Arequipa is one of those cities where the main work is just walking the colonial centre slowly, with frequent pauses for coffee and for views of the volcanoes. The main sights cluster within ten blocks of the Plaza de Armas. Beyond the centre, the Yanahuara mirador offers the postcard view of the city below El Misti, and the Sabandía mill and other colonial estates dot the irrigated valley of the Rio Chili.
Allow two days for the city and two more for Colca Canyon. The afternoon light on the sillar stone is the best time for photographs.