Free Walking Tour Arequipa: Santa Catalina and Yanahuara

From the founding square into the Santa Catalina monastery, out to the Yanahuara viewpoint and back through the sillar churches of the centre.

9 Stops 5.5 km ~1 h 17 min walking
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Route map for the Arequipa walking tour
Stop 1 of 9
480 m·6 min
Plaza de Armas de Arequipa
Head north toward the Monasterio de Santa Catalina
Hola, welcome to Arequipa. I'm Alex, and behind one plain wall lies a city that women kept apart for centuries.
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What You Walk Through in Arequipa

Nine stops from the Plaza de Armas de Arequipa to the Museo Santuarios Andinos: 5.5 km with 1 h 17 min of pure walking. With the interiors that reward a visit, plan on about six and a half hours.

The plaza, the viewpoint, the Casa Tristán del Pozo and the Mercado San Camilo are free. Tickets apply to the Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena, the San Francisco and cathedral museums, the San Ignacio chapel and the Museo Santuarios Andinos. Route, map and GPS navigation are free in your browser; the AI Tour Guide is optional.

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This short shows highlights of the route. All 9 stops follow below.

The Route

Walking Map of Arequipa from the Plaza de Armas to Yanahuara and MUSA

9 stops 5.5 km 1 h 17 min walking
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The 9 stops along this route

  1. Plaza de Armas de Arequipa, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Plaza de Armas de Arequipa
  2. Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena in Arequipa, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena
  3. Mirador de Yanahuara in Arequipa, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Mirador de Yanahuara
  4. Basílica y Convento de San Francisco de Arequipa, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Basílica y Convento de San Francisco de Arequipa
  5. Catedral de Arequipa, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Catedral de Arequipa
  6. Casa Tristán del Pozo in Arequipa, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6Casa Tristán del Pozo
  7. Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús in Arequipa, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús
  8. Mercado San Camilo in Arequipa, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8Mercado San Camilo
  9. Museo Santuarios Andinos in Arequipa, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour
    9Museo Santuarios Andinos
  10. That's the full route.

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Your Arequipa Walking Tour, Stop by Stop through Sillar Churches and Cloisters

  1. 1

    Plaza de Armas de Arequipa

    Plaza de Armas de Arequipa, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour

    This is where Arequipa was founded, and the square still frames the city's main buildings. The Catedral de Arequipa fills the north side; arcades line the others, the Portal de San Agustín to the east, the Portal de la Municipalidad to the southeast and the Portal de Las Flores to the west. The Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús stands at the southeast corner, the church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced to the southwest, and a bronze fountain marks the centre.

    The plaza is free and open around the clock, so there is nothing to buy here. Take ten minutes to get your bearings: you will come back later for the cathedral and the Compañía, so for now just note where they are.

    From the plaza it is 480 m, about 7 min, to Santa Catalina. Starting early means you reach the monastery right as its doors open.

    Hours
    Open 24/7
    Price
    Free (public square/plaza)
  2. 2

    Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena

    Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena in Arequipa, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena, also called the Convento de Santa Catalina, is a religious complex in the historic centre that you visit as a whole, not as a single church. Its walls hide an enclosed world, and that is why it deserves unhurried time rather than a quick look.

    It is also the biggest single cost of the day. If religious history and wandering through a self-contained complex appeal to you, go in early and allow around an hour and a half. If your budget is tight, the free stops carry the walk well without it.

    Now comes the longest leg of the route: 1,730 m, about 25 min, out of the centre and uphill to Yanahuara. On the way you cross the river on the Puente Grau.

    Hours
    Daily 09:00–17:00, Tue–Wed 09:00–20:00; closed Dec 25, Jan 1
    Price
    S/ 50 regular adult (foreign and Peruvian); S/ 30 foreigners 7-18 and Peruvian seniors; S/ 20 Peruvian university students; S/ 6 Peruvian school students; free under 7. Peruvian promotional days (10th & last Sunday of month): S/ 20 adult, S/ 5 school students
  3. 3

    Mirador de Yanahuara

    Mirador de Yanahuara in Arequipa, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour

    Yanahuara is more than a viewpoint in a suburb. It is one of the province's oldest districts in its own right, formally recognised in 1870, with its own plaza. The mirador is an open-air terrace looking over the city with the volcanoes rising behind it, and it is the one place on the route where you see the whole of what you have been walking through.

    It is free and open around the clock, so there is no ticket and no clock to watch. A municipal tourist office sits on the plaza, handy if you want a paper map or a question answered in person.

    The walk back to San Francisco is 1,570 m, about 22 min. Once you are there, the two long legs are behind you and the remaining stops follow in short hops.

    Hours
    Open 24/7
    Price
    Free (open-air public viewpoint/mirador)
  4. 4

    Basílica y Convento de San Francisco de Arequipa

    Basílica y Convento de San Francisco de Arequipa, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour

    San Francisco was founded in 1552 on land donated by Don Lucas Martínez Begazo, with Fray Alonso Rincón in charge of construction; in 1569 the architect Gaspar Báez drew up the building plan. Look for the walls of sillar, the brick vault over a single nave and the mestizo style that mixes European forms with local craftsmanship. The complex opened to the public in 1978.

    The church is free for worship, while the convent and museum charge admission. If you arrive near midday, half an hour in the museum is enough for a look; if you are interested in convent life, give it more time.

    From here it is 370 m, about 5 min, back to the Plaza de Armas and its cathedral.

    Hours
    Museum/Convent: Mon–Sat 09:00–12:30 & 15:00–18:00; Church: Mon–Sat 07:00–12:00 & 15:00–18:00
    Price
    S/ 10 adults, S/ 5 students, S/ 3 children for Convento/Museo; free church access for worship
  5. 5

    Catedral de Arequipa

    Catedral de Arequipa, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Catedral de Arequipa, also known as the Basilica Cathedral, closes off the north side of the plaza and counts among the first religious monuments of the 17th century in the city. Seen from the square, it is the building that gives the plaza its scale.

    When you go inside matters here. The basilica opens for mass and is free for prayer. During the day the way in is the Museo de la Catedral, which charges admission. Worth it if you want to see the interior at midday without waiting for evening mass.

    The next stop is just 40 m away, about 1 min on foot.

    Hours
    Museum: Mon–Sat 10:00–16:15, Sun closed; Basilica: daily 07:00–10:00 & 17:00–19:00 for mass
    Price
    S/ 10 adults, S/ 5 students for Museo de la Catedral; free basilica access for prayer/mass
  6. 6

    Casa Tristán del Pozo

    Casa Tristán del Pozo in Arequipa, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Casa Tristán del Pozo is a colonial mansion, and the reason to stop is its façade. Many architecture scholars see the pediment above the entrance as the finest example of the ornamentation typical of Arequipa, so take a moment in front of it before you step in.

    Entry is free, and since it sits right next to the cathedral, a quick look inside fits into any version of the walk.

    The Compañía is 230 m away, about 3 min.

    Hours
    Monday–Friday 09:00–18:00; Saturday 09:00–13:00.
    Price
    Free
  7. 7

    Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús

    Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús in Arequipa, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Jesuits built this church between the Portal de la Municipalidad and the Portal de Flores, and it is one of the outstanding examples of what is called Andean baroque. Inside, carved wooden altarpieces are covered in gold leaf; the cloisters date from the 18th century.

    The highlight is in the sacristy: the Capilla de San Ignacio, with polychrome murals of tropical plants and animals, which has its own small ticket. It is easy to recommend to anyone curious about how local painters reworked church art. The church itself is free for worship.

    From the Compañía it is 500 m, about 7 min, to the San Camilo market.

    Hours
    Tourist visits: daily 08:30–11:30 & 13:00–16:30 (first Friday of month: 08:30–11:00 & 13:00–16:30); Masses: daily 12:00, 17:00, 18:00
    Price
    Free church access for worship; S/ 5 for Capilla de San Ignacio
  8. 8

    Mercado San Camilo

    Mercado San Camilo in Arequipa, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Mercado San Camilo fills a whole block between Calle San Camilo, Calle Perú, Calle Piérola and Calle Alto de la Luna. The building opened in 1938 and was declared a historic monument in 1987, so you walk into a protected piece of the city's everyday life rather than a tourist attraction.

    Entry is free. After a morning of churches and cloisters, half an hour among the stalls is a change of pace.

    The last leg is 600 m, about 8 min, passing the Palacio de Goyeneche, another colonial mansion, on the way to the MUSA.

    Hours
    Mon–Sat 06:00–18:00, Sun 06:00–13:00
    Price
    Free
  9. 9

    Museo Santuarios Andinos

    Museo Santuarios Andinos in Arequipa, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Museo Santuarios Andinos, known as MUSA, is an archaeological museum founded on 5 December 1996. After a day of colonial Arequipa it turns your attention to the Andes and the world before the Spanish arrived, a fitting counterweight at the end of the route.

    The museum charges admission, with reduced tickets for seniors and students. Worth an hour if archaeology interests you; if not, the route ends just as well at its door.

    This is the end of the walk. If you want to return to the Plaza de Armas, the GPS navigation in your browser leads you back.

    Hours
    Mon–Sat: 09:00–18:00 | Sun: Closed
    Price
    S/20 (adult promotional; senior S/15, university S/12, school S/6)
Walking tour route map of Arequipa Route loaded
Plaza de Armas de ArequipaMonasterio de Santa Catalina de SienaMirador de YanahuaraBasílica y Convento de San Francisco de Arequipa+5
All 9 stops are already on the map.
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AI Tour Guide

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Press start wherever you are, even hundreds of kilometres from Arequipa, and the guide begins telling its stories right away. In the city, pick any of the 9 stops to start from: it leads you there, then talks with you the whole route, asking, listening, remembering, and shaping the tour around your answers.

9stops 5.5km 1 h 17 minwalking 13languages
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Shorter Ways to Walk Arequipa

Not every day has room for the full route. These three cuts keep the order of the walk and differ in distance and in how much you pay at the doors.

Monastery and viewpoint morning

Stops: 1, 2, 3

For a first morning in town: the founding square, Santa Catalina and the climb to Yanahuara. 2,210 m and 32 min of walking; the only ticket is Santa Catalina.

Churches and museums around the centre

Stops: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

For anyone who skips the long walk out to Yanahuara: San Francisco to MUSA in short hops, 1,740 m and 24 min of walking. If you go in everywhere, you pay entry at the convent museum, the cathedral museum, the San Ignacio chapel and the MUSA; the Casa Tristán del Pozo and the market are free.

The whole route without a single ticket

Stops: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

For a tight budget: all nine stops from the outside, plus the free Casa Tristán del Pozo, the market and the churches during worship. 5.5 km and 1 h 17 min of walking, no entry fees at all.

How Long Does This Arequipa Tour Take with Tickets and Without?

The order is built around the interiors. Start at 09:00 on the plaza, reach Santa Catalina at about 09:20 and give it an hour and a half. Leave around 10:50, stand on the Yanahuara terrace at about 11:15, and arrive at San Francisco just before 12:00 for half an hour in the convent museum. The cathedral museum follows from about 12:35, the Casa Tristán del Pozo just after 13:00, and the Compañía at about 13:25. The market comes at about 13:50 and the MUSA from about 14:30; after an hour there you are done at around 15:30.

The two legs to and from Yanahuara make up more than half of the walking. After San Francisco the stops sit a few minutes apart, so the afternoon is mostly about time indoors. The monastery and viewpoint morning takes about 2 h 40 min with Santa Catalina; the churches and museums cut runs to about three and a half hours with every interior; the ticket-free version also takes around three and a half hours if you linger at each stop.

Before You Set Off in Arequipa

  • Start and finish: The recommended start is the Plaza de Armas de Arequipa, but you can join at any stop. The walk ends at the Museo Santuarios Andinos, and the GPS navigation in your browser leads you back to the plaza if you want.
  • Best day and time: Walk on a weekday and start at 09:00, since not every interior on the route is open every day.
  • Costs: Walking, the map and the GPS route are free; you pay entry in soles only where you go inside. The AI Tour Guide starts with 100 free credits, after that you choose between this tour all-inclusive for €19.99 with no time limit or credits at €5 per hour.
  • Navigation: Open the route in your browser; the GPS navigation guides you from one stop to the next, including the longer legs out to Yanahuara and back.
Walking tour route map of Arequipa
AI Tour Guide

Your guide is ready whenever you reach the Plaza

Press start and a voice AI Tour Guide takes it from here: leading the route through Arequipa, telling the stories, and turning your walk into a real back-and-forth conversation. No app or download is needed; it runs in your browser.

9stops 5.5km 1 h 17 minwalking 13languages
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What the AI Tour Guide Adds on the Way to Yanahuara

Most of the walking on this route happens on the two long legs to Yanahuara and back, and that is where the AI Tour Guide earns its place: it greets you on the plaza, tells the stories of the monastery and the churches while you walk, asks what drew you to Arequipa and remembers it. If you lean towards colonial houses it lingers there; if the archaeology of the MUSA is your reason to come, it builds towards that. You can ask what sillar actually is or why the Jesuits built so lavishly here, and you can interrupt it whenever you like.

A Real Conversation A voice AI Tour Guide greets you, leads the whole route, and tells the stories and facts as you walk, asking what you want to see and keeping a real conversation going. Not a recording you press play on.
Map Navigation Follow the route on the map and walk at your own pace. You choose where to start and when to move to the next stop.
Ask Anything Curious about a building you pass? Ask your AI Tour Guide on the spot and the conversation carries on.
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Common Questions Before Walking Arequipa

When is the best time of day for Santa Catalina?

Early, as the route suggests. Going in at the start of the walk gives you around an hour and a half in the complex and leaves the rest of the day for Yanahuara and the centre.

Can I do the walk on any day of the week?

Yes. The plaza, the Yanahuara viewpoint and the façades of every stop are always there to see, and the cathedral basilica opens for mass. Not every interior is open every day, though, so a weekday lets you go inside more stops.

Which stops charge admission?

Santa Catalina, the San Francisco convent museum, the cathedral museum, the San Ignacio chapel and the MUSA charge entry, with Santa Catalina by far the biggest ticket. The Casa Tristán del Pozo and the market are free.

Where can I walk next after Arequipa?

If you travel on to Lake Titicaca, there is a self-guided route in Puno, and further north one in Cusco.

Is the tour really free?

Yes. The whole tour is free: the route, the interactive map and the navigation cost you nothing. Only the voice AI Tour Guide is optional and paid: you test it with 100 free credits, then you pay either €5 per hour or €19.99 for this whole tour, with no time limit. Admission to 2 of the 9 stops is not included: Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena and Museo Santuarios Andinos charge their own entry fees.

Do I need to download an app?

No. Everything runs in your phone browser. Open the route and start walking, no download and no sign-up required.

Do I need to book the walking tour in advance?

No booking needed. This self-guided tour is available anytime. Open the route in your browser and start walking. The AI Tour Guide works instantly, no app, no reservation required.

What languages is the AI Tour Guide available in?

The AI Tour Guide speaks 13 languages, so you take the tour in your own language and can switch at any time.

Can I skip stops or change the route?

Yes. Skip any stop, spend extra time at places you like, or start the route from any point. It is your walk, you set the pace.
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