The city has a Urban area that can be visited by foot. The historical center, is a 5 block area around the main square and its very easy to visit following one of the many maps available at the hotels or any information office. Some ancient districts like Yanahuara and Cayma are also at walk distance.
The rural area is a whole attraction itself. With gorgeous terraces, spaniard mills, palaces and the permanent view of the volcanoes from wherever you are.
A great way to visit most of the touristic spots from the rural and urban area is to take a bus tour. This special buses are available at the main square and you can book the tour at your hotel or directly with the bus driver. In two or four hours, according to the tour you book, you will visit most of the famous viewpoints of the city. A great experience (from 6 to 10 dollars).
If you want to take a taxi, you should take a "safe one". Rules to recognize them: they have signs on the roof. The more common the sign, the bigger the company and the safer the taxi. Another tip is to take one that has just left a passenger. Avoid taking taxis that are stopped waiting passengers.
Prices are per ride. A ride from the main square to any place in the central district will be 3-4 soles. A taxi from the bus station to any hotel, 5 soles. From the airport, the price varies between 15 - 20 soles. Some cab drivers try to rip you off by saying prices are per head but price is always per ride for all passengers. Allow for a minor extra charge for luggage (usually half a sol per major piece).
You can rent a car with a driver included and go all around Arequipa just $6 an hour. There are many trustable taxi companies like Panataxi, Taxitel, Turismo Arequipa and Megataxi.
For your safe, if you leave a restaurant or disco late night and want to come back to your hotel in a taxi, ask the restaurant to call a safe taxi.
You can rent a truck at a very low rate including a driver (just $55 per 8 hours plus diesel expenses), call +5154 9350539 or email: [email protected], and go ahead and visit Arequipa's outskirts and places such Colca River, Majes, Camana and Mollendo beaches.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Arequipa
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Arequipa - updated Apr 2024
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Arequipa Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
