Arequipa-Colca Extension

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Flight/Bus to Arequipa & City Tour

You will be picked up and transferred to the Airport/Bus station, where you will catch a short flight or take a bus, ride is in a Deluxe bed-bus* to the City of Arequipa. Once you arrive in Arequipa, you will be met and accompanied to your hotel by one of representatives, in order to settle in and allow yourself to become acclimated to the altitude—Arequipa is situated at 2,335 meters or 7661 feet above sea level. *Bus ride hours depend on where you are coming from.

In the afternoon, you will depart for your guided tour of the city of Arequipa. The city tour will include many interesting stops. Your tour begins by arriving at the Santa Catalina Monastery, one of the most beautiful convents in Peru, the Santa Catalina monastery was founded in 1580, to shelter a select group of the religious order. It is a veritable Colonial small town, made up of houses for the nuns and their servants, cloisters, plazas and narrow streets, kitchens, refectory and laundry, as well as the church with its single nave, cupola, and square tower. The next stop on your City tour of Arequipa will be The Cathedral. Located in the main square, the construction of this church began in 1544, and has gone through several periods of restoration due to the many earthquakes and fires that the original edifice was subjected to. It is the prime example of nineteenth-century religious architecture in Peru. The Cathedral is predominantly in the Neo-classic style, with three naves, enormous columns, a great Belgian organ and a French neo-gothic pulpit. As your tour continues, you will drive through the district of San Lorenzo as you get to downtown Arequipa, to visit the Tristan del Pozo Old House, a large mansion, finished in 1738. It is distinguishable by its imposing façade, with its tympanum in the shape of candelabra of cantata flowers and monograms of the Holy Family. Still in downtown Arequipa, your next stop will be the the Carmen Alto viewpoint where you can see Arequipa’s 3 volcanoes. Our next stop will be the picturesque district of Yanahuara perched on a hill overlooking the city. Its name means “black trousers” in Quechua. It resembles Seville, with its narrow streets, Colonial facades and workshops. We will visit the church and stroll through this district to the small plaza or plazuela of Yanahuara, with its arches of sillar framing—one of the best views of the city. At the conclusion of your eventful tour, you will be taken back to your hotel, where you will have a chance to rest and gear up for the next day’s activities. **An optional tour to see “Juanita” mommy could be arranged as an extension to your city tour. Please also let us know if you like to add a lunch.

Day 2: Colca Canyon Tour (B)

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up for your guided Colca Canyon journey. The Colca Canyon is an impressive geological formation carved out by the river as it has descended between the mountains (made of largely volcanic materials) over millions of years. The area is perhaps one of the major attractions of the area, which led Nobel Prize award winner, Mario Vargas Llosa to call it the “Valley of Wonders.” On your excursion, you will visit the Pampas Canahuas, the most important reservations of Vicunas in Arequipa. We will also see than extinct volcano called Chucura. You will then visit the town of Chivay to have lunch on your own. After lunch, you will be taken back to your hotel, where you will have the option to either rest and enjoy some leisure time on your own, or to visit Coporaque town where will have the chance to do some mild trekking and to enjoy one of the many natural and beautiful landscapes, you will also have the option to go to the hot springs tour of Calera, which will depart at 5:30pm, shortly before dinner (NOTE: Both the trekking and hot springs tours are entirely optional, depending on whether you wish to continue to see the sites, or relax at your hotel in Colca). Upon your return from the springs, you will have dinner back at the hotel, on your own before calling it a night, in order to prepare for the next day’s events. *Lunch in Chivay may be included upon request. * An extra day in Colca can be added upon request.

Day 3: Colca Canyon Tour & Free afternoon (B)

After breakfast at your hotel in Colca, you will be picked up to continue your guided tour of the stunning Colca Canyon and continue until reaching the lookout known as the Cruz del Condor (the cross of the condor), near the town of Cabanaconde. It will be at this point of the tour that, based on climate and a whole deal of luck, you may, or may not, have the once-in-a-lifetime chance of seeing the flight of the condor, in its native habitat, and the impressive scenery of one of the most naturally gorgeous spots Earth. This rare experience only serves to add to the attractions already visited on this tour, which further makes the Colca Canyon, one of the most important travel destinations in the southern Andes. Following the flight of the condor, we will continue our tour by heading out to ancient towns of Pinchollo, Yanque & Maca. Pinchollo is a small town, 50 minutes West of Chivay, famous for its miniature carved handicrafts depicting the valley’s traditions. The highlight of this small town is the church of San Sebastian, with its unique doorway to the baptistery painted with large flowers. At the Yanque town, the church is the most important Barouqe-mestizo building in all of Colca. At Maca, you will visit the beautiful church of Santa Ana, which was seriously damaged by an earthquake, but still stands today. The church, built in 1812, is considered one of the most original in the entire region. At this point, you will travel back to the town of Chivay in order to enjoy a lunch on your own. Shortly after lunch, you will return to your Arequipa route where you will pass through the Antahuilque and Choquetico viewpoints. The rest of the afternoon will be at your leisure, in order for you to enjoy the sites and have the freedom to see Arequipa at your own pace. * An extra day in Arequipa can be added upon request. Please let us know if you like us to also add additional activities.

Day 4: Flight back to Lima or Other Destinations (B)

After breakfast at your hotel in Arequipa, you will be picked up and taken to the Airport in Arequipa, where you will board your flight back to Lima and back to your final destination.

Not exactly what you want?

Remember, that Magical focuses on providing the best available options, and can work with you in fully customizing your tour to better fit your interests and budget without compromising the quality of your tour. Just contact us with your questions and preferences, and we can modify this tour based on your expectations and requests.

Price

Upon request.

As most extensions are additions to our tours, we have found that it would be best to send each individual client a customized price to accurately reflect the cost of the whole tour. We are committed to providing you with the very best service and we will send you your specific tour proposal, which meets your needs almost immediately after receiving your request, within 24 hours. As price depends on each passenger choices, please send us the following information and we will respond.

• Number of people in your party
• Level of accommodation (3,4,5*). Please see options
• Choosing a Private or Group Tour?
• Adding options: if you like to add day tours, extra days, meals, etc
• Need domestic or international flights?
• Have a special request (ie: special diet, wheelchair, children, senior, etc)
• If you prefer to take a flight instead of the bus

What’s Included?

• Expert leadership / guides & support personnel for all listed tours
• Accomodations: 1 nights in Colca, 2 nights in Arequipa
• Meals as noted (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner). We can add any meals upon request
• Land excursions as noted including entrance fees (Santa Catalina, Capilla San Ignacio Loyola, Colca Canyon entrance tickets).
• Private transportation: Hotel/Airport or Bus Station, Arequipa Airport or Bus Station/Arequipa Hotel, Arequipa Hotel/Arequipa Airport or Bus Station

What’s Not Included?

• Hot Springs entrance tickets
• Airport taxes: Local ($5-6) and International ($31) departure tax of payable in local currency by each passenger at Lima International Airport upon departure (if applicable)
• International and domestic airfares, usually quoted separately
• Insurance of any kind: mandatory evacuation insurance; suggested cancellation insurance, interruption, baggage loss, damage and delay
• Visas. Please be advised that some citizens other than Canadians and US may need visa to travel to Peru. Please advise us of your nationality to help you or check with the Peruvian Consulate
• Tipping & Gratuities (Guides $4 per person per day / Drivers $1 per person per day)
• Excess baggage charges
• Medical immunizations
• Items of a personal nature (clothing, sodas, liquor, snacks, laundry, etc.)

Domestic Tickets

From US $190 per person. This is an example price. Prices depend on airline date and time of booking