Peru Arequipa and Colca Canyon
Take a tour to Arequipa, Peru's colonial white city and launch pad for visits to the Colca Canyon, Peru. Book your tour with The sunlit oasis of Arequipa - the White City – is home to pearl-coloured buildings and sits at the foot of craggy volcanoes. Nearby, condors swoop over the cavernous Colca Canyon. Latin America now.
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On a fertile oasis in the desert of southern Peru, Arequipa - the White City - squats at the foot of craggy volcanoes and shimmers in the constant sunlight. The pearl coloured mansions and churches, shady arches, spires and unreconstructed grid of gabled colonial houses have a middle-eastern flavour. The small shops and cafés and flowery plazas make it a great place to relax, and to get accustomed to the altitude (2,335m) if heading into the Andes.
From here a lonely road heads 83km up through a wind-sculpted wilderness to plunge into the cavernous Colca Canyon, in the shelter of which pre-Inca communities built astounding amphitheatres of agricultural terracing which survive to this day.
Holidays Arequipa and Colca Canyon
From expertly designed Pre-designed Holidays to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.
Classic holidays
Group - Discovery
Peru / Lake Titicaca / Bolivia
Condor: Peru in depth
20 days from £3,305pp
Private Journeys
Peru / Lake Titicaca / The Amazon
Family Peru: Machu Picchu and Amazon adventures
19 days from £3,550pp
Classic holidays
Group - Classic
Peru / Lake Titicaca
Pelicano: Essential Peru
14 days from £3,461pp
Private Journeys
Peru
Peru by Rail
10 days from £5,890pp
Things to do
Look into things to do in Arequipa and the Colca Canyon in southern Peru. Book your tour of Peru with Journey Latin America now.
Accommodation
Examine hotels, lodges and other first class places to stay in Arequipa and Colca Canyon in southern Peru. Book a group tour now with Journey Latin America.
Where to go when - our guide to Arequipa and Colca Canyon
The weather in Arequipa and Colca Canyon is wide and varied
Arequipa enjoys pleasant weather for most of the year, with some 360 days of sunshine. Temperatures are pleasant, warm enough to wear a shirt during the day and perhaps a light jumper at night. The higher altitudes of the Colca Canyon region make for much colder nights, particularly in the driest months of June to September. Rain is most likely between November and March. The condors are considered to be at their most active from late March to June.
View our Arequipa and Colca Canyon weather guidePapagaio
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Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
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Sophie Barber - Travel Consultant
Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia.
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Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Consultant
Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.
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Hannah Donaldson - Travel Consultant
Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is an invaluable part of our Group Tours team.
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Evie Oswald - Travel Consultant
It’s hard to believe that Evie has had time to cram so much in to her life so far. Having lived as a child in the Americas and Europe she found herself immediately attracted to Latin America.
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Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Consultant
After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.
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Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Consultant
Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made team.
