When I first set out on my six month journey through South America and Europe, I had no idea that I would fall in love with Arequipa, Peru and spend nearly four months there. During my time in Arequipa, I spent a lot of time wandering and exploring, visiting museums, looking for local experiences, and finding the best things to do in and around the city.
If you’re not sure what to do in Arequipa, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite things to do, along with the most popular activities recommended by locals and other tourists I met during my four-month stay in Arequipa.
Many of the tourists I met only planned to spend one or two days in Arequipa, and later regretted not planning more time to explore its offerings. Don’t make the same mistake! Plan for at least three to four days (if not more!) in Arequipa if your itinerary allows. I promise you won’t run out of things to do.
Want a map of the locations listed in this post, along with some great places to eat and drink in Arequipa? Scroll to the end of this article.
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The Best Things to Do in Arequipa
Local Sites and Museums
Free Walking Tour
The most popular and recommended walking tour is the Free Tour Downtown Arequipa tour. Tours start at 10am and 3pm everyday with a meetup point at Chaqchao Choco Museo, 204 Santa Catalina Street. What you will experience: Chocolate samples and the history of the cacao fruit, the Plaza de Armas including the Basílica Catedral and the Fountain at the center, and the San Camilo Market. Remember: The tour is free, but you should tip your tour guide!
Plaza de Armas (The Main Square)
The Plaza de Armas or historic center of Arequipa is considered to be one of the most beautiful in South America and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The center is lined with cafes, restaurants, a grocery store, souvenir shops, pharmacies, tourist agencies, and the beautiful Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa (Basílica Catedral). In the center is a beautiful fountain with lots of lush greens and benches perfect for people watching.
Santa Catalina Monastery (Monasterio de Santa Catalina)
This was one of my favorite sites in Arequipa. It’s also the most expensive at 40 soles per person (about 12.50 USD), but so worth it. You can hire a tour guide for a fee, or explore at your leisure and read the plaques on the wall, which is what I did. You’ll learn about the history of the monastery — which is still active — and see the rooms, kitchens, and common rooms that nuns used to spend there time in separated from the public. The monastery is three blocks long, so it feels like you’re walking through an old town. The walls are painted in beautiful bright colors and decorated with complimentary flowers and decor. It’s an Instagrammer’s dream, honestly. I particularly enjoyed the history and wandering through the maze of walkways and rooms, and spent almost three hours wandering and taking photos. You can buy tickets on the Santa Catalina Monastery website.
The Sillar Route (La Ruta del Sillar)
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Just 30 minutes outside of Arequipa you can take a tour that teaches you the origins of Arequipa, aka The White City. Sillar is white volcanic rock, which makes up much of Arequipa’s builds. You’ll explore the sillar quarries in Cantera de Añashuayco, watch a sillar brick worker create one brick out of a piece of sillar and explain what it’s like to work in the quarries. You’ll also visit Quebrada de Culebrillas, a small canyon made of sillar that you get to walk through. Not only is it an easy, beautiful walk, but you’ll get to see many hieroglyphs and a beautiful sunset if you go later in the day. I highly recommend the 2pm tour as opposed to the 8:30 morning tour in order to see the sunset.
Juanita the Inca Ice Maiden at The Andean Sanctuary Museum (Juanita, La Niña de Los Hielos at Museo Santuarios Andinos)
Juanita is a frozen girl who was discovered in 1996 atop of Mount Ampato in Peru. She was sacrificed to the Inca gods around the age of 12-15 in the late 1400’s. You can see Juanita in person and learn about her story and about Inca history at the museum. It’s located just a block outside of Plaza de Armas, and the entry cost is $7 and you can book online.
Mundo Alpaca (Alpaca World)
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Want to hang out with some alpacas? You can at Mundo Alpaca, a large alpaca wool store. You’ll learn how textiles are made from Alpaca wool and pet real live alpaca. This is store is popular with tourists, but I personally didn’t enjoy it. However, entry is free, and you get to pet alpaca.
Solar Neighborhood (Barrio Del Solar)
Take a quiet, peaceful walk through this historic neighborhood, located just a couple of blocks away from the Plaza de Armas along, toward the bridge. You can find the neighborhood by walking through a metal barred gate along Calle Pte Bolognesi. Once you enter, behold its charm and picturesque streets.
Yanahuara Scenic Point (Mirador de Yanahuara)
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For one of the best outlook points in Arequipa, visit the Yanahuara neighborhood. You’ll enjoy the sillar brick archway covered in inscriptions of famous Arequipeño poets, overlooking Volcano Misti and Arequipa. Go down the steps below the overlook, and you’ll find a pisco and wine museum. Behind the outlook is the picturesque Yanahuara Plaza, which is great for relaxing and enjoying the scenery.
Food and Shopping
San Camilo Market (Mercado San Camilo)
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Only a 10-minute walk from Plaza de Armas (Calle San Camilo 212, Arequipa), the San Camilo Market is the most popular indoor market in Arequipa. It is also the most expensive and the most likely place to get your phone or wallet stolen, so keep your wits about you and you’ll be fine. It’s worth it to explore all the beautiful produce, cheeses, meats, cheap meals, and textiles. I loved to sample the different fruits that I didn’t recognize, or just buy a bunch and try them all back at my hostel. I recommend trying chirimoya and lucuma!
Queso Helado at Doña Rosa
Relaxation and Chill
Watch a Rooftop Sunset
There are a some amazing rooftop locations where you can watch the sunset and have a beer, cocktail, or expensive coffee. My favorite location is Waya Lookout Rooftop Bar because you have a large area of different viewpoints, and the bar itself is very modern and cozy. You can also go to the Sunset Rooftop Bar or Katari Hotel Bar for a drink. For dinner and a slightly more expensive drink, visit Restaurant on the Top.
Pamper Yourself with a Massage
For an awesome 60-minute massage that costs a fraction of the price you’d pay in North America (about $15 USD depending on the massage), make an appointment at Massage Suite’s Arequipa through Facebook or WhatsApp. You’ve probably done a lot of walking, hiking, and bus-riding by the time you got to Arequipa, and your body could use a pick-me-up. I recommend the Traveler’s Massage, but also enjoyed the Swedish massage (relaxing), Spanish massage (deep tissue), and a 15-minute chair massage that got rid of my headache. Massage Suite’s will also come to your hostel or hotel room for an additional fee.
Indoor Activities and Workshops
Chocolate Making Class at ChaqChao
I enjoyed making my own chocolate truffles so much, that I did this workshop twice. You learn everything you didn’t know about chocolate including how to spot fakes (basically every large chocolate corporation in the world) and how to make each type of chocolate (dark, milk, and white). By the end, you have dozen chocolate pieces with toppings. My favorite combo was sea salt and rocoto (red chili) but they have everything from nuts, fruit, seeds, and matcha. The class takes about three hours and costs only 60 soles or $25 USD. The workshop times are 11am and 2:45pm. You can book online or in person.
Dance Lessons at Liber Dance Studio
Have you ever wanted to learn salsa or bachata, but you thought it’d be too hard? Don’t worry — the instructors at Liber Dance Studio are fantastic and patient. Even if you don’t know much Spanish, you can still take these lessons. And you don’t need a dance partner because you will circulate dance partners during class every day. I bought a package deal of 1 hour lessons for six weeks at three classes per week. I only paid 75 soles, or about $23 USD. However, this was a special promotion, so you should contact the studio to learn more about pricing.
Coffee Workshops at Kafi Wasi Coffee House
Ever wanted to learn how to pull the proper espresso shot or make your own latte art? You can learn these coffee skills and more. Each workshop at Kafi Wasi Coffee House is three hours per day and you can schedule for any day of the week or time you like. You can take the workshop in Spanish or English. Five of the classes are one-time, one-day only, but the Barista Level I workshop last five days and ends with an exam and certificate of achievement.
Here are the workshops they offer:
Coffee Lovers – Learn about making coffee, using different types of milks, and different beans. 70 soles ($21 USD)
Brewing – Learn about the different methods of brewing coffee that you can use at home. 70 soles ($21 USD)
Latte Art – Learn to make different types of latte art including animals, flowers, and hearts. 80 soles ($24 USD)
Cupping – Learn about the art of tasting coffee and identifying different roasts and bean origins by taste. 70 soles ($21 USD)
Espresso’s DNA – All about espresso! How it’s made, what type of beans to use, and how to pull the perfect espresso shot. 70 soles ($21 USD)
Barista Level I – Five day workshop to learn the theory of coffee, how to brew with different methods, make espresso, tasting, and an exam. 220 soles ($66)
Take a Spanish Lesson or Two
Looking to brush up on your Spanish speaking skills while you’re in South America? Arequipa is a great place to sign up for Spanish lessons, as it’s much more affordable. If you aren’t planning to spend several weeks in Arequipa, you can still hire a private teacher for a couple of hours a day, and it will still be very affordable. I found my Spanish teacher Duida through Limbo Jump Hostel, who speaks very good English and teaches English to middle schoolers during the day. Our sessions consisted of grammar lessons, home-made games, homework exercises, and real-world shopping and dining to help me learn Spanish.
To supplement my learning with Duida I continued to study Spanish outside of Peru with these free resources and strategies.
Outdoor Activities
Climb a Volcano – Misti or Chachani
Misiti is located an hour outside of Arequipa with a summit that reaches 5825 meters (19110 feet). You can do a two-day trek or half-day with a tour guide. Many hostels will offer to set this up for you. The hostel I stayed at, Limbo Jump, offers a two-day trek for S/250 or $75 USD, but you can also find travel guides in and around the Plaza de Armas. This trek is not for the faint of heart given the altitude and level of difficulty.
Chachani is located about three hours outside of Arequipa with a summit of 6075 meters (19931 feet), and is considered to be the “easiest” 6000 meter mountain in the world. However that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for you. Much like Misti, the altitude can take you out from under your feet and you want to be in good physical condition to climb. The hostel I stayed at, Limbo Jump, offers a two-day trek for S/300 or $90 USD, but you can also find travel guides in and around the Plaza de Armas.
Visit Colca Canyon for a Trek and Condor Sightings
Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons on earth at 3270 meters (10,730 feet) deep and is famous for condor sightings. Many people travel to Arequipa for the sole purpose of being in a big city that isn’t far from Colca Canyon. You can easily join a tour group through your hostel or from a travel agency in Plaza de Armas who will guide you through the Canyon for 1-3 days and take care of all transportation. I have heard from many tourists that the 1-day tour is not worth it because you have to get up at 3am and spend the majority of your time on a bus for the day. You can do a 2-night, 3-day trek for around $50 USD (166 soles) per person, so it’s rather affordable. Most tours do NOT include the 70 sol ($20 USD) Colca Canyon entrance fee, so remember to factor this in when choosing a tour agency. There is lodging throughout the canyon, so you do not have to carry around a tent or sleeping bag along the trek, which is convenient. Most lodging locations will provide you with breakfast and dinner for a fee, so you don’t have to pack all of your meals. You can also plan your own multi-day trek like my friend and I did and find your own transportation to the canyon via bus and taxi, and it will cost a you a bit less and provide you more flexibility.
Rafting on the Chile River (Rio Chile) with Cusipata
I’ve heard from many tourists who came through my hostel that river rafting is a great activity in Arequipa. Many people have recommended the Cusipata rafting company. They have several trips throughout the day, starting at 8am. They will pick you up and drop you back off at your hostel or hotel, and provide all the gear that you need.
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