If you’re planning on adding the Colca Canyon to your Peru route, then it’s a good idea to know about the costs and logistics in advance - including whether it’s something that suits your travel budget.
We hiked the Colca Canyon without a guide over three days and two nights, and have shared all our spending and some essential planning tips below to help you better understand the costs of doing this popular multiday trek. The good news is that, at just over £40 / $54 / €48 per person for the three days, it’s a really great value adventure for travellers on all budgets! And, as some of you may only spend one night in the Canyon, it can be done for even less.
All Colca Canyon prices and costs are for two people (we travelled and hiked together, like on all our trips), and are typical for anyone doing the hike. Prices are primarily in Peruvian Soles, whilst exchange rates and prices were accurate at time of publication - please do let us know in the comments if any of these change significantly so we can keep it as relevant as possible for future hikers.
If you are just starting to plan for the Colca Canyon, then we’d recommend reading our Colca Canyon Trek Guide next.
TRANSPORT
In total, the beautiful but long round-trip from our hostel in Arequipa to Cabanaconde, via Chivay, involved three colectivos, one bus, and two Ubers.
It’s cheap to do, but does involve an early start and a little bit of advance planning. The good news is that our way doesn’t involve a ridiculous 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. start like others recommend.
Further reading | How to get to the Colca Canyon from Arequipa
S/.92 (£21 / $28 / €25)
COLCA CANYON TICKET
The hike isn’t free, and it’s necessary for everyone doing any section of it to purchase a Colca Canyon ticket. It isn’t possible to buy this in advance, and you can only pay with cash. We were told that there are checkpoints along the route, but we were actually never asked for a ticket
Because we were never asked, we also never had the opportunity to purchase a ticket, either before or during our hike (despite always having the required amount in our back pocket).
Whoops.
We don’t recommend trying to avoid buying the ticket though and paying your way is essential whether you are doing the trek for two days or three days.
Further Reading | How To Pick Your Colca Canyon Route
S/.70 (£16 / $22 / €19)
HIKING EQUIPMENT
As hiking was such a big part of our Peru trip, we already had all the right gear for the Colca Canyon.
You can read more about what you need to pack in our Colca Canyon packing post. If you aren’t taking certain items with you from home, then there are a few outdoors shops in Arequipa.
S/.0 (£0 / $0 / €0)
ACCOMMODATION
The guesthouses in the Colca Canyon are primarily found in San Juan de Chuccho, Sangalle, and LLahuar. Digs are basic but welcoming and comfortable after a long day on the dusty trails.
Over the two nights, we paid S/. 35 at Posada Roy’s for a private double with bathroom and then S/. 30 the next evening for a private double with shared bathroom in at Casa Virginia. These are typical prices, but you can also find some for cheaper.
We didn’t stay in dorms, but a bed costs S/. 10-15.
It’s worth mentioning that the hot springs at Llahuar are included in the price of your accommodation, but if you are only passing through for a dip, it costs S/. 15.
It’s possible to see more information, and make a reservation, at several of the most popular guesthouses here.
S/.65 (£15 / $20 / €17.5)
MEALS + SNACKS
We don’t like to hike with really full bellies, so this total cost only includes two dinners, a breakfast, a really basic lunch after the hike for both of us, and the food we carried/prepared on our own.
Dinners and breakfasts are served by your accommodation and charged in addition to your room cost: we paid S/. 15 each for a delicious dinner at Posada Roy and S/. 10 each for a more basic one on the last night at Llahuar. Vegetarian options are available. Breakfast cost S/. 8 per person.
We bought our hike snacks, sweets, and D.I.Y lunches from Arequipa - nuts, raisins, bananas, a few bars, and tuna sandwich ingredients - costing S/. 25 in total.
We should note that lunches are available at a few guest houses along the route, but we preferred to just make our own sandwiches rather than shape our route around being somewhere when we were hungry.
Further Reading | What to pack for the Colca Canyon Trek
S/.97 (£22.5 / $29.5 / €26)
DRINKS
Staying hydrated on the Colca Canyon is absolutely essential. To reduce our plastic usage when we travel, we always carry a travel filter water bottle (this one) which allows us to fill up from nearly any water source - we highly recommend them for your own trip.
However, as the heat got to us and the 7-hour climb on the last day really took its toll, we did have to buy several bottles of Gatorade (lifesavers, let us tell you) for S/.5 each and a large plastic bottle of water (S/. 5).
And, of course, a few cold beers at the end of each day’s hiking.
Guesthouses sell drinks, as do a few shops and people along the route. Prices vary but costs are, understandably, higher than you’ll find in towns and cities, with 1l bottle of water costing S/. 5-10 and beers also S/. 5-10.
