Arequipa city tour: Historic center and viewpoints

See the White City from its streets and its overlooks

This city tour in Arequipa covers the historic center on foot, then moves by private car to viewpoints around the city where you see the volcanoes Misti and Chachani. A guide in English or Spanish leads both parts. Pickup is included. The tour takes three to four hours and suits all fitness levels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Yanahuara25m
2. La Compañía Church20m
3. Mundo Alpaca Arequipa20m
4. Santa Catalina Monastery1h

Historic center and city viewpoints

• Walk main historic center places
• Visit Yanahuara viewpoint
• Explore La Compañía Church cloisters
• Tour colonial era house
• See pre-Inca agricultural terraces
• Visit Mundo Alpaca textile factory
• Optional visit to Santa Catalina Monastery

The experience

The walk starts in Arequipa's historic center, where you move through the main plazas and colonial landmarks on foot. La Compañía Church opens onto cloisters carved in sillar stone (the pale volcanic rock that gives the city its nickname, the White City), and you see how that stone shaped the architecture of the colonial era. A colonial house shows how the city's culture and religion expressed themselves in the same material and style. The walking part stays in the free-entry zones, so you move at a pace that lets the guide explain what you're standing in front of.

After the center, you ride in a private car to the viewpoints that ring the city. Yanahuara is the main stop: a tourist viewpoint with ashlar arches where you can see the entire city laid out below and the volcanoes that define its landscape. The guide points out details about the surrounding terrain and the pre-Inca agricultural terraces (andenerías) that still mark the hillsides. At Mundo Alpaca Arequipa, a textile factory, you watch how alpaca fiber is worked by hand and see the South American camelids (alpaca, vicuña, llama) that supply it. If you want to add the Monastery of Santa Catalina at the end, a separate ticket gets you into the 20,000-square-meter complex where nuns lived, with its courtyards and relics from centuries back.

The tour includes a guide who speaks English and Spanish, private transportation, an umbrella if weather turns, and a safety kit. Pickup from your hotel is part of the booking. Two viewpoint entrances are optional: Carmen Alto costs 5 soles (about 2 dollars), and the Mirador de Sachaca costs 2 soles (about half a dollar).

What’s included

• Private transportation in a car.
• a guide in English or Spanish.
• an umbrella in case of rain.
• a safety kit.
• hotel pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Senior (66 to 90 years) · Youth (11 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 10 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by phaway viajes peru

Is this one for you?Three to four hours leaves room for a meal or another activity in the afternoon. If you want to add the Monastery of Santa Catalina, plan the extra time separately. The tour can leave you at its door, but entry is a separate ticket and visit.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (4 to 10 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Monastery of Santa Catalina and how does it fit into this tour?

The Monastery of Santa Catalina is a 20,000-square-meter complex in Arequipa where nuns lived, filled with courtyards, passages and relics from ancient times. The tour can drop you at its entrance at the end so you can enter separately with your own ticket. It is not included in the tour price.

Can I see the volcanoes Misti and Chachani on this tour?

Yes. From the Yanahuara viewpoint, you can observe both volcanoes along with the entire city spread below. The guide explains their place in the landscape and the city's geography.

How much walking is involved in the historic center part?

The historic center is covered on foot at a pleasant pace, moving through the main plazas and colonial landmarks. The guide stays with you to explain the architecture and history as you walk.

What happens at Mundo Alpaca Arequipa?

Mundo Alpaca Arequipa is a textile factory where you watch artisans work alpaca fiber by hand to make garments. You also see live alpacas, vicuñas, llamas and other South American camelids on display.