Colca Valley is home to one of the deepest canyons in the world. Enjoy its incredible scenery with this day trip from Arequipa and explore the picturesque town of Chivay.
Colca Canyon Day Trip
At the indicated time, we'll pick you up from your hotel in Arequipa. After driving approximately 3 hours through southern Peru, we'll arrive at the picturesque Andean village of Chivay. In this village, located at over 3,000 metres (9,842 ft) above sea level, we'll make a short stop to have a light breakfast including various regional specialities.
With our batteries recharged, we'll head to the traditional village of Maca. There, we'll visit the church and enjoy an optional tasting of the typical cocktail of the citrus fruit Sancayo and pisco: the Colca Sour. You'll also be able to take pictures with the llamas and alpacas.
Next, we'll head towards the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, located only 50 minutes from Chivay. We'll spend an hour at the viewpoint to contemplate the superb views of the Colca Canyon, considered to be one of the deepest in the world. This observation point is also perfect for spotting the flight of condors, a predominant species in the skies of the Andes.
We'll continue the route by road and stop at many of the viewpoints in the area such as Wayrapunko and Antahuilque to continue admiring the views of the area, such as hanging tombs, lithomachs and terraces from pre-Inca and Inca times.
Afterwards, we'll stop at the thermal baths of Chacapi, where you'll have 45 minutes to enjoy its curative waters. If you don't want to take a dip in the thermal baths, you can use the time to go ziplining or kayaking by yourself.
Around midday, we'll return to Chivay or another nearby town, where we'll give you a bit of free time for lunch. Enjoy! After eating, we'll continue our route and stop at the Mirador de Los Volcanes, from where you'll be able to observe the Chila mountain range, the snow-capped peaks of Ampato and Hualca Hualca, the Sabancaya volcano or the Pichu Pichu volcano.
We'll also cross the National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca, a majestic natural space around which we'll see the silhouettes of the Misti and Chachani volcanoes on the horizon.
Lastly, we'll finally return to Arequipa, to end the excursion after between 14 and 15 hours together.
Tour with Lunch
When booking, you can select the option with lunch, which includes a delicious buffet lunch at a restaurant in Chivay or the surrounding area. Enjoy!
Hotel Pickup and Ending Point
Pickup is included at hotels located within a radius of 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) from the Plaza de Armas in Arequipa. If your hotel is outside this area, you'll have to go to the meeting point at the indicated time, located at the door of the cathedral, located in the Plaza de Armas.
As for the endpoint, please keep in mind that the tour departing at 2 am ends in the vicinity of the Plaza de Armas.
The tour departing at 2:40 am includes the transfer back to your hotel. However, in the case of events or restrictions to access the historical center and its vicinity, the vehicle will not be able to enter, and we'll leave the vehicle at a location nearby.
