Duration: 2 Days / 1 Night From $ USD 75.00
Colca Canyon Tour 2 Days 1 Night – Wildlife, Culture & Hot Springs
Embark on an unforgettable Colca Canyon Tour 2 Days 1 Night from Arequipa, a deeply rewarding multi-day adventure that combines stunning Andean scenery, wildlife encounters, traditional villages, and relaxing hot springs. This overnight tour allows you to experience the dramatic beauty of one of the deepest canyons in the world while gaining insight into ancient cultures and modern highland life.
Your journey begins early in Arequipa with a scenic drive through the high Andes, passing grazing alpacas, llamas, and tiny villages nestled among rugged peaks. As the landscape unfolds, you’ll climb to the high plateau before descending into the Colca Valley, admiring panoramic views that stretch across deep ravines and snow-topped summits.
One of the highlights is a visit to Cruz del Cóndor, one of the best places on Earth to observe the iconic Andean condor soaring on thermal currents above the canyon walls. Here, you’ll witness these majestic birds in flight against a backdrop of dramatic cliffs — a moment that countless travelers describe as a highlight of their Peru experience.
Afterward, you’ll spend the night in the Colca Valley, enjoying local hospitality and exploring traditional highland villages where age-old customs still thrive. On the second day, your guide will take you to additional lookout points, where you can appreciate the canyon’s immense scale and learn about ancient agricultural terraces that still support local farming practices.
This tour also includes time to relax in natural hot springs, allowing you to soak tired muscles while surrounded by stunning mountain vistas. Throughout the journey, expert local guides share stories of geology, culture, and history, making the Colca Canyon Tour 2 Days 1 Night a perfect blend of adventure, nature, culture, and relaxation.
Whether you are a photographer, nature lover, or culture enthusiast, this multi-day experience delivers a comprehensive and immersive way to explore one of southern Peru’s most breathtaking destinations.
Scenic drive through the high Andes, with gradual acclimatization stops
Visit Pampa Cañahuas National Reserve to spot vicuñas and alpacas in their natural habitat
Stop at Patapampa (4,910 m), the famous Volcano Viewpoint with panoramic Andean views
Experience the iconic Cruz del Cóndor, the best place to watch Andean condors in flight
Explore traditional villages such as Yanque and Maca, including local squares and handicrafts
Enjoy breathtaking Colca Canyon viewpoints with dramatic cliff formations
Overnight stay in Chivay, the heart of the Colca Valley
Journey toward Puno, passing lagoons, glaciers, and diverse highland landscapes
Visit the impressive Sillustani burial towers, ancient tombs of the Qolla culture
Learn about Andean culture, nature, and history with an expert local guide
We will pick you up at your hotel to take the road out of the city of Arequipa. On the way, we will be increasing the altitude, so we will make stops for acclimatization. One of them is Pampa Cañahuas, a reserve where you can observe alpacas and vicuñas. Then, we will make a brief stop in Patahuasi, from where we will continue to a place called Tacra, where we will have the possibility to observe the flora and fauna of the region.
The tour continues with a visit to Patapampa, the viewpoint of the volcanoes, which is located at 4910 meters above sea level. After this, we will continue to the town of Chivay,
followed by a visit to the Cruz del Condor. In this place, we can visit the viewpoint where you can see some condors in flight. Also, we will make stops in some villages like Yanque and Maca, where we will have access to the local squares and some handicrafts, and we will also have the tourist lunch. After this, we will continue our trip back to our hotel where we will stay in Chivay.
We will wake up early to enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then we will take our vehicle to continue our trip to Puno. We will also stop at some places and viewpoints along the way, as well as lagoons, glaciers, flora and fauna of the place, On the way we will enjoy our lunch (box lunch) and then continue with the tour to the region of Puno for the visit to the burial complex of Sillustani where we can appreciate a series of impressive tombs belonging to the Qolla culture, ending the tour we will continue our journey to the city of Puno where we will spend the night.
On the way to the Colca Canyon, we will make some stops to appreciate the beautiful landscapes of the region, from where we will cross the National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca and Pampa Cañahuas, besides rediscovering the rock art of Mollepunku and the famous rock formations of Callalli. These are the main attractions of our tour that you have surely heard about:
This natural viewpoint is located on the highest peak of the canyon, offering an exceptional view of the Colca Valley and, especially, of the majestic Andean Condor, the third largest bird in the world.
The Andean Condor is 3 meters long and barely flaps its wings to fly, as it uses the warm air currents to glide, a smooth flight that is worth observing. Therefore, to experience this beautiful spectacle, you should visit the Mirador de la Cruz del Condor between 9:00 and 11:00 am.
This small town is the starting point for all visitors to the Colca Canyon. It is 3,651 meters above sea level, located in the Colca Valley.
The town of Chivay is recognized for its cultural expression where most of its inhabitants have kept their ancient traditions almost intact.
From this place you can contemplate the outstanding landscape of the region, composed of the exuberant nature of the valley, farmland and ancient agricultural terraces.
If you stay a couple of days in town, a dip in these hot springs can be as comforting as you could ever imagine. The nearest hot springs are located 3 kilometers from the town of Chivay.
Here you can opt for indoor or outdoor pools overlooking the authentic landscape of the region. The water temperature can reach 38°C and is believed to have healing properties.
It is worth mentioning that, due to the high altitude of this place, some travelers may experience altitude sickness. This is very common at altitudes above 2,500 meters above sea level. However, here are some recommendations to help you prevent it:
There are some medications that help alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness, you can find them as Diamox or Soroche Pills in any pharmacy in Peru. However, we advise you to consult your doctor before taking any of them.
The Colca Valley is 151km from the city of Arequipa; it takes about 3 hours to reach the main town of Chivay, where you will find all the main services such as lodging, restaurants, night entertainment centers and others.
You can visit the Colca all year round, however the best time to visit is between April and May since the rainy season is ending and these are the months that show the most greenery of the Colca Valley and all its landscapes.
The main town of the Colca Valley is located at an altitude of 3635masl, however on the way from Arequipa to Chivay you pass a high point which is Patapampa also known as the Mirador de los Volcanes; this is at 4900masl, it is the highest point of the whole road.
It is always recommended to bring only what is necessary to spend the night on this tour, so you can leave your luggage at the hotel in Arequipa with the corresponding check and on your return the second day you can pick it up.
If I am not staying in a hotel in downtown Arequipa, where do I have to go to board the transportation?
If you are not staying in a hotel in the historic center of Arequipa, you must go to the Plaza de Armas to board the transportation. First we pick up passengers who are in the Plaza de Armas and then we start picking up passengers in hotels.
It is possible to pick up passengers from Airbnb that are in the historic center; the transportation generally picks them up one or two blocks away from their location depending on the access and previous coordination.
It is possible to do the tour with adults and children after acclimatization in the city of Arequipa. It is advisable to stay at least 01 day in the city to avoid altitude sickness during the tour.
We work with different hotels and the price varies according to their categorization. In the case of the price shown above, you will spend the night at the Colca Terra or Maravillas Peruanas Hostal; it is worth mentioning that all the hotels are tourist hotels and have all the services such as private bathroom, hot water, TV, Wifi, etc.
Yes, it is possible; the visit to the hot springs is optional, so if you do not wish to visit, you can stay at the hotel to rest or take a walk on your own through the Plaza de Chivay, visit the market and surroundings.
Participating in the dinner show offered at night is optional and is not included in the price of the tour. In case of participating the average cost is S/. 25.00 to S/. 30.00 depending on what you want. As they go to dinner they will be able to appreciate some typical dances of the area prepared by the villagers and so they can learn a little more about their customs.
On the second day I will be picked up from the hotel or I will have to show up at some point to board the transportation.
Normally this is coordinated with the guide the night before, however what is usually done after an early breakfast at the hotel, is to gather the group at a certain time in the Plaza de Armas of Chivay to board the transport and continue the tour to the Mirador de la Cruz del Condor.
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The best experiences in the Peruvian Andes
Real contact with the people of the Andean region
We believe in respect for the environment and its importance in our travels.
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