Most family outings in Arequipa are short, flat and cheap or free. The city sits at about 2,335 m, so plan slow mornings, a rest after lunch and plenty of water for children. Easy stops Mundo Alpaca at Alameda San Lázaro 101 (the Michell company) is free. Children see live alpacas and llamas, watch weaving and can look around a shop. It is listed as open every day from about 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, so check ahead.

The city of Arequipa lies at roughly 2,335 m above sea level, below the cones of Misti and Chachani. A few days here cover a convent, a museum, some serious cooking and, if you have the energy, a trip to Colca. All prices below are in Peruvian soles (S/). What to do first Santa Catalina Monastery. The entrance is at Santa Catalina 301, two blocks off the Plaza de Armas. The convent dates from 1579 and covers around 20,000 m2 of blue and red lanes named for Spanish cities, among them Sevilla, Córdoba and Burgos.

Several of Arequipa’s best outings are tours to places outside the centre. The list below runs from a four-hour stone-quarry visit to a high-altitude wildlife drive. Costs are in soles (S/), and tour operators set their own prices, so ask whether entry fees are included. Sillar quarries and the Culebrillas canyon The Ruta del Sillar is in Cerro Colorado district. It combines the Anashuayco quarries, where sillar, the pale volcanic stone of the old city, is quarried, with the Culebrillas canyon and its petroglyphs.

Arequipa is compact, and its centre can be crossed on foot in under an hour. A relaxed loop with stops takes two to three hours. The altitude is about 2,335 m, so walk slowly and carry water. Prices are in soles (S/). Guided options Free walking tours start daily at the Plaza de Armas and are paid by tips. Start times differ between operators, so ask at the plaza or your hotel.

Trips out of Arequipa are best chosen by distance and time on the road. Start from a base at about 2,335 m, and give yourself a full day in the city before heading higher. Fares and fees are in soles (S/). Shortest to longest Trip Road time Notes Salinas y Aguada Blanca about 3 hours each way 4x4 to a salt lake at about 4,300 m Toro Muerto about 3 hours by bus to Corire petroglyphs in the Majes valley Colca Canyon 3.

Couples can build a slow trip around Arequipa’s restored buildings, sunsets and long lunches. The Colca valley adds hot springs and quiet. Prices are in Peruvian soles (S/), and the city is at about 2,335 m, so keep the first evening light. Where to stay CIRQA, Relais and Châteaux, Calle Agustín Goyeneche 312. The hotel fills the restored 16th-century church of San Agustín with 11 rooms and two patios. Casa Andina Premium Arequipa, Calle Ugarte 403.