Tour Itinerary
First day
You will be picked up from your hostel with our private van (Bus) at 7am, we will then make our way to Cabanaconde, the Colca Canyon´s largest town, where we´ll have lunch at a restaurant. Shortly after midday we´ll start the trek own into the canyon. The 3 to 4 hour hike down follows a rocky, winding path - mind your footing, take it slowly and enjoy the view. You will make it to the first village, San Juan de Chuccho, at around 4 or 5 pm and speding the first night in this local family who run a small acomodation and feast on the dinner cooked by your guide.
Second day
Catch up on some sleep today, you won´t be woken up until around 7:30am and then you`ll be greeted by the sight of pancakes for breakfast mmm…! After that, you only have to trek 3 hours before hitting the oasis, the deepest point you will reach in the Canyon. On your way you will pass through the village of cosñirhua, Malata with your guide explaining about the lifestyles of the people living in this area, as well as about the flora and fauna you will see. Once at the oasis, take time to chill out at the pool for a couple of hours, recuperate and have lunch before taking on the hardest part of this trek - 1,200m back up the canyon to Cabanaconde…good practice for the Inca Trail! You´ll make it up to the top in between 2 and 4 hours, depending on whether you want to beat your guide back up, or take it slow and steady. At the top you can bask in the feeling of satisfaction at having completed the trek, relax in your hotel and enjoy your last dinner in the hostel restaurant.
Third day
On the last day we get up quite early(aprox 7 am) after breakfast ) we will make for Cruz del Condor. We will spend an hour there to observe the famous condors. We will then make our way to Chivay, the most important town in the length of the valley. Afterwards we will go to the hot springs of La Calera for a well deserved swim (35C) very appreciated by your muscles. Back in the centre of Chivay the lunch will be waiting for us. In the afternoon we will make our way back to Arequipa where we are supposed to arrive between 5.00pm and 6.00pm.
All is included in the whole trekk!
The 3days/2nights Tour costs 230 USD.
Our 3days/2nights Tour is the most booked tour by our travellers.
It's the same price as for the 2days/1night tour. The reason is because the 2days/1night tour isn't that famous and there aren't a lot of people booking this tour.
Why choose Land Adventures?
Our priority is that our Clients can fully enjoy the tours and to provide them the best quality and service. That's a reason why we keep our groups always small.
As we use private transport we can be much more flexible than other companies. So you can decide where you wanna have a stop or photograph something along the way. In small groups everyting's much more easy, you decide if you wanna go on quite fast or if you prefere to take it slowly and have some more stops.
Our guides are the best in town! They're all speaking fluently english and know a lot about the canyon, the region, the flora and fauna and the people and their life there. They're also really good fun :-)
So come to our office in Arequipa, it's just 2 blocks down the Plaza the Armas: Cruz Verde 300B, Arequipa. Phone: 5154204872.
The Land Adventures Team is looking forward to seeing you soon!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Do I need a sleeping bag?
No, for the 2-day and for the 3-day trek we have rooms with beds and blakets. You can always ask for a spare blanket if you are cold.
2.How cold does it get during the night?
Especially during winter (June-August) it gets a bit chilly in the Canyon. Usually it gets to aroung 5 or 10 degrees in the Canyon and about -3 degrees in Cabanaconde. The climate is more or less the same as in Arequipa, sunny during the day and a bit chilly during the night. So it's good to bring some warm clothes with you.
3. How is the accomodation?
For the 3 day trek we spend the first night in San Juan de Chuccho in local houses. It is clean but very simple. There are not many groups of tourists staying in San Juan de Chuccho and this is a nice way to discover the authentic life of the canyon. The second night we spend in Cabanaconde in a hostel. For the 2 day trek we spend the night in the oasis in cosy bamboo huts.
4. I am vegetarian, is that a problem?
Our guides can cook vegetarian food for you, this is no problem. They can also cater for other preferences and allergies. You just need to let us know so that we can organise everything.
5. What languages do the guides speak?
All our guides are Peruvian. Most of them grew up in the Colca region and know the area like their own trouser pockets. All speak Spanish and English. We have some guides who know basic German and French as well. If you need it, we can organise briefings with our guides the day before your trekking starts. You will meet the guide and ask him anyhthing you want to know or just chat with him.
6. Do i Need to carry water with me from Arequipa or can I buy it in the Canyon?
In the Canyon it is posible to buy water, snacks, toilet paper and other useful things around every three hours of walking. Everything is a bit more expensive to buy there, because the locals have to carry everything down themselves or with their donkeys. You can find pretty much everything down there. It is not necessary to carry too much water on the first day - It would only make your backpack heavy.
7. Is the altitude a problem in the Canyon?
It can be, we climb down and up more than 1000 meters. There are sometimes people who freel the altitude and get a bit sick, but in general it's not a problem. In case you do get sick our guides have a first-aid kit and a lot of coca leaves as well.
8. What do we need to bring?
It's important to bring the following things: hat, sunglasses, raincoat (rain season from January till March), warm clothes, insect repellent, extra money, water, snacks, hiking shoes, small backpack, flashlight, swimming trunks and towel...it's important that you bring enought warm clothes with you, because it gets cold during the night.
