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At a glance

Duration
11 days
Cost
£5395
Arrival Airport
Arequipa (AQP)
Grade
river grade
Air Temp
21°C (70F)
Water Temp
16°C (61F)
Camping
7 nights
Hotel
4 nights

Overview

White water rafting in Peru on the Rio Cotahuasi is our most exciting expedition to date, this is an adventure for experienced rafters looking for the ultimate white-water challenge. The Rio Cotahuasi is a relatively new white-water discovery; its first descent was not until 1994 and is surely one of the last remaining secrets in the rafting world. A remote river consisting of world-class rapids, spectacular campsites and unexplored archaeological ruins all set in a breathtakingly beautiful canyon, declared the “World’s Deepest Canyon”. This is not a trip for the faint-hearted. It begins high up on the Altiplano for a drive into the river, through remote villages and past spectacular volcanoes. We drive past the stunning Sipia Falls where it plunges into an impressive gorge. We challenge 120km of class IV and V rapids for 5 days interspersed with exploration of adjacent desert canyons and Pre-Inca ruins. Join us for this trip of a lifetime and be amongst the first ever to visit this incredible discovery. Other adventures with us in Peru include the multi activity trip, Ultimate Peru or the wildlife and wilderness adventure on the Rio Tambopata.

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Destination Map & Video

What you will be up to

1

Arrive Lima and fly onward to Arequipa. Hotel for the night.

Not included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

2

Relax and unwind from your journey in Arequipa. Explore this amazing city. Try the gorgeous Picantaria for your evening meal.

Included: Breakfast

3

Wholesome breakfast, drive the Pan American Highway to the quaint village of Cotahuasi. En route we get to view the amazing Coropuna Volcano.

Included: All meals

4

A gorgeous drive and walk to the point where we’ll put on the river tomorrow. We’ll pop into Velinga, a village where they produce excellent wine, as well as a stop off at the spectacular Sipia Falls. This afternoon we’ll spend outlining safety procedures with plenty of on water practice for our challenges ahead.

Included: All meals

5-9

Spend your next five days exploring 120 km of exhilarating Class IV and V white water. This is rapid upon rapid of full on excitement. You will have chances to walk up to Pre Inca ruins, trek up side canyons and visit small villages.

Included: All meals

10

A leisurely float to meet our take out vehicles at Iquipi, equipped with celebratory cold beers, possibly the best you will have ever tasted after such an invigorating trip. We then take to the road for the trip back to Arequipa

Included: All meals

11

Transfer to the airport and flight back to Lima to connect to your international flight or fly to Cusco for the Machu Picchu trip extension

Included: Breakfast

11 - Extension

Fly to Cuzco from Arequipa to spend the day exploring this fascinating town!

Included: Breakfast

12 - Extension

Take the early train up to the “Lost City Of The Incas”, and spend the day exploring this incredible ruin. Later on take the train back down to Cusco and return to the hotel.

Included: Breakfast and Lunch

13 - Extension

A day spent at leisure in Cusco, either exploring the secrets of the town or maybe something more energetic like a bit of mountain biking!

Included: Breakfast

14 - Extension

Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Lima and international flight from there.

Included: Breakfast

Speak to a WBN Advisor

UK +44 1709 802 203

USA +1 303 261 8896

Book Trip

Dates & Prices

DatesDuration
Saturday 24 May 2025 - Tuesday 3 June 202511 days£5395€6395$6795

In order to give you increased flexibility for your holiday please call our UK or US office’s for advice on who to book your flights with. Alternatively, why not use your frequent flyer miles for your adventure. Many airlines offer flights to Lima, such as Iberia from the UK or contact Trailfinders for your best flight options. Your trip starts and finishes in Arequipa however if you are doing the trip extension your flights should arrive into Arequipa and depart from Cusco. Many operators also offer flights from the US, but we suggest for the best deals check out Skyscanner.  If you need any help with flights, please dont hesitate to contact us. Alternatively we have teamed up with GYT who can provide you with a competitive flight quote by filling out this form on the Water By Nature website. Please ensure you DO NOT book your flights until your trip is CONFIRMED.
We have price and departure information about the following trips in Peru (river prices only – flights not included).

In order to secure your place pay your deposit of USD$1000 per person. See our Terms & Conditions for full payment terms.

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What you should bring

We find most of our clients have in their posession already what is needed for a river journey. We have broken down here the items into what you’ll need on the river and in camp. An equipment list of what you will require for your adventure will be sent to you prior to your departure.

River Fashion:

Download equipment file

Rio Cotahuasi River Rafting reviews

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5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars (based on 4 reviews)
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100% Fun.

4th March 2024

If you really want to see and do this is the one above all . I’ve done the Zambezi, the Karnali in Nepal and New Zealand, but this was my favorite.

mark wilkes

Breathtaking Peru

14th May 2019

A really good fun team , The rapids were fast’ n’ furious ….. perfect for me !! Probably the most challenging river I have done with Water By Nature. The people of Peru , I found very chilled and welcoming to us ‘foreigners’ .

The Amazon Jungle / rainforest ..… just …. completely takes your breath away . Butterflies the size of your hand, not forgetting Machu Picchu …. well worth I hike ! I found ,The Inca Trail is a breath-taking experience.

Richard Dutton

Fabulous river, world-class crew

7th July 2018

I recently returned from Peru where I participated in “Water by Nature’s” Rio Cotahuasi raft expedition, my second trip with this company (I did their long Zambezi River raft trip last fall). I can’t possibly say enough good things about the Cotahuasi in general or our team in particular. Julio was our leader, ably assisted by Santiago, Victor, and Victor. All four are world-class rafters, kayakers, chefs, and human beings. If all are not yet legends in this industry, they should be. The river is fabulous, difficult, beautiful, and remote. Fortunately, as the river became more complex, our skills, timing, and reactions improved as well. Starting out relatively easy, it steepened as our descent progressed–mostly class II on day 1, fairly solid class III on day 2, class III and IV on day 3, and lots of class IV and V on day 4. Day 5 started out with a bang in a rapid aptly named “High Side for Your Life”, but began to lose intensity as the valley finally widened—not flat water but lacking the sustained rapids we had encountered above. This is NOT a river for those who want to be passengers. The Cotahuasi has virtually no nice open channels. It is far more challenging and requires a much higher level of commitment. But you are rewarded at its conclusion by the sense of having truly accomplished something significant. You are also rewarded with beautiful scenery, wonderful food, and the company of great companions. I’d do it again in a minute!

Geoffrey Bleakley

Ready to take the next step

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