Best Facade Rehabilitation Companies Arequipa Near Me

Miguel Guzman: Beautiful Architecture not to be missed

John Carpio: Visited on Weekend Wait time No wait Reservation recommended NoMore

Gustavo Cano: Church in good condition, large

Mayra Soria: Beautiful church, apart from its architecture, its wide spaces allow you to visualize its faith beyond the works of art. There is a Santísimo exposed and there is the image of the Lord of the Just Judge. Beautiful place to pray.

Giftzucker -: Hübsch!Die Kuppel kann man für 5 Soles/Person zusätzlich bestaunen. Da man dort nicht fotografieren darf, gibt es kostenfreie Ansichtskarten :)

Hayleen Cid: It is recommended to visit as a tourist with a guide, there is a lot of history in the paintings, the art is very beautiful as well as the construction. You can enter to tour after the masses.

Andrea Pellegrini: Visita obbligatoria a questa splendida chiesa. Tutte da vedere le varie Madonne andine con i loro preziosissimi vestiti. Annessa è la splendida Cappella di S. Ignazio. Le foto sono proibite. Limitiamoci.

Mimi Amaru Illari: Baroque architecture. Inside are paintings.

Juan Almonacid: The Company has stores and cafés, you can take a ride and shopping . A nice place

Helen Perea: Precious

LDGPJCSF: It has a Latin cross floor plan and consists of three naves, deep side chapels, a transept and a dome on pendentives. The temple and the façade, like the rest of the colonial monuments in the city of Arequipa, are made of ashlar stone, which is porous, very white, very easy to carve and the one that is best suited for ornamental work.The main facade, in mestizo baroque style, stands out as one of the masterpieces —head of the series— of South American colonial decoration. It is distinguished by treating the relief on the surface and not in depth. The main facade of the church was rebuilt in 1698 after an earthquake.Although it belongs to the second half of the 17th century, its influence extends throughout the 18th century, not only in Arequipa, but also in the Peruvian territory. The novelty that begins with this flat decoration is to use native elements. American motifs, plants, animals and resurrected themes from pre-Hispanic mythology mixed with European motifs, which cover the façade with true horror of emptiness.Inside, the main altar stands out, one of the most beautiful in Arequipa, which boasts in the central part one of the best paintings, The Virgin with the Child, by the Italian painter Bernardo Bitti, who arrived in Peru in 1575.

Liz Cornejo RJM: Place of peace and recollection. A community that serves others.

Henk Jan Grevelink: Prachtige kerk!

L James: Wonderful architecture and composition. It is definitely worth a visit, both the exterior and the interior and the cloisters of the Company that are very close.

Judith Campos: Its interior patio and its engravings on the columns are worth seeing.

Joha Ll: A very organized temple, it has several masses, they make confessions, blessings, every day

Eduardo Antonio Molinari Novoa: Beautiful place where the victory of the Hispanic culture of these parts, which is mestizo and viceroyalty, can be clearly appreciated. A must-see place to learn about history and art, and, of course, to pray in communion with the centuries.

Victor Lopez: Beautiful temple, the entrance to the polychrome chapel is essential, it looks like a tapestry!

Yichen Han: 免費入場裡面有南美洲版本最後的晚餐外觀精美壯麗值得一訪

Antonio García: Beautiful temple in the center of the "White City"

Rafael Nuñez: It is an old colonial house, full of history and very well preserved. A BBVA bank office operates in this place, with availability of Automatic Teller Machines (ATM}

Nathalie Raetzo: Beautiful house with several inner courtyards, converted into a bank. They usually have free exhibitions, which are currently closed due to COVID restrictions.

Mauricio Rodriguez: a work of art

Marcela Morales: Beautiful architecture.

Jesus Angulo: "BBVA and Culture"Beautiful house declared Cultural Patrimony of the Nation, with an original ashlar façade, it is located on the first block of San Francisco street, which receives its name from one of its owners, General Domingo Carlos Tristán del Pozo. Currently this house is the headquarters of the BBVA, which in addition to being a bank agency fulfills the purpose of being a cultural center, where in the first courtyard there are three permanent exhibition rooms, presenting works by Arequipa authors belonging to the Bank's collection, another room dedicated to Arequipa watercolors. Works by Jorge Vinatea Reinoso and Teodoro Núñez Ureta among others are exhibited.

Jan Svartberg: Beautiful Casona Arequipeña. The history of the house dates back to the 18th century when it was built by Domingo Carlos Tristán del Pozo and his wife Ana María Carazas in 1738.

Jose Ignacio Terán: This mansion is pure Arequipeño style. Located next to the Basilica Cathedral and the Plaza de Armas, it is open during the hours that the financial institution inside it does.It also houses a museum with a profusion of works of art that are owned by the BBVA Continental art gallery, which deserves to be visited.

Ilario Bonomi: Ha una storia molto lunga questa casa, che risale al 1738, e presenta bellissime decorazioni dei portali (quelli interni si possono vedere accedendo alle mostre che il palazzo ospita o sbirciando dal cancello nei momenti di chiusura). Da non perdere anche i doccioni.

Evelyn Morales: There is no guide, but the place is beautiful.

Fernando Cerna Muñante: Part of the historic center of Arequipa. Beautiful property.

Georges Donnay: Très joli bâtiment, désormais transformé en banque, mais joli tout de même !

Gabriela Filgueira: Converted today into a bank, this beautiful ashlar mansion can be visited during banking hours. It also has museum rooms with very beautiful works of art.

Jordan Huayhua Morales: Although it is a viceroyalty-style house, what stands out inside are the beautiful watercolor paintings from the beginning and the middle of the last century.

Mayra Soria: It has a paved patio and the infrastructure is beautiful

Milenka Valencia: Agency of a bank, has an exhibition hall

Heverd Baleriano Torres: jewelry

Roxana Nizama: beautiful inside view

Kratos Jose: Lindoo lugar turistico

Radoslava Kacherilska: We booked our 14-day South Peru trip with Giardino and we are absolutely delighted! They organized everything perfectly and chose the best guides in English in every city. Most of our excursions were private, considering our personal interests and comfort. Special thanks to Antonio, our guide in Arequipa and Colca canyon, who is the best and made our trip to the canyon an unforgettable experience!

Bijou Léa: Nous avons eu l’occasion de faire le tour de deux jours au canyon de Colca ainsi que celui de Culebrillas. Dans les deux cas, cela a été une très belle expérience grâce à Antonio, son savoir, son enthousiasme, son envie de partager et sa bienveillance !Adela, qui a aidé pour l’organisation est également adorable et à l’écoute. Et se fut un plaisir d’échanger ces moments avec Julio !Merci à tous pour tous ces beaux souvenirs ! On ne peut que recommander chaudement !Pili et Léa

Weeble L: We had an exceptional tour with Giardino Tours while in Arequipa and Colca Canyon, thru to Puno. The tour was booked through the tour company so we were not sure what to expect. Both were group tours but the first ended up being just my husband and I and the colca canyon tour only had 5 people. We were lucky enough to have the same guide for both tours. Antonio is amazing. His passion, love, and knowledge of his city and country is infectious. Without Antonio it would have just been another tour. We did many tours in the two weeks we were there and Antonio was the best guide by far. We were disappointed when we had to leave us in Puno.

Carola Patricia Bellina Santti: Really SUPER RECOMMENDED, Herbert and our guide Elar are a perfect duo, I traveled with my youngest daughter of 9 years and it was a nice experience, you can see the professionalism and seriousness in their work of both people, as well as punctuality in departures and arrivals throughout the tour.I feel very satisfied to have chosen them, it's the second time I've done it and with the same company GIARDINO, I think I'm already excited for the third one hahaha,Blessings and thank you very much.

Dayana Lipe: From Giardino we would like to highlight ADELA's attention and kindness from the moment we entered the agency with the sole intention of asking questions.She was attentive to us during the whole tour at all times, always answering our questions with great kindness, and making sure that everything went as planned.Our tour was from Ica-Paracas-Nazca, and everything went perfectly.In addition to this I must highlight the work of the guides, especially ALBERTO, who was our guide in Paracas, and HILDA and the driver who accompanied her in Nazca, giving us detailed information unlike other guides from other agencies who only stick to the basics.Thank you Giardino tours!

Elize: Had an amazing trip to the Colca canyon with Giardino tours. Our guide Maya had so much knowledge about everything we saw and proudly explained us about her country and culture. Unfortunately we got sick during the trip. Our guide was really helpful and eventually called a doctor for us. She translated during his visit. We are so thankful for her help! Definitely recommend!

Chloé Cabantous: We had an exceptional experience with Giardino Tour and highly recommend to book with them in the region of Arequipa. We especially enjoyed our tours at Laguna de Salinas and Canyon del Colca with our guide Elar. Elar is a very professional and knowledgeable tour guide who gave us lots of insights on the places we visited. He is very kind and also an engaging storyteller which made the trip even more fun! Giardino Tour is a reliable agency. They are punctual, provide good recommendations and communicate effectively through whatsapp as well. Thank you for the best trip and memories in Arequipa!

Noemi Navas Alonso: A very professional Arequipa travel agency. Personalized treatment, very well prepared tours with guides and quality accommodation.Our guide Luis Ángel was great. He provided a lot of information from the first moment in an entertaining and well-founded way. It is noted that the excursions are prepared and add current data and curiosities.The driver Richard was friendly and cautious.

Jesús Caudeli: We made the visit to the Colca Canyon and the experience has been great from the first moment. Carla has been attentive to us before, during and after the excursion, taking care of us with great kindness and efficiency.During the tour, Luis Ángel has been a fantastic guide, he is a true storyteller full of knowledge and a sense of humor. Richard is a kind and careful driver. It is the first time that I am not afraid in a vehicle in Peru!

Rafael Gaede: Fizemos o Tour Canyon Colca 2D/1N com transfer a Puno ao final do segundo dia.O valor foi de U$$ 110 por pessoa, não incluídas as refeições.O passeio foi realmente incrível, com muitas atividades, incluindo um caminhada em Coporaque ao final do primeiro dia (que não está inclusa na maioria dos passeios). A guia Olivia foi bastante informativa e simpática. O motorista dirige de forma muito tranquila e não passa dos 80Km/h. Isso realmente deve ser muito valorizado, pois os motoristas peruanos são loucos, agressivos e extremamente imprudentes. Assim, ter um motorista tranquilo é realmente muito tranqulizador.Os horários são um pouco corridos e não se consegue muito aproveitar o Hotel Casa de Mamaychi em Coporaque (que tem uma vista espetacular). Mas isso é compreensível tendo em vista o número de atividades e as distâncias envolvidas.Recomendo muito que fechem com a Giardino. Apesar dos valores as vezes um pouco mais elevados, a qualidade é realmente muito boa.Contras:- Espere gastar mais uma quantia considerável em "extras". As refeições no Hotel não são nada baratas!- Minha noiva fala principalmente espanhol e 90% dos demais turistas só entendiam Inglês. Com isso, percebemos que as explicações em espanhol acabavam sendo mais curtas ou comprometidas em alguns momentos. Portanto, se for falante de espanhol, certifique-se de que o guia falará sua língua. Ou melhor, feche um tour só com falantes de espanhol!

Veronica Carta: Abbiamo prenotato il tour di due giorni a Chivay-Canyon del Colca e ci siamo trovati benissimo! Consigliamo a tutti questa agenzia, seria e professionale. Un punto di forza è il fatto che i gruppi siano ridotti (noi eravamo 7 in tutto). Ale, la nostra guida, è stato impeccabile, puntuale e ci ha spiegato tutto con passione. E non dimentichiamo il nostro autista Richard, guida sicura (e qui non è scontato) e massima disponibilità! Bravi GiardinoTours!

Mattia DC: Wir haben die zweitägige Colca-Canyon Tour gebucht und können diese nur wärmstens empfehlen. Der Ausflug war super organisiert und unsere Reiseführerin Milagros war einfach nur fantastisch. Sie versorgte uns während den Busfahrten mit vielen Informationen über die Geschichte, Traditionen, Region, Einheimischen, Tierwelt etc... Das Tal ist wunderschön und ein Muss, wenn man in der Gegend ist. Nicht vergessen möchten wir auch unseren tollen Chauffeur Elias. Vielen Dank für das wundervolle Erlebnis!

Marianna C.: Abbiamo prenotato direttamente presso i loro uffici di Arequipa un tour privato per il giorno seguente (Ruta del Sillar y Quebrada de Culebrillas). La prenotazione è stata davvero semplice e la referente dell'agenzia è stata molto disponibile nello spiegarci lo svolgimento dell'attività e fornirci tutte le informazioni relative. Il prezzo è in linea con quello di altri tour operator organizzati per un tour privato (agosto 2022 $45 per persona). Il mattino seguente la nostra guida ci ha raggiunti in hotel insieme ad un autista dedicato. Tutto si è svolto in modo puntuale e la guida ha organizzato gli orari in modo da evitare la folla per avere più tempo a nostra disposizione. Inoltre è stata molto disponibile nel fornirci le informazioni durante la visita e anche alcuni consigli extra sulla città e sulle attività in generale. Abbiamo ricevuto acqua e uno snack durante la mattinata. In generale un buon servizio!

Mary A: I decided to hire a travel agency for Arequipa as this was the first time for my 11 year old daughter in the Andes. Best decision! We felt safe and well taken care from day one. The agency helped us with all the arrangements to make our stay relax and pleasant. In the end it was me the one suffering from altitude sickness but our tour guide had lot of experience and she helped me to go through it with love and care. We thank our both tour guides Gerbert and Olivia for being so passionate about the stories they shared, for taking care of us and for showing us Arequipa and their beautiful places. I’ll definitely recommend Giardiano tours to my family and friends.

Lena Janßen: Sehr gute Organisation und ein super Guide. Gerber hat uns total viel über die Gegend, die Tiere, das Essen und die Geschichte vom Colca Canyon erzählt. Wir haben sehr viel gesehen und gelernt. Wir würden die Tour auf jeden Fall wieder machen, danke Gerber!

Miguel Cayon Ruisanchez: Our experience with Giardino tours was unbeatable. We did 2d1n in the Colca Canyon with our guide Beti and everything was incredible. In addition, Karla was always very kind during the organization and helped us a lot with the search for transport, beyond what was contracted with Giardino tours. Thank you very much for that Karla!

Sylvain H: Our tour of the Colca canyon with Luis Angel and Julio was amazing.The size of the group is the right one and the knowledge of the guide was exactly what was needed during these 2 days.We had a lot of history on all the landscape and the inhabitants of the region as well as many tips on local traditions.Really recommend Giardino tour for tours from Arequipa.

C C: We booked our 2 days/1 night Colca Tour and transfer to Puno with Giardino Tours. Since we had our accommodation in the Colca valley already booked and wanted to transfer to Puno not directly but after some days the schedule of the tour had to be adjusted. Adela took care of everything and was checking on us frequently via our tour guide or directly via WhatsApp. We were told the names of our tour guides/taxidrivers and the pick-up times in advance and never got forgotten or were late.Giardino Tours has some companies they work with, so we did the Colca canyon tour with Colonial Tours (which was great!) (maybe it is cheaper if you book directly with them), and the transfer to Puno with another company ( forgot the name, but it was okay, since the tour guide wasn't that good and we had some delay arriving in Puno).Although the prices are higher if you compare them to the prices you can get in the city centre of Arequipa for the same tour we chose Giardino Tours because they seemed to be more professional (they have a proper office instead of being located in some tourist shop) and only had good reviews comparing to other tour operators. Since we booked the Colca tour plus the transfer we got some discount on the final price. Summarising it was a good experience and we would recommend to book with this tour operator being aware that you are paying a higher price than in other places.

Olga Ahn: we had a really great experience with Giardino tours! We did a tour to Salinas Lake.The tour guide was super professional and the service overall was excellent. Highly recommended!!!

Julien LEMARCHAND: En plein COVID, Juillet 2021 nous avons fait appel à eux pour notre mois de Tour du Monde au Pérou. Super expérience, 5 guides français, des bons chauffeurs. Bref, une belle expérience de voyage et de découverte.Super réactivité et envie de vraiment bien servir le client ! Merci encore et Viva Péru!

Glenda Marina Falcon Pacheco: . Antiguamente era parte de un colegio jesuita. Su infraestructura hecha de sillar con decorado barroco muy bien conservado es un buen lugar para buenas fotografías y postales.(Translated by Google

Enrique Vigil Rodriguez: I can only sum it up in one word BEAUTIFUL

Silvia Resio: Grazie ad Alejandro la nostra guida di Perù inside out abbiamo visitato il complesso ,merita.

Liz Enriquez: The place is perfect if you want quiet and peace, have some traditional alpaca manufacturing clothes stores and you can enjoy ice-cream stores here too❤️❤️😀😀Visited on Weekday Wait time No wait Reservation recommended No …More

israel teran g: To get some fresh air in the middle of the city. You can stay a while longer and have a coffee in one of the places inside.

SILVIA ESTHER CORNEJO ZEA: Visited on Weekday Wait time No wait Reservation recommended YesMore

Karla Peña: Beautiful place, there are cafeterias, restobar. Good place to share with friends and family

Marjorie Lopez: Visited on Weekend Wait time No wait Reservation recommended Not sureMore

Mundo em Cripto: Beautiful place to visit sightseeing or not. It really is a very beautiful place that brings a lot of peace in the middle of the center.With a lot of history in its architecture

David Castro: Full of peace and tranquility to enjoy a good chat, coffee and traditional Arequipeña food.

Sandra Cheng: Nice place in good condition, tidy, clean and has cafeterias with terraces overlooking the atrium for all prices.

ojos de cristal: Nothing let sit anywhere

Jorge Luis Castillo Cano Castillo Cano: Visited on Weekend Wait time No waitMore

Eduardo Abel Rojas Quineche: Nice place with many shops and close to the center.

Daniel Moscoso Huerta: Visited on Weekday Wait time No wait Reservation recommended Not sureMore

Michell Robert Aguirre Sáenz: The best in the tourist area of ​​Arequipa

Luis Miguel Chavez: The Cloisters of the Church of the Company. It is a place that is located in the center of the city. It should be visited anyway by any Tourist.You can appreciate the Colonial architectural beauty.

Moises Andres Villagra: Los Claustros de la Compañía is a good free tourist destination, just half a block from the main square, it is a small place but it offers the possibility of taking good photos as souvenirs. I recommend visiting them at sunset, on the second floor there are more than one cafe that you can visit.

jesminia llerena torres: Don't worry, I haven't logged in for a long time.

Lionel Zevallos: The place is architecturally very beautiful, it has a central pool that they use as a "wishing well". You can take photos from the second floor, there are restaurants and souvenir shops.

Nicolò Piccione: L'esperienza con Colca Trek è stata indimenticabile! La nostra guida Vladi era preparatissimo e il nostro driver Michi super simpatico e anche un ottimo fotografo per le foto ricordo. Ricorderò sempre il baile del condor che ci hanno insegnato.Sono stati giorni stupendi, abbiamo visto panorami unici, che toglievano il fiato, e imparato moltissime cose: tour consigliatissimo!

EDGARD BELTRAN: Good attentionWith experience in tourism

Luuk Deen: Vlado is the best guide. Thinks about everything and makes you feel extremely comfortable

FC 1960: Excellent service

Lotte VDE: Our 3 day visit to the Colca canyon was just what we wanted: in a group of 6 people with Patty, our very kind and professional guide and Erly, our very kind and safe driver. Golden duo, it was very nice to travel with this agency! We were able to visit the Colca canyon in very calm and charming way, with avoiding the big crowds (e.g. we were alone at Cruz del Condor). Last but definetely not least, we had the opportunity to sleep in the amazing Colca Trek Lodge. Highly recommend!

Helber Paredes Tairo: I went to the Cotahuasi canyon, not the Coloca

Simon Cuerden: I did the two-day Colca Canyon tour. The tour was undoubtedly good but it was not great.Firstly, the staff were definitely amiable although the information I was given beforehand did not adequately prepare me for the trip.I was specifically told to bring insect repellent. I have no idea why. This was completely unnecessary because I never had to use it. Secondly, nobody bothered to give me the most important piece of advice: bring warm clothes! Nobody in my small group had done so either. In fact, a group member told me that before the tour she had explicitly asked if she should bring warm clothes and was advised it was unnecessary. I was freezing cold at night. This annoyed me because I had warm clothes – back in Arequipa! Yes, it may be hot during the day, but the temperature drops dramatically at night. Nobody bothered to tell me this.I was expecting a lot more information on the tour but didn’t receive very much. If I contrast this to my Sacred Valley tour near Cusco, we were constantly informed.The first part of the trip involved an off-road visit to some striking rock formations. Our guide took us on a short walk. However, we got to a point where we were at the bottom of a short but steep incline. It was tough to scramble up and felt dangerous. If I’d fallen, I could have hurt myself. I thought this was an unnecessary risk.The walks we did were pleasant but were nothing extraordinary. One involved stopping on the road and walking alongside observing local wildlife – but we were walking along the side of the road! I had expected something a little more uplifting than this.When we arrived at our hotel, it was pleasant but very cold. This could have easily been avoided if someone had told us to bring warm clothes! (Yes, I know I’m harping on about this, but this issue would have been so easy to avoid.) We went for an early evening walk nearby. It was okay, but I wasn’t too impressed at the amount of garbage on the footpath. It was pretty depressing to see. Once we got to the edge of the canyon, our guide asked if we wanted to proceed further. But we were all so cold that we asked to turn back.On the second day, we went on a bicycle ride. Most of it was downhill so it didn’t require much effort. The views were lovely, and this was fun. This was an enjoyable excursion.The food at the lodge was decent and basic – but it wasn’t exceptional. By the way, the lodge doesn’t have internet. Although my cellphone provider, Claro, had an excellent signal, it would have been nice to know about the lack of internet in advance. After all, for better or worse we live in a connected world – and it would have been better to have known this beforehand.The van we travelled in was comfortable enough, but the door rattled slightly. This made for quite a noisy journey. I know this may seem trivial, but for a long trip, it matters. The constant juddering was a bit jarring.We were asked to complete a questionnaire at the end of the trip. This is always a good idea, but for a questionnaire to accurately reflect people's opinions, it’s much better to give guests the privacy to complete it. Then you are more likely to receive an accurate reflection of what they think. Why so? Well, some people are happy to discuss things in person while others are more non-confrontational and prefer to privately give their thoughts on paper. This was not possible, as our guide was hovering over us the entire time and immediately read the questionnaires after they had been completed.As I said, this tour was certainly good but not great. Judging by how much this cost compared to other tours, in my heart I cannot really recommend it.

Tim Peelen: Perfect information provided about hiking in the region by vlado. Most kind and helpfull person you will ever find :)

Robert de Vos: We did the 2 day/1 night Colca Trek and it was great! We were picked up early in the morning at our hostel by a private bus from Colca Trek. Here we met our tourguide Savino and our driver Michi. These two really made our trip even more special because they were so much fun together! Very high knowledge level and always time for some jokes (often at expense of each other :) ). The first day you drive towards Colca Canyon and make multible stops on the way to look at nice places, nature and animals. At the end of day one you arrrive in their beautiful lodge with a magnificent view of the canyon. There is a nice fireplace where you can have a drink and relax. The second day you have a walk along the canyon towards the viewpont of the Condors, also beautiful (we saw 3!). After this you have a bikeride down and enjoy the magical scenery. All in all a great experience, Savino and Michi thank you!

Martin Gonzalez Ramirez: Had a great experience climbing the Misti with Johan Zarate. I have climbed a few similar-profile mountains and he's the best guide I've encountered so far. Without his support and management, both mentally and physically (setting the right pace), our group wouldn't have made it to the top. Very glad we climbed with him and thanks to Colca Trek for organising it at such short notice (36 hours).

yanet bellido: 🤬

Debora Martins: Disappointed with the food served.

Gard Hulzen, Van: Mooi maar niet heel bijzonder omdat je door steile wandelingen niet erg ver komt in twee of drie dagen . In drie dagen. Is de trip goed te doen, in twee dagen doe ik of dag 1 veel.

Christian W.: We made a tour to the Colca Canyon and we loved it. We was never be a part of the crowd and could see each stop with a good explanation of the guide. The night in the lodge was very comfortable with an amazing view. And of cause, our group was first to see the condors.

angelica c: Bit hard, accommodations in the oasis were very simple

Angéline Berthet: We had a wonderful trip with Mihail Soto alias Michi, a human person who did everything to make us stay the best trip ever away from others tourists.Thanks a lot colca trek and Michi to organise our trip of fantastic 4 days

Thiago Moulin: The Colca Canyon is a great place to see, but I would not recommend doing a tour. Rather, it seems to me that it is a better value to rent a car, drive around there and stay in a nice hotel (such as the Colca Lodge with hot springs).I will start from the beginning: If you plan do book this online know that they do not have any system implemented and everything is done over email (more prone to mistakes too). You have then to wire $100 to them to make sure you have a spot. This was more complicated than it seems with my bank and there was a $20 fee involved. Colca Trek made an exception and I transferred them the money over Western Union, which saved me such fee. Still, very cumbersome process.I booked the 2 day tour. Initially, it was advertised that we would be picked up from our hotel and that we would go to hot springs at the end of the second day. About a month prior we received an email stating that they would not be able to pick us up, rather, we would have to go to their store to get the van. About 15 days prior to the tour we get another email stating that the hot springs are too crowded and that we would do a hike instead. It surprises me that being in this business for so long they could not anticipate how the hot springs would be and not falsely advertise such a feature in their tour.Very well, we go on our tour. First thing to know is that the Colca Valley/Canyon is a 3h drive from Arequipa. Add in the stops to pee, have lunch, see animals (llama, vicuña, etc) and some rock formations and you've spent pretty much all of your first day with very, VERY skippable things. After dropping our stuff off at the nice hotel they have there, we go on a short hike down to where the Valley narrows down into the Canyon and watch the sunset. This was great, but lasted 30 min, maybe less.The second day starts early. We go to the Cruz del Condor and arrive there around 7:30. No condors in sight but it was quite nice seeing the beautiful canyon with no tourists around. We go to our downhill bike experience. This lasted 30 min max, which was such a shame. Instead of touring down slowly and appreciating the vistas, our tour guide rushed the way down. Given that we were instructed to stay together and follow him, we all finished this activity so much faster than it should have been. The views are incredible. The valley and the ancient terraces are wonderful. Unfortunately we were not able to enjoy it as much as we could. We then head back to the Cruz del Condor, around 9:00 and this time we see so many condors. It is now packed with tourists too.To end the day we go on a pretty mediocre hike to a lake. Why we didn't use this time to see more of the canyon/valley is beyond me. We then go back to the hotel, have lunch and then head back to Arequipa.Now here's why I think you should go to the canyon but not do a tour: the best thing about the Colca, by far, is its geography and the terracing. The condor watching is also another highlight. None of this requires any knowledge. There's no hidden gems. It's right there. If you drive around, stopping at the miradores that you think are nice you'll have a much better, unique and exclusive experience, not having to share it with a 16 people tour. Our tour guide, Sabino, was a nice guy, but the information he offered is not worth the price you pay - in money terms (US$190/person) but also in having to pace yourself with the other 16 people, never really having solitude in a place that kinda requires quiet admiration, etc. Also, the food we ate was ok (I think it's almost impossible to eat bad food in Peru) and the hotel is nice, but, again, not worth $190/person.If you are a couple, and decide to rent a car and stay in the Colca Lodge, for example, you'll spend less, stay in a much nicer hotel, spend as much time as you want admiring the canyon and can then use the savings to buy a good book on the history of the Colca ;-) .

Patrick Dec: Wir hatten eine unvergessliche Zeit während unserer 2-tägigen Tour mit Colca Trek. Alles war von Anfang bis Ende super geplant und organisiert. Auch auf einen kurzfristigen Streik in Arequipa wurde bestens mit einer Alternativroute zum Colca Tal reagiert. Unser Guide war extrem freundlich und hat uns unglaublich viele interessante Sachen zum Tal, der Natur, den Menschen und den Tieren erklärt. Der Fahrer war ebenfalls absolut klasse und hat uns sicher und zuverlässig von Ort zu Ort gefahren. Die Übernachtung in der Colca Lodge war auch ein super Erlebnis, die Leute alle sehr nett und das Essen war extrem lecker! Wir würden sofort wieder über Colca Trekk buchen, die Tour war ein absolutes Highlight unserer gesamten Peru-Reise!

Guillermo Caballero: An unforgettable experience, descending into the depths of the Colca and feeling the micro climates is fabulous, the richness of the valley, the use of pre-Inca platforms and the landscapes make this trek something fabulous.

Imke Schoppink: We had an amazing tour with Colca Trek to the Colca Canyon. At first we wanted to do a tour where we would hike more but we're glad that we didn't because the altitude hit us harder then expected. In stead of walking we biked a lot which was a very nice alternative. With the tour we drove to a beautifull lodge with a lot of stops on the way to watch wildlife and nature scenes. The lodge is wonderfull with an amazing view over the mountains and very nice staff. It gets super cold at night and they put warm water bottles in our kingsize bed.The absolute best thing about out trek was our guide Sabino. He was born in the canyon and gives a lot of interesting information about the flora and fauna in the region. He is very friendly and helpfull and takes very good care of the people in his group, especially if you suffer from altitude sickness. He also taught us how to make amazing pisco sours.And he makes sure you get to see Condors!