Southern Highlands
Arequipa
The White City
Days needed
2–3days
Late March
Excellent in late March
Cost / person
$150–300
Arequipa is the kind of stop that earns 2 to 3 days on a Peru itinerary — and late March is when you want to be there.
What to do
The list,
in no fixed order.
Santa Catalina Monastery (a city within a city).
Plaza de Armas.
Mirador de Yanahuara.
Juanita the Ice Maiden mummy.
Rocoto relleno and queso helado.
Logistics
Getting in, getting out.
How to get there
1.5 hr flight from Lima ($40–100) or 16 hr bus. At 2,300m it's gentler altitude prep than Cusco.
What the budget covers
Hotel ($40–90/night for mid-tier), meals, monastery entry (~S/40 / $11), city tour
Late March, here
“Rain shadow from Andes — drier than Cusco. Mild and pleasant.”
