Where to Stay in Arequipa, Peru
Budget to Luxury

June 28, 2025
No Comments

Arequipa is known as the gateway to the Colca Cayon, but the so-called “White City” is well worth a visit itself. From beautiful architecture in the white volcanic stone to the history of Alpaca textiles, the city has a lot on offer. If you are planning your trip, here are my accommodation recommendations at different price points in Arequipa.

We arrived in Arequipa from Lake Titicaca with severe altitude sickness from the previous Uyuni Tour. Recovery had been slow and we were advised to go lower, hence we decided to book quite a few nights in Arequipa which lays at 2300m (which is low after the 4000m we were previously at).

Before arriving in Arequipa, I hadn’t heard much of the city that locals refer to as “La Ciudad Blanca” – the White City. In the end, I think I spent over a week here to fully recover from altitude sickness and got to know the city well. It’s a beautiful city with lots of history and great restaurants and bars.

Here are the hostels and hotels I would recommend in Arequipa:

Table of Contents

Where to stay in Arequipa, Peru for any traveller:

Arequipa is a very walkable city. For safety reasons, I would recommend to stay in the city centre, anywhere near the Plaza de Armas is great. Overall, accommodation is super affordable in Arequipa and there are some great places:

Affordable hostels in Arequipa:

LOS ANDES BED & BREAKFAST – I stayed in this hostel and it has a nice female dorm and very budget-friendly single and twin rooms. The location is great and breakfast is included too, plus they let me store my bags during my Colca Canyon Tour.

Viajero Arequipa – Viajero is a chain of hostels in Peru and all the ones I have stayed in have been great. They have some of the highest reviews in Arequipa and really nice dorms.

Lonko Hostel Arequipa – Great hostel near the centre with lovely staff and breakfast included. The dorms come with curtains and are super affordable.

Hotels at different price points in Arequipa:

$ Hotel Terrazas del Sol – Close to the central plaza, this hotel is super affordable with lovely staff and nice rooms.

$-$$ Hotel Casona Solar – Very central hotel at a great price point – staff will even pack breakfast to go for early departures.

$$ Palla Boutique Hotel – Lovely, central hotel with a rooftop pool and other amenities.

$$ Hampton by Hilton Arequipa – A good blend of luxury and fair price, this hotel has nice rooms and even a heated outdoor whirlpool.

$$$ Casa Andina Premium Cusco – A stunning hotel with beautiful rooms and great service.

$$$ CIRQA – Relais & Châteaux – If you are after true luxury, this is the hotel for you!

How to get to Arequipa?

If you are flying from abroad, all international flights to Peru first land in Lima, which has Peru’s only international airport. See all my Lima guides here.

From Lima, you can either get another flight to Arequipa airport or get an overnight bus. Here is everything you need to know about Peru’s bus travel: Ultimate Guide to Travelling Peru by Bus. The bus costs about $30 and flights go from around $50. You can check for the cheapest flights here.

From both the airport and the bus terminal (which is around 15 minutes out of Arequipa), it is best to take a Taxi into town. You can use Uber or the cheaper local alternative called InDrive, but you need cash for that one. Both are super affordable and you will pay less than $10 for the ride.

If coming from Lake Titicaca or Puno, I’d recommend taking a bus. Cruz del Sur is a great option, though we just took the cheapest bus company they offered at the terminal and it was fine. The journey time is about 6-7 hours.

How many days do you need in Arequipa?

I would recommend 2-3 day in Arequipa without the Colca Canyon – this will add another 1-2 days, but I’d highly recommend the 2 day tours to make the most of the trip.