We pick up our clients at 3:00 a.m. from hotels and hostels located in central Arequipa. If your hotel, hostel, or Airbnb accommodation is not located in the city center, we can also pick you up at the Main Square (Plaza de Armas).
PATAPAMPA PASS (20-minute stop)
You will have the opportunity to take photographs and enjoy spectacular views of the Andes mountain range from approximately 4,900 meters (16,076 feet) above sea level.
SALINAS AND AGUADA BLANCA NATIONAL RESERVE (15-minute stop)
Travelers will have the opportunity to stop and observe alpacas and vicuñas in their natural habitat. With a little luck, you may also spot Andean foxes and other wildlife.
CRUZ DEL CONDOR (60-minute stop)
You will have one hour at the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint to walk along the edge of Colca Canyon and observe the majestic Andean condors. There is a condor nesting area nearby, and it is common to see several condors soaring over the canyon at the same time.
END OF THE SERVICE (return to the starting point)
We depart from Arequipa between 2:45 and 3:30 a.m. and drive for approximately 3 hours toward Chivay, the capital of the Colca Canyon, traveling northwest behind the Chachani Mountain. We will arrive in Chivay for breakfast.
We then continue driving for approximately one more hour, making stops at a couple of natural viewpoints to admire the valley before arriving at the most visited attraction, Cruz del Cóndor. Here, we will be able to appreciate the impressive depth of the canyon and watch the Andean condors in flight for approximately one hour.
On our way back, we will visit beautiful traditional villages such as Yanque and Maca, where we will make stops. We will also see colonial churches, friendly local people wearing beautifully embroidered traditional clothing, and hundreds of pre-Inca agricultural terraces that are still in use today, growing Andean crops such as corn, quinoa, and kiwicha, among others.
Before lunch, there is an option to visit the hot springs, with water temperatures of approximately 35°C (95°F). This is an optional activity.
After lunch, we will return to Arequipa. Along the way, we will make a stop at the highest point of the route, the Patapampa viewpoint, where you can admire the surrounding volcanoes and snow-capped mountains at approximately 4,800 meters (15,748 feet) above sea level.
Later, we will visit the Pampa Cañahuas National Reserve, where we can observe vicuñas, alpacas, and wild llamas, as well as birds such as flamingos, ibises, Andean geese, ducks, and the Andean caracara (Kara Kara).
We expect to arrive back in Arequipa at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Duration: 13–14 hours
Departure Time: Subject to availability.