Discover Chachapoyas (People of the clouds) where low lying clouds cling to the high Andean mountains joined by the Amazon forest. This mixture creates a unique backdrop for an incredible voyage and discovery of Pre-Columbian civilizations. Away from the crowds we travel through the Lambayeque province where we find impressive stone constructions, sarcophagi and mausoleums that were filled with ceramics, textiles and copper ornaments. Some of the objects can be seen in the museum of Leymebamba. In this region you will be amazed by the diversity of plants, flowers, birds and landscapes of the Peruvian cloud forest.
Tour highlights
– Experience culture, flora, archaeology, trekking and horseback-riding.
– Enjoy the beautiful Gocta waterfall – the highest in Peru (771 mts).
– Be amazed by the diverse range of plants, flowers and birds.
– Immerse in the scenic ambience of the Peruvian cloud-forest.
– Explore a rarely visited area – off the beaten path.
– Visit the region with the largest collection of hummingbirds and orchids species in Peru.
– Discover the strange and unusual burial practices of the Chachapoyas people.
– See 200 well preserved mummies in the fascinating museum of Leymebamba.
– Walk through Kuelap – the biggest pre-columbian stone construction in Peru.
Arrive in Chiclayo overnight bus to Chachapoyas
Gocta waterfall
Revash and the Museum of Leymebamba
Karajia-Quiocta
Kuelap, night bus to Chiclayo
Transfer to Chiclayo airport
Departures:
Destinations:
Chachapoyas, Gocta, Karajia, Revash, Leymebamba and Kuelap
Reservation code:
NPCS6
Take your flight from Lima to Jaen. At your arrival at the airport a representative will be waiting for you to take you to the bus to get to Chachapoyas. It will be a 4-hours ride approximately.
Once in Chachapoyas we will drop you off to your hotel.
Optionally you can choose to stay in the Gocta Lodge hotel, located in Cocachimbo, right in the Gocta Waterfall area (about 50 km from Chachapoyas) to enjoy the spectacular views of the natural surroundings and a magnificent sunrise the next morning before your guided tour to the waterfall.Please ask your Travel Consultant for this option.
Note: There is a direct flight from Lima to Chachapoyas that only operates on Monday and Thursday leaving at 08:40 hours from Lima and arriving 10:20 in Chachapoyas.
Overnight in Chachapoyas
You will have the morning for free to relax and explore a bit of the city on your own.
After lunch we will have a short ride to the community of Cocachimbo, where a local guide will take you on a beautiful walk for about two and a half hours to the waterfall of Gocta (771 mts). This name was given due to the sound a colony of monkeys used to make, and nowadays the colony has moved deeper into the forest. We will go through the cloud forest approaching the waterfall that can be seen in the distance. You will have a great chance to see exotic birds including toucans, humming birds and the Cock of the Rock (The National bird of Peru) as well as many shell-shaped fossils. On your arrival you may take the option of swimming in the refreshing black water pool, fed by the Gocta falls, before heading back to our hotel with the evening to relax. (Due to conservation issues, please don’t take any of the fossils)
Overnight in Chachapoyas
Breakfast included
In the morning we will drive to the village of Cruz Pata where we leave our car to start descending to Karajia, it is a twenty minutes walk. Here we discover The Sarcophagus of Karajia, a unique burial site from the Chachapoyas culture. The decorated clay sarcophagus contained warrior chief mummies and they were placed on balconies built into the cliff side watching the sunrise over the Utcubamba valley for the last 750 years.
Then we head back to the village to enjoy a traditional lunch of the Chachapoyas province on your own expenses. In the afternoon we visit Quiocta the largest cave in Peru at 550 meters which contains an impressive natural phenomena of mineral stalagmites several meters high and which have taken millenniums in forming.
After this last stop, we return to our hotel for a relaxing evening.
Overnight in Chachapoyas
Breakfast included
Today we will travel 60 km (3 hrs approximately) to Revash and to Leymebamba museum.
Your first stop is the village of Santo Tomas. From this place, we start a short hike or a horseback ride to the burial site of Revash. The tombs were built for the nobles of the community and look like miniature houses. They were made from adobe, clay and rocks and built towards the cliff-side and painted with shades of cream and red colors and typical motives from the Chachapoyas people.
We continue our trip to Leymebamba which was an Inca stronghold during the conquests of the area and later was also occupied by the Spanish invaders. This charming town still retains much of its charm and is a great place to have lunch (on your own expenses) as you can find different options.
After lunch we will have a visit to the local Leymebamba museum which houses a collection of more than 5000 artifacts and 200 mummies which were found in the 1997 discovery of the tombs of «La Laguna de Los Condores», a place located close to the town.
After this last visit, we head back to Chachapoyas with the evening to relax.
Overnight in Chachapoyas.
Breakfast included.
Today we will visit the famous ancient city of Kuelap (3000 mts) known as «the Machu Picchu of Northern Peru». We will depart to the fortified citadel of Kuélap after about 45 minutes we will arrive to the town of Nuevo Tingo, later to the boarding station and departure platform to board the first electromechanical drive system for cable cars in Peru (cable car), these will take us on a 20-minute trip over 4 kilometers, we arrive at Marca Pampa, then we will walk for about 20 minutes, to enter Kuélap; in this place a professional guide with extensive experience will explain the historical process of Kuelap.
This incredible archaeological complex is located high in the Andes and contains over 400 houses with walls of 17 mts high. It was the capital of the Chachapoyas culture (800 – 1570 AC) and until as recently as 30 years ago it would take 2 months to reach it from the nearest road. This incredible hidden citadel is covered with plants including bromeliads and (especially in May) many varieties of orchids.
We will return to Nuevo Tingo where you can find touristic restaurants to have lunch and after that we come back to Chachapoyas in the afternoon.
Overnight in Chachapoyas.
Breakfast included
Today we take the return cruise-bus back to Jaen for your flight to Lima.
Breakfast included
Included
Hotels included:
Four nights in Chachapoyas
Entrance tickets:
All entrance tickets for the places to visit mentioned in the program.
Excursions:
All excursions as mentioned in the program
Guide:
Official guides during excursions.
Meals:
Meals as mentioned in program.
Not Included
International flights
Two domestic flights Lima/ Cusco/Lima.
Tips: Tips at airports, hotels and tips for guides, drivers or other personal.
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