Private Full Day Colca Valley Tour from Arequipa

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Stop at the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, the best-known spot in the Colca Canyon to watch Andean condors gliding on the morning thermals. Your private guide stays with your group to point out the birds and explain the canyon below.

   45 minAdmission included

2. Drive across the high Andean plateau of the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve, with a stop at Pampa Canahuas to see herds of wild vicunas, alpacas and llamas grazing against the volcanoes.

   20 min

3. Arrive in Chivay, the main town of the Colca Valley at 3,650 m, for breakfast. Time to stretch, use the facilities and adjust to the altitude before continuing along the valley.

   1 h

4. Short rest stop at Patahuasi, where you are served coca-leaf and herbal tea to help your body adjust to the altitude before crossing the highest pass of the route.

   20 min

5. Stop at Abra Patapampa, the highest point of the route at about 4,900 m, with panoramic views of the Ampato, Sabancaya and Hualca Hualca volcanoes and the traditional stone cairns left by travellers.

   15 min

6. Stop in the village of Yanque to see its colonial church on the main square and the pre-Inca agricultural terraces carved into the valley walls around it.

   15 min

7. Brief stop in Maca, a small Colca Valley village rebuilt after earthquake damage, known for its colonial church and the terraced slopes rising behind it.

   15 min

8. Free time at the La Calera thermal baths outside Chivay, fed by natural hot springs. Please note the entrance fee to the baths is not included in this one-day tour and is paid locally if you wish to go in.

   1 h

9. Drive through Achoma, one of the traditional farming villages strung along the Colca Valley, with views over its terraced fields from the road.

   Passes by

10. Drive through Pinchollo, the last village before the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, surrounded by pre-Inca terraces that climb the canyon walls.

    Passes by

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 3 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Arequipa

• Its from-price is 403% above the median of the 64 day trips we list in Arequipa.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 33 of 64.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Arequipa

Arequipa, in southern Peru, is a white-stone colonial city beneath the cone of El Misti volcano, close to the deep Colca Canyon.

Arequipa lies at about 2,300 metres in the dry southern Andes, with the cone of El Misti volcano rising above it and Chachani and Pichu Pichu on either side. Its centre is built from sillar, a light volcanic stone that has earned it the name of the White City. The Plaza de Armas has arcades, palms and the cathedral, whose façade stretches the full length of one side.

Top-ranked sights in Arequipa: Colca Canyon, Plaza de Armas, Historic Centre of Arequipa.

See all 359 experiences in Arequipa