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Offered languages
- English
- Spanish
This is a fully private Colca Valley tour: your family or group travels alone in an exclusive minivan with an official MINCETUR-licensed local guide and a separate professional driver, so the day runs at your pace rather than a coach timetable. Because the group is only yours, the guide can adjust the stops to the weather and the light, and you get real time at the Cruz del Condor viewpoint instead of a fixed slot. Buffet breakfast and lunch, the Colca Valley tourist ticket and a free welcome transfer to your hotel in Arequipa are all included in the price.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Pickup is from your hotel in Arequipa between 02:45 and 03:15 in the morning. Please be ready in the hotel lobby a few minutes early; your guide will come in to meet you by name.
Itinerary
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1Mirador Cruz del Condor
Stop at the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, the best-known spot in the Colca Canyon to watch Andean condors gliding on the morning thermals. Your private guide stays with your group to point out the birds and explain the canyon below.
45 minutes • Admission ticket included -
2Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve
Drive across the high Andean plateau of the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve, with a stop at Pampa Canahuas to see herds of wild vicunas, alpacas and llamas grazing against the volcanoes.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Chivay
Arrive in Chivay, the main town of the Colca Valley at 3,650 m, for breakfast. Time to stretch, use the facilities and adjust to the altitude before continuing along the valley.
1 hour • Admission ticket free -
4Patahuasi
Short rest stop at Patahuasi, where you are served coca-leaf and herbal tea to help your body adjust to the altitude before crossing the highest pass of the route.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Abra Patapampa
Stop at Abra Patapampa, the highest point of the route at about 4,900 m, with panoramic views of the Ampato, Sabancaya and Hualca Hualca volcanoes and the traditional stone cairns left by travellers.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6Yanque
Stop in the village of Yanque to see its colonial church on the main square and the pre-Inca agricultural terraces carved into the valley walls around it.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Maca
Brief stop in Maca, a small Colca Valley village rebuilt after earthquake damage, known for its colonial church and the terraced slopes rising behind it.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8La Calera Thermal Waters
Free time at the La Calera thermal baths outside Chivay, fed by natural hot springs. Please note the entrance fee to the baths is not included in this one-day tour and is paid locally if you wish to go in.
1 hour • Admission ticket not included -
Achoma (Pass by)
Drive through Achoma, one of the traditional farming villages strung along the Colca Valley, with views over its terraced fields from the road.
Admission ticket free -
Pinchollo (Pass by)
Drive through Pinchollo, the last village before the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, surrounded by pre-Inca terraces that climb the canyon walls.
Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Infant car seats are available on request - please ask for one when you book
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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