6 Day and Multi-Day Trips from Arequipa, Peru

The city of Arequipa is a place that should definitely be on your Peru itinerary. However, there are just as many must-see places around Arequipa as there are in the city itself. We’ve collected some of the best one day and multi-day trips below to help you decide how long you’ll need in Arequipa.

If you’d like to see our adventures in Arequipa, then make sure to watch our video on YouTube. For more Peru videos, check out the Peru Playlist on our YouTube channel.

Arequipa Travel Tips – Read This Before Your Visit

If you’re looking for answers to common questions such as how to get to Arequipa and how long you ideally need to spend there then make sure to check out our detailed blog post below.

The blog post includes answers to the following questions:

• How To Get to Arequipa?
• How long do you need in Arequipa?
• Arequipa travel tips

Best Day and Multi-Day Trips from Arequipa, Peru

1. A Day Trip or Multi-Day Trek in the Colca Canyon

Possibly the number one reason many people come to Arequipa is to visit the world’s second deepest canyon: the Colca Canyon. It’s a popular day-trip or multi-day trek destination amongst travellers.

Located about 160km (100 miles) northwest of Arequipa, the Colca Canyon was formed as a result of the seismic activity of two volcanoes: Sabancaya and Hualca Hualca. They definitely created one of the most scenic landscapes you’ll ever see.

Another unique element of the Colca Canyon is that it’s home to the Andean Condor which is the largest flying bird in the world. Their wingspan can actually reach 3m, which is crazy! We saw many condors during our time in the Andes and never failed to be amazed by them.

If you’re short on time and don’t fancy trekking then you can visit the Colca Canyon in just one day. There are plenty of tours offering a one-day trip to the canyon. However, if you enjoy hiking, then you can consider completing either a 2-day or 3-day trek. The 2-day trek will take you all the way to the bottom of the canyon on your first day. After spending the night there, the next morning you’ll hike back up to the top. This is one of the most popular day trips from Arequipa and also one of the most popular treks in Peru.

If you have a bit more time and want to spend a little longer around this jaw dropping landscape, then we highly recommend completing a 3-day trek. It’ll give you the time to see many traditional villages and local communities that still live in the canyon and really appreciate the scale of the place. In our opinion it’s also less intense than the 2-day trek.

2. Visit Salinas Salt Lagoon and Aguada Blanca National Reserve

When someone mentions salt flats, most people automatically think about the stunning Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. However, Peru has its own salt flats too which you can visit as part of a day trip from Arequipa. You’ll find Salinas Salt Lagoon in the Salinas Aguada National Reserve.

This region has been designated a national reserve since 1979. The reserve extends over 900,000 acres at an average altitude of 14,000 feet (4,260 m). So, make sure that you’ve already acclimatised in Arequipa before leaving for this much higher altitude adventure.

The only way to get there is to join an organised tour that leaves Arequipa in the morning. Luckily, it’s not as crazy early as you need to be up for the Colca Canyon trip. You’ll depart around 7AM. It’s worth noting that getting there will be an adventure on its own. You’ll be in a 4×4, which is a sign that it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

However, if you want to get off the beaten path, enjoy a bit of hiking, epic volcano views and spot wildlife such as flamingos, alpacas, llamas and vicuñas, then this is a great day trip from Arequipa to consider.

3. Visit Ruta del Sillar (The Ashlar Route)

You might think we’ve run out of ideas by suggesting a visit to a quarry from Arequipa. Well, don’t worry we wouldn’t recommend something like this unless it’s special. Ruta del Sillar is definitely a unique place to see. After all, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity site for a reason.

The Ruta del Sillar is a 2 km (1.2 mi) circular route that’s managed by the Network of Sillar Cutters – Arequipa. Along the route you’ll visit a few quarries that are still in operation. You’ll have the chance to see how they extract and carve the sillar, which is a white coloured stone that is used in the majority of Arequipa’s buildings. Sillar is also the reason why Arequipa is often called the ‘White City’ or La Ciudad Blanca.

You can join a tour that leaves Arequipa in the morning. It’s only a half day tour, so you can definitely do some more sightseeing in Arequipa in the afternoon.

4. Go Rafting on the Chili River

If you love water sports, then you should consider going on a rafting adventure on the Chili River.

Once again, you’ll have to join an organised rafting tour that departs from the city centre. After some safety briefings you’ll enjoy floating through Chilina Valley. But soon it’ll be time to tackle the rapids that can be anywhere between class II, III and even IV. The whole adventure will last anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour.

Since it’s only about a 20 minute drive from Arequipa, it is another great half-day trip that will give you the chance to enjoy more of the city later on.

Note. It’s worth noting that the river can be closed in the rainy season for obvious safety reasons. However, you can enjoy this adrenalin rushing adventure between April and December.

5. Summit One of the Volcanoes

You’ve probably had the chance to admire the volcanoes surrounding Arequipa. Now, if you’re an experienced hiker then you can consider going on a multi-day trek to climb either Misti, Ampato or Chachani volcano’s. The most popular one to climb is normally Misti. The summit of the volcano is at 5,821 m (19,101 ft) above sea level. Chachani Volcano has a height of 6,057 m (19,872 ft) whilst Ampato volcano is 6,318 m (20,728 ft) and therefore the highest one to climb. The final summit requires use of an ice axe, crampons and ice boots.

Note that we recommend booking an organised trek. Any of these volcano hikes will be tough. In comparison, Everest South Base Camp is at an altitude of 5,364m (17,598 ft) and the North Base Camp is at 5,150m (16,900 ft) whilst the summit of Kilimanjaro is 5,895 m (19,340 ft). For this reason, make sure you only book a volcano-trek if you have a lot of hiking or mountaineering experience, are truly acclimated to higher altitudes and have a strong head for heights.

6. Soak Your Muscles in the Hot Springs in Yanque Village

After an intense list of activities, we can agree that soaking your sore muscles in some thermal baths sounds like a relaxing thing to do.

Located just past Chivay is Yanque village which is quite a popular spot with both locals and travellers alike. The village is located just over 3,400m (11,200 ft) above sea level and is blessed with hot water packed with minerals coming from the surrounding volcanoes. There are public baths located just outside of the village called Baños Termales de Chacapi. They are very simple but scenic hot springs. For a bit more luxury, you can check out Colca Lodge Spa & Hot Springs.

The village and surrounding area is a great place to explore, especially if you want to experience something many tourists miss out on.

Note. Luckily you can visit the hot springs as part of a 2-day or 3-day Colca Canyon Tour, which is a great way to relax your muscles after the trek.

Final Thoughts on Day Trips from Arequipa

As you can see, there are plenty of day trips you can take from Arequipa. We personally loved our 3-day trek in the Colca Canyon because it also allowed us to visit some other spots such as the national reserve and the thermal baths. We only wish that we had more time to visit Ruta del Sillar and of course summit one of the volcanoes. Since we really loved our time in the city of Arequipa, it definitely gives us a good excuse to return in the near future and explore more of the surroundings.

Have you ever been to Arequipa? If so, which day or multi-day trips did you go on? If not, which ones would be on your bucket list now? Let me know in the comments below.