DAY 01: AREQUIPA IN – CITY TOUR + SANTA CATALINA MONASTERY
Reception and transfer to the chosen hotel. At the appropriate time, pick up from the hotel to carry out the activity.
14:00 hrs Start of the tour of the White City of Arequipa, visiting the Plaza de Armas, which features a beautiful three-plate bronze fountain crowned with the figure of a 16th century soldier. Here, you will appreciate the Cathedral and the Cloisters of the Society of Jesus. Then, you will visit the Monastery of Santa Catalina, which was a cloistered center closed to the public for centuries, today, harmoniously restored and open, it allows you to appreciate what the city of Arequipa was like in the 17th century. You will see its streets, gardens, cloisters, rustic stone wash houses, ashlar walls and its art gallery, then you will move to the beautiful and green countryside of Carmen Alto and the Yanahuara Viewpoint where you will have a privileged view of the city and volcanoes such as Misti, Pichu Pichu and Chachani.
Accommodation in Arequipa
DAY 02: FULL DAY COLCA CANYON
03:00 to 03:30 hrs Very early departure with direct destination to Chivay for breakfast and then continue to La Cruz Del Cóndor; there will be stops such as in the town of Yanque, some viewpoints, in the town of Maca, these stops can be on the way there or on the way back. Arrival at the Cruz Del Cóndor viewpoint, from where you will appreciate the depth of the canyon, and wait for the majestic flight of the condor, with an approximate stay of one hour. Return to Chivay, lunch (on passenger's account) and return to Arequipa making stops at strategic places within the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve such as Patapampa or the volcano viewpoint, in the Tocra wetlands and in Pampa Cañahuas to see vicuñas and finally arriving in Arequipa.
DAY 03: SILLAR TOUR
Breakfast at the hotel.
08:00 hrs We will begin our tour with a lot of history and living culture. We will make a brief tourist stop in the main square of the Cayma District and we will appreciate the Plaza and its Church. We will continue with a small stop at a viewpoint where we will have a view of the three volcanoes that we have in Arequipa: Misti, Chachani and Pichupichu. Then, we will arrive at the Añashuayco Quarry where we can appreciate the Quarry in operation, learn about the process of Sillar extraction, carving and mega-carving by the master stonemasons. We will continue with the route heading to the Quebrada de Culebrillas; in this place we will take a 20-minute walk inside the small canyon that was formed by the passage of water, which has walls of 15 to 20 meters, as we continue walking the walls increase in height until we can finally see oil wells made by the Wasi Culture. At the end of the tour, we will observe the Apachetas; stone formations placed one on top of the other that are a symbol of gratitude towards nature and also an attraction of good luck which cause a totally mystical sensation.
Return to the hotel.
DAY 04: AREQUIPA OUT
Breakfast. At the appropriate time, transfer to the station/airport to return to the city of origin or continue with the trip.
