Arequipa Free Walking Tour: Explore Arequipa like a Local
One of the best ways to explore The White City is by doing it the old-fashioned way … exploring on foot as you take an Arequipa free walking tour! The guides that give these tours are qualified and licensed and can speak both Spanish and English. On the tour, you will visit the most architecturally impressive and important buildings of the city. The tour will also offer discounts on a wide array of hotels and restaurants. The two best Arequipa free walking tours are run by FreeToursByFoot and ArequipaFreeTour, having been highly rated on TripAdvisor.
The Arequipa Walking Tour, operated by FreeToursByFoot, visits a number of major historical locations of the city as well as markets and shops unique to Arequipa. The first hotel and first jail ever built in Arequipa, the alpaca zoo – where you can pet, feed and see how a wide variety of clothing is made from alpaca fur and the San Camilo Market – where you will find underground food courts, butchers, local spices, fruit stalls and fresh fish. These are but a few of the stops along the tour. This walking tour runs twice throughout the day. Firstly at 10:00 and secondly at 15:00. The route of the tour varies slightly depending on which time you choose. It is advised to research the destinations of each tour before choosing one. This tour starts at The Chocolate Factory at 204 Santa Catalina St. and ends near the main square.
The Arequipa Walking Tour which Arequipa Free Tours operates visits many of the same locations around the city but also includes: The Andean Sanctuary Museum – A museum dedicated to the frozen, preserved body of a young Inca girl, sacrificed to the gods on the extinct Ampato Volcano. Barrio del Solar – A residential area of Arequipa and Bolognesi Bridge – This bridge (oldest in the city) offers a fantastic view of the surrounding volcanoes as well as the river rushing by below. Another site visited on this walking tour is The Santa Catalina Monastery – a widely renowned colonial architectural masterpiece. This impressive building, once home to a large group of nuns is now a paid public attraction with approximately 20 nuns living in the northern corner. Again, this tour is offered at two different times during the day, once at 9:30 and then again at 14:00. This tour begins outside the Santa Catalina Monastery and ends near the main square.
As these are free tours, there is no need to book in advance. All you have to do is show up on the day and you’re ready to go! Both free walking tours and a number of other expeditions and tours (white-water rafting and colca canyon) can be found on FindLocalTrips.com. I would highly recommend the use of this site when booking tours/trips as each of the operators on this site are certified and legit. Enjoy exploring this fantastic city!
