Heading to Arequipa for the holidays and wondering which tours run and what they cost? With Turismo Liberty you can plan Christmas and New Year in Arequipa 2026: the Colca Canyon 2 days and 1 night | Andean Adventure includes a hotel in the valley, a certified guide, tourist transport and breakfast. If you have more days, Arequipa Unstoppable in 3 days and 2 nights adds the city, countryside and Salinas Lagoon. Since prices tend to change over the holidays, ask for your date’s rate on WhatsApp.
The holidays change the city’s rhythm: December 24 and 31 (Thursdays in 2026) bring the busiest shopping and travel days, December 25 and January 1 fall on Fridays, and December opens the rainy season. Below you’ll find the calendar, prices, what each departure includes, how to keep a pre-dawn pickup from clashing with your New Year’s toast, and what to pack.
⚡ Holiday tours in Arequipa: overview and how to ask for prices
These are the four tours travelers ask about most in December. Holiday prices tend to change, so we don’t list rates here: ask on WhatsApp for your date.
| Tour | Duration | Price | Pickup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colca Canyon 2D/1N Andean Adventure | 2 days / 1 night | Ask on WhatsApp | 7:30 AM |
| Full Day Colca Canyon | 1 day | Ask on WhatsApp | 2:30–3:00 AM |
| Arequipa Unstoppable | 3 days / 2 nights | Ask on WhatsApp | 8:30 AM (day 1) |
| Historical Walking City Tour | 4 hours | Ask on WhatsApp | To be arranged (private) |
📅 Holiday calendar: what happens on Dec 24, 25, 31 and Jan 1
These are the key days for planning transfers and excursions. Mass times, bus schedules and police operations below come from recent years and may change: treat them as a reference, not a promise.
- Thursday, December 24 — Christmas Eve. In recent years Arequipa’s Basilica Cathedral held its Christmas Eve mass at 8 PM, and its nativity scene was open to the public from December 1 to January 7. At the bus terminal, departures to Lima were suspended on December 24, 2025, and the last buses to Cusco and Puno left at 10 PM and 8 PM.
- Friday, December 25 — Christmas Day. The Christmas mass is usually held in the afternoon, and the bus terminal returned to normal operation in 2025. It’s a good day to stroll the historic center at an easy pace.
- Thursday, December 31 — New Year’s Eve. Local authorities have flagged December 24, 25, 30 and 31 as the busiest commercial days. Book transfers and dinners ahead.
- Friday, January 1 — New Year’s Day. Skip the Full Day Colca tour (pickup at 2:30–3:00 AM) if you celebrate late: choose the 2 days / 1 night tour, with a 7:30 AM pickup, or take the Full Day on December 30 or January 2.
🗺️ What’s included in the Colca 2D/1N tour
The Colca Canyon 2 Days and 1 Night | Andean Adventure tour fits the holidays best because it bundles transport, hotel and guide in one booking; the price for your date is available on WhatsApp. It leaves Arequipa with pickup from hotels in the historic center from 7:30 AM and returns near the main square at 5:30 PM. The fitness level is moderate, and the highest point is the Patapampa Volcano Viewpoint at 4,900 m (16,100 ft).
✅ Included
- Tourist transport
- Pickup from hotels within the historic center
- Certified guide
- 1 hotel night in the valley
- Breakfast (day 2)
- Permanent assistance
❌ Not included
- Lunch and dinner
- Colca Valley entrance (S/70 for foreign visitors) — paid in cash
- Chacapi hot springs (S/15 per person)
- Day 1 — Chivay and Chacapi. Pickup at 7:30 AM, drive through the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve with its vicuñas, a stop in Patahuasi and the Patapampa Viewpoint. Lunch in Chivay at 1:30 PM, an afternoon at the Chacapi hot springs and a dinner with a folkloric show.
- Day 2 — Cruz del Cóndor, Yanque and Maca. Breakfast at the hotel, the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint, a visit to the villages of Yanque and Maca, lunch in Chivay and arrival in Arequipa at 5:30 PM.
🏔️ Colca 2D/1N, Full Day or Arequipa Unstoppable: which tour fits your dates?
The best excursion depends on how many days you have free and how you plan to spend the night of the 24th or the 31st.
| Your situation | Best option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You have 2 free days and want to see condors | Colca 2D/1N | 7:30 AM pickup and a night in Chivay |
| You only have one day and don’t mind an early start | Full Day Colca | Cruz del Cóndor and Chacapi in one day |
| You arrive before Christmas and stay through New Year | Arequipa Unstoppable | Countryside, Colca and Salinas Lagoon with 2 hotel nights |
| You want an easy morning on the 25th or January 1 | Walking City Tour | Private tour, start time arranged with you |
If you’re torn between one and two days in the valley, our Colca Canyon 1 day vs 2 days guide compares both in detail, and what to do in Arequipa 2026 covers the rest of the city and region.
🏛️ Arequipa city over the holidays: Santa Catalina Monastery and nativity scenes
December can also be enjoyed without leaving the White City. The Historical Walking City Tour (4 hours) covers the Plaza de Armas, the Church of the Compañía de Jesús, the San Camilo Market, the San Lázaro neighborhood and the Santa Catalina Monastery, whose entrance costs S/45 and is paid at the ticket office. In earlier years, six convents in the historic center displayed their nativity scenes between December 20 and January 6, according to Andina.
Want a lighter day? Our guide to full day tours in Arequipa helps you choose between excursions, and if you’re comparing travel dates, see when it’s cheaper to travel to Arequipa.
🌦️ Does it rain in December? What to expect in Colca and the city
December is a transition: sunny days are still possible, but the rainy season begins. This table summarizes what local sources and Senamhi report.
| Month | What to expect |
|---|---|
| December | Rains begin in the valley; in the city they usually start toward the end of the month |
| January | First rainfall values in the city during the first week |
| February | Highest points of the season in the city |
| March | The valley’s rainy season extends through this month |
🎒 What to pack for a year-end trip to Arequipa
- Warm clothes for early mornings and high points
- A light rain jacket for the rainy season
- Sunscreen, a hat and comfortable sneakers
- Swimsuit for the Chacapi hot springs
- Cash in soles for entrance fees, meals and purchases
- A water bottle, and patience with the altitude
❓ Frequently asked questions about Arequipa tours at Christmas and New Year
Prices for tours in Arequipa tend to change over the year-end holidays, so Turismo Liberty does not list a fixed rate in this guide: message us on WhatsApp with your date and group size, and we’ll confirm the current price and availability before you pay. You can ask about the Colca Canyon 2 Days and 1 Night | Andean Adventure tour, which includes tourist transport, pickup from hotels in central Arequipa, a certified guide, 1 hotel night and breakfast on day 2; the Full Day Colca Canyon tour; the Historical Walking City Tour; or Arequipa Unstoppable in 3 days and 2 nights, with 2 hotel nights in Arequipa and 2 breakfasts. What is fixed, and paid separately, are the entrance fees: Colca Valley (S/70 for foreign visitors), Chacapi hot springs (S/15) and meals.
The Colca Canyon 2 Days and 1 Night | Andean Adventure tour from Turismo Liberty includes tourist transport, pickup from hotels in the historic center of Arequipa, a certified guide, 1 hotel night in the valley, breakfast on day 2 and permanent assistance. On day 1 you visit the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve, the Patapampa Viewpoint (4,900 m / 16,100 ft), Chivay and the Chacapi hot springs; on day 2, Cruz del Cóndor, Yanque and Maca. Lunch and dinner are not included (the folkloric dinner show in Chivay is part of the itinerary but paid separately), nor are the Colca Valley entrance fee and the hot springs ticket. With one booking you cover transport and hotel; ask for your date’s price on WhatsApp. The fitness level is moderate and the highest altitude reached is 4,900 m (16,100 ft), so pace yourself.
Every Turismo Liberty tour in this guide departs from Arequipa with pickup at hotels in the historic center. The Colca Canyon 2 days / 1 night tour starts pickup from 7:30 AM and returns near the main square at 5:30 PM. The Full Day Colca Canyon tour picks up between 2:30 and 3:00 AM and returns around 6:00 PM. Arequipa Unstoppable (3 days / 2 nights) picks up at 8:30 AM on day 1, leaves for Chivay at 3:00 AM on day 2 and picks up between 6:00 and 6:30 AM on day 3; it also includes pickup from the airport or bus terminal. The Historical Walking City Tour is private, so the start time is arranged with you. If your hotel is outside the historic center, message us on WhatsApp before booking.
Holiday departures are confirmed date by date, so the safest step is to message Turismo Liberty on WhatsApp with the day you want to travel and your group size before paying for anything. In 2026, December 25 and January 1 both fall on a Friday, while December 24 and 31 (Thursdays) are busy days for shopping and transport in Arequipa. One practical tip: if you celebrate New Year’s Eve out, skip the Full Day Colca Canyon tour on January 1, because pickup is in the middle of the night, between 2:30 and 3:00 AM. The 2 days / 1 night tour, with a 7:30 AM pickup, is easier after a late night. For the morning of the 25th, the walking city tour is private and its schedule is arranged with you; the Full Day can be taken on December 30 or January 2, subject to availability.
December marks the start of the rainy season in the southern Andes. According to Senamhi, rain in the city of Arequipa usually starts in late December and peaks between January and February; in the Colca Valley the rainy season runs from December to March. That does not automatically cancel tours, but you should pack a rain jacket, warm layers for the Patapampa Viewpoint (4,900 m / 16,100 ft) and head to the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint early, where Andean condors are easier to see in the morning. Before you travel, check Senamhi’s official forecast and ask us on WhatsApp about road conditions the day before your departure, especially if your dates fall between late December and January. Some travelers even choose these months for greener landscapes, and travel sites describe November to January as quieter than peak season.
On Turismo Liberty’s Colca Canyon 2 days / 1 night tour, the Colca Valley entrance and the Chacapi hot springs are not included. According to the tour pages, the Colca Valley ticket costs S/20 for Peruvians, S/40 for Latin American visitors and S/70 for foreign visitors (S/5 for students with a Peruvian ID), and the Chacapi hot springs cost S/15 per person. If you add the Historical Walking City Tour, the Santa Catalina Monastery ticket is S/45 and the optional Sistine Chapel in the Compañía cloisters is S/5. On Arequipa Unstoppable, for example, the Sabandía Mill costs S/15 and the Salinas Lagoon S/8. Bring cash in soles, since these fees are paid in cash at each site, and ask on WhatsApp for a total estimate for your group. Fees are taken from the tour pages and may change, so confirm the current amounts when you book.
Spending the year-end holidays on the road in southern Peru is a different way to celebrate: Christmas Eve in the White City, condors at sunrise and hot springs with no office hours. To enjoy Christmas and New Year in Arequipa without surprises, pick your departure by date, confirm your spot and message us on WhatsApp for availability and the final price.
Ready to book your holiday tour in Arequipa?
Ask for price and availability on WhatsApp — holiday rates tend to change.
