Arequipa City Tour: White City highlights with guide and pickup

Cayma's colonial chapel, volcanic stone quarries, and a market that still looks like old Arequipa

A guided city tour of Arequipa covers the historic center, the traditional district of Cayma, the Sillar stone quarries where the white volcanic rock is extracted, and the market and plaza of Yanahuara, with all entry tickets, an English or Spanish-speaking guide, and hotel pickup included. The tour runs four hours and ends at the Monastery of Santa Catalina or the main plaza, depending on your preference.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Arequipa's traditional districts

• Drive to Cayma district via Chilina bridge
• Visit Cayma Main Plaza and Church
• Drive to Añashuayco volcanic stone quarries
• Learn about quarry origins and work
• Drive to Yanahuara
• Visit Antiquilla market and Yanahuara Main Plaza
• Explore traditional streets and city views
• Visit Arequipa Main Square and Cathedral
• Tour ends at Monastery of Santa Catalina entrance

The Experience

Your guide picks you up from your hotel and drives toward Cayma, one of Arequipa's traditional districts, crossing the Chilina bridge for views of the city and the Chili River terraces. In Cayma you'll visit the Main Plaza and its Church, where Dominican monks built a chapel in 1544 that now serves as the sanctuary of the Virgin of Candelaria. From there the route heads to Añashuayco, where the famous white volcanic stone called Sillar is quarried—the same stone used to build Arequipa's colonial buildings. Your guide explains the geological formations and the labor involved in extracting it.

The tour continues to Yanahuara, where you walk through the Antiquilla market, a colonial-era marketplace that preserves the old architectural style of Arequipa, and explore the Main Plaza with its views of the city and surrounding volcanoes. Then you move to Arequipa's Plaza de Armas, where your guide points out the Cathedral and the history of the main square's layout and significance. The tour finishes at the entrance to the Monastery of Santa Catalina, where your guide can assist if you want to enter; alternatively, the tour can end at the main plaza instead.

All entry tickets are included, and the air-conditioned vehicle keeps you comfortable between stops. The guide provides live commentary throughout, and the four-hour pace allows time to absorb each district without rushing through the city.

What’s included

• All entry tickets to each stop.
• professional guide in English or Spanish.
• air-conditioned vehicle throughout.
• live commentary on board.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Machupicchu Latin America

Is this one for you?Book this if you're covering Arequipa's historic center and surrounding towns in one morning or afternoon—the guide speaks English or Spanish, and all tickets are included.

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Top questions

What is the Sillar quarry and why does the tour stop there?

Sillar is the white volcanic stone extracted at Añashuayco that was used to construct Arequipa's colonial buildings. The tour stops there so you can see how the stone is quarried and learn about the geological formations and the labor involved in the work.

Can I choose where the tour ends?

Yes. The tour typically ends at the entrance to the Monastery of Santa Catalina, where your guide can help if you want to visit inside, but you can request to finish at the main plaza instead.

Does the tour include entry to the Monastery of Santa Catalina?

The tour ends at the entrance to the Monastery, and your guide provides assistance if you want to enter. Admission is included in the tour price.

What is Yanahuara and what will I see there?

Yanahuara is a traditional district where you'll visit the Antiquilla market, which still preserves the colonial building style of old Arequipa, and the Main Plaza, which offers views of the city and the surrounding volcanoes.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes, hotel pickup is included in the tour. Your guide will collect you from your accommodation at the start of the day.

What language does the guide speak?

The guide speaks either English or Spanish, depending on which option you select at checkout.