ABOUT
Unveil the pre-Colombian and Spanish history of this city by joining our free walking tour Arequipa taking place in the historical center; Arequipa city is known as La Ciudad Blanca—The White City because during the colonial period many churches and palaces were built by using mainly the Sillar Stones (white volcanic stones—also described as pearly white volcanic rocks).
The original name of this city is Ariq Q’epha in Quechua the language, Ariq means volcano and Q’epa means behind; so Arequipa means, a city located at the foot or behind the Misti Volcano. Book our everyday tip-based walking tours taking place in the historic centre with fluent English-speaking tour guides.
Why to reserve with us?
- 100% Peruvian company
- 100% Indigenous team
- Licensed tour guides
- It is Free to book
OPERATION ISSUE OF THIS TOUR:
Make your free tour reservation now, even last-minute reservations are accepted! — we are operating all free tours in Arequipa in English and Spanish. Check the timetable below.
DETAILS
Tour type: It’s a free, non-private group tour.
Accessibility: This tour is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
What do I bring? Sweaters, rain coats, hats and anti-slip shoes.
Included: Professional and licensed Tour Guide.
How to book?: Please book on this webpage.
Faq’s: Please scroll down to the bottom of this page.
WhatsApp: +51 958745640 & +51 984479073.
HIGHLIGHTS
The itinerary can always change because of weather, strikes and festivals.
Meeting Place
Pasaje de la Catedral 123 (behind Basílica Cathedral), look for the red vests – chacu travel.
Tristán del Pozo Mansion — interior visit
Discover the most beautiful house in Arequipa, built in the mid-18th century during the Spanish occupation. Historically known as “The House of Art” due to its beauty.
Library of Mario Vargas Llosa — interior visit
This library, located in an old stone mansion in the historic center of Arequipa, boasts over 7,900 books on fiction, history, social sciences, and magazines. MVLL was born in Arequipa and was the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010.
Fundo El Fierro
Discover the history of one of the most beautiful colonial mansions in the city of Arequipa, which later became the first prison in this city. Today, this place functions as a center for organized handicrafts by indigenous people.
San Lázaro neighborhood
Discover the first Spanish neighborhood in southern Peru founded in 1540 and built from Sillar stone (a stone of volcanic origin). Get to know its passages (narrow streets) adorned with picturesque and colorful masseters with flowers and plants of local origin.
South American camelids
Visit Mundo Alpaca zoo where you will discover the origin and history of the llama and alpaca, their physical characteristics, and their economic importance today. Additionally, you will explore a museum showcasing textile machinery for processing alpaca wool.
Plaza San Francisco
Monastery of Santa Catalina — exterior visit
This monastery is considered a jewel of Spanish architecture due to its architectural beauty and vastness. It is the largest monastery in Peru, built on an area of more than 20,426 m2.
Plaza de Armas
Discover one of the most beautiful squares in Peru adorned with a water fountain and colonial-era buildings.
Panoramic view
Discover Arequipa with a different perspective. During this tour, you will visit the Waya Viewpoint (a house with an open roof).
Tour ending place
We finish the tour very close of the Plaza de Armas.
PHOTOS
PRICE
Free – based on your donation, neither our tour guides nor the team members have set salaries.
SCHEDULES
Schedule | Language | Days | Duration |
10:00 | English | Every day | 2.15 h |
12:30 | English | Every day | 2.15 h |
15:00 | English | Every day | 2.15 h |
10:00 | Spanish | Every day | 2.15 h |
12:30 | Spanish | Every day | 2.15 h |
15:00 | Spanish | Every day | 2.15 h |
MEETING PLACE
Find us on the pasaje de la Catedral 123 (behind the Basílica Cathedral), look for the red vests – chacu travel.
REVIEWS
⭐TripAdvisor: Check testimonials | ⭐Google Maps: 70 reviews | ⭐Facebook: 500 followers | ⭐Instagram: 3000 followers | ⭐YouTube: Watch videos | ⭐ Travellers: + de 50,255 tourists
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Are you wondering whether our free tours in Arequipa are as good as the paid ones? Our guided tours are 100% free to join and we work hard to earn your appreciation at the end of the tour; therefore our walks are first-class.
Read the history of our highlights
Arequipa’s Main Square
García Manuel de Carvajal, founded Arequipa city on August 15, 1540, in this Plaza; in the central part of the square, there is a beautiful bronze water fountain (from the colonial period) and at the top of the fountain, there is a copper pixie with a horn trumpet.
Cathedral of Arequipa
The basilica cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Arequipa was built between 1540 and 1656, it has a neoclassic style, designed by Lucas Poblete; many earthquakes and fires have destroyed this church, the last two restorations happened in 1879 and 2001.
Monastery of Santa Catalina
In 1579, the viceroy Francisco de Toledo ordered to build this monastery, made from white and pink Ashlar stones; this monastery had about 300 nuns during its heydays in the 18th century, the nuns were mainly Spanish Americans and mixed races with indigenous.
San Camilo Market
The 1868 earthquake of Arequipa destroyed the convent of Los Padres Camilos, since the church was gone, the city hall established a market in this place, this market bears the name of the former church—San Camilo. In 1938, Gustave Eiffel designed the current market.
Yanahuara Panoramic Lookout
This lookout is located in Yanahuara district, it’s made up of a set of beautiful Sillar stone Roman Arches, built in the 19th century. From this place, you can see almost all the colonial city of Arequipa and its three awesome volcanoes: Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu.
The Company of Jesus Church
This Andean baroque-style church was built between 1590 and 1698, the stones that were used to build this church are from the quarries of the Misti volcano; inside the church, there are 66 canvases from the Cusco School of Art, from painters such as Bernardo Bitti and Diego de la Puente.
Faq’s
- Will my kids love your free tour?(View)
- What’s an appropriate amount of tip for our free tour?(View)
- Can we leave the free tour because we have other scheduled tours?(View)
- What is the minimum number of walkers required to run the tour?(View)
- What is the maximum number of walkers allowed per group?(View)
- We are a group of 11 or more, can we make a reservation online?(View)
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- Can our free tours ever get canceled because of weather, protests or festivities in Arequipa?(View)
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