noticeable problems in normal circumstances.
Given this, it is important for the passengers to inform the company whether there is any of the aforementioned impediments, so we can offer and suggest suitable services according to the existing limitations.
CLIMATE
The climate in Peru can be divided by zones: the western Andes that has a dry and cold climate in winter and its very rainy during the summer. The rainforest that has a hot, wet and rainy climate and the desert coast with a warm climate without regular rainfall.
The climate in Arequipa city and the Colca Valley is dry and cold. The temperatures are between 17ºC y 24ºC in the morning and between 2°C and 6°C at night. Arequipa has sunny days and cold nights throughout the year. The rainy season is from December to March.
The weather doesn’t hold the trip back in general, except when the “El Niño” phenomenon is very aggressive.
TIME ZONE
Peru Time Zone according to Greenwich Mean Time is -5 (GMT -5), same as Bogotá and Mexico throughout the year and same as New York during summer. When it is midday in Peru the hour in the most important cities is:
São Paulo | 14:00 |
Frankfurt | 19:00 |
Nueva York | 13:00 |
Londres | 18:00 |
Hong Kong | 01:00 + 1day |
Singapur | 01:00 + 1day |
ALTITUDE
In Arequipa: 2,350 meters above sea level
In the Colca Valley: 3,500 meters above sea level
WE RECOMMEND
HEALTH
The Peruvian Andes are at high altitudes, so it is necessary to take precautions to avoid altitude sickness or “soroche”. It is important to rest a few hours, to walk slowly and to eat light before beginning any tour. We also recommend drinking coca tea that helps with acclimatization. Even though water is potable in most cities, it is advisable to drink bottled water to avoid any problems.
VISA
To know if you need a visa to enter Peru, please go to the closest consulate since the requirement may vary at any moment. For more information, please go to:
Visa types to enter Peru
LANGUAGE
Peru’s official language is Spanish, which is spoken by 80% of the population. However, there is a large portion of the population that speaks Quechua and Aymara (especially in the Peruvian Andes). Moreover, we can find 55 dialects in the Amazonian rainforest.
ELECTRICAL CURRENT
Electricity in Peru is 220 Volts and 60 Hertz. In some hotels, you may find dual voltage outlets, however, we suggest checking your appliances’ voltage and take precautions by having a power adapter or converter.
PERUVIAN GASTRONOMY
During the last years, the Peruvian gastronomy has become famous because of its variety and exquisiteness. Among the most known dishes you can find the ceviche, a dish made of fish and seafood marinated in lemon juice.
The famous “picanterías” stand out in Arequipa. These are typical restaurants from the past. There, we can find dishes made of cheese, milk and shrimp from the Majes Valley. The best-known dish in Arequipa is the rocoto relleno. The rocoto is a spicy fruit that is stuffed with meat and it is served with potato and cheese.
Other dishes you should try are the ocopa arequipeña, solterito de queso, chupe de camarones and adobo arequipeño (dish made of pork’s meat and chicha de jora). The city’s signature dessert is the queso helado prepared with milk, coconut and cinnamon.
You can try alpaca and trout prepared in several dishes in the Colca Valley
You can drink chicha de jora, a beverage made of fermented corn, and a shot of anisado as a digestive.
Restaurants during your trip:
Arequipa: international and local food restaurants.
IMPORTANT
Colourful Peru reserves the right to make any changes without prior notice due to weather conditions, river levels, transport departures or arrivals, etc., to assure a better development of your trip’s operation.
The White City and one of the deepest canyon
Our team will be contacting you as soon as possible.