When we say the best tour to visit the Colca canyon, we are not referring to 5-star hotels. For us as connoisseurs of the area, the best tour is when we avoid the large masses of tourists.
The problem with the Colca Valley  tour is that everyone sleeps in the same towns: Chivay, Yanque or Coporaque. All tours leave Arequipa at 08:00 a.m. and visit the tourist attractions all at the same time. In fact, they even go to the hot springs at the same time. And the second day is worse: they get up very early to visit the Colca Valley Viewpoints in the morning and everyone visits these beautiful viewpoints at the same time and everyone reaches the Cruz del Condor at the same time.

And the worst of all is that in the vast majority of tours, they DO NOT walk. You will be most of the time in the car.

Obviously these tours are cheap, and on the buses there are between 20 and 40 people is a good example of mass tourism.

With years of experience and as local experts, we have designed a tour that avoids the large masses of tourists and we walk 2 hours every day, we go to the hot springs when there are no tourists.

And the most important thing to avoid the great masses of Tourists: We sleep in Cabanaconde and we go maximum with 8 guests within our tour.

And if the day of the tour there are only 2 people, no problem, we do not cancel the tour or ask for more money.

First day
Approximately at 6 a.m. we pickup the passenger at their hotel, then we leave to the Colca Valley and then to the Colca canyon. We leave before the classic tours and before the classics travel agencies.

Approximately after a two hours' trip, we will find the main route that goes to the Colca Valley. In this sector, that is named "Pampas Cañahuas" we will be able to watch the "vicuñas" which are non-domesticated camelids that live freely onto the "Aguada Blanca y Salinas" National Reservation.
On this part of our trip, it is possible to use the rest rooms placed in "Chasqui Pampa".
After this, we willl go to the "Bofedales of Tocjra Pampa" where we will be able to watch different kinds of birds like black ibis, andean duck, "guayatas", "the pajaro bobo", Andean gulls, etc.
Near this place we will be able to find herds of "llamas" and "alpacas"
In this part of our trip we will be at a height of 4850 meters over the sea level (In a place named "Mirador de los Volcanes"). Here, we will have an outstanding view of the different volcanoes (also called "the volcanic belt of Southern Peru) and a partial view of the Center Andes Mountain Chain.

After approximately 4 hours of travel and visits we will arrive to the Colca Valley, specifically to the town named Chivay 3700 mhsl.

Then we travel in the middle of the nature , we make :

First trek: a trek during one hour in the middle of the pre-inca terracies , here ,there are not tourists:
The difficult of this trek is : Easy +.
After the trek in Coporaque village a local family is waiting for us, this family will cook for us and we will share the table with then. Yes you will eat the real Peruvian food.
After lunch, we will continue our trip towards Cabanaconde village placed at 3287 meters over the sea. In the way we will be able to watch and to photograph pre Inca terraces known as "andenes", ceremonial stones, the colonial church of the village of Yanque and finally we will arrive to the "Cross of the Condor".

We visit the Colca valley without tourists (the leftt side ), remember the classic tours sleep in Yanque or Chivay city ,and the next day all travel agencies and tourists leave in the early morning to the condor cross , and they do the same stops at the same time along the Colca valley and in the viewpoints and villages are full tourists ,cars and buses.

The noise of tourists and the noise from motor cars they can not enjoy the visit and the nature.

That is why we continue on this day towards Cabanaconde village 3287 mhsl.

Then, with our transport we continue to Cabanaconde , on the way we can stop any where , Yes that is true!. we will visit the differents viewpoints such, Antahuilque viewpoint,Mollepunku viewpoint ,wayrapunku, ceremonial stones, etc. On the way from Arequipa to Cabanaconde you can stop anywhere.

After these visits we will arrive to the condor cross, WELCOME TO THE COLCA CANYON .This place is the start of the colca canyon , yes we leave the colca valley and we enter to the colca canyon. we visit the condor cross without tourists and if we have luck we can see how condor return to their nests. (without tourists) Don´t worry , you will visit the condor cross for second time the next day in the morning.

Before arrive to Cabanaconde village we will stop at the Tapay viewpoint to see the village inside the colca canyon then ,

Second trek: We trek from Tapay viewpoint 3700 mhsl , to Cabanaconde 3287mhsl. during one hour.
The difficult of this trek is : Easy +.

On this trek you will cross Pre-Inca terracies you can see local people on their daily activities. This trek is highly recommended by our customers, during the trek you can see the sunset on the Colca canyon.

Comments.-The treks are optionals, if you prefer you can stay in the transport with the driver , you can take more pictures and ,at the end of the treks the driver pick up the rest of customers.
Night  in Cabanaconde village in Casa Santiago.

With the special program of Pablo tour we visit the colca valley in the afternoon (without tourists)

Advantages of our colca tour culture and nature

We do the visit of the KolKa Valley in the afternoon ´cause in the mornings there are hundreds of tourists. We sleep in the village of Cabanaconde and not in Chivay, because in Cabanaconde there are also good hotels and the village is more typical (fewer tourists).

On the second day we don't get up at 4:00 a.m and drive to condor cross to see the condors (like the classic tours) because we go two times to the Condor cross. The first time is in the afternoon of the first day of our trip, where, frequently, some condors could be seen. The second time is in the morning of the second day,

We get up at 5 a.m. to make our first trek ( but we don´t drive) . we start the trek to the best viewpoint of the colca Canyon to Achachihua viewpoint ( to see the sunrise) This viewpoint is in Cabanaconde village.

Breakfast in Cabanaconde from 6:30 am to 7:00 am

We leave to condor cross 7: 00 am. The distance from Cabanaconde to " Condor cross" is reached in just 15 minutes.

If you sleep in Chivay -Yanque or Coporaque (Classic tours you would have to wake up early in the morning in order to reach the Condor cross in 2-3 hours (or 42 kilometers) including visits.

Example: Wakeup 4 am/ to 4:30 , shower , toillets , etc/ from 4:30 to 5:00 am breakfast / from 5:00 to 5:30 pick up the passeneger from diferent hotels.

Then with the transport from Chivay to condor cross in 2-3 hours with visits along the way , Normally they arrive at condor cross 8:00 to 9 am.

That is why we sleep in Cabanaconde village , this village is at only 15 min.from condor cross and Cabanaconde is in the colca canyon.

 

Second day
At 5:00 am, we leave from our hotel , after 20 minutes of trek we arrive to the best view point of Colca canyon ( the gran Mirador of Achachihua ) Here, there are not tourists, from here you can see : the sunrise in colca canyon¡ the Oasis inside the canyon and also the huaruro Waterfall ( the right bank of the colca canyon) , the treasure of the pre-inca trails. Then we come back to Cabanaconde 20 min. trek

Third trek:  40 minutes of trek , flat at 3300 mhsl ,
The difficulty of the trek is: Easy

After the visit of the gran Mirador of Achachihua we will take the breakfast

7:00 we go to condor cross (15 min. By car) Here we stay about one hour trying see the condor´s flight.

After see the condors , we trek from the condor cross 3700mhsl to the next View point : the Cure viewpoint 3600 mhsl,

Fourth Trek.- This trek is a little up hill , we reach the canyon with wonderful viewpoints , during the trek we can see condors. 40 minutes of trek to one hour.
The difficult of this trek is: easy +.

Then at the end of the trek we meet the transport and we continue towards Pinchollo village and before getting to Maca village, we say good bay to the large tourists groups (classic tours). we branch off the main road and we cross the Colca river towards the right bank of the Colca valley.

The right bank of the Colca valley .- This part of the Colca Canyon is less visited by tourists and not  visited for the classic tours .In this part of the valley there are typical towns of colonial style which are not visited by tourists, these towns are: Lari / Ichupampa. In these towns you can walk and explore through the typical streets and appreciate the quiet life in the Andes.

Then we’ll continue to Yanque or Chivay town , Here we enjoin the hot spring then  lunch in Chivay, we continue towards Arequipa city. The time we get 5 pm.

This tour is for people who like to do something different, being in the middle of pre-Inca terraces, and enjoy a part of the Colca Canyon that is not visited by the classic tours. Directed towards people who like to do good sightseeings in typical villages without many tourists.

Colca valley Classic tours:

The classic tours only visit the Colca Valley
1.-Everyone sleeps in Chivay, Yanque or Coporaque
2.-The first day in the afternoon all go together like sardines swiming at the same time in the hot springs
3.-All classics travel agencies visit the Colca Valley the second day in the morning at the same time
4.-In the first visit of the second day occurs unheard of, in the village of Yanque await over 50 children typically dresses dancing for tourists and then asking for money. In the same village in the main square ladies typical dress have wild birds (like hawks , eagles, owls, etc..) tied up, to which it they have cut their wings to prevent their flight and this ladies charge for each photo S /....... Nuevo sol. And incredibly there are hundreds of tourists taking pictures with this birds suffering
5.-We do not agree that children in the main square of Yanque be exploited in this way. Ok can dance but ask for money at a young age is not good

6. In the classic tours all visit the Colca Valley the second day in the morning, everyone has to get up to have breakfast 4:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. from 5 to 5:30 am pick up the tourists from different hotels, they need to go to the condor cross. On the way stop in the viewpoints and not only expects nature but also street vendors and great masses of tourists accompanied with car engine noise, noise of tourists, pollution from cars etc. Important: viewpoints in the Colca Valley are very small and are not prepared to receive large amounts of tourists at the same time.

7. The classic tours only visit the left side of the valley.

8. In the classic tours 99% of the time the tourists are in the car unable to walk

Points improved in our Colca tour - culture and nature by Pablo Tour

1.-Our Colca tour , culture and naturel visit the Colca valley and Colca Canyon
2.-We sleep in cabanaconde village (Colca Canyon)
3.-We visit the hot springs the second day
4.-We visit the Colca valley the first day in the afternoon without tourists
5.-We do not visit the village of Yanque the second day with the great masses of tourists, we visit this town the first day in the afternoon without tourists
6.-We sleep in the Colca Canyon in cabanaconde, we do not need to get up so early to take a transport, the distance between cabanaconde and the condor’s cross is only at 15 minutes by car
7.-We visit the left side and right of the Colca Valley
8.-We walk every day two hours , 2 treks each day, in total we make 4 short treks in our tour. But if you decided don´t make one of the trek or all the treks, not problem , the treks are optional and you can stay with driver taking pictures
9.-And we visit the best viewpoint in the Colca canyon: Gran mirador Achachihua
10. We visit the condor cross 2 times , first time: first day in the afternoon, second time: Second day in the morning.

Important Our goals are:

1.-We avoid the tourists crowd during the tour.
2.-We visit the Colca Valley and the Colca Canyon
3.-We visit the right bank and left bank of the Colca valley
4.-We sleep in cabanaconde (typical village)
5.-We visit the Colca valley the first day without tourists
6.-Maximum 8 people per group
7.-We trek at least 2 hours per day (optional) , on the first day, we make 2 treks each one hour. On second day we make 2 treks each one, one hour.

COLCA CANYON 2 DAY TOUR INCLUDED
-Official English speaking guide
-Private tourist transport (heating and ventilation)
-Experienced driver
-Night hotel in Cabanaconde (3287m)
-Meals: Day 1 .- Lunch and dinner
-Day 2 .- Breakfast and lunch
-Oxygen and first aid kit for all participants and our staff
-Food and accommodation for our driver and guide
-Pre trip information one day before in your hotel
-Assistance 24 hours
-Entrance fee to the National Park - Colca Canyon
-Entrance for the hotpring

NOT INCLUDED
Snacks and drinks
Tips for the guide and driver

Book and buy your bus ticket -tourist bus colca canyon (Chivay) to Puno

After lunch on the second day of the tour to safe a day we can organize for you a tourist bus from Chivay to Puno , you will arrive to Puno 19:30hrs