Colca Canyon to Arequipa Extension

Your tour will begin in Puno, a city founded at the site of a now defunct silver mine that acts as the gateway to visit the islands of the world’s highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca.
Be sure to rug up as it can get quite cool as you travel by tour bus to the town of Chivay. Enroute you will stop at Lagunillas Lagoon, as well as Patapampa Pass, which offers spectacular views of the volcanos and mountain ranges that make up the cordillera of the Andes.
On arrival to Chivay, you will be taken to your accommodation. Perhaps you might choose to visit a thermal hot spring to relax for the remainder of your afternoon.

This morning you will visit the second deepest canyon in the world, the Colca Canyon.
Second only to Cotahuasi Canyon, which is also located within Peru, the Colca Canyon is 3,400m deep at its lowest point. This is almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States of America by comparison.
Your destination is Mirador Cruz del Condor, considered the best viewpoint to see the majestic Andean condors soar on the thermal drifts that flow between the canyon walls.
There are approximately 6,200 condors remaining in the world and around fifty of these birds call the Colca Canyon home. Afterwards, you will return to Chivay before continuing by bus to the city of Arequipa.
You will arrive late in the city of Arequipa, which lies 2,380m above sea level on the edge of the altiplano.

Today you will tour Arequipa, which is affectionately known as ‘La Ciudad Blanca’ or ‘the white city’ thanks to a number of its buildings being made by a white volcanic stone known as sillar.
Acting as a backdrop to the city are El Misti, Pichu Pichu, Chachani and Ampato, the four imposing volcanos responsible for creating the material for this stone.
Your first tour stop is Mirador Carmen Alto, a viewpoint located on the city’s outskirts near the Chili River. It offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside, Arequipa city and the peaks of El Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu.
We’ll continue to Yanahuara, a traditional Spanish colonial neighbourhood characterised by narrow, cobblestone streets and visit the town’s main square.
Located at the highest part of the district, Plaza de Yanahuara provides a viewpoint towards El Misti volcano and is home to a number of arches built in the 19th century as well as Parroquia San Juan Bautista de Yanahuara (Saint John the Baptist Church).
From here you will walk to the mysterious Monasterio de Santa Catalina, or the Santa Catalina Convent, where you can wander its narrow streets and alleyways to discover its gardens before continuing downtown to see a number of UNESCO World Heritage listed sites found within and nearby Arequipa’s main Plaza de Armas.
At the plaza you will see the Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa and nearby you will visit the Compania de Jesus (Church of the Company) and Capilla de San Ignacio (St Ignatius Chapel).
Your final stop is the Museo Santuarios Andinos (the Andean Sanctuary Museum) which houses a number of Incan artefacts including Juanita, a twelve to fourteen year old Incan girl who was sacrificed to the gods in the 1450’s and found frozen atop Ampato in 1995.
In the evening, why not venture to one of Arequipa’s rooftop bars. There you can enjoy a bite to eat, a cerveza and take in views of the volcanos at a distance at sunset.

You will depart for the airport to fly to your next destination.