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Sillar Route and Culebrillas Petroglyphs: Explore Volcanic Stone Quarries and Ancient Artworks
4.5
82 Ratings
Arequipa
The Sillar Route encompasses a vast expanse of sillar, a type of volcanic stone, which carves out magnificent ravines akin to those found in Petra, Jordan. It’s a place where one can witness petroglyphs and understand the method used for quarrying the rocks.
The Sillar Route encompasses a vast expanse of sillar, a type of volcanic stone, which carves out magnificent ravines akin to those found in Petra, Jordan. It’s a place where one can witness petroglyphs and understand the method used for quarrying the rocks.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Yanahuara - Our adventure begins with pickup at your hotel and then transfer to the traditional town of Yanahuara, very notable for its ashlar arches, a white volcanic stone typical of colonial architecture in Arequipa. This viewpoint provides an exceptional view of the city of Arequipa. Likewise, from there we can admire the three most famous…
- Yanahuara - Our adventure begins with pickup at your hotel and then transfer to the traditional town of Yanahuara, very notable for its ashlar arches, a white volcanic stone typical of colonial architecture in Arequipa. This viewpoint provides an exceptional view of the city of Arequipa. Likewise, from there we can admire the three most famous snow-capped mountains in the region: Chachani, Pichu Picchu and Misti.
- Canteras de Sillar - Near the city of Arequipa is one of the most impressive natural landscapes you can imagine. It is a treasure for the Arequipeño people from where the iconic sillar (the white volcanic stone used in the colonial constructions of Arequipa) is extracted. The builders explain their work techniques and the uses of volcanic stone in the same place.
- Quebrada de Culebrillas - After a guided tour of the quarry area and observing the artisanal work of this stone, we will continue our visit to the serpentine ravine of Culebrillas, located 15 minutes from the Añashuayco quarry, we will begin our walk of about 20 minutes, Culebrillas It is an impressive area that stands out for its curvilinear formations full of charm and magic (the walk is a bit bumpy) we will observe some petroglyphs impregnated on the walls of the ravine. We will climb a slope for about 5 minutes. At the end we will observe the Apachetas, stone mounds that represent a mystical tradition for the local residents.
We will embark on mobility, the return takes approximately 40 minutes to reach the city center.
What's Included
- Group tour
- Certified guide
- Admission to Culebrillas (S/5.00)
- Entrance to Añashuayco (S/5.00)
- Group tour
- Certified guide
- Admission to Culebrillas (S/5.00)
- Entrance to Añashuayco (S/5.00)
What's Not Included
- Extra expenses.
- Extra expenses.
Additional Information
- It is not recommended for older adults (in the Culebrillas canyon there is a hike and it is a bit rugged)
- One day before, our staff will provide you with recommendations.
- Not recommended for travelers with dust allergy.
- It is not recommended for older adults (in the Culebrillas canyon there is a hike and it is a bit rugged)
- One day before, our staff will provide you with recommendations.
- Not recommended for travelers with dust allergy.
Location
Yanahuara
Suburb of Arequipa ,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(82 Ratings)
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Amanda_m
Oct 14, 2025
Overall a worthwhile... - Overall a worthwhile tour. The guide Mike was very informative and kind. He spoke English and Spanish very well. The bus was comfortable and it was an interesting place to visit.
Review provided by Viator
Lee_o
Oct 13, 2025
Excellent value for money - This tour is a great way to see the Sillar route, and was the best value tour we did all trip. Communication was great beforehand, the driver was very conscientious the whole time (seatbelts and breakglass hammers on the minibus too), our guide Tony was entertaining and knowledgeable and the tour flowed really well. A couple of things to note, we took facemasks because of the dust and were very glad we did as other people were choking a bit, and the Sillar route itself is moderately challenging, especially for older people.
Review provided by Viator
Lanaras2019
Aug 11, 2025
Excellent experience, I recommend! - The tour is excellent, the quarry is anchored and the canyon with the petrogrifles for me was the highlight.
Our guide Alexandra was wonderful. she explains everything very well about everything from arequipa not just the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tony
Jul 15, 2025
Fun trip - It was a fun family trip.
Kids love it .
For Culebrillas bring mosquito repellent.
Otherwise it was a quick and fun trip..
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Johanna_r
Sep 18, 2025
It’s part of Arequipa tradition-building blocks, worthwhile to see - Easy way to visit the Sillar quarry and all the carvings, including another canyon and a quick stop at sunset. 12 passengers in the transit bus was good. I’m impressed with people who speak more than one language and our guide did this, and gave good information. I would offer one helpful tip- speak slower when using English, did well but slower allows for an even easier and better experience. Thanks ☺️
Review provided by Viator
Byron2204
Aug 28, 2025
A nice place to start your visit to Arequipa - The tour was, well all on time, the guides um uncharismatic, normal like any other company
Review provided by Viator
Pco
Aug 10, 2025
Interesting Place - This is an interesting place jazzed up a little into a tourist attraction but worth a couple of hours of your time in Arequipa. Book with a local operator, there's loads.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Isabella_d
Jul 27, 2025
Superficial, not very informative, but fun - The canteras de sillar felt extremely touristy and superficial. There felt as if there was no history or cultural significance of anything during the tour. Or at least it was not explained during the tour. The second stop in the serpentine pass was fun with interesting views and some history of the pietroglyphs. However, the entirety of the tour was very superficial. The tour guide however was fun and kind.
Also, the car ride felt extremely unsafe, considering I was placed in the middle seat of the front row (next to the driver) with no seatbelt. We went on the highway at high speeds, and had the driver slammed on the breaks, I would have died on the spot. Despite the driver being skilled and a good driver, the fact that I did not have a seatbelt was absolutely terrifying!
Review provided by Viator
Weberni2
Aug 8, 2025
Not the Right Tour Operator for Families - I really wanted to enjoy this excursion, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to expectations. The main issue was the tour guide. The tour was conducted in both English and Spanish, but the guide rushed through the Spanish part at lightning speed, only to repeat it in broken, hard-to-understand English. She spoke so quickly that it was nearly impossible to follow what she was saying. My girls were frustrated, and honestly, it was one of the worst tours we’ve ever taken.
On the plus side, the places we visited were amazing. My girls had a blast climbing on the sculptures and taking photos. However, I wouldn’t recommend this tour operator. They packed way too many people into a tiny vehicle, which felt cramped and unsafe. The air circulation was poor, and the bumpy roads made everyone feel nauseous.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debra_m
Sep 24, 2025
You get what you pay for and in this case it was even less - Unfortunately, this was the worst tour we have ever taken through Viator. Let’s start with the tour guide Tony. While a nice guy, his English is so subpar we hardly understood anything. He spoke very fast and loud which made it worse. As a result, we did not understand explanations, specifically directions on where and when to meet after visiting a specific site. It was totally confusing and unorganized. At 2 of the 3 stops there was little to no explanations at all.
Let’s move on to the driver. His driving was erratic and unsafe. He went extremely fast when he could, down poorly pave roads, jumping curbs and cutting around speed bumps.
Now let’s talk about the van itself. It was full to capacity, and the air conditioning did not work. There were only two windows in the back of the van that opened, but we couldn’t open them because the roads were so dusty and dirty, so we had to keep them closed. It was totally unpleasant.
Finally, let’s talk about the sites we visited. For the most part they were a waist of time. The quarry area was ok but, dusty and hot, and there was really no explanation. We were just left there for an hour to wander. The Sillar hike was the best part but, we could not understand tony’s explanations. While I can’t blame the tour operator for the final problem which was two selfish guests who delayed the tour by about 20 minutes, but as a result of this, we did not get to the final stop a look out, until after 6pm and it was to late to see all of the volcanoes due to the night haze.
While this tour was very inexpensive, it was totally not worth our time. We were frustrated and we were uncomfortable for over 4 hours. You can get to all these places via the hop on hop on bus. So forget this tour.
Review provided by Viator
