This guide is for you if you have one day to give Arequipa and want both halves of it: the stone city and the green land around it. It helps you decide whether one long day beats two short ones, where that day sits in your trip, and how to keep nine hours from wearing you out.
One long day or two short ones
We run the same ground as two four-hour tours and as one nine-hour day. The full day is the city tour and the countryside tour joined by lunch, with the order changed so that each stop comes at its best hour.
Take the full day if Arequipa is a short stop before the Colca Canyon and you want it seen in one go. Split it into two halves if you have more time and would rather keep your afternoons free, or if anyone in your group tires quickly. Two half days give you a rest between them. One full day gives you a single pick-up and lunch in the middle.
Why the day runs in this order
You are collected at 07:00, and the first hour goes on the viewpoints: Yanahuara at 07:15 and Carmen Alto at 07:45. That is deliberate: the volcanoes are clearest early. Cloud is also more common in the rainy months, from December to March, so in those months the early start matters even more.
At 09:00 you are at Santa Catalina, with two hours inside. At 11:00 you walk the Plaza de Armas and La Compañía. Lunch is at 12:30, and the countryside takes the afternoon: Sabandía mill at 13:45 and the Founder's Mansion at 14:45. You are back at your hotel at about 16:00, with the evening free.
The heavy walking sits in the morning, when you are fresh, and the afternoon is mostly sitting in the car with short stops. If you flag, cut something. You can leave out the monastery, and you can ask to finish at the Plaza de Armas instead of your hotel.
When to go
Avoid the second week of August unless you want the festivities. Arequipa celebrates its founding in August. The main celebrations and the biggest crowds have fallen between 12 and 15 August, with the Corso de la Amistad parade filling the streets on the 15th, from the morning until nightfall; check this year's programme. That is fun to watch, but it is not the day for a tight timetable.
Santa Catalina keeps special hours in Holy Week, at Christmas and on other religious feasts. At some times of day it also stops guided visits to keep the silence. If your date falls near a religious holiday, check the monastery's official site before you go.
Where it fits in your trip
Do this day before the Colca Canyon, not after it. The road to Colca climbs to about 4,800 metres, and you want a few days in Arequipa first. A full day in the city is a good way to spend them: you are moving, but you are not climbing.
Arequipa itself is at about 2,300 metres. That is lower than Cusco and just under the height at which American medical guidance starts to warn that travellers sleeping there may get altitude sickness. Even so, take it easy on your first day. Medical guidance also says that being fit does not protect you, and that you should avoid alcohol for the first 48 hours at altitude. A pisco sour at lunch can wait until day three.
The monastery in two hours
Two hours is the right amount for Santa Catalina. It is a walled town inside the city, founded in 1579 and covering more than 20,000 square metres of lanes, cloisters and cells. Since 1970 part of it has been open to visitors, while the few remaining nuns moved to a separate area. More than 300,000 people visit each year, and the 09:00 slot gets you in early in the day. The entrance is not included; you pay it at the door.
The walls are a lesson in Arequipa's building stone. The monastery uses white sillar from Chachani and pink stone from Misti, and the whole historic centre, on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 2000, is built in the same volcanic rock.
Lunch in the middle
Lunch is not included, but it is planned in. At 12:30 you sit down in a picantería, the traditional Arequipa restaurant. Peru's Ministry of Culture declared the picanterías part of the nation's cultural heritage in April 2014.
Rocoto relleno and chupe de camarones are the classics. If you want to share, the Arequipa way is a spread of starters: ocopa, a creamy yellow chilli sauce over potatoes, and solterito, a salad of broad beans, maize, cheese and olives. In Holy Week some places serve caldo blanco, a soup kept for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Allow the full hour and a quarter; the afternoon stops are short, and you will have time to walk it off at the mill.
The afternoon in the countryside
Sabandía is about 20 minutes from the centre. Its stone mill is still turned by a waterfall, among old trees, cacti, and a few llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. The Founder's Mansion stands on land given to the founder of Arequipa; it later became a country palace for visiting dignitaries, fell into ruin, and was restored after six architecture enthusiasts bought it in 1981. Both entrances are paid on the day.
What to bring
- Sun cream and a hat. The sun is strong at this altitude, all day.
- A light layer for the 07:00 start, which you can leave in the car.
- Comfortable shoes for the monastery and the square.
- Water, and local cash for three entrances, lunch and small purchases.
Who it suits, and who should split it
It suits travellers short on time who want Arequipa seen properly in one day, and groups who prefer one booking and one driver. It is private, so the price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page. Groups of more than 16 travel in two vehicles on one booking. Message us and we will price it.
Split it if you have young children, if anyone finds long days hard, or if you only arrived the night before. The city tour and the countryside tour each cover half of this day in four hours. When you are ready for height, the Colca Canyon day trip comes next. Our guide to day trips from Arequipa compares all four.
Questions people ask
Can we end in the centre?
Yes. We can leave you at the Plaza de Armas instead of your hotel.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Pick a date away from the August festivities if you want quiet streets, and before your trip to Colca. Pick-up, timings and what is included are on the full-day Arequipa tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
