Private Arequipa Countryside Tour: Sillar Route & Local Markets

Watch stonemasons carve volcanic stone in the Sillar quarry, then taste guinea pig roasted over an open flame.

A private tour of Arequipa's countryside starting from your hotel in the city center, with a guide who shows you the central market, Sachaca viewpoint overlooking the city and three volcanoes, the Sillar stone quarry where colonial buildings were built, and local customs at a highland cemetery. The day ends with a meal of regional specialties cooked over natural fire.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Arequipa city and surroundings

• 8am pick up from hotel
• Visit central local market
• Taste local fruits and learn medicinal plants
• Drive to Mirador Sachaca viewpoint
• View Arequipa city and volcanoes
• Enter quarry canyon Ruta del Sillar
• Learn about volcanic stone and local customs
• Visit Mirador Carmen Alto terraces
• Taste traditional dessert queso helado
• Stop at typical restaurant for local dishes
• Return to hotel around 2pm

The experience

The tour picks you up at 8am from your hotel and begins at the central market, where you walk through stalls of Andean vegetables, native potatoes, grains and medicinal plants. From there you drive uphill to Mirador Sachaca, a viewpoint with a 360-degree view of Arequipa surrounded by the volcanoes Misti, Chachani and Pichu Picchu. The route then descends into the Sillar quarry, where you see how workers extract and carve the volcanic stone that built the city's colonial architecture: material so significant it is recognized as cultural heritage of humanity.

On the way back, you pass Mirador Carmen Alto to see Inca and pre-Inca terraces overlooking the Chilina Valley, and stop for queso helado, a traditional frozen dessert. The day finishes at a typical local restaurant where food is cooked over natural bonfire using organic ingredients from the region. You can order fried guinea pig (cuy chactao), shrimp soup (chupe de camarones), or rocoto relleno (red chili peppers stuffed with meat and vegetables) paired with chicha de jora, a corn-based drink. The tour returns you to your hotel around 2pm.

Your guide speaks English or Spanish and handles all transportation in a private vehicle. The tour covers five hours of driving and walking through markets, quarries and viewpoints, with time built in for meals and observation at each stop.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your hotel.
• a guide in English or Spanish.
• all fees and taxes.
• entry to the Sillar quarry and viewpoints.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 to 90 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Peru Baby Lama Adventures

Is this one for you?This is a private tour, so your guide and vehicle are yours alone for the full five hours, and the pace follows what interests you at each stop. Choose it if you want to move at your own rhythm through the markets, quarries and viewpoints without the schedule of a shared group.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2).

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 Sillar Route and why is it important to Arequipa?

The Sillar Route is a volcanic stone quarry where workers extract and carve sillar, the pale stone used to build Arequipa's colonial city center. The material is recognized as cultural heritage of humanity because it defines the city's architecture and construction methods.

What will I see from Mirador Sachaca?

Mirador Sachaca offers a 360-degree view of Arequipa surrounded by three volcanoes: Misti, Chachani and Pichu Picchu. The viewpoint sits above the city and gives you a sense of the geography and scale of the region.

What kind of food will I eat on this tour?

You'll taste items from the central market, then finish with a meal cooked over natural bonfire at a local restaurant. Options include fried guinea pig (cuy chactao), shrimp soup (chupe de camarones), rocoto relleno (red chili stuffed with meat and vegetables), and queso helado, a traditional frozen dessert. Food at the restaurant is not included in the tour price.

What will I learn about local culture on this tour?

You'll visit the central market to see Andean crops and learn about medicinal plants used in the region, pass a highland cemetery to observe customs of migrant populations from the mountains, and see terraces built in Inca and pre-Inca times at Mirador Carmen Alto.

How much walking is involved in this tour?

The tour combines driving with moderate walking at each stop: the market, the Sachaca viewpoint, inside the Sillar quarry to watch stonemasons, and the Carmen Alto terraces. The itinerary is suitable for all fitness levels.