Private Arequipa City Tour: Juanita Mummy and Santa Catalina

See Arequipa's white volcanic architecture and its most famous mummy without arranging transport or a guide yourself.

A private city tour of Arequipa with a professional guide and driver takes you through the White City's major sites in five hours. You visit Santa Catalina Monastery, built in 1579 with white volcanic rock and designed in colonial style; the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries, where the Juanita Mummy is preserved; and the colonial suburbs of Cayma, Sabandia and Yanahuara for views of the city and its volcanoes. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, as is lunch at a local Picanteria restaurant. A minimum of two people per booking is required.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Santa Catalina Monastery1h
2. Museum of Andean Sanctuaries1h
3. Yanahuara30m

Private city tour and lunch

• Meet guide and driver at hotel
• Visit Monastery of Santa Catalina
• Explore Juanita Mummy Museum
• Tour colonial suburbs
• Enjoy traditional Arequipan lunch
• Transfer back to hotel

The experience

Your guide and driver meet you at your hotel in the morning to start the tour. Santa Catalina Monastery is the first stop: a complex built in 1579 from white volcanic rock called Silla, with its own streets, plazas and rooms that form a complete religious world enclosed within its walls. The monastery served as a cloister for nuns from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries and stands as a work of colonial architecture.

Next is the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries, where the Juanita Mummy is on display from May through December. Juanita was a teenage girl sacrificed by the Incas to the mountain gods on Ampato Mountain, and her preservation in the museum is so complete that she became the most famous mummy in the Andes. During January to April, when preservation work takes place, another mummy is displayed instead. After the museum, the tour moves through the colonial suburbs of Cayma, Sabandia and Yanahuara, where you get views of the city and its volcanoes.

Lunch happens at a Picanteria, a traditional local restaurant serving Arequipian food. Vegetarian options are available if you request them at booking. After lunch, your driver transfers you back to your hotel, ending the five-hour tour.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• a professional English-speaking guide.
• a private van with driver.
• local taxes.
• lunch at a traditional Picanteria restaurant.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (under 18)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Cultural Immersion Travel Peru E.I.R.L.

Is this one for you?The five-hour pace keeps the major sites (monastery, mummy museum and colonial views) inside a single morning or afternoon without rushing between them. Your guide handles the route and timing, so you move through Arequipa without managing transport or entry logistics yourself.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (under 18).

What is the Juanita Mummy and why is it in a museum in Arequipa?

Juanita was a teenage girl sacrificed by the Incas to the mountain gods on Ampato Mountain. She is preserved in the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries and is the most famous mummy in the Andes because of her outstanding preservation. She is on display from May through December. During the other months, preservation work takes place and another mummy is shown instead.

How long does the private tour take and what is included in the price?

The tour runs five hours and includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a professional English-speaking guide, a private van with a driver, and local taxes. Lunch at a local restaurant is separate, as are entrance tickets to the sites.

Can I book this tour if I'm traveling alone?

A minimum of two people per booking is required for this private tour.

What is Santa Catalina Monastery and when was it built?

Santa Catalina Monastery was built in 1579 and served as a cloister for nuns from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. It is constructed from white volcanic rock called Silla and designed in colonial style, with its own streets, plazas and rooms forming a complete religious world within its walls.

Are vegetarian meals available for lunch?

Yes, vegetarian options are available at the Picanteria restaurant where lunch is served. Let your guide know your dietary requirements when you book.

What are the colonial suburbs we visit and what will I see there?

You visit Cayma, Sabandia and Yanahuara, colonial suburbs of Arequipa where you can see the city and its volcanoes from elevated viewpoints.