Colca Canyon 2 Day Tour from Arequipa: A Night in Chivay and the Condors at Dawn
$84 Full Day
Overview
3 days
Two nights inside the canyon
2 villages
San Juan de Chuccho, then Sangalle
7 meals
Every meal but the last lunch
$160
Per person, shared service
The Colca Canyon trek at the pace it deserves. Three days, two nights at the bottom, and the climb out with rested legs.
The two day trek does the canyon in a hurry. This one does it properly. The first day is the same start. The condors from the Cruz del Condor and the long path down to the river. But it stops there. The night is at San Juan de Chuccho. It is a village on the far bank with gardens and a few family lodges. The second day is short and kind. Three hours through Cosnirhua and Malata to the oasis at Sangalle, with the afternoon in the pools. The third morning is the climb, 1,300 metres to Cabanaconde, on legs that have had two nights to recover. That is the whole difference, and for most people it is the right one.
Three days, or three days and Puno.
The third day can end in two places. The standard version returns to Arequipa at about five. The other version puts you on the transfer to Puno from Chivay after lunch. You arrive at Lake Titicaca at about seven. It costs a little more and saves a bus and a day. If Puno is your next stop, ask for it when you book.
Why the Third Day Earns Its Keep
The path is the same. What changes is where the nights fall and how the climb feels.
The fast version
The shape
Seven hours down and along on day one. Three hours straight up on day two.
The nights
One, at Sangalle, after a long day.
Price
119 dollars with four meals.
This page
Three days, two nights
The shape
Four hours down on day one. Three easy hours on day two. The climb on day three.
The nights
Two. San Juan de Chuccho, then Sangalle. The pools on the second afternoon.
Price
160 dollars with seven meals.
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Where you sleep
Night one is at San Juan de Chuccho in a family lodge with a private bathroom. It sits among fruit trees on the river bank. Night two is at Sangalle, the oasis, in a cabin beside the spring fed pools. Neither has heating, phone signal or a road. Both have hot food and cold beer. A single room on both nights is 30 dollars extra.
On altitude. The trek begins at about 3,300 metres and drops to 2,200 at the river. So the nights are low and the sleep is good. The climb on day three finishes at 3,290 at Cabanaconde. The pass on the drive in and out is 4,910. Two nights in Arequipa first are the minimum. If you have come from Cusco or Puno you are already acclimatised and the canyon will feel easy. Our note on the order of the cities explains the reasoning.
The two day Colca tour is the version without the walking. A hotel in Chivay and the condors from the rim. Our guide to the Cruz del Condor explains when the condors fly and how close they come. Lake Titicaca next, and you would rather ride than walk? The Arequipa to Puno via Colca tour does the canyon on the way. The Arequipa city tour is the afternoon before, and every Colca Canyon tour we run is on one page.
Tour Highlights
- ✓ The full Colca Canyon trek in three days, with the climb out on rested legs instead of tired ones.
- ✓ Two nights inside the canyon. San Juan de Chuccho on the river, then Sangalle, the oasis with its pools.
- ✓ The Cruz del Condor on the first morning, before the path leaves the road.
- ✓ The villages of Cosnirhua and Malata, without a road, with a museum of how the canyon has lived.
- ✓ Seven meals in the price. Three breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners, cooked in the villages.
- ✓ The option to finish in Puno on the third afternoon instead of returning to Arequipa.
What to Expect
Down on the first day, along on the second, up on the third. Two nights at the bottom of the canyon in between.
The bus collects you at three in the morning. Breakfast in Chivay at seven, then the Cruz del Condor for the morning flights. The path leaves the road at Pampa San Miguel. It drops for three and a half to four hours to the river. The bridge at San Juan de Chuccho, and the night in the village.
Day two is the easy one. Three hundred metres up to Cosnirhua and its small museum, along to Malata, and an hour down to Sangalle. The afternoon in the pools. Dinner and a cabin.
Day three starts at half past four with the climb to Cabanaconde. Three hours. Breakfast in the village, then the bus to Chivay with stops for the terraces. The hot springs if you want them, and lunch. Arequipa by five, or Puno by seven if you have asked for that.
Tour Itinerary
1
Condors, then down to the river
Arequipa to the condors. Pickup between 03:00 and 03:30. Over the pass at Patapampa in the dark and into Chivay at about seven for breakfast, which is included. Then down the valley to the Cruz del Condor for an hour with the birds. Twenty minutes further to Pampa San Miguel, where the road ends for you.
Down to San Juan de Chuccho. The path drops for three and a half to four hours through cactus, thorn and then green. The suspension bridge at San Juan de Chuccho crosses the Colca river at the bottom. The village is a few minutes beyond, with family lodges among the fruit trees. Lunch, dinner and the night there.
Departs 03:00 AM
Pass altitude 4,910 m
Descent to the river About 4 hours
Overnight Lodge at San Juan de Chuccho
2
Cosnirhua, Malata and the oasis
3
The climb out, then home
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Good to know
On the pace
Four hours on foot on day one, three on day two, three on day three. The guide walks at the pace of the slowest and the times are for an ordinary walker. The climb on the last morning starts in the dark so that it finishes before the heat. Mules can be arranged the night before. The last lunch, in Chivay, is your own.
✓
Inclusions
- ✓ Shared tourist bus from Arequipa to Cabanaconde and back, with hotel pickup
- ✓ A professional trekking guide in English
- ✓ Two nights, at San Juan de Chuccho and Sangalle, in rooms with a private bathroom
- ✓ Three breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners
- ✓ The visit to the Cruz del Condor on the first morning
X
Not Included
- X The Colca tourist ticket, 70 soles for most foreign visitors and 40 for Latin Americans, paid in cash
- X The La Calera hot springs, 15 soles, optional
- X The last lunch in Chivay on day three
- X Drinks, and mules for the climb
- X A single room on both nights, 30 dollars extra
- X Tips and travel insurance
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About the exclusions
On the price
The price is 160 dollars per person on the shared trek. It covers the bus both ways, the guide, two nights with private bathrooms and seven meals. The tourist ticket, the hot springs, the final lunch and any mule are paid in cash. A single room on both nights is 30 dollars more. The ending in Puno is priced on request.
Departure Information
Available: Daily departures
Group Size: Up to 16 people
Start Time: 3:00 AM
Pickup: Your hotel in central Arequipa
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the three day trek much easier than the two day one?
Yes, in the way that matters. The path is identical. But the first day stops at the river instead of continuing to the oasis. So it is four hours rather than seven. The second day is three gentle hours. The climb on day three is the same 1,300 metres, done on legs that have rested for two nights.
What are the two nights like?
Which meals are in the price?
Do I pay the tourist ticket?
Can I finish in Puno?
How fit do I need to be?
What about altitude?
What do I pack for three days?
What about the rest of my luggage?
How many people are in the group?
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