Arequipa travel & tours

Aerial view of the valley

Surrounded by desert and the three imposing volcanoes of El Misti, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu, sun-drenched Arequipa is known as the La Ciudad Blanca, or "White City", as white volcanic sillar or tuff rock has been predominantly used in its construction. Damaged several times in the past by earthquakes, Arequipa has an attractive colonial atmosphere with its beautiful Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, churches, and famous Convent of Santa Catalina.

Arequipa is the main gateway to the Colca Canyon a couple of hours away. Passing through the nature reserve of Pampas de Cañahuas where vicuñas and guanacos can be seen, this 1,200m deep Canyon provides fascinating views of condors gliding nearby on thermals, agricultural terracing dating back to the Incas, and a traditional way of life. Attractive lodges make a stay here very pleasant.

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Wonders of Peru 11 nights from $1518 pp	request
A tour of Peru´s marvels including the Sacred Valley, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Arequipa, the Colca Valley, and Lake Titicaca. more details

Jewels of Peru 13 nights from $2176 pp	request
This comprehensive 14 day tour gives you an unforgettable introduction to the Peruvian jewels of culture, archaeology and nature. Colonial and Inca empires are combined with the natural wonders of Colca, Lake Titicaca and the jungle of Tambopata. In each place there is a unique culture and people. more details

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did you know...

"The introduction of the royal Spanish monopoly (Estanco Real de Tabaco) on tobacco in 1799 ….is deeply hated by the people. The entire tobacco harvest has to be sold to the government, and to prevent or limit smuggling tobacco was concentrated in only one place. Inspectors travel the country burning plantations found outside the authorised zone, and inform against those wretches who dare to smoke their own home-made cigars. These inspectors are mostly Spaniards, as insolent as those doing the same job in Europe. This insolence has greatly contributed to the maintenance of the hatred between the colonies and the metropolis." (von Humboldt, Personal Narrative of a Journey)

Testimonials: The trip you'd planned for us was superb, and appreciate your thoughtful and professional input which made our trip memorable. As you have heard, we'd arrived at Lima 14 hours late. The Lima tour adjusted our plan, and made the trip much more interesting for us. We had an opportunity to spend a night at Iquitos, worthy a place to start our Amazon tour and a perfect place to purchase shoes for the jungle since our luggage couldn't quite make it with us. They took good care of us from the beginning........ Julie N, USA

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Other links: Arequipa travel info

Colca Canyon map

Arequipa hotels

Colca Canyon hotels