Join us for the Colca Canyon tour + connection to Puno city. This journey starts from the city of Arequipa, along the route, you’ll visit the famous Colca Canyon, the picturesque town of Chivay, the hot springs of Chacapi, and the famous viewpoints of Patahuasi and Lagunillas, where you can observe the Andes mountain range and some volcanoes. This trip ends in Puno, better known as the “Folkloric Capital of Peru” due to its music and traditional dances.
HIGHLIGHTS
Meeting Place — at about 03:00
We will pick you up from your hotel—applies only for hotels located in the historic center; otherwise, we will coordinate another meeting place according to your convenience.
Transfer from Arequipa to Chivay city
You will leave Arequipa city early in the morning, you’ll make your way to a small town known as Chivay located at 3635 m.a.s.l. — this bus ride lasts about 3 hours.
Breakfast in Chivay
You will have a local breakfast in this picturesque village.
Transfer from Chivay to the Cruz del Cóndor lookout point
This bus ride lasts about 1 hour.
Visualization of the Colca Canyon from the lookout point + The Condor’s Sanctuary
- From the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint (3800 m.a.s.l), you will observe the majestic Colca Canyon. In 2019 UNESCO declared the Colca Canyon as the third deepest canyon in South America with a depth of 4160 meters and the fourth deepest canyon on the planet.
- This canyon is the perfect place to enjoy the nature and learn about the Colca Valley history. At this place, you will be able to see the famous Colcas—which were food warehouses in pre-Hispanic times located on the mountains of the valley where the ancient Peruvians would keep quinoa, corn, cereals, potatoes, etc.
- In conclusion, the term Colca means “food store” and its origin is attributed to the Collaguas and Cabanas civilizations who inhabited this valley before the arrival of the Spaniards.
- The Cruz Viewpoint is also ideal for observing Condors in flight and other Andean animals such as parihuanas, llamas, huanacos, alpacas, vicuñas, tarucas, foxes and vizcachas.
Transfer from the Cruz lookout point to the Chacapi’s Hot Springs
During this tour, you’ll pass through different Spanish colonial towns such as Pinchollo, Maca and Yanque.
Enjoy the Chacapi Hot Springs
These medicinal Hot Springs are located near the town of Yanque where you can enjoy them; the average temperature is 38° Celsius, which is optimal for bathing.
Transfer from the Chacapi Hot Springs to Chivay
Lunch at your own expense in Chivay — at about 12:00
There are several restaurants in the beautiful town of Chivay, your Guide will help you choosing the best option according to your preferences.
Board your bus to Puno — at about 15:15
You will board another bus at Chivay city which will take you to Puno city. The bus ride lasts about 6 hours.
Bus stop at the Mirador de los Andes
This viewpoint is located at 4,900 meters above sea level — at this spot, you will see the volcanoes of Ampato, Sabancaya, Hualca Hualca, Mismi (the exact place where the Amazon River is born) and the Chila mountain range.
Bus stop in Patahuasi or Pampa Cañahuas
This viewpoint is located at the Aguada Blanca National Reserve, behind the Chachani volcano. You will spot some vicuñas, llamas and alpacas.
If you wish, you can also taste some hot drinks made from natural herbs such as coca, chachacomo and muña. Any type of purchase you wish to make, it will always be your choice.
Bus stop in Lagunillas
This viewpoint has a nice overview to the small lakes that seem to be mirrors reflecting the
sky, it is also the habitat of Andean flamingos and other birds.
Arrival to Puno city — at about 19:30
This excursion ends at your hotel if you are staying in the historic centre of Puno; otherwise, we will drop you off near Puno’s Main Square.
PRICE
The prices shown in the table are:
- Per person in US dollars ($).
- Pple. = people.
- Group = group service, shared.
| Pple. | Type of tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Private | |
| 1 | $65 | $579 |
| 2 | $65 | $300 |
| 3 | $65 | $200 |
| 4 | $65 | $175 |
| 5 | $65 | $150 |
DETAILS
| Details | Type of tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Private | |
| Schedule | 03:00 to 19:30 | 4:00 to 18:30 |
| Days | Every day | Every day |
| Language | es/en simultaneously | en or es |
| Size | 15 to 20 pax. | You and your friends |
| Included | Type of tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Private | |
| Pick up from your hotel in Arequipa | ✅ | ✅ |
| Guide | ✅ | ✅ |
| Driver | ✅ | ✅ |
| Tourist vehicle | ✅ | ✅ |
| Breakfast | ✅ | ✅ |
| Lunch | ❌ | ❌ |
| Personalized service | ❌ | ✅ |
| Ticket for Colca: 70 soles pp | ❌ | ❌ |
| Ticket the hot springs: 15 soles pp | ❌ | ❌ |
| Canopy at Chacapi (optional): 35 – 50 soles pp | ❌ | ❌ |
| Atv’s at Chacapi (optional): 35 soles pp | ❌ | ❌ |
| Kayak at Chacapi (optional): 10 soles pp | ❌ | ❌ |
| Drop off at your hotel in Puno | ✅ | ✅ |
Accessibility: This tour is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
What do I bring?
- Sweaters or jackets.
- Anti-slip shoes.
- Raincoats.
- Caps or hats.
- Sunscreen.
- Sunglasses.
- A bottle of water.
- Local currency for your entrance tickets.
WhatsApp:
NOTES
Pick-ups and timings
Group tours:
- All pick-ups and tour ending times are approximate.
- Pick-ups apply only for hotels located in the historic center.
- Your pick-up time will depend on your hotel location.
- If you are out of the historic center, we’ll arrange a meeting point.
- If it’s hard for the vehicle to make it to your hotel, we’ll arrange a meeting point.
- We don’t do pick-ups if there are festivals, strikes and car trafic.
- We’ll arrange all pick-ups and meeting points one day prior your tour.
Private tours:
- Pick-ups are sharp on time.
- Pick-ups apply for all Arequipa city.
- We’ll arrange all pick-ups one day prior your tour.
- The tour ending time is still aprox; but, we’ll do our best to finish the tour as scheduled.
Meal
- The breakfast is simple and delicious.
- There are vegetarian options.
Acclimatization
You should be acclimatized with at least two days of stay at altitude.
Type of vehicle and seats
Vehicles:
- Authorized by the Ministry of Transportation of Peru.
- Clean and modern ones.
- Sedan looking auto, 4×4, H1, Van, Renault and Mercedez Benz (it will depend on the group size).
Seats – group tours:
- You reserve a seat in the bus, not a specific number of seat.
- If you get picked-up first, then you can choose some seats (your pick-up time will depend on your hotel location).
- Couples seat together to 95%; however, we can’t warranty this will happen to 100%.
Guide
Authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism. This tour is focused on trekking, not history.
Group tours:
- He goes as a companion to show the way.
- Intermediate English.
- There is not much explanation during the tour.
Private tours:
- He will always be at your disposal.
- Intermediate-advanced English.
- There is plenty of explanation during the tour.
Driver
- The driver sometimes drives fast due to distance and time constraints.
- If you book a private tour, the driver will drive at a normal speed.
- The driver sometimes listens to music to stay awake.
Entrance ticket discounts
Kids, minors, students and Peruvians may have discounts but an official ID is required to show:
- Kids and minors: Bring their official passaports to prove their age.
- Students: Bring your offficial passport and goverment issued ID.
- Peruvians: Bring your oficial ID.
Operability and itinerary
This tour is subject to variation without any prior notice, due to weather conditions, strikes and any other event that doesn’t allow the normal tour operation. See also our terms.
CANCELLATIONS
Cancellation of the tour is free as long as you do so at least 48 hours in advance, otherwise we will charge 100% of the tour price. See also our terms.
REVIEWS
Please, scroll down to see reviews.
REVIEWS
⭐TripAdvisor: 300 testimonials | ⭐Google Maps: 250 comments | ⭐Facebook: 183 reviews | ⭐Instagram: 1500 followers | ⭐YouTube: Watch our videos | ⭐Travellers: More than 90,257 tourists
