Museums and Galleries Tour (Self Guided), Arequipa

Situated just a few minutes walking distance from Piaza de Armas, the Archaeological Museum of the UNSA (National University of San Agustin) attracts visitors with its fascinating collections of archeological objects. The items on display have been found by university-sponsored archeological excavations conducted over the last 35 years. Inca textiles, ceramic pieces from the Inca and Huari, pottery, Pre-Columbian stone and metal objects, Mantos mosaics and the skeletal remains of Inca human sacrifice subjects, as well as valuable gold and silver jewelry are all beautifully displayed in this museum.

Museo Santuarios Andinos is one of the most popular museums in the city. The museum houses the famous Juanita mummy, whose story is full of tragedy and drama. Juanita was one of many children who were sacrificed by the Incas to please the God of the Mountains. She wasn’t just an ordinary girl but is believed to have been of royal blood. Here you can also see gold and silver pieces, traditional Peruvian textiles, intricate wood and stone carvings and other archeological artifacts found in the mountains surrounding the city.

The Archeological Museum of the University of Santa Maria is located a few blocks away from Piaza de Armas. The museum houses about 1,000 items belonging to different pre-Hispanic cultural groups such as the Acari, Wari, Nazca, Inca and others. Here you can view works of stone, metal and wood, as well as ceramics, textiles and mummies.

The "Casa del Moral" is a large ancestral house built around 1730. Favored by tourists, it is one of the best and well-preserved samples of baroque-mestizo civil architecture in Peru.

The name of the house derives from the emblematic presence of a centennial tree of "moras" in the center of the main patio of the large house. The Casa del Moral houses a collection of paintings from the "Escuela Cusqueña", a colonial art form. Its library contains more than 3,000 volumes, primarily hispanic literature. The recent restoration of the house was with the help of the Consul of England in Arequipa; the house is currently the property of the Peruvian bank Bancosur.

Housed in Arequipa's important Santa Catalina Monastery, Santa Catalina Gallery is one of the largest art galleries in the city. The gallery exhibits fabulous collections of Peruvian paintings, as well as Inca, Spanish and Amerindian art. It houses Arequipa's largest collection of religious paintings and is considered one of the most important galleries in the city.

Situated opposite San Francisco Church, Museo Histórico Municipal displays a variety of archeological pieces that have great historical value. The museum has several rooms with themed exhibits. These include the Pre-Hispanic Chamber that showcases objects belonging to the Wari Empire, the Vinatea Reynoso room that features satirical caricatures, and other rooms where you can view historic maps, traditional Peruvian artwork and other valuable artifacts.

Museum de la Recoleta is located inside the Monasterio de la Recoleta. The museum is hugely popular with both tourists and locals. In several rooms of the museum you can see old masks, mummies, bone and stone toys from pre-Hispanic times, as well as a variety of souvenirs that have been collected from missionaries' travels. There is also a unique collection of 18th-century furniture and religious relics. One room of the museum features animal specimens, including giant anteaters, anacondas, butterflies and various species of birds. The museum's library contains a large collection of more than 20,000 books divided into different topical sections, such as Anatomy, Philosophy, Astrology and History.