Arequipa private tours

Welcome to Arequipa, the White City, where volcanic stone basks in the sunlight and melodies of the Andes drift through the air. With the El Misti volcano standing sentinel, the city unfolds as a tapestry of colonial charm mixed with vibrant local life. A local guide will lead you through Arequipa’s lesser-known paths, revealing treasures often overlooked. Discover the Monasterio de Santa Catalina’s vivid cloisters, taste the zesty rocoto relleno, and lose yourself in the lively Mercado San Camilo. Each private tour transforms into a personal journey, an opportunity to truly engage with the essence of this captivating city. If yo...

Welcome to Arequipa, the White City, where volcanic stone basks in the sunlight and melodies of the Andes drift through the air. With the El Misti volcano standing sentinel, the city unfolds as a tapestry of colonial charm mixed with vibrant local life. A local guide will lead you through Arequipa’s lesser-known paths, revealing treasures often overlooked. Discover the Monasterio de Santa Catalina’s vivid cloisters, taste the zesty rocoto relleno, and lose yourself in the lively Mercado San Camilo. Each private tour transforms into a personal journey, an opportunity to truly engage with the essence of this captivating city. If you’re looking for more inspiration, take a look at our curated list of things to do in Arequipa.

Explore Arequipa your way

At ToursByLocals, we believe that how you explore is just as important as where you go. That’s why every Arequipa tour is private, flexible, and built around you: Move at your own pace, skip the crowds, make connections and follow your curiosity. Find local guides offering private tours in Arequipa for every interest, including:

Nature and Wildlife tours: Travel into the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve to photograph vicuñas and vizcachas against the volcanoes, and pause at high-altitude lagoons where Andean waterbirds feed. Warm up in a small village café with a coca tea while your guide points out local wildlife.

Layover tours: With a few hours from Rodríguez Ballón Airport, a private city tour covers the Plaza de Armas, the brightly painted alleys of the Santa Catalina Monastery, and the Yanahuara arches for classic views. Stop at San Camilo Market for fresh juice or a scoop of queso helado before your flight.

Bird Watching tours: Rise early for Salinas Lagoon to see Andean flamingos, avocets, and giant coots in calm morning light. If you have a full day, your guide can plan a Colca Canyon run to the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint, or keep it closer with hummingbirds and flycatchers in the green Chilina Valley near the Sabandía Mill.

Arequipa’s historic centre is easy to explore on foot, but public transit is not tourist-friendly and some sites sit at altitude or spread out. Private transportation or a chauffeured tour helps you cover more ground comfortably.

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all itinerary, you can tailor your private tour to match your interests, pace and personality with a local who knows Arequipa inside and out.

Walking tours & neighbourhoods

Day trip ideas from Arequipa

Use Arequipa as your base for day trips to nearby towns and wild landscapes, so you can see condors, salt lakes, stone quarries, ancient rock art, and the coast in a single day.

These day trips from Arequipa also work well as private tours tailored to your pace and interests.

- Colca Canyon and Chivay: Ride into terrace-covered valleys, watch Andean condors at Cruz del Cóndor, then soak in hot springs near Chivay or Yanque. Hikers and photographers get short trails and balcony views, and food fans find alpaca dishes and quinoa soups in small-town eateries. Your tour can start before sunrise to line up with condor flight and still leave time for a relaxed lunch.

- Salinas y Aguada Blanca Reserve: Cross the high plain to see vicuñas, alpacas, and flamingos around bright salt lagoons, with El Misti and Chachani filling the skyline. It suits wildlife watchers and landscape fans who like light walks and wide-angle photos. Your tour can focus on wildlife spotting or swing by the Imata stone forest for otherworldly rock shapes.

- Ruta del Sillar, Añashuayco and Culebrillas: Step into the white volcanic stone quarries that built Arequipa’s colonial streets, meet stonemasons at work, and walk a narrow ravine at Quebrada de Culebrillas. Architecture buffs, curious kids, and casual walkers get close to local craft and geology without a long drive. Your tour can balance time between the active quarry and the quiet canyon.

- Toro Muerto Petroglyphs and the Majes Valley: Wander a desert slope dotted with thousands of ancient rock carvings, then follow the river to Aplao or Corire for shrimp and pisco. History fans and photographers come for the scale of the site, and if you like a short climb you can add the dinosaur footprints at Querulpa. Your tour can choose cooler hours and plan shade breaks.

- Mollendo and Lagunas de Mejía Sanctuary: Trade the highlands for sea air, beach time in Mollendo, and birdwatching on the wetlands where herons, ibis, and migratory flocks feed. It fits birders, families, and anyone who wants fresh seafood by the dock after a simple boardwalk walk. Your tour can time the visit for low wind and the best light for spotting birds.

A private tour with a local guide is the best way to really get to know a place. Skip the crowds, follow your interests, and see a side of Arequipa most travellers miss.