🏔️ Colca Canyon Tour and Andean Condor Spotting
The Colca Canyon is the most iconic experience you can have from Arequipa and one of the most breathtaking in all of South America. With depths exceeding 3,000 meters in some sections, it is one of the deepest canyons on the planet. But what truly leaves visitors speechless is not the geology — it’s the moment when the first Andean condors begin to soar over the abyss at dawn, their wings spread up to three meters wide, in complete silence.
The tour departs early from Arequipa, crossing the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve, passing through pre-Inca villages like Chivay, and arriving at Cruz del Cóndor, the most famous viewpoint along the route. You can do it as a day trip or extend it to two days with an overnight stay in Chivay, allowing you to catch the condor at sunrise in the best possible conditions.
🗺️ Want to book the Colca Canyon tour with a certified guide and transport included?
Book via WhatsApp🏛️ Santa Catalina Monastery
The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena is one of the most extraordinary monuments in Latin America and, for many visitors, the biggest surprise Arequipa has to offer. Founded in 1579, this architectural complex spanning over 20,000 m² is literally a city within a city: cobblestone streets, fountain-filled plazas, cells decorated with frescoes and sillar walls painted in ochre, blue and red that contrast beautifully with the white volcanic stone.
For over 400 years it was closed to the public. Today you can explore it with a guide or on your own, discovering the spaces where generations of cloistered nuns lived and prayed. The Zocodover Plaza, the chapter house and the interior art gallery are the most striking corners. Allow at least 2 hours to explore it at a comfortable pace.
🌋 Trekking up Misti Volcano
Misti Volcano is the symbol of Arequipa. Its perfectly conical silhouette at 5,822 meters above sea level is visible from nearly every corner of the city and is the most recognizable image of the region. And while it may look intimidating, the ascent to Misti is technically accessible to people in good physical condition with proper acclimatization — no specialized climbing gear required.
The Misti trek is typically done over two days with a campsite at the base of the cone. On day one you hike to camp at around 4,600 m a.s.l., and on day two you summit at dawn for a 360° view over Arequipa, Chachani and Pichu Pichu. It is without doubt one of the most demanding and rewarding experiences the region has to offer.
🧗 Ready to take on Misti Volcano? We organize the full trek with equipment and a certified guide.
Check Availability🪨 Sillar Route through the Chilina River Canyon
The Sillar Route is probably the most authentic and least-known tour in Arequipa, and a firm favourite among those who return for a second visit. This experience takes you to the Chilina River Canyon, just a few kilometres from the city centre, where sillar — the white volcanic stone from which all of Arequipa’s colonial architecture was built — has been quarried for centuries.
Along the tour you can watch stonecutters working the sillar using techniques that have barely changed in hundreds of years, walk through the canyon between rock formations of extraordinary colour, and truly understand why Arequipa is called the White City. The combination of living history, landscape and culture makes this route an experience no travel book can replace.
🛶 White Water Rafting on the Chili River
For those looking for adrenaline without straying too far from the city, rafting on the Chili River is the perfect answer. The Chili flows right through Arequipa and offers rapids of varying difficulty levels, making it suitable for both first-timers and experienced paddlers. What makes this rafting experience unique is that you do it with the city skyline and volcanoes as your backdrop — a visual combination very few cities in the world can offer.
The standard route lasts between 2 and 3 hours and includes full equipment, a specialist guide and transport from the meeting point. It is one of the most popular activities for groups of friends and families with teenagers who want to combine adventure and nature on the same day they visit the historic centre.
🌊 Ready to hit the Chili River rapids? Book your spot with certified guide and full equipment included.
Book Now🏍️ ATV Tour through the Volcanic Landscape
If you want to go beyond conventional tours and explore Arequipa’s surroundings in a different way, the ATV tour is one of the most fun and photogenic experiences you can have. The route takes you along dirt tracks through volcanic landscapes, terraced farmland and natural viewpoints where the view of the city and the three volcanoes — Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu — is simply stunning.
No prior ATV experience is needed. The tour includes a basic briefing before departure and the guide stays with the group throughout. It is suitable for couples, groups of friends and families with members aged 16 and over. A firm favourite among travellers who have already done the classic tours and are looking for something different.
🍽️ Discovering Arequipa’s Cuisine
Arequipa has one of the most celebrated food scenes in Peru — a country that is already a world-class culinary powerhouse. Arequipeñan cuisine is built on local ingredients such as rocoto chilli, chuño, native potato and alpaca meat, combined in dishes with centuries of history that are still prepared using the same techniques in the traditional picanterías of the city centre.
The dishes you absolutely must try are rocoto relleno (spicy pepper stuffed with minced meat and gratinéed with cheese), adobo arequipeño (pork stewed in chicha, traditionally eaten for Sunday breakfast), chupe de camarones (a rich prawn chowder) and, to finish, the famous queso helado — which despite its name contains no cheese, but coconut and cinnamon. The San Camilo Market and the picanterías of the Yanahuara neighbourhood are the best places to start.
🔭 Yanahuara Viewpoint and Views of Misti
The Yanahuara Viewpoint is one of the most photographed spots in Arequipa and also one of the most accessible. Located in the quiet neighbourhood of Yanahuara, about 15 minutes on foot from the centre, this viewpoint offers the most classic panorama of the city: the white historic centre in the foreground and Misti Volcano perfectly framed in the background, with Chachani and Pichu Pichu completing the scene.
The viewpoint is lined with sillar arches bearing inscriptions about Arequipa, giving it a strong sense of identity and character. The Yanahuara neighbourhood itself is also worth exploring: its quiet streets, colonial church and small restaurants with volcano views make this area a must-stop that many tour groups skip for lack of time. Don’t make that mistake.
🌊 Pillones Waterfall
The Pillones Waterfall is one of the best-kept secrets in the Arequipa region and, for those who discover it, one of the most surprising experiences of their trip. Located in the province of Castilla, a few hours from the city, this waterfall drops from a considerable height into a landscape of ravines, lagoons and rock formations that rival anything you’d find in Patagonia.
The Pillones area also includes Pillones Lagoon and stone forest formations that make the full circuit a pure nature experience, far from mass tourism. It is the ideal tour for travellers who want to step off the beaten track and connect with the wildest and most authentic Andean landscape in the region.
🌿 Drawn to nature off the beaten track? We organise the Pillones tour with everything included.
Ask via WhatsApp🚶 City Tour through Arequipa’s Historic Centre
No visit to Arequipa is complete without a guided city tour through the historic centre, declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2000. Walking its streets with a certified guide completely transforms the experience: every church, every plaza and every sillar wall has a story that the untrained eye simply cannot see.
The city tour covers the most iconic landmarks: the Plaza de Armas and its baroque cathedral façade, the Church of La Compañía de Jesús with its portal considered one of the finest examples of American baroque, the San Lázaro neighbourhood (the oldest in the city), the Puente Grau and the natural viewpoints from which you truly understand the relationship between the city and its volcanoes. It is the best introduction to Arequipa and the tour most travellers start their stay with.
📋 Quick Reference: All 10 Activities at a Glance
| # | Activity | Approx. Duration | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colca Canyon Tour | 1 or 2 days | All types of travellers |
| 2 | Santa Catalina Monastery | 2–3 hours | Culture & history lovers |
| 3 | Misti Volcano Trek | 2 days | Fit adventurers |
| 4 | Sillar Route | Half day | Culture, photography |
| 5 | Rafting on the Chili River | 2–3 hours | Adventure & adrenaline |
| 6 | ATV Tour | 3–4 hours | Groups, couples, adventurers |
| 7 | Arequipeñan Cuisine | Any time | All travellers |
| 8 | Yanahuara Viewpoint | 1–2 hours | Photography, couples |
| 9 | Pillones Waterfall | Full day | Nature, off-the-beaten-track |
| 10 | Historic Centre City Tour | 3–4 hours | First-time visitors |
✅ Before You Visit Arequipa: Travel Preparation Checklist
- Acclimatize: Arequipa sits at 2,335 m a.s.l. Arrive a day before your most demanding activities
- Book in advance: the Colca Canyon and Misti fill up fast during peak season (June–August)
- SPF 50+ sunscreen: UV radiation at this altitude is intense, even on cloudy days
- Layer up: days can be warm and nights very cold — sometimes on the same day
- Cash in soles: picanterías, markets and some sites do not accept card payments
- Comfortable shoes: the historic centre is best explored on foot
- Book with a certified agency: guarantees licensed guides, insurance and safe transport
Ready to Experience Arequipa to the Fullest?
At Turismo Liberty Perú we organise all of these experiences with certified guides, safe transport and personalised attention from the very first contact. Build your custom itinerary and travel through the White City without a worry in the world.
