Gran Vilaya Trek
This Inca road to the Machu Picchu of Northern Peru is rated better than the Inca Trail in the south by guests that tried both. You follow major Inca roads by horseback or on foot, cross the Cordillera Central and descend to a level of coffee farms. This birthplace of the Amazon River valley was first explored in the 1980's by Gene Savoy who claimed discovery of over twenty thousand stone structures of the Cloud People. The conclusion of the trek is the fortress of Kuelap, the largest building structure of the Americas containing 400 buildings. Kuelap is a larger scale of the many lost stone citadels in Gran Vilaya. These feature stone walls with 15 to 200 buildings, -- covered with bromeliads and orchids and hidden in the cloud forest.
Day 1 Jaen – Chachapoyas
Airport or hotel pick-up service from Jaen and transfer to Chachapoyas. Night in Chachapoyas. (BL)
Day 2 Karajia – Belen
Private transportation to Karajia to see the sarcophagi, then to Cohechan, and trek down to Belen. This is an ancient glacial tarn above the nightly freeze line with a meandering river panorama extending for miles. Dinner and camping. (B,BL, D)
Day 3 Congon– Vilaya Valley
Descend to Congon on a mile long Inca staircase past the ruins of La Pirquilla to a level of bananas and coffee in the Congon Valley. Dinner and camp. (B, BL, D)
Day 4 Gran Vilaya
Hike to Cacahuasha, the mountain top ruins hidden by the cloud forest and covered with orchids and bromeliads in Gran Vilaya, found by our guide Damian on the original Gene Savoy expedition. They claimed discovery of thousands of ancient round stone structures all in fortified citadels hidden in this cloud forest. Return to camp. (B, BL, D)
Day 5 Lanche- Choctamal
Cross the spine of the Cordillera Central on horseback through the cloud forest and the ancient Lanche citadel, looking down at the clouds. Despite missing pavement, all of these ancient roads were incredible engineered to follow the most efficient grade, and often with a buffer shoulder on the steep side. The Abra Yumal pass has views with clouds below where the main trunk Amazon River violently carved out a valley deeper than the Grand Canyon to enter the Amazon Basin. Night at Choctamal Marvelous Spatuletail Lodge located on the road to Kuelap. (B, L, D)
Airport or hotel pick-up service from Jaen and transfer to Chachapoyas. Night in Chachapoyas. (BL)
Day 2 Karajia – Belen
Private transportation to Karajia to see the sarcophagi, then to Cohechan, and trek down to Belen. This is an ancient glacial tarn above the nightly freeze line with a meandering river panorama extending for miles. Dinner and camping. (B,BL, D)
Day 3 Congon– Vilaya Valley
Descend to Congon on a mile long Inca staircase past the ruins of La Pirquilla to a level of bananas and coffee in the Congon Valley. Dinner and camp. (B, BL, D)
Day 4 Gran Vilaya
Hike to Cacahuasha, the mountain top ruins hidden by the cloud forest and covered with orchids and bromeliads in Gran Vilaya, found by our guide Damian on the original Gene Savoy expedition. They claimed discovery of thousands of ancient round stone structures all in fortified citadels hidden in this cloud forest. Return to camp. (B, BL, D)
Day 5 Lanche- Choctamal
Cross the spine of the Cordillera Central on horseback through the cloud forest and the ancient Lanche citadel, looking down at the clouds. Despite missing pavement, all of these ancient roads were incredible engineered to follow the most efficient grade, and often with a buffer shoulder on the steep side. The Abra Yumal pass has views with clouds below where the main trunk Amazon River violently carved out a valley deeper than the Grand Canyon to enter the Amazon Basin. Night at Choctamal Marvelous Spatuletail Lodge located on the road to Kuelap. (B, L, D)
Day 6 Choctamal- Kuelap - Chachapoyas
We will spend the day at Fortress Kuelap known also as “The Northern Peru Engineering Masterpiece”. Kuelap has over 400 buildings inside 3 levels of walls and is the largest stone structure of both Americas. Orchids and bromeliads cover the walls and trees inside this undiscovered gigantic fortress. On the way to Chachapoyas we will check out the decorated Platforms of Macro located on a cliff overlooking the Utcubamba River. Overnight in Chachapoyas. (B, L)
Day 7 Chachapoyas – Jaen
Transfer to Jaen airport for your flight to Lima. (B, BL)
We will spend the day at Fortress Kuelap known also as “The Northern Peru Engineering Masterpiece”. Kuelap has over 400 buildings inside 3 levels of walls and is the largest stone structure of both Americas. Orchids and bromeliads cover the walls and trees inside this undiscovered gigantic fortress. On the way to Chachapoyas we will check out the decorated Platforms of Macro located on a cliff overlooking the Utcubamba River. Overnight in Chachapoyas. (B, L)
Day 7 Chachapoyas – Jaen
Transfer to Jaen airport for your flight to Lima. (B, BL)
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2019 price per person in US$: $2958 with 1 person, $1881 with 2 people, $1657 with 3 people, $1518 with 4 or more people. Single supplement is $154. Can only be done during the dry season - about June through September THE TOUR INCLUDES:
All entrance fees Transfers to airport or bus station Meals where noted in the program All transportation specified in the program Transfer between cities Hotels specified in the program Bilingual guide Horses NOT INCLUDED: Gratuities Alcoholic beverages Airport taxes Internal flights (we can provide upon request) |
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