Private Full Day Tour to Colca Canyon with Breakfast

Jhony was a great guide. This tour usually picks you up from Arequipa and takes you to Colca Canyon. But we were staying in Belmond in Colca Canyon so we asked Jhony to pick us up there. He was very accommodating to let us enjoy our breakfast at the hotel and adjust the schedule. We appreciated the pace of the tour. We had enough time to really connect with the nature and take in the scenery. It was so cute that Jhony and his partner set up a picnic for us overlooking the canyon. We took our time to enjoy everything. We felt very intimate with the nature. We skipped over the hot spring because our hotel offered good options for that. Instead of hot spring, we added on some more scenic view points. I think Colca Canyon was my favorite part of our Peru Trip. It was just majestic...

+4

Great one-day trip to see the majestic condors. Jhony and his very competent driver picked us up at the hotel at 3 am and then we drove for a few hours and had a nice cup of warm traditional tea in the sunrise in alt. 4.860m. A cold and very beautiful moment. Jhonys wife had prepared quinoa pancakes for us as well. We had a very delicious breakfast in Yanque and from there we continued our trip towards Colca Canyon where we arrived perfectly timed to see the condors rise from the bottom of the canyon. Jhony had planned everthing perfectly! It was an amazing experience, that we won't forget anytime soon! Later we had the privilege to be included in a ceremonial thanksgiving to Pachamama, we had a Colca Sour with a great view, and enjoyed the beautiful landscape. All along Jhony was very attentive to our needs and wishes, so we stopped several times to see and photograph animal s and birds. We had a really great day and warmly recommend anyone who wants to experience the same things to take the trip with Jhony.

If you do one thing in Arequipa, take this tour!! This is a one day tour that covers everything you want to do in Colca Canyon and even some things you didn’t know you wanted. Harvest herbs in the frosty morning desert for hot tea while watching the volcano. Take in breathtaking views from multiple stops. Watch the condors fly. Short walking tour and shopping. Discover your new favorite cocktail, the Colca Sour (you’ll forget what a pisco sour is!). Hot springs, nature preserve, vicuña and even an ibis sighting if you’re lucky. Jhony is passionate and knowledgeable about the area, history, people of Peru and is happy to share. As he says, “This is your tour”. Sure, you could take a bus and view the same crowded stops as everyone else does. Or you can take a personal, intimate, highly enjoyable tour with Jhony and make memories for life. This tour is more than worth the price in my opinion.

+2

Breathtaking landscape views all around during the journey, as well, as at destination view points. Jhony is quite pleasant, well prepared and very knowledgeable on cultural, historical and geography of this region. We felt very comfortable with him and his driver. It was great having the opportunity to spend more time in certain places of our choosing which helped avoiding crowds. The timing was just excellent, we didn’t feel tired or hungry because this private tour is set up in such a relax yet organized manner. Highly recommend this.

My tour with Johny and his nephew Leonardo was the best experience of my 5-week journey to Peru, and a highlight of my life! The context/backstory to my tour is important. I had spent days looking for a tour in Arequipa that aligned with my interests in botany, landscapes, local communities and cultures. I was also unwell due to chronic lack of sleep and needed a tour that didn’t start at 2.30 am with a fly-in-fly-out bus ride to catch the condors at Colca. I chanced upon a few reviews that specifically mentioned “Johny” and after some detective work found his contact details. I reached out to him on WhatsApp to enquire about a customised, personalised one-day tour with a late start and a focus on nature and communities. This aligned with Johnny’s interests and expertise. He is a dedicated family man from Chivay, who has started a small restaurant with his wife to serve local food to local families, and a deep connection to Pachamama and traditional Andean cultural practices and medicinal plants. Customising the tour was important, so Johny invited me the day before to his family restaurant for a conversation about my interests, timing, cost and mutual obligations. It was extremely respectful, and at the end of the meeting i knew I had made the right decision to engage him as my tour guide. Johny and Leonardo picked me up the next morning at 5am for the looooong drive to Colca. Johny very cleverly integrated many activities into the trip so that it felt like a journey and not a rush to reach a destination. On the way we explored the Reserva Nacional de Salinas y Aguada Blanca with burgeoning wildlife and expansive landscapes, searched for local native plants used for tea and traditional medical treatments, viewed the volcanoes and mountains, and the moonscape of the Patapampa at about 5,000m. I’ve never experienced such otherworldly beauty and intimidation. I felt small and humbled. As such, this was a holistic, integrated tour and not simply a in-out trip to Colca. We slowly made our way to the Canyon, discussing local spiritualism, connection rituals and farming practices. We explored local communities and observed animal husbandry, cropping systems and food markets. When we arrived at Colca, Johny invited me to participate in a very personal, quiet and gentle Coca leaf ceremony, standing in solitude and connecting with Pachamama around gratitude and seeking healing through an offering. I learnt about ayni, respeto and armonía. We then shared a gorgeous smorgasbord lunch in Chivay, and did a little exploring of Johny’s home village before making our return to Arequipa, stopping along the way to do some more botanical studies, observe wildlife and local geology. Johny and Leonardo were caring and attentive but also provided with me quiet and space whenever I needed it. I was very nauseous in the morning due to poor sleep and reaction to Malaria tablets, and they were happy for me to sleep as often as I needed in the back seat to recover. Another highlight was Leonardo’s driving. I am a nervous passenger, not least having witnessed first hand a devastating bus accident in Peru. The mountain passes are narrow, steep and precipitous but Leonardo drove extremely carefully and I felt 100% safe at all times. This private journey was everything that I had dreamt of and more. Johny opened my eyes, mind and heart to a unique landscape and culture of the Andes that wouldn’t have been possible in a group tour. He was so kind, intensely knowledgeable about culture and the natural world and shared all of this with me as a fellow journeyman, not transactionally as a tourist vs guide. The tour is worth every single dollar and more. I encourage anyone with an interest in the natural world, plants and their intersection with Andean culture and community to engage Johny on a private tour that is customised to your physical abilities, time availabilities and interests. It is truly transformative.

+12

Fantastic tour, exactly what I wanted. Jhony paid so much attention to detail, and was so genuine in his passion to show us his country and traditions. Was so nice not to be crowded on a tour van with all the people. Jhony catered to all our wishes and we were able to do what we wanted. It is a long day but don't let that scare you away, get a good sleep the night before. it is worth it...bring warm clothes..jhony's English was great. Answered all my many questions about everything we saw. Private tour is worth the extra money!! He will cater to your needs. Highly recommend.

+2

So... our private tour in the countryside of Arequipa was exceptional, offering a perfect blend of authentic activities with local families and a fantastic meal at traditional Peruvian restaurant. The food was exquisite, showcasing the rich local flavors, and Johny's hospitality made us feel truly welcomed. Day before we were debating whether to leave Arequipa or stay a bit longer and this tour turned out to be a fantastic idea. It was the best way to spend our time. Johny, a native Peruvian, shower us the true spirit of Quechua, making us feel the authentic essence of his culture :). Nowadays it's very difficult to find tours that genuinely showcase the culture from the inside, allowing you to experience and taste it firsthand. This was our best experience in Peru. Thank you very much, Johny!!

A very nice experience, it exceeded our expectations. He really manages to connect with the place. Totally recommended

Excellent guidance from the Guide, extremely friendly and very prepared to inform and educate. Its environmental focus is urgent and necessary, in addition to being very funny and enjoyable. I hope it is the norm for all your guides.

Jhony treated us very well! Too courteous, friendly, super good people and always attentive throughout the trip, since we arrived in Arequipa he was available to answer our questions and provide us with suggestions. It tells you beyond the conventional, it is funny and gives you options to visit out of the ordinary. At an affordable price