Sillar Half Day Route in Arequipa

Our trip with Magi on the 18th September was likely the worst experience I have ever received from a tour guide. Our trip began by waiting at the agreed pickup point from 2pm as detailed in the tours instructions. We were due to be picked up at 2:20pm at the latest. At 2:19pm I received a text from Magi instead requesting we meet her at the Yanahuara viewpoint within 10 minutes as apparently, we were unable to be picked up from the hotel due to a "narrow entrance road." This is despite the hotel being listed as one of the preferred pickup points and we only selected this as it was the closest option to our accomodation. Regardless, we made the trip to the viewpoint where we were again made to wait infront of the church and in the rain for a further 25 minutes before she even arrived. At this point, we were simply told we had 10 minutes to enjoy the view, after we'd already been stuck there for 25 minutes in the rain. Again, regardless, we enjoyed our time at the viewpoint and started to finally board the bus. At this point, we were denied boarding until everyone else had returned to their seats. Therefore, it quickly became apparent that every other passenger had been collected, as previously agreed, except for us. Once again, we let this go and continued in good spirits. On our journey to the first quarry, Magi demanded entrance fees from all passengers for both quarries. We believed our tour had entrance fees included but as I had been separated from my partner due to the seating arrangements and she had the tour details, I was unable to immediately confirm this. Therefore, we were forced to pay the entrance fees. On arrival at the quarry, I caught up with my partner to confirm that entrance fees were included within our tour and other passengers had been refunded but we had not. When requesting this refund from Magi initially, she simply told me she didn't have the money yet, despite the fact I'd literally just handed it over. I had to chase up with her numerous times about this and only finally received a full refund for the amount we'd paid by refusing to sit in the bus until she returned our entrance fees in full. Due to her behaviour in this regard, I imagine this is a trick she pulls on every trip in the hopes that passengers do not realise fees had already been included so she is able to retain these personally. As for the tour itself, I have never heard anyone talk for so long without providing any actual information. At each quarry, we were probably given a total of over 30 minutes of speaking, initially in Spanish and then a complete repeat in English. This meant English speakers were stuck in place for double the time of the Spanish speakers and therefore had significantly less time to appreciate the canyons. Despite all of this talk, we still had absolutely zero understanding of the significance or purpose of either location. At this point, we were both extremely tired and frustrated and just wanted to return to our hotel. Magi asked my partner whether we would like to be dropped close to our accomodation in Yanahuara or whether it would be best to leave us at the main square in Arequipa. It was agreed that we would be dropped on the way through Yanahuara. Despite this, we sailed straight through Yanahuara and were ordered to exit the bus with all the other passengers at a random petrol station that was reasonably close to the main square. This left us with a 30 minute uphill walk back across town to Yanahuara. In summary, I believe the treatment we received throughout the tour was an absolute disgrace. We were gifted this experience by Peru Hop and frankly, even for free, I wouldn't have recommended this experience to my worst enemy.

I had a really enjoyable half day in the company of Alexandra. She's a fun, well prepared and qualified guide. Her explanations were very well balanced in length, quite detailed, yet without anything excessive. The pace of the tour was also right, didn't feel rushed. I can recommend this tour!

Excellent service our guide Alexandra was exceptional the Ruta del Sillar and canyon tour was a must

+2

It was a good trip, The driver and guide were very good mannered and friendly. The race again other busses was some what annoying

If you stay at Arequipa and want to have a relaxing tour, this can be a good one, particularly if you love taking photos. The guide we had was great. I was the only one speaking English and she had to give me personal introductions every time after her “broadcasting” ones to the rest of group.

Fun experience, our guide picked us up from our hotel and then we started the tour. It went v smooth and it was fun. Our guide explained everything well

I visited the Ruta del Sillar for my birthday and it was one of the best experiences. Good natural landscapes that combine with history, art and tradition. In addition, the guide did a great job explaining every detail and the tour was very punctual in picking me up at the hotel.

Good but rushed and too short. The tour wasted almost an hour picking people up within a block or two of the main square. We were then very rushed in the Sillas quarry and didn't have a chance to see everything. It would be better to have fewer pick up points and spend most than 30 minutes at the quarry. The hike was really neat - would have been great to hike more of the canyon!

The visit to the Sillar quarry was fascinating. Plenty of sillar sculptures to look at and take photos with. Too many to fit into the 45 minutes allocated. There is another section with more sculptures for a small additional fee. Toilets are mainly at the beginning. Closed toe shoes are advised. The tour to the canyon with the petroglyphs was a little disappointing. You slowly walk through the canyon following lots of other tourists. At the very end the petroglyphs are very faint and hard to get close to because of everyone filling the space. The walk out is quite steep, so not recommended for those who struggle to climb up steep and uneven slopes. Overall it was good value for money.

We visited La ruta del sillar with Oscar Trips Peru. The tour took 4 hours visiting very interesting places with magnificent views. The walks were very manageable and fun. Our guide, Alexandra, was very professional and helpful and provided a wealth of information about the area, the quarry and the canyon. Don Hernan, the driver, made us feel safe during the whole route. Totally recommend this tour.