South America Vacations

Peru Vacation Package 2

2 Days Arequipa and the Colca Canyony Tour Package

Duration: 2 Days / 1 Nights
Priced From: $545 pp dbl. occ.
Dates: Contact Travelwizard

 

 

Arequipa is located at a height of 2325 meters in the Desert Mountains of the Andes. This beautiful city is practically totally built out of sillar, a kind of white volcanic stone. This is why Arequipa is called the white city.

With its one million inhabitants, Arequipa is the second biggest city of Peru. The main square, the Plaza de Armas is the most beautiful of the country. The magnificent "Catedral" and the shopping malls are in colonial style. It is the city with the eternal spring.

Arequipa ia also the jumping off point for visits to the famous Colca Canyon.

Day 1. After your arrival into Arequipa airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel of choice.

After refreshing yourself and acclimatizing to the high altitudes of Arequipa we will head off to the famous Santa Catalina Convent.

By far the most interesting site in Arequipa is the convent of Santa Catalina. Built as a city within a city in 1580 and expanded in the 17th century. Probably this is the biggest convent in the world. 450 nuns lived there for more than 400 years, totally cut off from the outer world. The inhabitants of Arequipa had no clue of what happened between the high walls of the complex. Lots of tales circulated through the people. Santa Catalina wrapped itself in mystery and silence until 1970 when a big part of the convent opened its doors for the public.

In the north area of the complex there are still nuns living. Locals and tourists can freely visit the remaining part. Everything was beautifully renovated and the little streets and squares are full of colorful flowers and the walls are painted in fresh tints. Narrow alleys bring you to the different parts of the convent passing picturesque squares and old living rooms with original furnishings. Many people can still smell the atmosphere of the dark Middle Ages visiting the dining hall, the square where nuns did their laundry, the washing hall and the extensive library with an incredible collection of books. Unfortunately the library is not always open to public.

Some visitors stay all day and melt away in the still living past of this convent or just wonder around and lose their way from time to time. Take your time to visit this wonderful place, it will give you a lot of inspiration. The convent of Santa Catalina is situated in the street with the same name and three blocks away from the Plaza de Armas.

Day 2. Today we journey across the Altiplano to the Colca Canyon stopping en route in the beautiful town of Chivay.

Chivay is situated a 160Km east of Arequipa and is the beloved resting-place for many tourists going to the Colca Canyon. The people of the area is proud to call this valley the deepest in the world: a mountain ridge of 3.200m from summit to river. But this canyon is visited by many to see and photograph the biggest bird in the world: the condor. Although this species is endangered by extermination, the occasion actually seeing a condor is reasonable. These vulture-like birds hunt early morning or late afternoon.

Most condors are between December and March at the coast, because of the rain season in the Andes. On the way to the deepest place in the canyon, you'll see the mysterious Toro Muerto. This cemetery of the Wari Indians is built in a 90° steep cliff face. It's hard to believe that these people brought their deaths to this place. It is even hard work for a professional climber to get there. The dead were buried in the position of a fetus, like all over Peru in ancient times. "Man has to leave the world as he came," said their unwritten bible.

Ten kilometers further up the road you get to the "Cruz del Condor" where the Colca River is seen 1.200m below. On the other side of the valley is Mount Mismi situated with its summit 3.200m above the Colca. Further downstream there are actually deeper canyons but these are only accessible by foot, trained hikers and a well packed backpack.

We return tour hotel - the COlca Lodge - in the valley where we enjy pristine and clear skies and the quiet of a valley echoing back to ancient times.

Day 3. Today ou are trasnferred back to Arequipa and to connect with your onward journey.

Additional nights are available on request.

Arrival and return journey options of bus or train are also available.

If you choose private services there is an option of continuing from the Colca Canyon to either Puno or Cucso. Please enquire for pricing and details.

• Arrival and Departure transfers
• Meet and greet bilingual A.I. transfer representative, bilingual licensed tour guide
• 2 Nights accommodation with breakfast (based on selected hotel - see NOTES below)
• All entrance fees, all bus, boat and train tickets needed to operate the tours
• Santa Catalina visit
• Colca Canyon overnight tour
• Local guide on tours
• Baggage handling at airports and at hotels
• Passenger welcome kit with map, suggested restaurants, gift and pick-up time

• Visa fees (if required)
• Passport & Visa Costs
• Vaccination Costs
• Personal Spending Money
• Meals where not listed
• Drinks
• International Flights
• Domestic Flight or transport to and from start and finish point
• Travel Insurance
• Airport departure taxes
• Border taxes or fees

• Onward transfer to Cusco or Puno
• Mountain Biking
• National Archeological Museum

• Pricing based on 2 people sharing a room, SIB (Seat in Bus service)
• Rates for private service available on request
• Single and triple rates for SIB and private services are available on request.
• Tours are guided in one language only
• Vans Pick up travelers from no more than three hotels, except in Cusco where vans pick travelers from four or five hotels
• Tours are for eight persons or less, except in Cusco where average group size is 12 persons.
• The tour to Machu Picchu operates with an average group size of 8 persons with a guide based in Aguas Calientes
• We operate deluxe vans in Lima, Ica, Nazca, Arequipa and in Cusco, and best available in Trujillo, Chiclayo and Puno

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