Colca in 1 day (& 1 night)
Most travelers arrive midday in Chivay; in order to maximize your time in the region, after lunch you can visit several of the villages and their churches on the right bank of the canyon (such as Coporaque, Lari, Ichupampa or Madrigal) and then go to the La Calera hot springs pool in the late afternoon, around 5:30 pm, to be back in the hotel at 7:30 to see the show at the Planetarium. The next day will be an opportunity to visit villages on the left side of the canyon on the way to Cruz del Cóndor; you’ll be back at the hotel midday to return to Arequipa or depart for Puno.

It’s also possible to invert this itinerary and go to Cruz del Condor on a private tour the first afternoon shortly after arrival. Back to the hotel around 5pm, you can then go to La Calera and the Planetarium, while visiting the villages of the right bank of the canyon in the morning on the second day.

Colca in 2 days (& 2 nights)
If you have slightly more time, after arriving in Colca and having lunch at the hotel, spend a leisurely afternoon at La Calera and then visit the Planetarium in the evening. The next day, go horseback riding, during which you’ll get to visit a few of the villages and their churches on the canyon’s right bank (Coporaque, Lari, Ichupampa or Madrigal) and in the afternoon, we recommend attending the embroidery workshop offered through Casa Andina. On the last day, visit Cruz del Cóndor (as well as several villages on the left bank of the canyon in route). If possible, it’s worth making the effort to visit Lari at night, when its dreamlike church is illuminated.

Again, as with the interary for 1 day, if you wish to do Cruz del Condor in the afternoon, there’d be no problem exchanging the order with the embroidery workshop.

Colca in 3 days (& 2 nights)
With 3 days in Colca, after arrival and lunch, spend a leisurely afternoon at La Calera and then visit the Planetarium in the evening. The next day, go horseback riding, during which you’ll get to visit a few of the villages and their churches on the canyon’s right bank (Coporaque, Lari, Ichupampa and Madrigal) and in the afternoon, we recommend attending the embroidery workshop offered through Casa Andina. On the third day, you can check out the “origins of the canyon,” either by car or on foot. By car you’ll get higher and have the opportunity to visit the village of Sibayo (where you’ll get to see cave paintings near town and the natural stone “castles” of Callalli); if you choose to walk, you’ll make it only up to the village of Tuti. At the end of this short trip you can visit La Calera and its hot springs pool. In the afternoon, there’s time for go for a bike ride in an around the vilage of Chivay. Just as with the other itineraries, on your last day you can head to Cruz del Condor in the morning, or substitute for one of the other afternoon activities if you want to go on a private tour.