In July, we decided that we were going to spend 5 weeks in Peru. We knew that we wanted to go to the capital of Lima, Cusco and of course the famous Machu Picchu, but one place we had not heard of or planned on was Arequipa, Peru’s 2nd largest city. There are some incredible things to do in this amazing city, especially with the variety of Arequipa tours!
- Where is Arequipa, Peru
- How to Get to Arequipa
- Best Time to Visit Arequipa, Peru
- Where to Stay in Arequipa
- The Best Things to Do in Arequipa, Peru
- Best Places to Eat in Arequipa, Peru
- Best Day Trips & Arequipa Tours
After doing some research and planning (and talking to other travelers), we landed on ending our trip in Arequipa, and we loved every minute of exploring this beautiful city.
The city is framed by 3 remarkable volcanoes: Chachani, Misti, and Picchu Picchu. The city of Arequipa sits at the foot of Volcano Misti, which is still considered to be active that I might add, and can be seen directly between the two steeples of the Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa in the Plaza de Armas. It is a breathtaking sight.
Arequipa is distinctive in style and presentation because of the baroque buildings constructed from sillar, a white volcanic stone found in this region. It creates beautiful and unique buildings throughout the historical center of the city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
If you are interested in planning a trip to Peru, check out our other posts:
Where is Arequipa, Peru
Arequipa, Peru is located in southwestern Peru in the Chili River Valley of the Andes Mountains. The city sits at more than 7,550 feet (2,300 meters) above sea level. If Arequipa is your first stop in Peru, you may be prone to altitude sickness at this elevation. We visited Arequipa after spending time in Cusco and Lake Titicaca (which both have higher elevations), so we felt good in Arequipa.
How to Get to Arequipa
If you are already in Peru, the Cheapest way to get to Arequipa is to take a bus. Bus routes connect almost everywhere in Peru, so it should be possible to find a bus route from any city.
We purchased bus tickets from Puno (Lake Titicaca), directly to Arequipa with Transzela. It was around a 7 hour bus ride, and the tickets were about $13 USD.
Of course if you are on a time limit, you do not want to spend hours in a bus, or if you are only planning on visiting Arequipa during your visit to Peru, you can fly to the airport in Arequipa: Rodríguez Ballón International Airport. This is a very nice little airport that we used to fly back into Lima when we were leaving the country.
Best Time to Visit Arequipa, Peru
The best time to visit Arequipa is April-November, during the dry season when skies are blue and the temperatures are mild. Arequipa boasts nearly 300 days of sunshine per year! I can attest that when we visited at the end of July, the weather was sunny and beautiful. Arequipa sees the most rain in the months of December and January.
Where to Stay in Arequipa
Honestly, when we arrived at our hotel in Arequipa, we found out that we booked the wrong month somehow, so we ended up having to scramble and book a very last minute place. We searched the limited availability on Booking, and ended up walking to a nearby hotel that had a room and they welcomed us.
With that being said, there are endless options for every budget on Booking. Most of the places are within walking distance of the main square. Just make sure you book for the correct dates!
The Best Things to Do in Arequipa, Peru
Walk Arequipa’s Historical Streets
One of my favorite things to do in Arequipa was walking the beautiful, historical streets. The city of Arequipa was founded in 1540, and as I mentioned above, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is some beautiful architecture with many of the buildings being made from the sillar volcanic stone, which makes the city unique and extremely white. It was fun just wandering down the brick streets.
Plaza de Armas
The Plaza de Armas in Arequipa is one of the most picturesque squares we have visited in our South American travels. The immaculate cathedral is also made of sillar, and as you can see in the photo above, volcano Misti sits directly in between the two steeples. It is simply awe-striking.
Make Chocolate at Chaqchao Chocolates
While in Arequipa, I came across chocolate making classes at Chaqchao Chocolates. I LOVE chocolate, so of course we had to do it! The class includes an informative history of chocolate, how to select cocao beans & grind them, how to tell the difference between real and fake chocolate (yes, there is fake chocolate!), and of course you get to make your own chocolates and take them home. We really had a lot of fun, and I highly recommend the class!
To sign up for the class, we just went into their location in downtown Arequipa and signed up for the date and time that we wanted to attend the class.
Santa Catalina Monastery
The Santa Catalina Monastery is definitely one of the top places to visit in Arequipa. It was convent for Nuns founded in 1579. The Nuns lived here, completely segregated from the city of Arequipa. This beautifully architectured monastery is also made from the sillar volcanic stone, with a mix of white, and colorful red walls. When visiting, it is like being in a city within the city. The entire monastery is 20 thousand square meters and has 4 separate neighborhoods within the walls. They didn’t open their doors to the public until 1970!
The cost to enter for adult foreigners is 45.00 Soles ($12 USD), and foreigners from ages 7-21 cost 25.00 soles ($6.50 USD). If you would like, you can also hire a professional tour guide as well.
Waya Lookout – Terraza
When we were in the Plaza de Armas, we found ourselves wanting a better view of the square and the Misti Volcano in the background. This is when we found Waya Lookout! It is a cute little bar on the 2nd floor rooftop and it offers a chill atmosphere and an amazing view. We actually ended up coming back here a couple times for drinks and more breathtaking views.
Sunset Rooftop Bar
The Sunset Rooftop Bar is another great rooftop to get a view of the city and the volcano. As the name suggests, it is great to come here for sunset. It is actually a part of The Le Foyer Hostel, which at first made it a little difficult for us to find. We ordered some delicious cocktails and enjoyed the sunset view.
Yanahuara Scenic Overlook
While in Arequipa, visiting the Yanahuara Overlook is a must. From the overlook, you get an incredible view of the Misti Volcano and the city of Arequipa. We stopped at the overlook for a sunset and ended up with this beautiful and clear view of the volcano!
Best Places to Eat in Arequipa, Peru
Puku Puku Arequipa
Puku Puku is a great little cafe with a rooftop view to enjoy, while sipping on some coffee. We enjoyed spending the morning here while drinking a much needed americano.
Kao Thai and Peruvian Cuisine
The Thai food at Kao Thai was amazing! While it is not a budget option, the food was worth splurging on a little! We love Thai food, so it was a must for us after the limited restaurant options at Lake Titicaca.
Pasta Canteen
I am a sucker for pasta, so of course I had to go to the Pasta Canteen when I saw you can build your own pasta! Again, not a budget option, but if you love good pasta I would definitely give it a shot! Be sure to make a reservation though because their family style dining seating is limited.
Red Pig
Red Pig was a must stop when Jacob was hungry for a burger, and oh my were their burgers incredible! So good, that we came back a second time! I ordered their pulled pork sandwich and it melted in my mouth! I wanted to try something different on the menu the second time around, but I had to go with the pulled pork again. Jake and our friend Dirk can attest for the deliciousness of their burgers though!
Eco Brunch
Eco Brunch was a great stop for coffee and some breakfast. Jacob and I shared a plate of waffles and they were very good, and of course the coffee was great too.
13 Monjas
On our last night in Arequipa, we decided to have one last nice meal. Every time we walked by, there was a line out the door of 13 Monjas, so we decided we needed to see what the hype was about. Jacob and I both ordered steak, and overall, it was very good!
Oso Café
We stopped at the Oso Cafe on our last morning an Arequipa, and it was probably our favorite cafe in the city. The coffee was great, and they had delicious smoothie bowls!
Best Day Trips & Arequipa Tours
One of the reasons people visit Arequipa, Peru is because of the many surrounding attractions and day trips, which you can schedule tours and transportation for from the city of Arequipa.
We opted to do the Sillar Route and the Colca Canyon Trek, which are just a couple of the incredible Arequipa tours. After we left Peru, our friend Dirk also embarked on a trek to summit Misti Volcano.
The Sillar Route Tour
We decided we had to do the Sillar Route to see the volcanic stone that the city is built from, after all, it is one of the most famous things to do in the region. While the tour was a bit too touristy for our liking, it is still beautiful to see.
First you stop at the quarry where they extract the stone for building purposes. It is neat to see the tall, jagged walls of sillar stone and walk through the walls towering above on both sides. There are many carvings and incredible statues, but you have to pay an extra fee to gain access to these parts, and with the large amount of tourists there, you also will end up waiting in line for your Instagram photo.
Then the tour takes you to a sillar canyon that has been carved out by a river, where you do a short guided hike. This was probably our favorite part, being surrounded in the narrow walls of the white canyon.
On the way back to the city, you stop at an alpaca farm where you can take photos of the many alpacas (also a little extra fee). The last stop takes you to the Yanahuara Overlook, where you can watch the sunset and the city lights turn on, before taking you back into the city.
We enjoyed the tour, but be prepared to share the experience with large amounts of other tourists who want to see the incredible white volcanic stone.
Colca Canyon Trek (2 days 1 Night)
Colca Canyon is a remarkable place for many reasons. First of all, it is the 2nd deepest canyon in the world, being over twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It is also known for being home to the Andean Condor, the largest flying bird in the world.
We were running down on our last few days in Peru before heading back to the United States to get married. We knew that we wanted to do a trek from Arequipa before we left. We were between hiking the volcano, Mt. Misti, or doing the Colca Canyon trek.
We ultimately decided we would enjoy our time most on the canyon trek, so we scheduled the 2 days and 1 night trek. I am not going to recommend the company that we used to schedule because they ended up telling us the wrong time that our bus would be picking us up in the morning, even though we questioned them multiple times. We were told 8 am, and we ended up with a nice little wakeup call at 3 in the morning, while our annoyed bus driver waited for us!
Despite the frustration, everything else worked out very well and we loved the hike. On the first day of the trek, you begin by stopping at an overlook of the canyon where you can see many condors soaring below. Then your bus drops you off to meet your guide at the top of the canyon, where you will hike down into the canyon for the rest of the day.
When you are about half way down to the bottom of the canyon, you will stop at a house for lunch. Yes, people do in fact live in the canyon! It’s beautiful. The community’s heritage is of Indigenous decent, and it is said that they remained relatively unbothered by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 1500’s due to the sheer difficulty to access their homes. Now they are a farming community who focuses on mining, cultivating avocados and other agricultural production!
After enjoying a nice, home-cooked meal, you continue the trek to the bottom of the canyon. When you finally reach the end, there is an oasis of small-simple houses, where you are assigned a room to sleep for the night. The rooms are equipped with a bed to sleep in, and there are a few shared bathrooms outside. Be prepared, because it is relatively cold at the bottom of the canyon!
There is also a natural volcanic spring to swim in and refresh after the long hike, which just looks like a pretty swimming pool at the bottom of the canyon!
I didn’t actually end up swimming in the spring because the water is not actually hot. By the time we reached the bottom of the canyon, the sun was starting to set, and it was getting quite chilly.
You are served a dinner at the oasis, where your guide then discusses the morning plan with you. We left before the sunrise in the morning because it is a long trek back to the top. It is a difficult, but rewarding ascent in the morning.
We ended up with a dog following us to the top. It is very common in Peru to encounter at least one friendly dog who wants to be your companion on the hiking trail.
Over the course of the two days, we had a total hiking time of 6 hours and 40 minutes, with a total elevation gain of 4,300 feet. Though it wasn’t the most strenuous hike, it is definitely not for faint of heart or anyone with knee problems. All of our stats for the hike can be seen below.
Hike Volcano Misti
As I mentioned above, Jacob and I did not hike the Misti Volcano, but our friend Dirk did. The hike is very difficult because of the steep elevation gain. You will want to make sure you have acclimated yourself to the altitude before leaving for this trek.
The trek consists of sleeping on the volcano in a tent and waking up super early to summit the volcano for the sunrise. The temperatures are freezing on the volcano, so make sure you have proper clothing. I do believe that Dirk had mentioned that their water bottles were completely frozen in the morning! The trekking companies provide things like tents and sleeping bags.
Unfortunately, after talking to Dirk, his group did not get to actually summit the volcano. He said that if some people in the group are not doing well with the altitude, the whole group has to turn around. Despite not finishing in the morning, he said he still had an amazing view.
Be Sure to Watch our vlog from Arequipa, Peru Here!
In conclusion, I am saying that if you are planning a trip to Peru, Arequipa needs to make your list. It is a unique and incredible city full of culture, amazing food, and some great adventures.
-Morgan
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