Walking Tour Arequipa: Santa Catalina Monastery with Guide

Santa Catalina Monastery tour: explore cloisters, gardens & neighborhoods mirroring the city

This 3.5-hour walking tour of Arequipa includes hotel pickup, a professional guide in English or Spanish, and entry to Santa Catalina Monastery—the world's largest monastery at 20,000 square meters with four neighborhoods that replicate the city's colonial layout. The tour passes through the historic center, Plaza de Armas, La Compañía Church, and includes a stop at Mundo Alpaca Arequipa to see alpacas, llamas and textile exhibits. A minimum of two people per booking is required.

Step-by-step itinerary

Walking tour of Arequipa city

• Pick you up in Arequipa
• Pass by La Compañía Church
• Visit Cotahuasi Canyon architecture
• Pass by Plaza de Armas
• See Cathedral inside or outside
• Visit Barrio San Lazaro
• Visit Mundo Alpaca Museum
• Pass through Plaza San Francisco and Fundo El Fierro
• Visit Santa Catalina Monastery

The Experience

Arequipa sits at 2,325 meters in the Andes, built from pearl-colored volcanic rock that earned it the nickname "The White City." Your guide picks you up from your hotel and walks you through the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000, passing La Compañía Church and the Plaza de Armas before reaching the monastery itself. The city's colonial architecture represents a blend of European design and native characteristics, and the walking route lets you move through it at a pace that lets the details land.

Santa Catalina Monastery is the centerpiece—a city within the city that occupies 20,000 square meters across four neighborhoods designed to echo Arequipa's original colonial layout. You walk through cloisters, courtyards and residential quarters that housed nuns for centuries, and the scale of it becomes clear only when you're inside. The monastery's architecture and the way it mirrors the city's own structure make it distinct from other religious sites in Peru.

The tour also includes Mundo Alpaca Arequipa, where you see alpacas and llamas alongside textile exhibits and a wool store, and passes through the Plaza San Francisco and Fundo El Fierro, where local artisans work. The whole route is on foot, so wear sun protection and clothes that cover your shoulders and legs. Hotel pickup is included, and your guide speaks either English or Spanish depending on which you choose at booking.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return.
• 3.5-hour walking tour with a professional guide in English or Spanish.
• entrance fee to Santa Catalina Monastery.
• visit to Mundo Alpaca Arequipa with alpaca and llama viewing and textile exhibits.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Arequipa Tour

Is this one for you?Book this if you're comfortable walking at 2,325 meters elevation; the steady pace covers colonial streets and the monastery over 3.5 hours with a guide who handles navigation and stops.

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Top questions

What is Santa Catalina Monastery like inside?

Santa Catalina Monastery spans 20,000 square meters across four neighborhoods that replicate Arequipa's colonial urban layout, with cloisters, courtyards and residential quarters you walk through on the tour. The scale and the way it mirrors the city itself make it a distinct architectural experience.

How much walking is involved in this tour?

The tour is 3.5 hours of walking through Arequipa's historic center and inside the monastery, so you'll need at least a moderate level of fitness and comfortable walking shoes. Sun protection and covered clothing are recommended.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes, hotel pickup is included in the tour price. Your guide will collect you from your accommodation and return you after the 3.5-hour tour ends.

What language options are available for the guide?

Your guide speaks either English or Spanish—you choose which one when you book. The guide is a professional speaker in whichever language you select.

What else does the tour include besides the monastery?

The tour passes through Arequipa's historic center, La Compañía Church, Plaza de Armas and the Plaza San Francisco, and includes a stop at Mundo Alpaca Arequipa to see alpacas, llamas and textile exhibits. You also walk through Fundo El Fierro, where local artisans work.

What's the minimum group size?

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