Colca Canyon Tour from Arequipa to Puno 3 Days/ 2 Nights
Duration
From
Overview
The Colca Valley is a colourful Andean Valley with many small towns founded during the Spanish colonial times. It is still inhabited by people of the Collaguas and the Cabanas cultures who maintain the ancestral traditions and continue cultivating the pre-Inca stepped terraces.
The name Colca refers to small granaries of mud and stone, built into the cliffs of the valley and the canyon. These repositories were used during the Inca and pre-Inca times to store food such as potatoes, quinoa, and other Andean crops. They were also used as tombs for important people.
Full Itinerary
A private bus will pick you up from your hotel around 07:30 am. We will take the road to Yura, heading towards the beautiful Colca Valley. You will travel along this road, which is half asphalted and half unfinished sand, for 4 hours towards your first night’s destination. The 4-hour trip is not direct and leads us through some of the local area’s most important places! The first stop will be at the National Reserve of Agua Blanca and Salinas, the place where you can observe the famous vicuñas and the great volcanoes of Arequipa.
Before approaching the National Reserve of “Pampa Cañahuas”, we will make a short stop to observe the wild Vicuñas (one of the 4 types of American camels) in their natural habitat. At this point, we will be at about 3400 m.a.s.l. Moving on, we will arrive at the “Pata Wasi” (Pata=high, Wasi=home), an Andean community at the opposite border of the reserve.
We will then continue our journey to our third stop, the restaurant El Chino. Here, you can appreciate the ”stone wood” formations, use the bathrooms, and enjoy a coca tea which is very good for your stomach and the altitude.
From here, we will pass “Tocra”, a high plain at 4500 meters, where we will observe migrant birds at stunning lakes and get pictures of the “Antiplano” with its Llamas and Guanacos. The highest point of our tour will be “Pata Pampa” at 4820 meters, from where we can observe the volcanoes Ampato, Sabancaya, Hualca-Hualca, Misti (the source of the Amazon River), and the “Cordillera Chila”. Getting close to the town of Chivay, we will enjoy some spectacular views of the multicoloured terraces of the Colca Valley.
After lunch, you will have some free time to visit the market of Chivay before we drive you to your hotel. In the afternoon you will visit the hot springs where you can take a bath in one of the pools with water temperatures from 35 to 40°C and 80°C in the source. Enjoy the warm natural water and the nice outdoor pools, surrounded by the huge mountains and then after sunset, return to the hotel where you can order your dinner. (In case you want to stay at the Colca Lodge Hotel after lunch and enjoy its hot pool, please coordinate a pick-up time for the second day of the tour with your guide!)
Accommodation: Hotel La Casa de Mama Yacchi
We will have breakfast early in the morning and then leave for the famous “Cruz del Condor” lookout point. Upon arrival, you will have enough time to enjoy the breathtaking view of the deep Canyon and if the weather permits to observe the majestic flight of the Condors.
After a coordinated time, our guide will take you for a short walk near the Canyon (approx. 1 hour). On our way back to Chivay, we’re going to visit the traditional village Pinchollo and the “Antahuilque viewpoint” from where we can observe the wonderful 1500-year-old terraces which were once constructed by the Collaguas, a culture well before the Incas’ time. We will also make a stop at the lookout point “Choquetico” with its hanging tombs “Tumbas colgantes“ and observe the Litomaqueta, a model of the canyon terraces carved in a rock. We will continue our journey by visiting Maca, an Andean community that experienced an earthquake in November 1991, and the village Yanque with the most beautiful church in the valley.
Afterwards, we arrive in Chivay to have lunch and explore the town. You will have time to relax in your hotel before you have the rest of the day free for personal activities such as hiking, horse riding, or biking (not included in the package, but we can organize it for you if you would like).
Accommodation: Hotel La Casa de Mama Yacchi
After an early breakfast at your hotel, a Coporaque villager will take you to visit his home and together you will plan the work that has to be done this morning. We can´t exactly define this day, as it depends on the season and day of the week. However, the normal activities are -amongst others- to support in the fields, to herd animals, and to prepare the land for sowing or harvest.
Around midday, your host will accompany you back to your hotel to pick up your luggage. Then, you will continue on your way towards Chivay.
We will stop for Lunch in Chivay before hitting the road to Puno, crossing through the amazing sceneries of the Altiplano and leaving behind the gorgeous scenery of the Colca Canyon. On our way, we continue ascending a small road until we reach the highest point of our trip, the lookout point of the Andes (4800 m/15,748 ft). At the very top, we will get off the bus for a few minutes and enjoy the stunning landscape with the great volcanoes including Mismi, Misti, Chachani, Sabancaya (active) and Ampato.
Along the paved road, we will see many small towns, as well as the beautiful lagoon Lagunillas, where we can explore trout farms and observe Andean flamingos among many Andean birds. Following an ascending road, we will then reach the Viscachani. We have a short break and stretch our legs, use the bathroom if needed and drink a typical coca tea or coffee at the local restaurant.
Later on, we will drive through the national reserve park of the Peruvian Altiplano to finally reach the beautiful city of Puno close to the majestic Titicaca Lake.
Included/Exclude
- Pick-up from your Hotel in Arequipa
- Drop off at your hotel in Puno
- 24-hour-support from the company owner
- Tourist Transport
- English speaking guide
- Accommodation in Hotel La Casa de Mama Yacchi with breakfast (Optional upgrade your accommodation in Chivay to Colca Lodge, Casa Andina or Pozo del Cielo)
- S/. 70 soles tourist entrance ticket to the Colca Valley
- Meals: 2 lunches, 2 dinners
- S/. 10 soloes entrance to the hot springs thermal baths
- Insurance of any kind
Recommendations, what to bring
- Warm clothes for the night and early morning
- Sturdy shoes
- A small backpack
- Camera and recharger
- Drinking water
- Sunblock
- Rainjacket
- Sunglasses, sun hat
- Mosquito repellent
- Swimming suit
- Money for souvenirs and drinks
- Travel towels, sandals
- Flashlight, batteries
What we need when you make a reservation
- Full name as it is written on your passport
- Passport number
- Nationality
- Date of birth
- Tour departure date
- Send a deposit of 60% of the total price of your tour. (The remainder of your balance will be due upon your arrival in Arequipa) Payment may be made via *Western Union, PayPal, ABN AMRO Bank in Holland or securely and directly through our website by choosing your desired tour and clicking the BOOK NOW button.
Prices
Price US$ 280 per person, based on two people.
A single person pays +US$ 40 per night.
Children under 12 years get a discount of 20% on the Tour (whilst booking with Hotel Mamayacchi).
Upgrade your Hotel:
(double room, the addition of price per night is based on 2 persons)
Hotel Pozo del Cielo: +US$ 30 per person.
Hotel Casa Andina: +US$ 35 per person.
Hotel Colca Lodge: +US$ 95 per person.
We are looking forward to creating an unforgettable experience for you.
