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Chachapoyas ToursOver 25 years ago, the Peruvian government wanted to make the Chachapoyas area the "Machu Picchu of the north" because they thought that many people would love to see the sites. But It is still a forgotten land of ancient empires, towering peaks and friendly people.
This is the land of the Cloud People - the cloud forest of eternal mist, high in the Andes, overlooking the Amazon Basin, hidden in a perpetual mist with orchids and bromeliads everywhere. Over a thousand years ago, the mysterious race of fair-skinned natives known as the Chachapoyans built massive empires on mountain tops all over the region. Their dominance over the region is apparent today as most mountain crests are crowned with at least a wall, if not an entire ruined city. Cliff tombs, mummies and hieroglyphics are all testament to a culture that was as advanced as the Inca.
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Chachapoyas ExperienceDAY 1 | ARRIVAL AT CHACHAPOYAS (1.5 flight hours from Lima – 30 min transfer by land)
A transportation service will wait for you at the Chachapoyas airport to transfer you to your hotel. Enjoy the landscape and the nature that surrounds you.
DAY 2 | CHACHAPOYAS - KUELAP AND LEYMEBAMBA MUSEUM Get ready to get to know one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the country. Kuélap, the central complex built by the Chachapoyas, dates from 500 AD and is located on top of a mountain at 3,000 meters above sea level. Its more than 500 interior enclosures distributed in levels and its imposing walls of more than 20 meters high - which can be seen over long distances - show that the place had a function as a population and fortress. To get there, you can take the new cable car that transfers you to the resort in just 20 minutes. After your visit to the fort, continue learning about the Chachapoyas culture in the Leymebamba Museum, where you will find more than 200 mummies that show the special techniques used in their funeral customs.
DAY 3 | CHACHAPOYAS – GOCTA WATERFALL One of the greatest charms of Chachapoyas is its waterfalls - majestic waterfalls that break with the green landscape reminding us of the power of nature. A private vehicle will pick you up from your hotel to move to the town of Cocachimba, the starting point of your walk to the Gocta waterfall. The fame of this waterfall has multiplied over the years, not only because it is one of the highest in the world (770 meters), but also because of its beauty. Walk through mountain forests with vast vegetation and species such as monkeys, toucans, orchids, giant ferns, etc. Once in Gocta, take a break and contemplate the impressive waterfall before satisfying your appetite with a picnic lunch. After eating, start the way back and then return to Chachapoyas.
DAY 4 | CHACHAPOYAS DEPARTURE A vehicle will pick you up at the indicated time at your hotel to transfer you to the Chachapoyas airport.
2025 price per person in US$: (child rates available)
INCLUDED
Combine your trip in the south and Machu Picchu with a trip to the "Machu Picchu of the North". Below is a some sample itineraries for the north. For instance they can be combined with an itinerary like:
Day 1: Arrival in Lima Day 2: Lima City tour Day 3: Arrival in Cusco and transfer to the Sacred Valley Day 4: Tour the Sacred Valley, go to Machu Picchu Day 5: Tour Machu Picchu, go to Cusco Day 6 - Cusco city tour Day 7: Flight Cusco – Lima, then fly north Or you can combine Chachapoyas with a tour of the northern coastal areas to experience multiple cultures other than Incas. See Trujillo and Chiclayo Or, for something really exciting, combine Chachapoyas with a 9 day river rafting adventure! |
Secrets of ChachapoyasSome travelers will want to hike to the less visited outstanding archaeological remains of the Chachapoya culture. This tour is for fit walkers and adventurers only – to get to some of the locations, these lesser used trails are rougher and steeper and therefore more demanding. We will visit waterfalls, sarcophagi, cliff tombs and ruins covered in forest that will nudge our inner “Indiana Jones”. We will of course include Kuelap as it is a must see. Give yourself a Chachapoyas Adventure that few others will experience.
Day 1 Chachapoyas, Huancas and on to Cocachimba You are met at Chachapoyas airport and we drive to just north (20mins) to the village of Huancas, locally famous for the pottery made by the women using century old techniques. Just outside the village is the dramatic 1000m deep Sonche Canyon. We drive in to Chachapoyas for lunch and have a short walk around the town, then we head down to the main Utcubamba Valley, which we follow downstream before taking a side road we head up to Cocachimba with views of Gocta Waterfall on the way up. We stay the night at Gocta Lodge – where every room has a view of the Gocta Waterfall - the waterfall that most people visit………... (L) Day 2 Yumbilla Waterfall and Forest Trail We drive down to the town of Pedro Ruiz and head up to the small village of Cuispes. Ten minutes beyond is the trail head that takes us through lovely cloud forest to the Yumbilla Waterfall. Yumbilla tumbles in a series of drops a total of 895m and we will see two of the tallest falls. To get there we hike two hours along a trail that hugs a forested cliff and we pass various smaller waterfalls – butterflies, birds and orchids. Return back to the our transport for the return to Cocachimba and Gocta Lodge. (B, BL) 
Yumbilla Waterfall
Day 3 Los Tigre Sarcophagi
We drive back to the main valley and cross over the Utcubamba and wind our way up to the village of San Geronimo. Then we start our hike up hill for a couple of hours to get to the view points of the Los Tigre Sarcophagi – an impressive group of painted tombs that amazingly were only discovered in 2010. From the viewpoint we can make a steep climb up through the forest on a narrow trail to the bottom of the cliff that leads us much closer to the sarcophagi. At the base of the cliff we will see the remains of many other tombs of what was obviously a very important burial site for the Chachapoya. Climbing a tree by a ladder we can sit opposite the sarcophagi and get a wonderful close up view. Later we return to the village and drive back to the main valley which we drive up to la Casa de Doña Lola – a small lodge with its own private forest reserve. It is home to some endemic birds, such as the speckle-chested piculet and little woodstar and also a unique tree specie: cedro kuelapense. The forest is home to skunks, white-tailed deer and two different kinds of wildcat have been recorded. (B, BL, D) 
Day 4 Kuelap: largest ancient stone structure in South America
We drive to the village of Tingo and take the cable car to Kuelap. We walk 1km to the citadel which sits astride a ridge at 3,000 meters (9,900 feet) above sea level. The towering walls up to 20m high hide hundreds of roundhouses and ceremonial structures that are capped by cloud forest and always amaze first time visitors. Return by cable car to Tingo for lunch and drive back to La Casa de Doña Lola for a second night. (B, L, D) Day 5 Cataneo and Leymebamba Mummy Museum We drive to the village of Leymebamba and up to to Las Palmeras and then hike down to the cloud forest-covered archaeological remains of Cataneo. Beautiful moss covered walls so well made it is hard to believe they are centuries old. Return to the vehicle and in the afternoon we visit the Leymebamba Mummy Museum that houses artifacts recovered from cliff tombs at the nearby Lake of the Condors. You will see over 200 mummies, textiles, ceramics and wooden effigies that are in a remarkable state of preservation. We stay at the exclusive lodge of Kentitambo. Their well attended gardens have been designed to attract hummingbirds and along with the help of various hummingbird feeders, 17 different species of hummingbird have been registered including the marvelous spatuletail which is unique to the Utcubamba Valley. (B, BL, D) 
Unexcavated ruins at Cataneo
Day 6 Leymebamba Museum and La Petaca Cliff Tombs
We drive up the forest Atuen Valley to the south and then start our walk to Tajopampa and the enormous cliff tomb site of La Petaca – using a telescope we will spot dozens of tombs built in impossible locations. We also see the trophy head collector pictograph. Return to the road and drive back to Kentitambo for a second night. (B, BL, D) 
La Petaca Cliff Tombs
Day 7 Drive to Cajamarca
Today, drive along one of the most spectacular roads in Peru (6-hours). Start by driving up to a pass (3600m) overlooking the Marañon Canyon. The road heads down to the river through many different ecosystems. Cross the bridge at the valley bottom at 850m, then drive up 2400m to the western side of the canyon. A little beyond is the market town of Celendin famous for its straw hats. Another 3 hours, crossing high rolling hills and agricultural land. Arrive in Cajamarca. (B, BL) 2024 Prices per person in US$: with 2 people = $2219/person
with 3 people = $1956/person, with 4 people = $1756/person Single person supplement $300 If there is only 1 person, it would cost $3600 for a private tour Price includes: • Private transport for all transfers and excursions • 2 nights in Gocta Andes Lodge • 2 nights in accommodation in La Casa de Doña Lola • 2 nights in Kentitambo, Hummingbird Inn • All food as in the description • Bilingual guide • Huancas, Yumbilla Waterfalll, El Tigre Sarcophagi, Kuelap, Cataneo, Leymebamba Museum and Tajopampa |
