Colca Canyon: Tours, Treks and Condors

Choose the next part of your visit

Two-day tours

Overnight visits, treks and the Puno endpoint.

Day trips from Arequipa

Early starts, meals and return transport.

Hiking and Sangalle

Direct descents and longer canyon routes.

Cruz del Cóndor

The viewpoint and birdwatching visits.

Private visits

A private day trip or private trekking.

Boleto and entry fees

Tariff categories, payment and ticket conditions.

Getting to the canyon

Arequipa, Chivay and the highland approach.

Where to stay

Chivay, Cabanaconde and canyon lodges.

When to visit

Weather differences between rim and canyon floor.

A sightseeing drive or a descent?

Choose a day trip from Arequipa when the main aim is a visit to the valley and its viewpoints with a return to the city. The guided full-day option with breakfast and a buffet lunch has a listed duration of 14 hours. The lower-cost round-trip option includes breakfast, while lunch is extra; its one-day validity should not be read as an exact journey duration.

An overnight visit gives another way to organise the journey. The two-day sightseeing package based in Cabanaconde includes transport, a guide, a hotel and one breakfast. Its walk and quad activity are optional. For a descent, the two-day trek with a Sangalle stay includes a guide, transport and specified meals, with canyon and hot-spring admission extra. Another two-day trekking option makes accommodation, meals and onward travel to Puno dependent on the selected option. Read the route guide before choosing between these formats.

History, terraces and living culture

The valley is also a lived agricultural landscape. Terraces and the traditions of the Collaguas and Cabanas belong to its identity alongside the canyon walls. Looking across cultivated slopes gives a different perspective from concentrating only on the deepest part of the gorge. Leave room in the plan to understand the valley as a place where people live and work.

Colca y Volcanes de Andagua UNESCO Global Geopark received recognition in 2019. Its geological and cultural setting includes volcanic landscapes, pre-Hispanic archaeological traces and colonial churches. The Wititi dance of the Colca Valley entered UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2015, reflecting a tradition connected with religious celebrations and the agricultural cycle. That history provides context for a visit, rather than a promise of a performance on a particular tour date.

Boleto and access

The Boleto Turístico Colca is part of planning a visit, separate from choosing a tour. Category, identification and the intended entry date matter. La Calera and Uyo Uyo are outside the electronic circuit ticket, as are a guide and transport. The entry guide explains the tariff categories and payment conditions without treating a tour booking as a separate admission-only product.

Check current road and trail information close to departure. Historic visitor windows and descriptive route times are useful for planning, but do not establish conditions on the day. For the approach through the highlands, use the arrival guide; for the difference between sleeping on the rim and in the gorge, use the accommodation guide.