• Chivay - Situated at 3,635 meters, Chivay is the first significant stop on the journey into Colca Canyon. By this stage, travelers have had a few hours to begin acclimatizing to the altitude. The main plaza is bustling in the mornings with locals setting up market stalls and villagers heading to work. The tour takes a break here for breakfast, offering a great opportunity to observe the daily life of an Andean town. Coca leaf tea is typically available and can help alleviate altitude discomfort.
• Yanque - Yanque features a baroque colonial church and a plaza where local women and children may perform Wititi dances in embroidered skirts and vests, dancing for tips in the early morning. The tour may either drive through or make a brief stop. If visitors step out, they will notice the church’s well-preserved façade and, depending on the day, locals dressed in the distinctive Colca Valley attire with its embroidered details and wide-brimmed hats.
• Maca - Located in the heart of the valley, Maca boasts an 18th-century colonial church with volcanoes visible in the background, creating a picturesque setting for photos if the weather is favorable. Maca was partially rebuilt after a landslide in the 1990s, and some tours make a brief stop to explore the plaza or grab a quick snack before heading to Mirador del Condor.
• Mirador Cruz del Condor - Colca Canyon plunges over 3,000 meters in some areas, ranking it among the world’s deepest canyons. At Cruz del Cóndor, visitors stand at the edge, gazing straight down into the gorge and across to the opposite side, where small villages and agricultural terraces cling to the steep slopes.

The primary attraction here is the Andean condors. These majestic birds have wingspans that can exceed 3 meters, soaring on the thermal currents rising from the canyon floor, typically in the morning as the air warms. They glide close enough to the viewpoint for observers to see the white collar markings on their necks and hear the wind through their feathers.

Cruz del Cóndor offers several lookout points connected by a short path. Visitors have time to move between them, watch for condors, take photos, and appreciate the vastness of the landscape.

• Hot Springs Chacapi - A favored relaxation spot, these thermal baths are located about 10 km from Chivay. They feature several man-made pools fed by natural hot springs, with water temperatures around 35–38°C (95-100°F). Surrounded by canyon walls and offering a view of the Colca River, it’s a scenic place to relax. Facilities include changing rooms, showers, and a small snack bar. Bathing here is optional but recommended if visitors have brought a swimsuit.
• Abra Patapampa - At 4,910 meters, Patapampa is noticeably thin and cold. The pass is adorned with stone cairns, small rock piles stacked by travelers over the years. When the weather is clear, visitors can see multiple volcanoes: Ampato at 6,288 meters (where the frozen Inca mummy “Juanita” was discovered in the 1990s), Sabancaya at 5,976 meters (still active, with possible smoke sightings), and Mismi, considered one of the sources of the Amazon River.
  The stop is brief—most people step out for photos, catch their breath, and return to the vehicle before the cold becomes too intense.
• Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve - This reserve spans the Arequipa and Puno regions, featuring high plains, wetlands, and volcanoes on the horizon. Pampa Cañahuas is the area where vicuñas are protected by the government. These wild camelids have softer, finer coats than their domesticated relatives and move in herds across the grasslands.

The tour pauses here to allow visitors to see them, often grazing near the road. Alpacas and llamas are also visible, usually near herders, and visitors can start to distinguish the differences: vicuñas are smaller, lighter in color, and move more cautiously as they are not accustomed to people.

• Laguna Lagunillas - Situated at approximately 4,450 meters, Lagunillas is roughly halfway between Chivay and Puno. The tour stops at a viewpoint above the lake, where the water is often a deep, clear blue, bordered by wetlands that attract birds and other wildlife.

Flamingos wade through the shallows when conditions are favorable, and vicuñas sometimes graze near the shoreline. It’s a brief stop, but the combination of altitude, color, and tranquility makes it worthwhile.

• Puno - This marks the end of the journey, with travelers being dropped off a few blocks from Plaza de Armas in Puno.

• Tourism Guide (English/Spanish)
• Continental Breakfast
• Breakfast
• Shared transportation from Chivay to Puno
• Shared transportation from Arequipa to Chivay and Colca Canyon
• Lunch on Chivay

• Colca tourist ticket S/70 soles for non-peruvian S/20 Soles for peruvians
• Transfer to Hotel in Puno

This comprehensive day tour links Arequipa to Puno, including a visit to the Colca Canyon.

The journey begins before dawn in Arequipa, aiming to reach Cruz del Cóndor by mid-morning, when condors gracefully soar on the thermal currents rising from the canyon’s depths. Colca Canyon plunges over 3,000 meters in certain areas, and from the viewpoint, the vastness is evident—villages and agricultural terraces cling to the opposite slopes.

The tour travels through various towns in the Colca Valley, where visitors may encounter locals in traditional embroidered attire and have brief stops to explore plazas or visit colonial churches. As the tour ascends back toward the altiplano, the scenery expands—vicuñas, alpacas, and llamas graze on the high plains, with stops at lakes like Lagunillas, where flamingos feed in the shallows.

By evening, the tour descends into Puno. It’s a long day of travel, but it covers a significant distance: views of volcanoes from Patapampa at 4,910 meters, canyon vistas, Andean wildlife, and the cultural richness of the valley.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.