3 Days in Arequipa Itinerary: White City, Santa Catalina, Sillar & Colca Canyon

Three days in Arequipa give you the ideal balance of UNESCO colonial heritage, regional gastronomy, and high-Andean nature while gradually acclimatising your body from 2,335 metres in the city up to the 3,600- to 4,900-metre viewpoints of the Colca Canyon.

Day 1: UNESCO Historic Centre, Mummy Juanita & Monasterio de Santa Catalina

• 09:00, Plaza de Armas, Basílica Catedral & La Compañía: Start under the twin sillar arcades of Plaza de Armas. Tour the Cathedral Museum and rooftop bell towers for morning photos of Volcán Misti, then cross to the 1698 Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús to see its Mestizo Baroque facade, the polychrome Capilla de San Ignacio, and the carved Claustros de la Compañía.
• 11:30, Museo Santuarios Andinos (Juanita) & Mercado San Camilo: Walk one block to Museo Santuarios Andinos to view the frozen Inca maiden Juanita, then stroll four blocks south to the 1881 Eiffel-roofed Mercado San Camilo.
• 13:00, Traditional Picantería Lunch: Sit down for a wood-fired midday lunch of rocoto relleno, pastel de papa, and chupe de camarones with a glass of purple chicha de guiñapo.
• 15:00, Monasterio de Santa Catalina (1579): Spend the late afternoon (or stay for the candlelit Tuesday/Thursday evening opening) exploring the cobalt and terracotta streets of the Monasterio de Santa Catalina.

Day 2: Ruta del Sillar Quarries, San Lázaro & Mirador de Yanahuara Sunset

• 08:30, Morning Tour of the Ruta del Sillar: Head 14 kilometres northwest to the active Canteras de Añashuayco to watch master quarrymen split white volcanic blocks by hand, then walk through the 20-metre-deep salmon-pink slot canyon of Quebrada de Culebrillas.
• 13:30, Casa del Moral, Barrio de San Lázaro & Mundo Alpaca: Back in town, tour the eighteenth-century Casa del Moral, wander the white pedestrian alleys of San Lázaro, and see live alpacas and traditional weavers at Mundo Alpaca.
• 16:00, Mirador de Carmen Alto & Sunset at Mirador de Yanahuara: Cross the Chili River to overlook the pre-Inca terraces of the Chilina Valley from Carmen Alto, then walk down to the nine sillar arches of Mirador de Yanahuara with a cup of queso helado as the setting sun turns Volcán Misti rose-gold.

Day 3: Morning Across Pampa Cañahuas & Patapampa Pass

Now acclimatised, depart early across the vicuña plains of Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve and the 4,910-metre Mirador de los Volcanes (Patapampa) into the Colca Valley.

Day 3 Midday: Condors at Cruz del Cóndor & Thermal Baths

Watch wild Andean condors soar at eye level above Cruz del Cóndor, admire the Collagua stone terraces of Maca and Yanque, and soak in volcanic thermal springs.

Day 3 Alternative (2-Day Colca Loop or Laguna de Salinas)

If you have four days, split the Colca Canyon into a relaxing 2-day / 1-night trip sleeping in Chivay or Yanque, or take a full-day excursion east to the flamingo salt flats of Laguna de Salinas (4,300 m).