Sillar Route tour in Arequipa: Quarries and volcano views

See where Arequipa's white stone comes from, carved by hand in working quarries

A guided tour of the Sillar Route in Arequipa's Cerro Colorado district takes you through active quarries where artisans extract and shape the volcanic stone that built the city's colonial center. You watch the carving process at three working sites, walk a protected virgin quarry, and return to the city to see how the stone appears in the historic architecture.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each2 stops

1. Cotahuasi Canyon50m
2. Sillar Route40m

Explore ashlar quarries and city views

• Visit murals with artisanal ashlar carving
• See the small pink ashlar cannon
• Explore protected ashlar quarries
• Observe natural pink ashlar canyon
• Return to city center to view ashlar buildings

The experience

The tour starts in the quarries of Añashuayco, Cortadores and Culebrillas, where you see the murals carved into the ashlar and watch workers perform the extraction, styling and detailed carving by hand. The route covers 2,000 meters through Cerro Colorado, moving between sites where the stone is still being worked. A small pink ashlar canyon formed naturally in the landscape, called the shingles cannon, sits along the path and is a spot for photographs.

The virgin quarry of Culebrillas is a protected natural area where no extraction happens. It shows the ashlar in its untouched state and is where the stone's remote origin becomes visible. After walking the quarries, the tour returns to Arequipa's city center so you can see the finished ashlar in the historical buildings and understand how the stone you just watched being carved becomes the White City's architecture.

A professional guide leads the route in English or Spanish, and transport is included. The tour takes three to four hours. Interpretation workshops and rest areas are built into the route, and you can buy sillar handicrafts on-site.

What’s included

• Professional guide in English or Spanish.
• transport to and from the quarries.
• access to the Sillar Route covering three active quarries and the protected virgin quarry.
• interpretation areas and rest stops along the 2,000-meter route.

Before you book

Lasts 3h–4h, runs every day at 09:00 and 14:00, from US$ 11 per person, with a live guide in English and Spanish, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 14:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Senior (66 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years): free

GroupUp to 15

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.

Paid on siteUS$ 3

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by phaway viajes peru

Is this one for you?Pickup is included, so you don't need a car to reach Cerro Colorado from the city center. Book this if you're staying in Arequipa without transport and want to see how the White City's signature stone is actually made.

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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 (4 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 3 years): 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 exactly do you see happening at the sillar quarries?

The quarries show the full process: artisans carving murals into the ashlar, workers extracting and shaping the stone by hand, and the natural formations like the small pink ashlar canyon. You move between three working sites and one protected virgin quarry where the stone remains untouched.

How does the Sillar Route connect to the buildings in Arequipa's city center?

The tour ends by returning to the historical center so you can see the ashlar in the colonial architecture and understand that most of the White City's constructions are made from the stone you just watched being carved in the quarries.

Is the route walkable for someone who is not very fit?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The route covers 2,000 meters across the quarry sites with rest areas built in, and a professional guide leads the pace.