Full Day Tour to Colca from Arequipa
Description
If you are looking for an exciting day trip in Arequipa that takes you off the beaten path through beautiful Andean landscapes, explore the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest in the world and appreciate the majestic flight of the Andean condor, also enjoy beautiful landscapes and diversity of flora and fauna such as llama, alpaca, vicuña and others in their natural habitat. Refresh yourself in its thermal pools, taste the gastronomy of the Colca Valley based on high Andean products.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We start the excursion at 3:00 am, We go to Patapampa, where we will make a stop at the impressive Mirador de los Volcanes, the highest part of our tour at 4900 meters above sea level, from this point you will get great views of the mountain ranges that surround Arequipa and the Colca Valley.
We headed to Chivay, located at 3630 meters above sea level; Here we will enjoy breakfast, and then embark on a tour where we will appreciate wonderful landscapes, pre-Inca terraces, as well as native flora and fauna.
Visit the Town of Yanque, a traditional town, where we will observe the typical dance of the Colca Valley, the "Wititi" known as the dance of love, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In addition, you can visit the temple of La Santísima Concepción de Yanque, rebuilt in the 17th century.
On the way back, we will stop at the Huayra Punko viewpoint, in Pinchollo, and then at the Antahuilque viewpoint, in order to observe some models and pre-Inca hanging tombs. Likewise, we will observe the pre-Inca terraces.
We will arrive at the Cruz del Cóndor to observe the majesty of the Colca Canyon from a strategic point, as well as the flight of the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), the largest non-marine bird on the planet, named cultural and natural heritage of South America.
The next stop will be in Maca, a small and picturesque town in the region, where we will taste the traditional Colca Sour drink.
We will visit the hot springs, where you can bathe and relax with its thermo-medicinal properties. Admission is S/15.00
We will stop at a restaurant to enjoy a free buffet lunch. All food options are traditional dishes made from Andean products
We will make another stop at the Toccra Bofedales, where we will see camelids and birds such as Andean ducks and flamingos, as well as migratory birds.
The last stop will be in Patahuasi, to enjoy a panoramic view in front of Misti and Chachani with stone forests and curious rock formations.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We provide pick-up services to our tourists. We pick up from hotels and hostels in the city center of Arequipa. We have our concentration point in Plaza de Armas de Arequipa. If your hotel is not centrally located we can recommend reliable taxis. Depending on the location of your accommodation you will be given the pick-up time one day before the tour. Upon return from the tours the point of disembarkation is at the tourist location 3 blocks from the square of arms of Arequipa
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Keep in mind that it is a tiring tour (from 3:00am to 5:30pm). If you have more time, our suggestion is that you take the tour for 2 days and 1 night.
- Group tours are made up of different types of people, so physical conditions and ages may vary.
Reviews(104)
The tour actually skipped lots of places listed above. Not sure if they changed the itinerary recently. The places for hanging tombs and birds/flamingos were not part of the trip. The tour felt rush, and the tour guide didn’t explain fully in English even he speaks both English and Spanish.
Super good tour! The guide was able to explain everything in English and also Spanish, the weather was right at each stop. In addition, Puriy’s team helped me adjust our tour because two people in the group fell ill. Thank you for your honesty and help! A success, super recommended!
¡Muchísimas gracias por su comentario! 😊 Nos alegra saber que disfrutaron del tour y que nuestro guía pudo brindarles una experiencia clara y completa tanto en inglés como en español. También valoramos mucho que destaque la organización de los tiempos en cada parada. Lamentamos que algunos integrantes de su grupo se hayan sentido mal durante el viaje, pero nos complace haber podido apoyarlos oportunamente y brindarles una solución adecuada. Para nosotros, su bienestar y confianza son siempre una prioridad. Gracias por elegirnos y recomendarnos. Será un gusto poder acompañarlos nuevamente en una próxima aventura. 🌟
Well organized tour with great communication both before and during tour. Our guide Angie offered detailed explanations of the sites we were to see. At the mirador, we did not see any condors when the fog came in. Thankfully, we moved to another viewpoint and saw them soaring! Our driver Tomas navigated our shuttle van with ease. He safely transported us through winding and narrow roads. A great job well done!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you felt well supported through our communication both before and during the tour. It’s great to know that Angie provided detailed and engaging explanations, helping you fully enjoy each site. We also appreciate your kind words about Tomás. Your safety and comfort are always our top priorities, especially on routes with challenging roads. Thank you again for trusting us with your experience. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure soon!
The car did not want to turn the AC on and the van was so hot! We even asked multiple times tour guide to turn it on
The success of this excursion (the Canyon of Colca and the valley ) is due to Edwin Junco , who runs Pablo Tour . and speaks perfect French . We were 4 .... Providing private transport ( excellent driver , very careful ... the road is long and winding ) the guide Willi studied French at the Alliance Française , and speaks it excellent .. he is very competent .. Thanks to him we were able to admire the flight of a Condor! Simple but very decent accommodation in Cabanaconde ... village to discover .. authentic! Catering during the stay good .. splendid hikes by the Canyon! ..for a flat rate of 300 euros per person .. I am happy to recommend this agency . Jean luc
¡Hola Jean Luc! Nos alegra muchísimo leer que disfrutaron tanto de su excursión al Cañón del Colca y al valle. Es una experiencia realmente especial, y es maravilloso saber que todo salió tan bien para ustedes. Sin embargo, creemos que pudo haber ocurrido una pequeña confusión, ya que nosotros no fuimos la agencia que brindó este servicio. Aun así, agradecemos sinceramente que haya compartido su experiencia y nos alegra de corazón que su viaje haya sido tan enriquecedor. ¡Les deseamos muchas más aventuras inolvidables!
The tour was poor, Maria tried to explain the things and only half of the people could hear because she sat on the middle of the vehicle. They put us on the front with Marcos , the driver (he was nice tought). In the beggining they made us await 40 minutes outside to pick us up (at 3:40 on the morning).
Overall the experience was good but it could have been much better if both the tour guide Maria and the driver Oscar cared more for there passengers. We were very disappointed in the way Maria set time lines and they didn’t correspond to each stop! Also they dropped us off in no-man’s land and told us to walk. We had 14hrs day and then they just dropped us off without warning. Most passengers were chocked at this. It felt that they wanted to go home early to do personal stuff! Chocking!
Full busy day at Colca Canyon - ability to see local towns, spot flying condors over the Canyon, visit hot springs, got some adrenaline-pumping activities. Definitely long and tiring day, but worth every penny.
I loved my experience at Colca Canyon! Of course, the pick-up is very early in the morning (you really have to get up at dawn) and you have to know that the day is almost entirely on the bus, with quite a few trips in the mountains. It’s also a very touristy excursion... but honestly, it’s definitely worth it. Our guide was great: kind, dynamic and very clear in his explanations. We feel that she knows the area perfectly well and likes to share it. The scenery is absolutely beautiful and we were incredibly lucky to see many condors: a magical moment! Lunch was excellent: a buffet of local specialties really hearty and varied. Even the breakfast served in the morning was nice. Be careful though: if you are sensitive to motion sickness or altitude, plan something, as the day is 100% by bus in the mountains. In short: a very beautiful day, breathtaking views and a top organization. I recommend!
Unfortunately the tuor did not comply with the detailed description on the site! We decided to buy this Tuor after reading the itinerary that proposed some alternative stops that were not performed. Also the description said maximum 18 people, while we traveled on a large bus with more than 30 visitors. Another terrible point of the thunder were the activities proposed as an alternative to Hot Sping: 30 Soles each to be able to go a lettermanto kayak for 50 meters, after which the river was blocked. Very sad. It's not worth the long drive.
Your feedback is very important to us: it helps us to improve our services and ensure that similar situations are not repeated. We hope to have another opportunity in the future to provide you with a more authentic experience that meets your expectations. Thank you again for writing to us and for giving us the opportunity to reflect and grow.
