From Arequipa to Colca Canyon and to Puno in 1d

Chivay is the gateway to Colca Canyon​, sitting at 3,635 m, it’s the first major stop where travelers can adjust to altitude. In the morning, Chivay’s plaza comes alive with local vendors and villagers. The tour stops here for breakfast, giving you a glimpse of daily life in an Andean town and a chance to try a cup of coca leaf tea to help with altitude.

A quaint village known for its baroque colonial church and cultural heritage. Yanque’s central square often has local women and children performing traditional Wititi dances in colorful attire for tips in the early morning. The tour drives through or stops briefly, allowing you to appreciate the well-preserved church façade and perhaps see locals in their distinctive Colca Valley dress

Another small Colca Valley town, Maca is typically visited on the return leg. It features an attractive 18th-century colonial church and a backdrop of volcanoes.

The Colca Canyon itself is the star attraction – a vast gorge over 3,000 m deep, making it one of the deepest canyons on Earth​. At the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint, you stand at the canyon’s edge looking into its depths and across to the far side where tiny villages and terraced fields cling to the slopes. The highlight here is observing the Andean condors. With wingspans over 3 meters, condors often soar on thermal updrafts in the mornings, sometimes passing remarkably close to the viewpoint, to everyone’s delight​.

There are multiple lookout points along a short path at Cruz del Cóndor, and you’ll have time to walk around, take photos, and simply marvel at the birds and the canyon’s scale.

A popular relaxation stop, these thermal baths are located about 10 km from Chivay. offers several man-made pools fed by natural hot springs, with water temperatures around 35–38°C (95-100F). Surrounded by canyon walls and with a view of the Colca River, it’s a scenic spot to soak your muscles. Facilities include changing rooms, showers, and a small snack bar. Bathing here is optional but recommended if you brought a swimsuit​

This high pass (4,910 m) is literally a breath-taking stop – the air is thin and cold, but the views are tremendous. Patapampa is marked by hundreds of small stone cairns (piled rocks) left by travelers. On a clear day, you can see several volcanoes: Ampato (6,288 m, where the famous Inca mummy was discovered), Sabancaya (5,976 m, often active and emitting fumaroles), Mismi (the source of the Amazon River), and others.

A vast reserve spanning the regions of Arequipa and Puno, characterized by high plains, wetlands, and volcano-dotted horizons. Pampa Cañahuas is a section of the reserve known for its herds of vicuñas – wild camelids that roam freely here under government protection​. The tour’s stop in the reserve lets you observe vicuñas up close (sometimes right by the road) and distinguish them from their domesticated cousins, the alpaca and llama, which you’ll also see grazing (often tended by local herders)

A high-altitude lake located roughly midway between Chivay and Puno. The tour usually pulls over at a viewpoint above Lagunillas to admire its calm waters. At ~4,450 m elevation, the lake is often a striking deep blue and is fringed by bogs that attract wildlife​. If you’re lucky, you might spot flamingos feeding in the shallow areas or see vicuñas wandering near the shore.