Arequipa has some excellent and affordable accommodation options. Whether you’re a student, couple, solo traveler, or traveling with a group, you’re sure to spot a hostel or guesthouse that certainly meets your needs. Top 5 hostels in Arequipa 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The 5 Best Party Hostels in Arequipa How is Arequipa’s Nightlife? There […]
By Lizzy
Arequipa has some excellent and affordable accommodation options. Whether you’re a student, couple, solo traveler, or traveling with a group, you’re sure to spot a hostel or guesthouse that certainly meets your needs.
Top 5 hostels in Arequipa
- 1. Wild Rover party hostel
- 2. Le Foyer Hostel Arequipa
- 3. Econunay
- 4. Friendly AQP
- 5. Marlon’s House in Arequipa
The 5 Best Party Hostels in Arequipa
Wild Rover party hostel
Price: $8
No doubt that Wild Rover party hostel is the best party hostel in Arequipa. The hostel is social, has a bar and a restaurant and you can find pretty much anything you want here if you’re into a great party. The hostel is reasonably priced, offers breakfast options (check with your booking if the breakfast is included or not). They offer great tours that you can book with the hostel directly Read more..
- offers everything you need. Definite #1 for Arequipa.
Le Foyer Hostel Arequipa
Price: $10
Le Foyer Hostel Arequipa is a favorite among budget travelers to Arequipa. It’s also recommended by several guidebooks and has been around for several years. The hostel is found between two blocks from the main square and is in a strategic and stunning part of the city. It’s also a few minutes’ walk away from Santa Catalina Monastery.
The hostel’s staff are accommodating and friendly. They’re available all day and can recommend the best restaurants, activities, or tours. They can also help you book trips such as river rafting, trekking at Colca Canyon, and more.
The hostel has standard amenities, including Wi-Fi, a lovely outdoor terrace, a barbecue, plasma television, a book exchange, movies, and board games.
Also, twin, double, triple, and quad private rooms are available as are four-bed dorms. Read more..
- Very close to the attractions, friendly staff, and great amenities
Econunay
Price: $8.16 to $11.43
Econunay is another good choice with a lot to offer visitors. It’s walking distance to many museums, restaurants, and nightlife activities. There are also a lot of great amenities in the hostel, including board games and a large common area. The rooftop also offers a beautiful view of the city. It’s a nice setting where you can socialize with other travelers from across the globe, but it’s also peaceful, and you can be assured a good night’s sleep. But the hostel doesn’t allow outside alcohol.
The hostel has large rooms that are colorful and bright. Double and twin private rooms are also available, as are five and eight-bed dorms.
The staff at the hostel are very approachable and helpful too. They can answer any questions that you may have or make any restaurant recommendations. Read more..
- Great location, social atmosphere, and lots of room options
Friendly AQP
Price: $5.55 to $8.16
Read more.. is a family-run hostel that is located about four blocks from Plaza de Armas (the main square). It’s located in a charming home in the quiet residential neighborhood of Vallecito. It is a safe area with popular routes to the main tourist attractions. Also, it is close to a grocery store and several banks, restaurants, and shops.
The hostel also has many great amenities for guests, such as free breakfast, a spacious common area, a full shared kitchen, an entertainment system, ping pong, and pool tables, and much more. There’s a large garden where you can chill out outside on hammocks or at a table. There’s also a terrace where you will have fantastic views of Misti and Chachani volcanoes. The in-house travel agency can help you book group trips to numerous attractions such as Colca Canyon or the surrounding volcanoes.
Also, twin, double, and triple private rooms are available as well as four, six, and eight-bed dorms. Read more..
- Great amenities, helpful staff, and convenient location
Marlon’s House in Arequipa
Price: $5.8 to $7.5
Marlon’s House in Arequipa is situated in old San Lazaro Barrio. It’s also a few blocks from San Francisco Plaza and is three blocks away from the city’s main square. It’s also close to bars, restaurants, museums, pubs, and grocery stores. Also, the large city market is just around the corner.
The hostel is undoubtedly a friendly and welcoming place to stay with neat rooms and a beautiful courtyard. Aside from that, the hostel also a rooftop terrace where you can drink tea and enjoy the views of Arequipa. The staff can help you with any of your questions, and they can help arrange tours to any nearby sights and attractions. The most popular choices include jungle treks, city tours, and river rafting.
The hostel has a lot of rooms available that you can choose from, so in spite of your budget or preferences, you’re covered. There are singles, twins, doubles, triples, and quads, as well as five-bed dorms. Standard and deluxe rooms are also available with either shared or en-suite bathrooms. Read more..
- Convenient location, great tour options, and a wide range of amenities and room options.
How is Arequipa’s Nightlife?
There is a lively nightlife scene to be found in Arequipa, mainly around the old quarter. Locals and tourists party in the nightclubs, bars, and restaurants on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. These establishments are open during the week, and the mood is more mellow.
For live music, you should head to Las Quenas on Santa Catalina. This Pena bar and restaurant plays live Andean music throughout the week, and dance performances on the weekend nights. Many tourists head to La Troica on Jerusalen for folk music or El Tuturutu on Portal San Agustin for more Pena music.
Things are more lively times at La Lena at Zela 202, a pub with plenty of drinks and music, and Siwara on Santa Catalina, a beer tavern that features two patios in the building of the Santuarios Andinos museum. The Montreal Le Café Art on 300B Santa Catalina is another hot spot, with live music and happy hours.
You can step it up even further at Forum Rock Café at 317 San Francisco, a large establishment with a restaurant, concert hall, bar, and disco. Within the rainforest, the theme is canopy walkways, live rock bands, and a second-floor scenic view of the city. Kibosh at 205 Zela offers live music and a dance floor, with four bars, and at 319 San Francisco, Déjà Vu is popular with locals and tourists alike, thanks to its hopping dance floor, rooftop terrace, and English-language movies on a big screen.
The Best Bars and Clubs in Arequipa
1. Siwara
Right across the Santa Catalina monastery, in the Santuarios Andinos Museum, lies Siwara. This famous beer tavern is spread out across two patios and is known for its lively atmosphere and an extensive selection of beers. Aside from the vast selection of beers, it also offers an excellent cocktail menu and a full bar of distinct drinks. This bar is a favorite among both tourists and locals and gives free passes to the Kibosh.
2. Déjà Vu
Déjà Vu is situated in the old city of Arequipa. They are open as a restaurant by the day and turns into a popular nightclub at night. So, get ready to party until dawn. The restaurant has two floors, and the upstairs terrace offers a better view of the San Francisco Church. The music upstairs is usually electronic music, while the downstairs room tends toward classic pop songs and hosts live music occasionally.
3. Le Café Art Montreal
Not feeling large crowds, or do you want to dance until dawn? Well, Le Café Art Montreal is the perfect place for you! Found in the historic city center, it has an intimate atmosphere and a constant stream of live music. They offer an extensive menu of creative cocktails (be sure to try their happy hour from 5-11 pm for a great deal) and an international food menu that’s filling and tasty.
4. Farrens Irish Pub
Farrens Irish Pub is a standard sports pub where streaming live sports games on satellite televisions is one of the main draws. This pub is popular with tourists visiting the city because the atmosphere is very casual and friendly. Spread across two floors, the pub plays a pop and rock playlist, and has an extensive drinks menu to wash it all down with.
5. Kibosh Pub
Kibosh Pub is a famous nightclub in Arequipa, which is spread out between four distinct areas along with a large dance floor. Loud music, typically salsa and hard rock, plays through the night. Also, bright, colorful neon lights and smoke shows keep the party vibe going until dawn. They also offer a diverse cocktail menu.
About Arequipa
The city is part of the “Southern Peru Tourist Corridor,” along with Nazca, Puno, and Cusco. Compared to these other cities, Arequipa is an example of a city with purely Spanish and mestizo culture. So, there are no remnants of the Incas i
n the town.
It is also dubbed as the ‘white city’ (La Ciudad Blanca) as a lot of the buildings in the area are made from sillar, a stone with white pigments. This rock was quarried from the surrounding volcanoes, such as the towering El Misti. Ask for local help to know which peaks are Misti, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu, the three volcanoes surrounding the city.
Arequipa embodies a vibrant mix of native and Spanish colonial cultures. With almost 500 years of history since it was founded, a lot of buildings that followed colonial architecture trends can be found throughout the city center and several districts nearby. Due to the city’s rich culture and history, UNESCO has even declared it as a World Heritage site. Catholic churches are also scattered throughout the same area. The local authorities have also restored some ancient houses, and they serve as living museums. An example of this is the so-called “Tambos” located at Puente Bolognesi street.
Lizzy
Traveler & Blogger
Hi, I’m Lizzy! In the past 10 years I’ve travelled 60 countries and I’m still counting. While I was backpacking I could not find a website that provides valuable information about hostels. After months of thinking, doubting and brainstorming, hostelstobook.com was born.
I hope to make your trip easier, so you’d only stay in the best hostels around the globe. Do you have any questions? Don’t hesitate to send me a message.
Related Questions
The best places to party in Arequipa after a long day at work on a Monday is at La Casona Forum, Déjà vu, and Club Arequipa. Also, the clubs and bars listed above are open on weekdays, so you have a lot of options.
If you’re done exploring the city, you can always go back to Lima or go to other Peruvian cities like Huaraz, Markawasi, Mancora, Cusco, etc. But if you want to explore more countries in South America, you can head to hip cities like Buenos Aires, Santiago, Bogota, and Quito.
Spending two days in Arequipa will allow you to see most of the city’s sights, but if you’re looking to slow down and spend a few quiet days in a picturesque city, this is the best place to do it.
By far, the easiest way to reach Arequipa is by plane, 1 Rodríguez Ballón Airport ( 8 km from the city ). Peruvian Airlines, Lan, LC Perú, and Avianca fly from Cusco, Juliaca, and Lima. If you take a taxi from the airport to the Plaza de Armas, it will usually cost near the flat-rate of S/25 (soles).
For the most part, it is pretty easy to stay safe in Arequipa. As in other major Peruvian cities, there are always lots of police patrolling on foot as well in cars and on motorcycles. The most common type of crime is basic petty theft, and this can be easily prevented by not flaunting your valuables or your money.