How many days in Arequipa?
When traveling to Peru, how many days in Arequipa do you need?
Surrounded by supersized volcanoes and arid landscapes, Arequipa is one of the ultimate destinations you can visit in Peru.
Not only is it one of the most visually stunning (with its sea of white buildings), but it’s also close to some really stunning sceneries too.
How Many Days in Arequipa?
In this guide, we’ll explore some important things about Arequipa, including why you should visit, the best time to visit, how many days you need and more.
Is Arequipa Worth Visiting?
Let’s take a look at some of the best reasons why you should visit Arequipa:
- Stunning Architecture – Of all the cities in Peru, Arequipa ranks as the most beautiful. This is because the majority of its buildings are made out of Sillar, a white volcanic rock extracted from the surrounding regions. Walking around, your eyes will be glued to these impressive houses and cathedrals, with the highlight being the Plaza de Armas and its Cathedral.
- Epic Sceneries – Arequipa is well known for its fiery volcanoes, and you can easily hike up either El Misti or Chachani. Both are well over 5000m, each with some truly mesmerizing views. As well as visiting the Sillar Valley with its cool rock formations, you can also explore the nearby Colca Canyon – the second deepest of its kind in the World. We recommend heading on this awesome hiking tour through the Colca Canyon which includes all meals
- Tasty Andean Foods – Whilst most are familiar with Lima’s culinary prowess, Arequipa is also home to some mouth-watering dishes. Lomo Saltado is a staple here, and you can then find yourself a Queso Helado for dessert afterward. Those feeling brave can order a Cuy for the true Peruvian experience!
How many Days to Spend in Arequipa
For any travelers who are backpacking Peru and thinking of visiting Arequipa, we recommend spending a minimum of 5 days here.
With this amount of time, you’ll be able to get a good feel for the city, the Plaza de Armas and also explore the best sights. You’ll also be able to head on a hike or two as well into the surrounding region.
Is Arequipa Safe?
The Historic Centre of Arequipa is a pretty safe place to stay in, which is in and around the Plaza de Armas. When staying here, you can easily walk around alone during both the day and night with no issues.
Of course, Arequipa is a big city, however, the less safe areas will be of little interest since they are far away from the touristy center.
Here’s some of our top safety tips for Arequipa:
- Leave all valuables in your accommodation when heading out and about.
- Use only licensed taxis or Uber to get to and from the bus station.
- Only head on hikes with a reputable, proven company.
Also, get the correct travel insurance that will cover you in South America.
How to get to Arequipa from Lima?
There are two main methods of getting from Lima to Arequipa.
For those looking to save money, you can opt to travel by bus. Leaving directly from the Victoria Terminal in Lima’s center, the bus takes around 18 hours to arrive. There are many good service providers (you can compare on RedBus) who travel daily, with a one-way ticket costing between $20-30.
For those who want to save time, and don’t have such a tight budget, then you can easily fly from Lima to Arequipa. Many airlines such as Sky and JetSmart provide the route daily, with the flight taking just an hour and a half. A one-way flight costs between $45-55 (not including luggage fees).
Best time to visit Arequipa?
Due to having such a stable and rarely changing climate, Arequipa is great to visit year-round!
Temperatures throughout the year barely fluctuate, with averages ranging between 58-60°F. Highs can reach up to 73°F, whilst lows can drop to 48°F (the evenings tend to get chilly quite quickly in Arequipa).
The rainfall again is consistent throughout the year, so there’s no point in discussing dry or wet seasons here. Each month only has between 0-0.7 inches of rainfall, with the months of May until October usually rain-free.
The only factor that can vary is how popular Arequipa gets at certain times of the year. Christmas and Spring are quite popular times with their particular holidays, but even then prices don’t tend to increase that much (they only usually do in the heart of the city, near the Plaza de Armas).
If hiking the volcanoes, then regardless of when you visit it’s going to get really cold. You’ll want to bring lots of layers for the hike up. Those who are thinking of hiking El Misit can check out this guided hiking trip.
How Many Days in Arequipa?
That’s all for our travel itinerary for Arequipa.
Known as the White City of Peru, Arequipa is one of the most beautiful cities you can visit in this Latin American nation. It’s also home to some truly epic sceneries too, which can easily be visited as day trips.
In this guide, we’ve explored why you should visit Arequipa, our top safety tips, the best time to visit as well anything else you’ll need to know.
For more destinations and things to do in Arequipa, see our guide.
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