Pump to Colca Canyon and Arequipa
 

Hello, my husband and our 2 kids would like to take a bus from Puno to Colca Canyon and stay 2 nights, then drive to Arequipa for 2 nights.
I'd love suggestions as to the best way to travel and organise this. Should we take the 4m bus? is it best if we stay in Chivay and organise a driver via whichever hotel we stay at?
Does the bus from Puno leave every day?
thanks

*arr, tiltle should read Puno to Colca Canyon

4M Express goes every day,check their website for schedule. THey drop at hotels in Aqp, so why do you need a driver?

I've been having trouble with their website. Just wondered if I should take a driver from chivay to Arequipa? Or a driver around chivay?
Thanks

Is this the website you were looking at?

When I log on I see the information for the Chivay to Arequipa Route

http://www.4m-express.com/ruta_ca_en.htm

Once again, it's isn't mandatory to have a driver from Chivay to Arequipa as 4m does that route daily. The usual problem with getting someone to drive you from Chivay back to Arequipa is that it is quite a long drive and expensive (since you are basically paying for round trip transportation). I don't know how the price for four bus fares would compare, though.

You do need transportation from whatever hotel you are at, to the Condor viewing area, and between various sights within Colca Canyon.

If you have a hotel selected they should be able to set you up with tickets for the 4M bus as well as a tour of the valley. There are some taxis based in Colca Canyon (Chivay) but I would not count on them being available to drive you all the way to Condor Cross. I used them only for going between Yanque and Chivay.

I have probably given this information before. I stayed one night at Killawasi Lodge, which is in Yanque. Also stayed a night on the other side, at Mama Yacchi in connection with a tour set up by Giardino.

If you haven't booked 4-M online or using a travel agency, my hotels were also able to call 4-M and book the bus on my behalf. Most of them have a version of a travel desk.

Giardino is in Arequipa. They might be able to set you up with a 4 M express transfer from Puno to their hotel, and the next day to do their Colca Canyon day tour from Mama Yacchi and then take you back to Arequipa on their van.

It's worth asking, as I thought they were a nice compromise between a large bus and a private car.

Here is their contact link. Expect them to take a few days to get back to you.

http://giardinotours.com/contact/

PS the Puno travel agencies should be able to book you the 4M Express Puno to Chivay if you are having trouble with 4M's website.

Kazza3013, did you find the guide to take you for tour of the valley & Condor Cross?

We also are planning to take 4M Express Puno to Chivay and from Chivay to Arequipa. Per recommendation from TripAdvisor forum we contacted 4M bus directly via e-mail ([email protected], taken directly from their web site http://www.4m-express.com), and asked for the best price for our tickets. They responded and offered a pretty good discount.

Travfirst, we don't go until September :)
I have contacted the hotel we are booked into in Puno and they will help me book the tickets upon arrival, I think $35 each. can I ask what price you got?
We haven't got a tour organized of the canyon, thought I'd do that on arrival. Do you have a recommendation? We are staying at the Kilawasi lodge, they'll probably be able to give me info.

I would ask Killawasi Lodge now how to arrange that tour for the Condor Cross. Chivay is not yet (I don't think) like Cusco with travel agencies on every corner.

Killawasi does a free afternoon hike, you can just go down to see the Colcas (interesting) or down, up to Uyu Uyu, down again (to the hot springs) and up again! Coming from Arequipa I was pretty tired doing the whole thing. If you are coming from Puno you should be better acclimated.

mlgb and Kazza3013, we booked Kilawasi lodge package.
Due to the limited time we'll have at Chivay/Yanque and difficulty to find reliable tour operators we decided it's the safest option.

The 4M Express for both segments (Puno-Chivay and Chivay-Arequipa) costs $85 pp; they offered us a 25% discount.

Kazza I think $35 is the fare for Puno to Arequipa, not to Chivay. Puno to Arequipa has more competition and is a straight shot.

Migb, this is the price the hotel quoted from puno to Chivay.... Someone on TA said the hotel could get discount fares.
Anyway, will find out when we get there.

Oh right, not both legs then. You still need Chivay to Arequipa.