Peru · City Tours

City Tour Arequipa and Santa Catalina Monastery

3 Hours Round trip from Pickup service provided in Arequipa. Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Explore Arequipa’s UNESCO-listed historic center
  • 02 Visit the Plaza de Armas, Cathedral, and Church Compañía de Jesús
  • 03 Discover the Monastery of Santa Catalina, a vast 16th-century cloister
  • 04 Enjoy panoramic views of the Misti Volcano from Yanahuara
  • 05 Take in countryside scenery from Carmen Alto
  • 06 Visit Cayma’s main square and San Miguel Arcángel Church
  • 07 Convenient round-trip transport from centrally located Arequipa hotels

Discover the highlights of Arequipa on a half-day tour through its historic center and surrounding viewpoints. Explore one of Peru’s most beautiful cities, admired for its striking architecture, elegant plazas, and rich religious heritage.

Visit the Plaza de Armas, admire the Cathedral and the Church Compañía de Jesús, and step inside the remarkable Monastery of Santa Catalina, a vast cloistered complex that feels like a small citadel within the city. The experience also includes panoramic stops in Yanahuara, Carmen Alto, and Cayma, with beautiful views of the Misti Volcano and the colorful countryside.

Later, we will visit the Monastery of Santa Catalina, an authentic medieval cloister built in 1579 that is still in use to this day.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 3 Hours
Tour type Shared
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Included
Transport Included
Wheelchair access No
City Arequipa
Languages English, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Historic Center of Arequipa

Your journey begins with the pickup from your hotel located in the historic center of Arequipa to start an incredible excursion around one of the most beautiful and touristic cities of Peru. This will be an interesting tour and the order of the visits could change anytime.

Plaza de Armas

We are going to visit the Plaza de Armas, one of the most beautiful in the country and also neighbor of the imposing Cathedral of Arequipa, built in the seventeenth century and completely rebuilt after several earthquakes.

Cathedral and Church Compania de Jesus

We will see the Cathedral and the Church Compañía de Jesús (1590), considered a classic example of the local baroque architecture that keeps inside a sample exceptional paintings and murals.

Later, we will visit the Monastery of Santa Catalina, an authentic medieval cloister built in 1579 that is still in use to this day. This mysterious convent was built with ashlar, the main material of local architecture, and it has an extension of 20 thousand square meters.

Monastery of Santa Catalina

Later, we will visit the Monastery of Santa Catalina, an authentic medieval cloister built in 1579 that is still in use to this day. This mysterious convent was built with ashlar, the main material of local architecture, and it has an extension of 20 thousand square meters.

The first person who lived here was Maria de Guzman, a woman who decided to moved there during the construction of the convent after her husband, Diego Hernandez de Mendoza, passed away.  Currently, there are still cloister nuns living in this fantastic small citadel.

Yanahuara Viewpoint

Then, we will visit the district of Yanahuara. This neighbor has panoramic views to the Misti Volcano. It is a perfect place to take pictures.

Carmen Alto

Then, we are going to visit the district of Carmen Alto, to have an another panoramic views of the amazing colorful countryside, without a doubt a fantastic image

District of Cayma

You will explore the district of Cayma visiting the Plaza Mayor and the Church San Miguel Arcángel de Cayma located in front of the square. Inside the church, you will find an anonymous collection of paintings that show the miracles of the Virgin. 

After this great experience visiting Arequipa and Santa Catalina, we are going to drop you off at your hotel.

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Pickup service provided in Arequipa. 1 city · 3 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Round trip transportations to and from your Arequipa hotel

What's Not Included

  • Roundtrip transfers to and from hotels out of the historical centre of Arequipa

Know before you go

  • PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NEARBY
  • INFANTS MUST SIT ON LAPS
  • PASSPORT REQUIRED
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not suitable for pets
  • Infant seats unavailable
  • The Santa Catalina Convent closes Good Friday, Christmas and New Year.
  • Pick up available to centrally located Downtown Arequipa hotels

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
Pickup service provided in Arequipa.
Tour start
Pickup service provided in Arequipa.
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 3 hours finish where they began, in Pickup service provided in Arequipa..

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