10 Arequipa Trekking Tours Worth the Climb

1.Sillar Route Trek

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 461 reviews · 4 hours · from $12Our pick

Spend four hours outside Arequipa visiting the working Añashuayco Quarry, a carved stone church facade, Culebrillas Canyon, ancient Wari petroglyphs, and a volcano viewpoint. English and Spanish guides, including guides such as Mike, Jose, and Alexandra, lead the tour. Bring soles, sunscreen, insect repellent, and sturdy shoes.

“I had Mike as a guide and his english was great. Also gave me recommendations for restaurants. Side note: I only had big bills and some places only took smaller ones and mike gave me some change. Stand out guy.”

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2.2-Day Colca Canyon Trekking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 243 reviews · 2 days · from $30

Trek 24 kilometers through Colca Canyon with an English-speaking guide, beginning at Cruz del Cóndor and ending with a steep climb from Sangalle. You will see Andean condors, pre-Inca terraces, local plants, hot springs, and camelids. Guides such as Carlos, Alex, Rafael, and Luigi have earned praise for their care and local knowledge.

“It was just great. It wasn't rushed and we had plenty of time to enjoy the Canyon, the views and the food. Special thanks to our guide Alex who's just an awesome dude that knows every rock in the canyon and took good care of us. Just a few things I want to mention that I personally couldn't find anywhere, hope it helps: * You can rent bamboo sticks/poles at the start of the tour in San Miguel, it's 5 SOL per stick. * Second day you will start very early in the morning while it's still dark, a flashlight is highly recommended. We didn't have one and had to…”

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3.2 Day 1 Night Trek / Colca Canyon

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 92 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $124

Leave Arequipa before dawn for a guided descent through Colca Canyon, stopping at Chivay and Condor’s Cross. Walk from 3,300 to 1,900 meters, sleep at Cielo Azul Lodge in Sangalle, then climb by torchlight to Cabanaconde. English and Spanish guiding, meals, transport, and hotel pickup are included.

“A couple of us in the group had heat realted sickness at first day of hiking. Our tour guide was super helpful to get us through the day. We chosed the mule ride for the next days's ascending hike. Mule operators did not seem understand that some of us were first time mule/horse riders. My foots was not adjusted to the foot cups before took off. After I screamed the mule guide stopped to put my foots in but he did not audjusted the position of side strips ( I have short legs), so my foots kept coming off the foot cups. My friend with another mule guide had the…”

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4.4 hours Tour: Route of Sillar with Trek in Culebrillas

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 69 reviews · 4h 30m · from $11Best value

This 4.5-hour Arequipa excursion takes you from the city to the Añashuayco quarries and Culebrillas Canyon. You’ll see ashlar stone being worked, a huge carved church facade, volcanic scenery, Wari petroglyphs, and apachetas. The tour runs in English or Spanish, with morning and afternoon departures.

“Véhicule neuf. La visite a eu lieu seulement en espagnol car le guide anglais était malade. On nous a toutefois offert de reporter, mais nous avions autre chose. Le tour a commencé 30 minutes plus tard et nous n’avons pas eu assez de temps pour apprécier totalement.”

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5.Private 3 Day Colca Canyon Trekking tour (superior Service)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · from $400Top rated

Spend three days hiking from Arequipa through Colca Canyon, with a private guide, local meals, family-home lodging, condor viewing, Sangalle Oasis, and a dawn ascent. Guides such as José, Miguel, Marcello, and Jarley are associated with the service, though you should confirm your guide when booking. Transport is shared, while the trek itself is private.

“I did a 3-day, 2-night trek with this agency, guided by Miguel, and everything went really smoothly. The service was excellent — the itinerary was carefully planned and perfectly executed, the schedule was well respected, the breaks were Read more”

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6.Trekking, Waterfalls and Thermal Baths

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 47 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $62

Leave Arequipa at 8:00 am for a four-hour trek through Capua Canyon, crossing puddles and streams to Capua Waterfall. Guide Pablo helps with photos and snacks at the falls. Afterward, soak in volcanic El Tigre hot springs, then visit Yura Viejo’s church. The group is limited to eight people.

“We really enjoyed this hike and our guide, Pablo, was wonderful and very helpful. We were the only ones on the trail which made this feel like we were being shown and unknown locals-only type trail. We walked in our hiking shoes through the river which was unique and pretty fun (be sure to pack some sandals for after!). Pablo did the hike in Tivas/Chacos with a strap, so you've got some options when it comes to footwear. Also, be such to bring sunscreen and bug spray! The waterfall was beautiful and so was the canyon overall. Pablo was really helpful in took lots of photos of us throughout the…”

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7.3-Day Colca Canyon trek with Professional Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $98

Start at 3 a.m. from Arequipa for a guided three-day walk through Colca Canyon. See condors at Cruz del Condor, stay in small canyon villages, relax in Sangalle’s natural pools, and finish with an early climb and Chacapi hot springs. Guides may include Marcos, Ghersy, César, Jonathan, or Jean Carlos.

“I want to start off with saying that our guide Ghersey was amazing. He made our trek very enjoyable. He was helpful, knowledgable and informative. The company is well organized and their buses are nice.”

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8.2 Day Trek Including Transfer to Puno / Colca Canyon

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $179

Start before dawn in Arequipa, watch Andean condors at Condor’s Cross, then hike down into Colca Canyon to Sangalle’s warm pools. After a torch-lit climb to Cabanaconde, soak at Chacapi and continue by bus to Puno. The small group holds up to 12 people, with meals, lodging, and the Puno transfer included.

“Great experience, the colca canyon offers a fantastic scenery. We saw some condors along the way, too. The hike is quite challenging, especially on the second day - it's going 1200 altitude meters up. Planning was good, everything was taken care of, for example the transport of our luggage and the transfer to Puno (we had to change busses). The included food was okay, but not great. Same for the accomodation: Oasis ecolodge was a little shabby. But for one night it was ok.”

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9.Colca Canyon Trekking 2 days and 1 night + food

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3 reviews · 2 days · from $150

This two-day Colca Canyon trek leaves Arequipa before dawn, visits Cruz del Condor, descends to Sangalle, and climbs back to Cabanaconde. Guides such as Alix, Carlos, and Alex have helped hikers through tough sections. Expect shared rustic rooms, long mountain walks, hot springs, and a very early return hike.

“Magnifiques paysages au programme ! La présence de notre guide Alix a été un réel plus : il a donné plein d'explications enrichissantes et il a su trouver des solutions rapidement lorsque certains ont éprouvé des difficultés à finir le trek, et tout ça avec sourire. C'est clairement une activité à ne pas manquer !”

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10.3-Day Colca Canyon Trek

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $439

You’ll leave Arequipa at 3:00 AM with a private English or Spanish speaking guide, then hike from Cabanaconde down to Llahuar, across to Sangalle, and back up to Cabanaconde. Expect steep trails, hot springs, trout, village hospitality, condors at Condor Cross, and two nights of simple accommodation.

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