Best Time to Visit Arequipa

Two seasons: wet summer, dry winter

Arequipa has a simple year. From January to March it's the rainy season. Expect cloudy mornings and afternoon showers, mostly on about 7 to 10 days a month. February is the wettest month. The rain rarely ruins a day, but views of the volcano Misti can disappear behind cloud.

From April to November it's dry and sunny. June to August is the driest stretch, with almost no rain at all. Days stay warm at around 25°C, but nights get properly cold, down to about 9°C. December is a short in-between month, with showers starting to return.

Which month suits which trip

Hiking is best from May to September. Skies are clear, and the Colca Canyon (a huge canyon about a day's trip away) looks its sharpest. Mornings there are chilly, so dress for them. If you want to climb Misti or Chachani, this is also your window.

Want a city break with warm evenings? Try October or November. It's the hottest part of the year, still dry, and the white stone buildings of the old centre glow in the late light. Sit on a terrace on the Plaza de Armas and watch it happen.

Don't mind a bit of rain? January to March works fine. You'll get cheaper rooms and quieter streets. Spend wet afternoons in the Santa Catalina Monastery or the Museo Santuarios Andinos, home of the Inca mummy known as Juanita.

Crowds and festivals

High season runs from June to September, when the weather is best and many visitors pass through. July and August are the busiest, with Peruvian school holidays adding local crowds. Colca tours fill up fast then, and you'll often share the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint with many others. Condors are most active in the morning.

The big date is 15 August, the city's anniversary. Expect parades, fireworks and dancing around the Plaza de Armas. It's lively and fun, but rooms get scarce, so arrive with a bed already sorted. Carnival in February brings water fights and street parties, and it falls in the rainy season, so you may get wet twice. Easter Holy Week in April has solemn processions through the centre.

Visiting in April, May or October? You'll get sunny skies without the peak-season rush.