In a nutshell
- Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world — and one of the most spectacular highlights in Peru.
- Beyond the jaw-dropping landscape and great hiking trails, you’ll also have a real chance to watch condors soaring over the canyon.
- You can visit on a day trip from Arequipa or go deeper with a multi-day trekking tour — we cover all the options.
- Important: you’ll need a few days to acclimatize beforehand, since the excursion reaches elevations of up to 5,000 meters.
- This guide covers all routes and tours for Colca Canyon — including how to explore it completely on your own.
How Do You Get to Colca Canyon in Peru?
Colca Canyon is located in southern Peru, close to the city of Arequipa. To visit the canyon, your best bet is to use Arequipa as your base. Countless tours to Colca Canyon depart from there, with round-trip transportation included.
There are also tours that start from Puno and drop you in Arequipa — or the other way around.
If guided tours aren’t your thing, you can absolutely explore Colca Canyon on your own. Just take the public bus from Arequipa.
All Colca Canyon Routes and Tours
As you can see, there are several ways to experience Colca Canyon. To help you find the best tour and route for your trip, we’ll walk you through all the options in detail.
Colca Canyon Routes on a Map
On this map, we’ve marked Colca Canyon with its viewpoints and hiking routes.
Day Trip to Colca Canyon from Arequipa
Not a big hiker? One day at Colca Canyon is plenty. On a day tour, you’ll be picked up from your hotel early — usually around 3 AM.
After about three hours of driving, you’ll arrive in the small town of Chivay, where you’ll stop for breakfast. This is also where you’ll buy your entrance ticket to Colca Canyon, which costs 70 soles (about $18).
From there, the tour bus follows the route above the canyon all the way to the Mirador Cruz del Cóndor, where you’ll have a breathtaking view down into the gorge. There’s a really good chance you’ll spot condors soaring overhead.
Afterward, you’ll head back to Chivay, where the tour makes a stop at the La Calera hot springs. Admission is 15 soles (about $4) and isn’t included in the tour price.
Then it’s back to Arequipa. On the return, the bus stops at a viewpoint with a fantastic panorama of several volcanoes.
One thing to know: on a day trip, you’ll spend almost the entire day in the vehicle — the drive from Arequipa to the Mirador Cruz del Cóndor takes about five hours each way!
Book a day trip to Colca Canyon from Arequipa
Two- or Three-Day Trekking Tour from Arequipa
The classic 2-day trekking tour starts the same way as the day trip. After stopping at the Mirador Cruz del Cóndor, though, you don’t turn back — instead, you continue a little further to the San Miguel viewpoint.
That’s where the hike down into Colca Canyon begins. With a seriously stunning panorama, the first leg covers about 7.5 kilometers downhill to the village of San Juan de Chuccho, where lunch is served. Along this stretch, you’ll cross the canyon.
The second leg is about 6.5 kilometers and leads to Sangalle. Along the way, you’ll climb roughly 400 meters uphill — only to descend again at the end.
In Sangalle, you can relax for the rest of the afternoon. The lodges always have a pool, which is perfect for unwinding after a big day of hiking.
The next morning, you head back up to Cabanaconde early. That means covering just under 6 kilometers with 1,000 meters of elevation gain. This section is seriously tough — don’t underestimate it!
2-Day Colca Canyon Trekking Tour from Arequipa
Most guided 3-day trekking tours follow the same route as the 2-day tour, but give you more time to soak everything in at a slower pace. You’ll spend one night in San Juan de Chuccho and one in Sangalle.
3-Day Colca Canyon Trekking Tour from Arequipa
Two-Day Trekking Tour with Travel to or from Puno
If you’re doing a road trip through Peru, it’s a really smart move to work a Colca Canyon visit into your Arequipa–Puno leg.
There are two-day tours that start in the morning in Arequipa and drop you off in Puno the next day — or vice versa. This is a super convenient option if you’re planning to visit both cities anyway, or if you have a Peru–Bolivia itinerary in mind.
With this option, you’ll need to bring all your luggage. But it’s not as big a deal as it sounds — you can leave it at the start of the hike at the Mirador de San Miguel and pick it up again after the hike the next day. Just ask your guide; they’ll know exactly how to handle it.
The tour itinerary is otherwise identical to the standard 2-day tour.
2-Day Colca Canyon Trekking Tour from Arequipa with Transfer to Puno
Colca Canyon on Your Own
Want to visit Colca Canyon independently, without a guided tour? Totally doable. You’ll have more flexibility and can hike routes that guided tours don’t cover.
You will need to sort out your own transportation and accommodation, though. With our tips below, it’s easy.
You have two options for getting there:
- Take the public bus from Arequipa to Cabanaconde.
- Ride along in the transport vehicle of a guided tour.
If you go with Option 1, make your own way (by bus or taxi) from your hotel to Arequipa’s bus terminal, the Terminal Terrestre. Look for the ticket window of the company Andalucia and buy your ticket to Cabanaconde.
The ticket costs 30 soles (about $7.50) and the ride takes about six hours.
Bus departure times seem to change almost weekly, so check ahead of time at the terminal or ask at your hotel for the current schedule. Buses run about three times a day. One departs early in the morning between 3:00 and 4:00 AM — we recommend taking that one.
The bus goes all the way to Cabanaconde, but you can also hop off at the Mirador San Miguel. If you take the early bus, you can start your hike around 10 AM.
Option 2 is much more comfortable, since you’ll be picked up at your hotel and won’t have to navigate to the terminal first. Ask your hotel whether it’s possible to hitch a ride with one of the guided tours heading to Cabanaconde.
Our Tip for a Three-Day Route
On your own, you’ve got a wealth of hiking routes to choose from. We recommend downloading the MapsMe app — it has the trails in Colca Canyon mapped out in great detail.
If you have three days, we recommend starting in Cabanaconde and hiking to Llahuar. The route is about 11 kilometers long and descends roughly 1,000 meters in elevation.
Llahuar has wonderful hot springs where you can relax and recharge after the hike. It’s best to book your accommodation there in advance — but you can also try your luck finding something on the spot.
Our hotel recommendations for Llahuar
Casa de Virginia: a beautiful lodge with hammocks, a pool, and stunning views.
Llahuar Lodge: a fantastic spot right next to the river hot springs. Rooms are very basic, but the location makes up for it.
On Day 2, you hike from Llahuar to Sangalle — about 10 kilometers, with a total of 700 meters of elevation to gain and lose along the way. In Sangalle, you’ll need accommodation — book ahead if you can.
Our Hotel Recommendations for Sangalle
Paraiso Las Palmeras Lodge: great outdoor facilities and very comfortable lodge rooms.
Oasis Paraiso Ecolodge: simple bungalows, a great outdoor pool, and incredible views. The dinner here is honestly delicious!
On Day 3, you hike from Sangalle back up to Cabanaconde. The route is about 6 kilometers with 1,000 meters of elevation gain. Start early — around 5 AM — before the sun beats down on the canyon and makes the climb unbearably hot.
Our Tip for a Two-Day Route
If you only have two days, your best bet is the standard route described in section #2. That means starting at the Mirador de San Miguel, spending the night in Sangalle, and hiking back up to Cabanaconde on day two.
You can of course also hike the same route in reverse. In that case, your best overnight stop is San Juan de Chuccho.
Our hotel recommendation for San Juan de Chuccho
Colibri Lodge
Return Trip from Cabanaconde to Arequipa
For the return journey, take the Andalucia public bus, which departs from the main square in Cabanaconde. You can also flag it down at the Mirador de San Miguel and board there.
The ride costs 30 soles (about $7.50) and takes 6 hours to reach Arequipa. Departure times vary regularly here too. The bus usually runs three times a day — when we were there, the departure times were 4 AM, 9 AM, and 1 PM.
Where Should You Book Colca Canyon Tours?
You have two options for booking your Colca Canyon tour: online or through a local agency.
Book a Colca Canyon Tour Online via GetYourGuide
The advantage of booking online is that you can lock in your tour before you even arrive in Arequipa — really useful if you’re working with a fixed schedule and want to plan your Peru trip in advance.
We recommend booking through GetYourGuide. The process is super easy and everything is in English.
Here’s an overview of all the tours we recommend
Day trip to Colca Canyon from Arequipa
2-Day Colca Canyon Trekking Tour from Arequipa
3-Day Colca Canyon Trekking Tour from Arequipa
2-Day Colca Canyon Trekking Tour from Arequipa with Transfer to Puno
Buy a Colca Canyon Tour Locally
If you’re more of a spontaneous traveler, you can easily book your Colca Canyon tour on the spot in Arequipa or Puno.
There are agencies on every corner in both cities. On top of that, almost every hotel has a partnership with a travel agency, so you can conveniently book right at reception. Tours booked through a local agency are usually a bit cheaper than online.
Preparation Tips for Visiting Colca Canyon
Before you head out to Colca Canyon, here are a few things to keep in mind.
#1 Acclimatize Properly
Colca Canyon sits at an elevation of about 3,300 meters (roughly 10,800 feet), while the bottom of the gorge is at 2,200 meters. On the drive from Arequipa to the canyon, you’ll even pass a point that reaches 4,900 meters.
Don’t underestimate these altitudes — even if you’re only spending a short time there. Many people struggle with altitude sickness at Colca Canyon. To avoid that, make sure to acclimatize before your visit.
If you’ve already been to Puno or Cusco beforehand, you probably won’t have any issues — both cities sit above 3,000 meters. Otherwise, spend a few days in Arequipa first. The city is already at about 2,300 meters and is perfect for acclimatizing.
Also bring coca leaves along for the trip. They’re a great remedy for altitude sickness and can be found in pretty much any supermarket.
Also read all our travel tips for Peru
#2 Pack Smart
If you’re planning to spend the night in the canyon, pack wisely. Don’t haul too much with you — extra weight makes hiking significantly harder. Bring only the essentials you can’t go without for a night.
Here’s what you should definitely bring:
- Plenty of water (we recommend three liters)
- Snacks (e.g., crackers or nuts)
- Bug spray
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hat
- Cash (300 soles is enough for a 2-day self-guided trip)
- Trekking poles (not strictly necessary, but definitely helpful)
#3 Food and Water on the Hike
On the ascents and descents inside the canyon, there are no spots where you can buy water or food.
At the bottom of the gorge, though, you’ll find small shops at regular intervals, and the lodges also serve proper cooked meals. You can even stop at a lodge for lunch if you’re not staying overnight.
That’s why we recommend bringing enough water and a few snacks — but no more than that.
