Colca Canyon 2 Days / 1 Night

Day 01: Arequipa – Colca Cayon – Chivay

Our excursion to the Colca Canyon starts at 7:30 am. Our clients will be picked up from their hotels by our local tour guide. Afterwards we will board a small bus, and will drive northwest following a paved road towards the Colca Canyon. Before leaving Arequipa, we will stop at a small shop where our clients can purchase some chocolates, candies as well as coca leaves. Later on we will continue till Pampas Cañahuas (3500 m/11,482 Ft), a National Reserve where visitors may spot some Vicuñas & Alpacas. Unlike the Alpacas, Vicuñas are wild animals, and still can be seen running freely on these high plateaus. We will stop at this national park and our local tour guide will provide information about these shy Andean camels. Then we continue our journey to the Colca Canyon, little further up we will stop again at the little restaurant of Viscachani, where you can enjoy the stunning scenery of the Andes and also drink a typical coca tea. Afterwards we will continue upward on an ascending dirt road until we reach the highest point of our trip, “The Lookout Point of the Andes” (4,800 m /15,748 ft). At the very top, we will get off of the bus have have some minutes to observe the landscape, full of volcanoes in the background including the Ubinas, Mismi, Misty, Chachani, Sabancaya (active) and Ampato. Later on we will drive downhill to the main village of the Colca Canyon, the Village of Chivay (3600 m / 11.811 ft). In this town we will have lunch in a typical Andean restaurant, where visitors may enjoy their meals accompanied by Andean musicians. After lunch, our clients will be transported to our lodging located in a little village at edge of the Canyon.

Later, in the afternoon, you may walk around the village and get to know the rural life in this corner of Peru a little better. After this time, we will go to swim and relax to the hot springs of the Colca Valley (35° C / 95º F), a relaxing pool outdoors surrounded by enormous mountains. After sunset, we will return to our lodging where we will enjoy a delicious Andean buffet. We wil stay overnight at the hotel in  Colca Valley.

Day 02: Chivay – Colca Canyon – Arequipa

In order to see the mighty Condor, you may have to wake up at 5:00 am. Breakfast will be served at 5:30 am, and by 6:00 am we will begin driving towards the “Cruz del Condor”, a natural lookout point where you can see the Condors in flight (we won’t return to the hotel, which means you will have to bring all your stuff along with you on the bus).

On the road we will enjoy the best views of the Colca Valley. As we drive along the edge of the canyon, you will get a chance to see ancient terraces still used by the local farmers who grow mainly varieties of corn and potatoes. We will make some stops to take photos, and our local tour guide will provide insight into the Colca Canyon history. Along the journey we will stumble upon a great rock, where ancient architectures carved the terraces, testing (perhaps) which parts of the canyon were suitable for cultivation.

This is a good place to also see the “Colca River” and hanging pre-Inca tombs. After approximately 2 hours we will reach the Cruz del Condor, where we will spend an hour or so observing the beautiful flight of the Condors as well as the depth of the canyon. Eventually, we will return to the village of Chivay, passing the different villages and towns along the way. At around 12:00 pm, we will stop at a local restaurant in the town of Chivay for lunch and afterwards we will return to Arequipa. We will be back in Arequipa around 5:00 pm. Upon your arrival to Arequipa, you will be transported back to your hotel.