One canyon, one quarry, and a lot of stone knowledge in 4 hours. This trip is interesting because you don’t just look at Arequipa’s famous building material; you see where sillar comes from, then you walk through Culebrillas before the tour ends with viewpoints over the volcano world. I especially like how the stops connect geology, culture, and practical everyday work all in one route.

What I like most is the hands-on quarry time at Añashuayco—immense ignimbrite walls, big carved stone, and the chance to meet the stonemasons. I also love the Culebrillas canyon walk: short, scenic, and topped off with ancient Wari petroglyphs and those spiritual stone apachetas.

One possible drawback to keep in mind: the tour is timed and short, and if you get a language swap (it can happen) or a late start, you may feel a little rushed, especially on the canyon walk.

Key Points You’ll Care About

• Sillar production you can actually see at the working Añashuayco quarry
• Mega-carving of the Church of the Company of Jesus made by local stonemasons
• Culebrillas canyon walk with 15–20 meter walls and Wari petroglyphs
• Volcano + Chilina Valley photo stops from strategic viewpoints
• Apachetas for a quick Andean gratitude moment before you head back

The Route of Sillar and Culebrillas: A Great 4-Hour Arequipa Combo

This is one of those tours that feels efficient without feeling rushed. You get a full taste of what makes Arequipa special: the volcanic stone that built the city (sillar), the landscapes shaped by water and ancient activity (canyons and viewpoints), and the cultural layers that live in the details.

At a glance, it’s simple: you ride out from town, stop at viewpoints, visit the quarry at Añashuayco, walk through the Culebrillas canyon, then return near the main square. But the way it’s organized makes it more than a quick photo loop. You’re learning why the stone matters, how it’s worked, and how the canyon adds another dimension of Arequipa’s past.

The overall value also holds up well. It’s priced at $11 per person, with a guide and transport included. The tour length is 270 minutes (about 4 hours and a little change), which makes it a good fit when you want something meaningful but don’t want to lose half your day.

Start at C. Álvarez Thomas 115 and Get Positioned for Volcano Views

The day begins at 09:15, and the meeting point is C. Álvarez Thomas 115. Once your name is checked on the list at the main office, you’ll head out by van.

Before you even reach the quarries, you get a strategic pause at an emblematic viewpoint area. The goal is quick context: you can see the Volcanoes and the Chilina Valley. Depending on the season, there may be an alternate traditional viewpoint for volcano views right at the beginning, but the intention is the same—help you orient yourself so the later landscapes make more sense.

This first stop is more than a photo break. It sets the stage for the rest of the route. When you later see the canyon walls and stone extraction marks, you understand they’re not random scenery. They’re part of the same volcanic-and-water story that shaped the region.

The Añashuayco Quarry: Where Sillar Becomes Real

Next comes the star stop: the Añashuayco Quarry, reached after about 45 minutes of driving. This is not a sealed museum. It’s described as currently in operation, with stonemasons working early, which changes the feel of the visit. You’re seeing living craft rather than a staged display.

The quarry itself is the highlight for anyone who likes scale. You’ll look into an enormous canyon with tall cliffs—ignimbrite walls formed by extraction. In plain terms: this is where the material that built many Arequipa structures came from, and the quarry walls are the visible proof.

A good part of the experience here is learning what sillar is, how it’s produced, and how it has been used over time. Even if you’re not a geology fan, this kind of guided explanation makes the stone feel less like a city decoration and more like a resource with a job to do.

The Mega-Carving and the Working Stonemasons

You’ll also see a standout carved element: a Mega carving of the Church of the Company of Jesus created by the stonemasons themselves. It’s one of those details that makes the quarry feel like a creative workplace, not just an extraction site.

Then you may visit one of the stonemasons so you can hear about their daily work. The tour also includes a practical element: they can help you experiment by cutting a stone block yourself. Whether you get a perfectly smooth cut or something more like a lesson in stubborn rock, it’s the kind of “try it” moment that turns a sightseeing stop into a memory.

I like this stop because it answers the question, Where does Arequipa’s famous stone come from? You don’t just get a location—you get the process, the people, and the scale.

Culebrillas Canyon: A Short Walk With Big Walls

After the quarry, you head to Quebrada de Culebrillas, about 30 minutes away. Once you arrive, you take a walk of roughly 20 minutes inside the canyon.

Here’s what makes this walk special: the canyon walls rise as you go in. You start with walls around 15 to 20 meters, and as you enter deeper, the height increases. The time is short, but the geometry gives you that “wow, this is enclosed” feeling.

You’ll also get a guided visit through the space and then a payoff at the end. In the canyon, you can see petroglyphs made by the Wari culture, created more than a thousand years ago. That connection—walking through a narrow passage shaped by water, then spotting markings from a much earlier society—is exactly the kind of contrast that keeps the tour from feeling like only modern craftsmanship.

And right after the walk, the tour helps you shift from ancient rock art to Andean spiritual culture. You’ll observe apachetas, stone cairns built one on top of another. They’re described as a symbol of gratitude toward nature and also linked to good luck. The mystical part is subtle but real: it’s hard not to pause for a second when you see them lined up in the landscape.

Volcano Viewpoints, Andenerias, and the Quick Art of Orientation

This tour mixes craft and nature with viewpoints that give you context without dragging you through a full day of “standing around.”

There are strategic photo stops focused on the Volcanoes and the Chilina Valley. In some seasons, the tour can begin with another traditional volcano viewpoint before the quarry time. Later, the route references an Andenerias viewpoint, which fits the broader Arequipa pattern: terraces, stone, and elevation working together.

Even if you’re not a hardcore landscape photographer, these viewpoint moments are worth taking seriously because they help you understand what you’re about to see. After you’ve been in stone walls and canyon corridors, it’s refreshing to pull back and look at the bigger picture.

My practical advice: treat these as “get your bearings fast” stops. Don’t overthink the perfect photo. Focus on understanding where the city sits relative to the valley and volcanos, because it makes the rest of the day click.

Timing and Getting Back Near the Main Square

The tour runs about 270 minutes total. You start at 09:15, and you return to Arequipa around 13:30, then get dropped near the Main Square.

There’s also an afternoon option: a 2:00 pm shift. If your morning is already packed with museums or markets, that afternoon departure can be a lifesaver.

Two timing notes from real-life experience worth considering:

• It’s a timed route with specific walking time inside the canyon, so wear shoes you trust.
• Language coverage is listed as English and Spanish, but there can be changes if the guide’s language availability shifts. One past experience noted the tour running only in Spanish because the English guide was sick, and the start moved back by about 30 minutes, leaving less time to enjoy everything fully.

That doesn’t mean you’ll have a problem. It just means you should plan with the understanding that this is a small, naturalistic outing with a schedule. Bring patience, arrive ready, and you’ll get a lot out of it.

What’s Included vs. What You Pay for at the Sites

The pricing is part of the appeal, but the real value comes from what’s included.

Included:

• Touristic transport (van)
• Professional guide

Not included:

• Entrance tickets to the places: 18 soles total

So your “budget reality” is: start with $11 per person, then plan for about 18 soles for site entry. If you like clean planning, bring enough cash for tickets. Also, if you’re comparing tours, make sure you compare apples to apples—this one already covers transport and guided time, so the remaining cost is mostly entry.

Is It Worth $11?

For a route that includes both a quarry visit (with working stonemasons) and a canyon walk (with petroglyphs and apachetas), $11 is a very reasonable entry point. The tour’s strength isn’t just the sights—it’s that you get an explanation that links them.

The only way it feels less worth it is if you show up expecting a full-day trek or a long hike. This is closer to a focused half-morning/half-day style experience: meaningful, but built for time.

Comfort, Shoes, and How to Prepare

You’re on a van for transfer time, and then you walk inside the canyon for about 20 minutes. The canyon is narrow with rising walls, so it’s not like a flat stroll in a park. You’ll want shoes with decent grip.

Also, because this is Arequipa and the route reaches viewpoints and higher areas, you should dress in layers. The tour includes outdoor breaks and photo stops, and conditions can change even when the schedule looks fixed.

One more practical point: the quarry and canyon stops involve looking at stone closely. You might want sunglasses if it’s bright, and you’ll probably appreciate having a small water bottle even if the tour doesn’t explicitly say there will be water provided.

Who Should Book This Tour

This is a great match if you:

• Want to understand where sillar comes from and see it where it’s made
• Like tours that mix craft and nature in a compact block of time
• Prefer short walks with clear payoffs (petroglyphs, apachetas, viewpoints)
• Are on a tighter schedule in Arequipa but still want more than city-center sightseeing

It may be less ideal if you:

• Are strictly looking for a long hike or heavy trekking day
• Get easily frustrated by schedule tightness or language changes if your guide’s availability shifts

Should You Book This Tour?

My take: if you want an honest, hands-on Arequipa experience in about 4 hours, book it. The route does what good tours should do: it connects the famous stone of the city to the landscapes and cultures that surrounded its creation and its use.

Choose it especially if you care about real context—seeing the quarry, meeting or learning from stonemasons, and then finishing with the Culebrillas canyon walk and Wari petroglyphs. For $11, plus the entrance fee, you get a surprisingly full mix.

Just go in with the right expectations: this is a focused outing with set timings. Bring comfortable shoes, keep some flexibility, and you’ll come away with a clearer picture of why Arequipa looks the way it does.

FAQ

How long is the Route of Sillar with Trek in Culebrillas tour?

The duration is listed as 270 minutes, which is about 4 hours.

Where do I meet for the tour?

The meeting point is at the main office on C. Álvarez Thomas 115.

What are the main stops on the tour?

You’ll visit the Sillar route areas including Añashuayco Quarry (Megacarving and stonemasons), then walk in Quebrada de Culebrillas where you can see Wari petroglyphs, and you also observe apachetas and viewpoints over the volcanoes and valley.

Is transport included?

Yes. Touristic transport is included.

What does the ticket cost, if anything?

Entrance tickets to the places are not included and are listed as 18 soles total.

What languages are offered on the tour?

The tour is available in English and Spanish.

What time does the tour run?

The morning schedule starts at 09:15 am, and there is also a 2:00 pm afternoon shift. You return to Arequipa around 13:30 on the morning schedule.

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