Planning New Year’s Eve in Arequipa is easier once you settle three things: where to sleep, which tour to take and how to get around on the 31st. With Turismo Liberty you can build your trip around the Arequipa Not to be Missed 4-day / 3-night package, from $155 USD per adult in a double room (3 hotel nights, 3 breakfasts, transfers and assistance), or add a single day of adventure: the Full Day Colca Canyon tour from $27 USD or ATVs in the Chilina Valley from $28 USD.
This guide covers what each option includes and what you pay on the side (lunches, dinners, entrance fees and optional activities), how the night of December 31 feels in the Plaza de Armas, a day-by-day plan, transport and restaurant logistics, entrance fees and what the weather is like at the start of the rainy season. If you already have dates, message us on WhatsApp and we’ll confirm availability: the tour pages don’t list specific departures for December 31 or January 1, so we prefer to check with you before you book flights or hotels.
⚡ Your options for New Year’s Eve in Arequipa: which one fits?
It depends on how many days you have and whether you want a hotel included or just an adventure to add to your plans. These are the four Turismo Liberty trips that fit the year-end dates best:
| Option | Duration | From | What’s included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arequipa Not to be Missed | 4 days / 3 nights | $155 per adult (double room) | 3 hotel nights, 3 breakfasts, transfers and assistance | Sorting out the whole trip in one package |
| Full Day Colca Canyon | 1 day (pickup 2:30–3:00 AM) | $27 adult · $22 child | Pickup, transport, guide, breakfast and assistance | Seeing the canyon on a short stay |
| ATVs in the Chilina Valley | 3 h (≈2 h riding) | $28 adult · $19 child | ATV, safety gear, guide, round-trip transport and a brief beginner briefing | Adrenaline with no experience needed |
| Colca 2D/1N with transfer to Puno | 2 days / 1 night | $99 per adult | Transport, guide, 1 hotel night and transfer to Puno (confirm meals on WhatsApp) | Continuing to Puno after the holidays |
🗺️ What’s included (and what isn’t) in the 4-day / 3-night package
The question we hear most before booking is what you pay on the side. Here is the detail for the 4-day package, from $155 USD per adult in a double room, with groups of up to 18 people, a moderate difficulty level and a maximum altitude of 4,900 m (about 16,100 ft).
✅ What’s included
- Airport or bus terminal pickup
- 3 hotel nights (3–4★ or lodge)
- 3 breakfasts
- Tourist transport
- Assistance during the trip
❌ What’s NOT included
- Lunches and dinners
- Entrance fees to the attractions (paid on site; see the table below)
- Optional activities: horse riding, ATVs and zipline
🎆 How Arequipa celebrates New Year’s Eve
The heart of the celebration is the Plaza de Armas, framed by arcades with the Cathedral behind it. Many locals wear yellow for good luck, and you’ll see Peru’s New Year customs: yellow underwear, twelve grapes at midnight, lentils for prosperity and a lap around the block with a suitcase to ask for travel in the coming year. In some neighborhoods people also burn dolls and old clothes to say goodbye to the year.
It’s a crowded night. To enjoy it calmly, use the daytime for the Yanahuara and Carmen Alto viewpoints, have dinner early and reach the plaza with time to spare. Book your restaurant ahead and agree on a meeting point with your group.
📅 Suggested plan: 4 days ending on December 31
This example uses the Not to be Missed package starting December 28 and ending on the afternoon of the 31st, so you arrive at the celebration with time to spare. Times are those of the program; we confirm your start date on WhatsApp.
📍 Day 1 (Dec 28) — City and countryside
- Sillar Route — pickup 8:30 AM, back around 1:30 PM.
- Arequipa Countryside City Tour — pickup around 1:50 PM. Night at your hotel.
📍 Day 2 (Dec 29) — Colca Canyon
- Departure at 3:00 AM toward Colca Canyon. Back in Arequipa around 6:00 PM.
📍 Day 3 (Dec 30) — Salinas Lagoon
- Salinas Lagoon and Lojen Mini Volcano — pickup between 6:00 and 6:30 AM, back around 5:30 PM.
📍 Day 4 (Dec 31) — Pillones and Imata
- Pillones Falls and Imata Stone Forest — pickup 6:00 AM, back around 5:00 PM. End of the package: your night is free for the celebration.
Other ways to build it. If you want the whole 31st free, start on December 27: the package ends on the afternoon of the 30th and you’d book the nights of the 30th and 31st yourself. With only two or three days, combine Full Day Colca ($27 USD) on the 30th with a morning of ATVs ($28 USD, departures at 8:00, 11:00 and 14:00 from the Plaza de Armas) and keep the night of the 31st open. All subject to availability.
🚧 Logistics and safety on the 31st: transport, restaurants and fireworks
Transport and access to the Plaza
In previous years the authorities have published security and cleanup plans for the year-end holidays, as Andina reported. In the most recent plan we know of, vehicle access to the area around the Plaza de Armas was restricted from the afternoon of the 31st. These plans change every year: check the current one with the city and plan to walk in.
Restaurants and hours
Under those plans, restaurants around the plaza closed at about 11:00 PM and the plaza was cleared after 1:00 AM. Book a table early and confirm the venue’s hours.
Fireworks and personal safety
Firefighters ask people to avoid fireworks in urban areas. Keep your distance from firecrackers, carry only what you need and use closed bags in the crowd.
🎫 Entrance fees and Colca Canyon at year-end
Colca can be visited all year, but December is the start of the rainy season (December–March), with showers more likely in the afternoon; the best months are March to November. To compare, see which tours work best in the Arequipa rainy season. Starting early is still the best strategy. These fees are paid separately, in cash and in soles:
| Entrance fee | Price |
|---|---|
| Colca Valley — foreigners | S/ 70 |
| Colca Valley — Latin Americans | S/ 40 |
| Colca Valley — Peruvians | S/ 20 |
| Colca Valley — Peruvian students | S/ 5 |
| Chacapi hot springs | S/ 15 |
| Salinas Lagoon (Not to be Missed package) | S/ 8 |
| Lojen Mini Volcano (Not to be Missed package) | S/ 10 |
| Pillones Falls (Not to be Missed package) | S/ 6 |
| Imata Stone Forest (Not to be Missed package) | S/ 8 |
The countryside tour and the Sillar Route add smaller fees (for example, Sabandía Mill S/ 15, Menelik Museum S/ 8 and Carmen Alto S/ 5). Amounts can change: confirm them when you book.
🌤️ Weather and what to pack for New Year in Arequipa
In December the city sits around 21 °C (70 °F) by day and 9 °C (48 °F) at night, and at Cruz del Cóndor it drops to 8–12 °C (46–54 °F). The 4-day package reaches a maximum altitude of 4,900 m at a moderate difficulty level.
- Layers and a warm jacket for early mornings
- A light rain jacket or poncho
- Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses
- Cash in soles for entrance fees, meals and shopping
- Comfortable closed shoes
- Swimsuit, towel and sandals if you’ll visit the Chacapi hot springs
- A water bottle and, if you like, something yellow for the night of the 31st
❓ Frequently asked questions about New Year in Arequipa
The classic plan is to spend the night of December 31 in the Plaza de Armas, with the Cathedral as a backdrop, where many people wear yellow and gather to welcome midnight; you’ll see customs such as twelve grapes, lentils and a lap around the block with a suitcase. By day you can add adventure: a Full Day Colca Canyon tour from $27 USD per adult, ATVs in the Chilina Valley from $28 USD, or the Arequipa Not to be Missed 4-day / 3-night package from $155 USD per adult in a double room, with hotel and breakfasts included. Lunches, dinners, entrance fees and optional activities are paid separately. Turismo Liberty departures are limited to 18 people. Since the tour pages don’t list specific departures for December 31 or January 1, message us on WhatsApp with your dates and we’ll confirm availability before you book hotels or flights.
It depends on how many days you want and which tour you choose. With Turismo Liberty, the Arequipa Not to be Missed 4-day / 3-night package starts at $155 USD per adult in a double room and includes 3 hotel nights, 3 breakfasts, transfers and assistance. The Full Day Colca Canyon tour is $27 per adult and $22 per child; ATVs in the Chilina Valley are $28 per adult and $19 per child; and the 2-day / 1-night Colca tour with transfer to Puno starts from $99 per adult. Not included are lunches and dinners, entrance fees (at Colca: S/ 70 foreigners, S/ 40 Latin Americans and S/ 20 Peruvians; Chacapi hot springs S/ 15) and optional activities such as horse riding, ATVs or zipline on the 4-day package. Confirm the final price and availability when you book.
The main gathering point is the Plaza de Armas in the historic center, surrounded by arcades and the Cathedral. Many people arrive in yellow, with grapes and lentils, and wait for midnight among music and hugs. In previous years the authorities published security and cleanup plans for this date: in the most recent one we know of, vehicle access around the plaza was restricted from the afternoon of the 31st and the plaza was cleared after 1:00 AM. That plan changes every year, so check the current one with the city and plan to walk in. If you prefer something calmer, visit the Yanahuara and Carmen Alto viewpoints by day and have an early dinner. With Turismo Liberty you can also keep the night of the 31st free by finishing a tour that afternoon.
Colca can be visited all year, but December is the start of the rainy season (December–March), so showers are more likely in the afternoon; the best months are March to November. The Turismo Liberty Full Day Colca Canyon tour is $27 USD per adult, with pickup between 2:30 and 3:00 AM and a return around 6:00 PM, so if you’re celebrating on the 31st it’s best done on the 30th or after January 1. December public holidays fill our groups and our departures are limited to 18 people, so we confirm availability for those dates on WhatsApp: the tour pages don’t list specific departures for December 31 or January 1. Remember that the Colca Valley entrance fee (S/ 70 for foreigners) and lunches are not included. Starting early is the best way to beat the afternoon showers.
Yes, but on special hours. In the year-end plans of previous years, vehicle access to the Plaza de Armas was restricted from the afternoon of the 31st, restaurants around it closed at about 11:00 PM and the plaza was cleared after 1:00 AM. Those hours change every year, so book a table early and confirm the current schedule with the city and with the venue. Intercity buses to Lima and Cusco tend to sell out on the 31st, so buy your ticket early if you travel on January 1 or 2. If you stay with the Arequipa Not to be Missed package from Turismo Liberty, from $155 USD per adult, remember that the 3 included nights match the tour days and the night of the 31st may fall outside the package depending on your start date.
In December Arequipa sits around 21 °C (70 °F) by day and 9 °C (48 °F) at night, so days are mild and nights and early mornings are cool. At Cruz del Cóndor, in Colca Canyon, it drops to 8–12 °C (46–54 °F), and the Turismo Liberty Not to be Missed package reaches a maximum altitude of 4,900 m at a moderate difficulty level. December marks the start of the rainy season, with showers more likely in the afternoon. Pack layers, a warm jacket for early mornings, a light rain jacket, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, comfortable shoes and cash in soles for fees and meals. If you’ll visit the Chacapi hot springs (S/ 15, not included), add a swimsuit, towel and sandals. For the night of the 31st, bring an extra layer and something yellow if you want to follow the tradition.
For Christmas and New Year we recommend booking your hotel, transfers and tours weeks in advance. December public holidays (8, 9 and 25) fill our groups and our departures are limited to 18 people, so places run out. The Arequipa Not to be Missed 4-day / 3-night package starts at $155 USD per adult in a double room; the Full Day Colca Canyon tour from $27 USD; and ATVs in the Chilina Valley from $28 USD. Since the tour pages don’t list specific departures for December 31 or January 1, the best step is to message us on WhatsApp with your dates and the number of travelers: we usually reply within 5 minutes and confirm availability before you buy flights or hotels. If you’ll take an intercity bus on January 1 or 2, buy that ticket early too.
If you are deciding how to spend New Year’s Eve in Arequipa, the most comfortable mix is usually a package like Arequipa Not to be Missed or a day in Colca, plus a free night in the Plaza de Armas. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and we’ll send you the itinerary, availability and final price. For more ideas, see our guide to the best tours in Arequipa.
Ready for New Year in Arequipa?
Check availability for your dates — 4-day package from $155 USD per adult and one-day tours from $27 USD.
