OVERVIEW

The Colca Canyon trek is an unforgettable adventure that descends to the bottom of one of the deepest canyons in the world. We visit picturesque villages, witness the flight of the condor, explore the hot springs in Yanque, and discover a dreamlike oasis with palm trees and warm thermal pools.

Following the travel style of Pablo Tour we always do something different and this is our hallmark.
We always avoid the large masses of tourists and walk more.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: It is not a technical trek but it is physically difficult
DISTANCE: 22.5Km
DURATION: 3 days
ELEVATION DIFFERENCE: 1200m

TRIP SUMMARY AND TREKKING TIMES

Day 1.-Trek Cabanconde 3287m - San Juan de Chuccho 2200m, 4 -5 hours /9km

Day 2.- Trek San Juan 2200m - Tapay 2980m, 2 hour climb / Tapay- cosnirhua- Malata-Oasis 2200m, 4 hours descent / Total 9km

Day 3.-Oasis of Sangalle 2200m- Cabanconde 3287m, 4 hours of ascent / 5km

THIS TREK IS IDEAL FOR

People who enjoy hiking and contact with nature. The hours of trekking per day are not too long.

TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER

Between May and November the mornings and afternoons are sunny, the temperature during the day is 30-35 degrees Celsius and 12 degrees Celsius at night.

Between December and April it rains during the afternoon and in the mornings partly sunny, during the day 18-28 degrees Celsius at night 12 degrees Celsius.

HIGHLIGHTS

Cruz del Condor , the best place to see the condor in flight

Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Park, where you can see llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, birds, and the Andes viewpoint at 4850 meters above sea level

The village of Tapay, a unique destination with a stunning view of the Colca Canyon

Sangalle Oasis, the natural paradise of the Colca Canyon, with palm trees and warm hot spring pools

Yanque Hot Spring, with temperatures up to 38 degrees Celsius, rich in minerals that help relieve muscle contractions and are excellent for stress relief; we bathed there after the trek.

Peruvian Buffet Lunch: On the last day, you can enjoy Peruvian cuisine at a restaurant in the town of Chivay, featuring a variety of traditional dishes.

Local Villages and local people: This part of the canyon is special because we can see local people along the way.

Nature and canyon: During the trek, you can appreciate different varieties of cacti and volcanic rock formations.

Hiking inside the Colca Canyon: It is one of the deepest canyons in the world, and we will descend to the bottom of the canyon.

Home Stay : We will spend the first night in the homes of local people who now run small hostels for visitors.

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?

We hike in small groups, with a maximum of 8 people. If we only have 2 clients on the day of the tour, we don't cancel the tour or ask for more money.

Pablo Tour Guides: Only the Pablo Tour team`s guides can lead our groups. Our are continuously trained and officially certified.

We are a tour operator; we don't send our clients to other travel agencies. This guarantees our quality and safety.

We hike to the village of Tapay, We are the only travel agency that goes to Tapay village , and we hike even further on the second day.

We have a physical office in Arequipa`downtown , You can visit us with any questions.

Tour information 1-2 days before the tour, we provide more information at our office. We are located in the city center.

All-inclusive: no hidden costs.

Private rooms, you'll only share with the person you know.

Better food, you'll always feel your food is better than other groups'.

We are Pablo Tour, with top service ratings and recommended in all the travel books worldwide.

ITINERARY:

We pick you up from your hotel 06:00 am by private car service or by toursit bus service from 3:00am to 3:40am.

If we take the tour by tourist bus service, we take the breakfast 6:30 am , and we arrive to the condor croos 8:30am, we wait the condor`s flight during 40 minutes and we arrive to Cabanaconde 10:00 am

Cabanaconde is the starting point trek (3,287 mhsl).

If you take the private car service , we leave from Arequipa , 5am, we arrive to Cabanaconde , 10am. Only by private car service we visit the condor cross , the third day.

in both options we start the trek 10:00 am, We trek down to the Colca canyon dowhill (4 hrs. Aprox). to the village of San Juan de Chuccho 2200 mhsl.

In the bowels of the canyon we will find a variety of volcanic stones.

We take the lunch in San Juan de Chuccho.

In the afternoon we explore San Juan de chuccho

We take the dinner prepared and served by a local family.

We spend the night in home stay

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Accomodation: Private room

Walking distance: 9 km ( 4-5 hours )

Accomodatio night altitude: 2200 meters (high) Above sea level

Difficulty: Moderate

Area:Canyon

Temperature: 35 degrees Celsius during the day and 12 degrees Celsius at night

6:00 AM - Get up and have a breakfast. We trek 2 hours uphill from 2200mhsl to Tapay village 2980mhsl.

We will visit a place not visited by the the classic tourists .

From Tapay, the view of the canyon is amazing.

This colonial village is known for its Quechua-speaking population. Also, it affords us a lookout to the opposite side of the Canyon.

We make a 2 hour descent to the villages of Coshńirhua (2350 mhsl) and Malata (2350 mhsl), and then 2 hours of hiking descent to arrive at the oasis of Sangalle (2000 mhsl). Lunch.

The oasis of Sangalle is a great place to relax and appreciate nature, while also taking advantage of the lukewarm swimming pools (23 degrees Celcius).

After lunch, we have time to enjoy this beautiful place surrounded by palm trees.
We have dinner and spend the night in private rooms.

Our guide will explain the various native fruits growing in the oasis, such as the lucma, the pacay, and the chirimoya. You will also have the opportunity to taste them.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Accomodation:Private room

Walking distance: 8.5 km ( 6-7 hours )

Accomodation night altitude: 2100 meters (high) Above sea level

Difficulty: Moderate

Area:Canyon

Temperature: 35 degrees Celsius during the day and 12 degrees Celsius at night

4:30 AM - Back up to Cabanaconde (1200 m up). We will be setting out a little early to catch the sunrise over Colca Canyon, and also to make time for our stop at the Condor cross to watch for condors. There is also a possibility of spotting condors on the trek up to town from the oasis. We will have breakfast when we arrive in Cabanaconde. here wi finish the trek.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Walking distance: 5 km ( 3-4 hours )

Difficulty: Moderate

Area: Canyon

Temperature: 35 degrees Celsius during the day and 12 degrees Celsius at night

ONLY BY PRIVATE CAR SERVICE

8am, you take our private transport to the Condor’s Cross (25 minutes with transport.) to admire the condor in flight (we wait the condor flights about 1 hour and a half)

Then we continue to Chivay village to relax in the thermal hotsprings (38 degrees C).

We visit the Colca valley to take pictures for sightseeing terraces, and the national reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca: Llamas, vicuñas, alpacas and in the Patamapa viewpoint at 4850mhsl. From there we can see the andes range and volcanoes.

Afterward we make the return trip to Arequipa, arriving at approximately 5 PM.

BY TOURIST BUS SERVICE

After the breakfast you take the tourist bus at 10:00 am and the the transport makes 1 stop on the valley another stop to enjoy the hot spring and and for the lunch in Chivay.

Then 3 more stops in the national park of Salinas and aguada blanca, in the andes viewpoint 4850mhsl, and to see lamas, Alpacas, vicuñas and also birds

We arrive to Arequipa city 5:30pm

HOSTELS AND ROOMS INSIDE THE CANYON

In Oasis (Sangalle) there are 6 lodges where you can sleep. Each owner informe us that have the best service but we have checked it and for us the 6 places have the same facilities and services and there are not differences.
In each room there are: Beds,liners,pillows and blankets. You will share the room only with the person that you know , you can choose between matrimonial room, double room , triple room and quadruple.
Each lodge has their own swimming pool, electricity and internet access

the temperature of the water is 23 grados centigrados they use solar panel for the shower.

In San Juan de Chuccho, There is electricity and internet access. The rooms are made of wood or cement and include a bed, sheets, blankets, and pillows.
The major drawback of this place is the lack of hot springs or warm water pools.

They offer double, twin, and triple rooms. Only two accommodations are available.

BUS COLCA TO PUNO

Leave at 13h00 (after lunch on the third day) And arrive to Puno city 19h30

If you want to save time and instead of continuing to the city of Arequipa, you can take a connection to the city of Puno.

-If you take the tourist bus service for the trek, you can take your suitcases on the transport to the beginning of the trek which is in the town of Cabanaconde.

This transportation arrives at Cabanaconde at 9:45 am and immediately returns to the city of Arequipa with the clients who have finished the trek  in the canyon.

That is why you cannot leave your suitcases on the transport.

In Cabanaconde there is secure luggage storage.

After the trek you can recover your suitcases and continue with your trip.

-If you take the Private car option, no problem you can leave your suitcases inside the transport.  

This transport makes stops for the toilet and visits the National Park of Salinas and Aguada Blanca.

Inside the transport there is a guide

Along  the way you will visit:

1.-On the high viewpoint Patapampa (4912 mhsl) to see the Andes range and volcanoes,

2.- In Pampas Cañahuas, to see Lamas, Alpacas, vicuñas and also for toilets

3.- in Lagunillas to see birds and flamingos.

And not problem they have enough space for your suitcase

Price of the transfer Colca by tourist bus service – Puno is 

195.00 Soles per person (20-30 people in the bus).

We can arrange it for you. 

If the tour starts from the city of Puno, the tour would be like this:

Day 1.- 06:00 hrs the tourist bus picks you up from your hotel in the city of Puno and arrives at the Colca Valley at 12:00 hrs, Lunch.

Then with another transport we continue for 1 hour to Cabanaconde and start the 3-4 hours trek to San Juan de Chuccho.

Day 2.-Trek to Tapay and Trek to the Oasis

Day 3.-Trek to Cabanaconde and return to the city of Arequipa

See the colca canyon trek map (Classic Route)

TOURIST BUS IN SHARED SERVICE VS PRIVATE CAR SERVICE

TOURIST BUS SERVICE: 20 tourists in the bus, yes we share the transport with others travel agencies. This is not our transport.

We trek maximun with 6-12 customers with one guide of Pablo Tour. Sure, we share the tourists bus with other travel agencies but on the trek we avoid the crowd , we trek more, All is included on the price. Pablo tour is one of the few companies that work only with official trekking guides.

We don´t receive tourist from other travel agencies , You will trek allways with a Pablo tour´s guide.

The biggest advantage of this type of service (tourist bus service) is that it is less expensive than the private transport service.
Obviously, more people in transport is cheaper.
But do not be mistaken, if you take this service with Pablo tour : Our trek is always different, we walk more and avoid the masses of tourists by taking different routes or walking in the opposite direction.

• In the first day, this tourist bus goes through the various hotels to pick up the passengers. This bus pick up passengers from many different hotels.
• The client must be waiting between 3:00 a.m. to 3:40 a.m. for the tourist Bus; you may wait without knowing the exact time of pickup, you need to wait ready from 3 am inside your hotel.
• In conclusion,The fist day the bus leaves from Arequipa at 4:00 am, and continues to the condor cross with only one stop for the breakfast.The bus arrives at the condor lookout at 8:30 am, the bus wait 40 min. in the condor cross.
• On the last day, in the morning the tourist bus service stop only 2 times in Colca valley to take pictures for sightseeing terraces. One stop 40 min, for the hot spring in Yanque village.
• After lunch in the last day, you make 3 more stops on the national reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca: Llamas, vicuñas, alpacas and in the Patamapa viewpoint at 4850mhsl. From there you can see the andes range and volcanoes.We arrive to Arequipa 18:00hrs at 4 blocks from Arequipa´s Main square.
• If you take the connection to Puno the last day after lunch , don´t worry you will not skipe the visits on the National Park of Salinas and aguada blanca because the tourist bus to Puno make the same stops and visits along the way arriving to Puno 19:30hrs.
• If on the last day you have the conection to continue to Puno , you will have only 30 min. for the lunch. and not problem for the hot spring in the last day , you will have time to enjoy it.
• Only if you have the connection to Puno the last day, you have to take your bags to Cabanaconde on the tourist bus. There, In Cabanaconde you can store your bags for a few soles. And at the end of the trek you can keep it.

NEGATIVE ASPECTS IN THE TOURIST BUS IN SHARED SERVICE

-The first day you have to wait ready inside your hotel , generally a minimum one hour from 03:00 am to 03:40 am

-Is not included , mules and horsemen to carry your personal things.
-Very early departure.
-In the first day The tourist bus in shared service arrive at 8:30 to 9:00 am, at the condor cross and you wait the condor only 40 min.
-If you need a connexion from the Colca canyon (Chivay village) to Puno after the trek it's possible but the tourist bus leaves from Cabanaconde ( in the last day of the trek ) at 10:00 am and this tourist bus arrive to Chivay village at 12:10 and the bus for Puno leave at 13:15 pm. You will have only 30 min. to take a lunch. ( is necessary to be 15 min, before the departure).
- The tourist bus leave from Cabanaconde at 10:00 am and arrive to Arequipa city between 18:00hrs.

-We are not responsible for any delays or cancellations, change schedule without notice. (it´s not ours buses) But normally we don´t have problems , this information is only on case of.

-On the tourist bus there is not a suitcase hold, the suitcases are put in the transport aisle, between the two rows of seats.
We will not be responsible for future claims.
Of course, in Cabanaconde we know a place to store your suitcases for a few soles, but if there is any loss, we will not responsible. This is only in case of , we never had at the moment any problem.

-This is not a Pablo Tour transport, is not our driver. Normally people complain because they drive fast.

PRIVATE TRANSPORT SERVICE Comfortable service, maximum 4 people in the transport and 4 people in the trek. When you book, if your familly or friends are more than 4 people , you will be in the transport and during the trek only with the people that you know. For sure we will use a bigger tranport.

• Private transport service is opposite to the tourist bus in shared service. With the private transport service we do many stops in the toilets and in places to take pictures and it’s more comfortable. (climatized).Personalized travel in small group. You can stop anywhere.       
• In private car service the first day we pick you up from your hotel at 5:00 am. and the last day we arrive to Arequipa 16:30/17:00 hrs, we drop you to your hotel.
• It's a service to people who are interested in visiting also the Colca valley, remember that the trekking is into the Colca Canyon.
• In the transport and in trek there are maximum 4 people.
• It’s a service to people who like more comfort in the transport and to know better the Colca valley and the colonial village's along the way. With plenty of stops for toilettes as well.
• In a private service, we visit the Colca valley making more stops for sightseeing terraces, pre-inca tombs, volcanoes, the national reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca: Llamas, vicuñas, alpacas and colonial villages, etc.
• If you have a conextion from Colca to Puno the last day , you can leave with all your back pack , there is much space inside the transport. And during your trek, the driver will take care of your backpack. For the conexion Colca to Puno it will be easier for you. You will have enough time for the lunch and hot spring. This bus leave at 13:15pm from Chivay village and arrive to Puno city 19:30hrs.
• Only by private car service we include during the 3 days trek , one mule and one horsemen (arriero) .The mule will carry all your things, you will carry during the trek just your camera. The horsemen will take care of the mule and your things. Like this you will help the local economy, thanks to this work the local people will stay on their village . Yes you will help to conserve the folklore.
  The arriero ( horsemen) will be proud if you ask to speak in Quechua, also he can learn you a little the quechua language.
  -The mule will carry 10 kilos per person during the 3 days
  -The Arriero ( horsemen) take care of your things and the mule.