Colca Canyon Trek 3 Days: Two Nights in the Canyon and the Climb on Rested Legs
$160 Full Day
Overview
1 day
3:00 AM out, 5:00 PM back
4,910 m
Patapampa, crossed in the dark and the light
2 meals
Breakfast in Chivay, lunch after the condors
$39
Per person, both meals in
The Colca Canyon in a single day from Arequipa. A three in the morning start, the condors by half past eight, and the hot springs before lunch.
This is the honest version of the one day Colca tour. It is long. The bus leaves Arequipa at three in the morning. It drives four hours in the dark to reach Chivay for breakfast. Then another hour and a half down the valley to the Cruz del Condor. You get there at about half past eight. The birds are up and the light is on the far wall. On the way back the guide stops at the villages and the viewpoints. There is time for the hot springs, then lunch in Chivay, and the road home. You are back at your hotel by five. Fourteen hours, most of them on a bus, for two hours that people remember for the rest of their lives.
If you have two days, take two.
The one day tour reaches the condor viewpoint at half past eight. The two day tour sleeps in Chivay and is there by eight, before the crowds. That is the hour the birds leave the cliffs. It adds the hot springs at leisure and a night at 3,635 metres, and costs 84 dollars with the hotel. This page is for people with one day and no way to make it two.
What the Day Buys You
Two products, one canyon. The difference is sleep and the hour at the railing.
This page
One day
The clock
Pickup at three in the morning. Breakfast in Chivay at seven. Condors at half past eight. Home by five.
Meals
Breakfast and lunch are in the price. Only the hot springs and the ticket are extra.
Price
39 dollars. The lowest way into the canyon.
The better hour
The clock
Pickup at half past seven. Hot springs in the afternoon. Condors at eight next morning. Home by five.
Meals
Breakfast at the hotel. Lunches and dinner your own.
Price
84 dollars with the hotel night.
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Dress for two seasons in one day
The bus crosses Patapampa at 4,910 metres before dawn. The temperature there is often below zero. By eleven the sun in the valley is fierce. Bring a down jacket, a hat and gloves for the first half. Sunscreen, sunglasses and a sun hat for the second. Swimwear and a towel if you want the springs. A pillow helps with the four hours of dark road.
One more thing about altitude. This tour goes from 2,335 metres to 4,910 and back in a day, with no night in between to adjust. Anyone arriving in Arequipa from the coast should sleep two nights before taking it. The bus carries oxygen, and the guide has seen every kind of headache. Tell them early.
Is the canyon on your way rather than a side trip? See the Arequipa to Puno via Colca tour. It sleeps in Chivay and carries on to Lake Titicaca. The Arequipa city tour runs every afternoon. It fits the day after this one, when you will want a late start. Walkers should look at the two day trek to the river. Our guide to the Cruz del Condor explains when the condors fly and how close they come. All of our Colca Canyon tours are on one page.
Tour Highlights
- ✓ The Cruz del Condor at half past eight in the morning. Andean condors circling up out of the canyon.
- ✓ Breakfast in Chivay and lunch after the condors, both in the price. The cheapest way to see the canyon.
- ✓ The villages of Maca and Yanque with their colonial churches, and three viewpoints over the pre Inca terraces.
- ✓ An optional hour in the La Calera hot springs before lunch, 35 to 38 degrees, beside the river.
- ✓ Patapampa at 4,910 metres in daylight on the way home, with the volcanoes of the western range in a row.
- ✓ Vicunas at Pampa Canahuas and flamingos at the Tocra wetlands on the afternoon drive.
What to Expect
Fourteen hours, one canyon, two meals, and the condors at half past eight.
The bus collects you between three and half past. It climbs out of Arequipa on the Yura road and crosses the pass at Patapampa in the dark. Chivay at about seven for breakfast, which is included. Then down the valley, an hour and a half, to the Cruz del Condor.
Half past eight at the viewpoint. The birds circle out of the canyon on the first thermals and pass close to the railing. About an hour there. On the way back the guide stops at Maca and Yanque for the churches. Then the viewpoints of Antahuilque, Huayrapunko and Pena Blanca for the terraces.
Half past eleven at the hot springs at La Calera, optional. Noon for lunch in Chivay, included. At one the bus turns for home. Stops for the volcanoes at Patapampa, the birds at Tocra and the vicunas at Pampa Canahuas. Arequipa at about five.
Tour Itinerary
1
Arequipa in the dark
Pickup between 03:00 and 03:30 from hotels in the centre. The bus takes the Yura road north and climbs through the reserve while you sleep. The pass at Patapampa, 4,910 metres, is crossed before first light. The road drops into the valley as the sun comes up.
Time 03:00 AM start
Altitude 4,910 m at the pass
2
Breakfast in Chivay
3
The Cruz del Condor
4
Villages and viewpoints
5
Hot springs and lunch
6
The road home
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Good to know
On the hours
The pickup is between three and half past three in the morning. The return is at about five in the afternoon. The times in between are approximate. The bus does not linger at the pass before dawn, because it is far below freezing. Breakfast and lunch are included, and the hot springs are optional.
✓
Inclusions
- ✓ Pickup and drop off at your hotel in central Arequipa
- ✓ Shared tourist transport for the whole day, with oxygen on board
- ✓ A guide in Spanish and English
- ✓ Breakfast in Chivay
- ✓ Buffet lunch in Chivay after the condors
X
Not Included
- X The Colca tourist ticket, 70 soles for most foreign visitors and 40 for Latin Americans, paid in cash at the checkpoint
- X The La Calera hot springs, 15 soles, optional
- X Drinks
- X Tips and travel insurance
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About the exclusions
On the price
The price is 39 dollars per person. It includes the bus, the guide, breakfast in Chivay and the buffet lunch. The tourist ticket and the hot springs are paid in cash on the day. There is no hotel because there is no night.
Departure Information
Available: Daily departures
Group Size: Up to 24 people
Start Time: 3:00 AM
Pickup: Your hotel in central Arequipa
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the one day tour worth it?
Yes, if one day is what you have. You see the condors, the terraces, the villages and the pass, and both meals are included. What you miss is the hour. The two day tour is at the viewpoint by eight, before the day buses. This one arrives at half past eight, which is still within the morning flights.
What time is the pickup?
Are meals included?
What about the tourist ticket?
Will I see condors at half past eight?
How does the altitude feel on a one day tour?
Can I stay in Chivay and come back another day?
Who else is on the bus?
What goes in the bag?
Can I go on from Chivay to Puno instead of returning?
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