Colca Canyon

Sorry, reads like this is a day trip i am planning. would have to stay two nights in Arequipa.

You will find quite a number of posts with this kind of question.
There are mnay comfortable and safe bus lines that travel overnight from Cusco to Arequipa. It saves a lot of time and is good value in my view.
When you arrive in Arequipa, II find 1 day in the city enough for me. All around the square ate travel agents who sell these tours, opening until moderately late in the evening.. They just bundle people together, so don't feel they you really have to organise this before getting there.
The trips depart in the morning (so that would consume 1 of your proposed nights in Arequipa).
A day trip to Colca is very tough, leaving something like 3am and getting back late.
The 2 day trip is a much better idea, allowing time for the drive, and all the stop-and-see places.
To go down into the canyon for a period of time , you would really need 1 more night in Colca somwwhere.
Then you have to travel back to Arequipa - and hope thee are no delays in getting to the flight somewhere in the later afternoon/evening (or stay another night in Colca).
Travel takes time.

If you shared your bigger picture plans people can give better advice.
Are you locked in to flying from Cusco to La Paz (maybe you don't have the time to go from Arequipa by road, which would consume a few days)

A trip to Arequipa is an overnight trip. There are no international flights from Arequipa that I am aware of (to La Paz, Bogota). You can visit the Colca Canyon and go to the Mirador (view Condors) on a day trip or you can hike down/up the Canyon on an overnight trip which means you would need an extra day. I did run into one guy (when I did my overnight trip a few years back) who was doing the entire Canyon in/out down/up in one day but it would be a very long day of hiking.

I'm stuck on the flight from Cuzco to LaPaz. Does that really exist? I can't even imagine and international flight out of Cusco.

Peruvian airlines flies cuzco to la paz. I did this flight about 5 years ago with a Bolivian airline but I forget the name. Not sure if they still do this route. I know peruvian airlines still flies it.

Lima>arequipa>cusco>la paz would make the most sense

1-2 days in arequipa is good but the canyon is a trip. I would suggest renting your own car and driving in yourself. Its far more enjoyable and you can go through the canyon at your own pace.
If you have extra funds for a room stay at the colca lodge. It is in the canyon and has hotsprings right on the river. It is a beautiful setting.

Yes, you need a day for Arequipa and a day for the Colca valley tour which goes to several villages in the valley and the Cruz del Condor (a nice viewpoint of the canyon where you can see condors). To hike down into the canyon you would have to go to Cabanaconde. There are two day tours from Arequipa. We did it on our own but we had time. The Colca Lodge is in Yanque, I believe. Yanque is a village in the Colca valley. The canyon there is pretty shallow. Cabanaconde is at the other end of the canyon, near the Cruz del Condor. The canyon is deep there.

Many Thanks to everyone with you help on this Question. Much appreciated. Jer

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