Discover the treasures of this region

Our five day northeastern Peru tour is designed with an excellent mixture of museums, wildlife sites, large cities, Andean villages, arid deserts, cloud forests, coasts, mountains, and jungles. In just five days, we will show you the diversity of northern Peru and give you an opportunity to see the treasures of this region for yourself. With so much to Expedition in such a short amount of time, this tour is a perfect option for a five day getaway!

Day 1: Arrive in Trujillo & Transfer to Chiclayo

Our tour guide will pick you up at the airport and take you to the first stop on our tour – the Temples of the Moon and the Sun. This is an archaeological site of the Moche culture that was built around 100 AD. It was excavated by Peruvian archaeologists in 1992 and has shown the world the sophistication of this former pre-Columbian civilization from some 1300 years ago. The site museum displays exquisite pieces of ceramics, textiles, wood carvings, and jewelry while the Huaca Moon fascinates its visitors with its well-preserved polychrome murals in high relief and marvelous architecture. After visiting the Temples of the Moon and the Sun, we will head to the Chan Chan archaeological complex. This archaeological site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986 and is considered the most extensive citadel of mud in the world. We will visit one of the nine “palaces” that make up the immense archaeological site and see ceremonial spaces decorated with motifs of great artistic quality. Afterwards, we will eat lunch at the most popular seaside resort in Huancaco before driving about three hours along the Panamerican Highway to the city of Chiclayo. When we arrive in Chiclayo, we will drop you off at the hotel of your choice to spend the night (Approx. 7:00 pm). Breakfast included.

Day 2: Tour in Chiclayo – Bus to Chachapoyas

We will live our second day to the fullest by visiting the most important places around Chiclayo. We will begin by visiting the National Museum of Sican which houses two elite tombs discovered by the Japanese archaeologist, Izumi Shimada. These tombs were discovered in the northern shelf of one of the huacas called Huaca Loro. The museum, though small, is quite didactic and has a gold room where the great funerary equipment of these former rulers is displayed. After visiting the National Museum of Sican, we will visit Túcume, an archaeological center with the most extensive pyramids in the region. We will visit a great lookout and then walk the halls of the local museum to look at beautiful pieces made by the Lambayeque, Chimu and Incas. After visiting the museum we will take a tour of Huaca Las Balsas which is the smallest pyramid site in the area but also the most decorated. It has friezes in high relief that provide us with great information about the life of our Peruvian ancestors. After seeing the pyramid, we will take a break and eat a traditional lunch in Lambayeque before visiting the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum which is considered to be the best in the north of the country and one of the top ten museums in the world (according to the magazine Art News in 2010). This museum is home to the famous “Lords of Sipán” tomb that was discovered in 1987 by Walter Alva and is the burial site for dignitaries of the highest rank in the Moche culture. All of the pieces that the museum presents are original and have artistic quality equal to the greatest civilizations in world history. In the afternoon we will go to the hotel to rest for a few hours and eat dinner before going to the bus station to take a bus to Chachapoyas. (Approx. At 8:00 pm). Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 3: Chachapoyas – Kuélap

Early in the morning, upon arriving to the capital of the Amazonas Region, we will go to the hotel to settle down and have breakfast. After eating, we will leave to tour the impressive archaeological site of Kuélap. This site has been compared countless times with Macchu Picchu by expert travelers and explorers and has the benefit of having far fewer visitors. Built 1,500 years ago, discovered almost seventy years before Macchu Picchu and located 700 m. higher than the famous Inca site, Kuélap is a colossal walled city that was home to thousands of Chachapoyas. It has an imposing exterior wall that is taller than 20 meters (65 feet) in some places and a length of more than seven hectares. WIthin the walls you will find about 440 households and many other ceremonial buildings of note. Due to the offerings found at the site and symbols that decorate the major temples and enclosures, archaeologists believe that this citadel was the most important religious ceremonial center for the Chachapoyas culture. When you combine the religious significance with the domestic architecture, it becomes very clear as to why this site is one of the most unique in South America. After visiting Kuelap, we will return to our hotel in Chachapoyas for a relaxing evening. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 4: Gocta – Cocachimba

The amazing Gocta Falls awaits us today! Standing 771 meters (2,530 feet) tall and consisting of two perennial falls, this is one of the tallest waterfalls in the world. The path leading to Gocta is surrounded by a vast forest with vegetation that is typical of the cloud forest of northern Peru. Along the route, you will enjoy taking periodic breaks with breathtaking views of the valley and will be able to gain perspective on how big the waterfall actually is. Although the walk takes five hours (no option to ride a rented a mule), the stunning scenery will make this hike feel much shorter than it is. You will see primary forest, orchids, medicinal plants, timber trees, and birds such as the masked trogon (masked trogon), endemic marbled carpenter (picumnus steindachneri), and the cock of the rock (the national bird of Peru). Woolly yellowtail monkeys (Lagotrix flavicauda) have also been sighted in this area and the landscapes themselves are worthy postcards. After visiting the falls, you will also have the opportunity to see the daily life of the Cocachimba community, its sugar mills that process sugarcane, archaeological remains of the Chachapoyas, and fossils that date back to the Cordillera geological formation that formed millions of years ago. In the afternoon we will return to Cocachimba and spend the night in the Gocta Andes Lodge (Approx. 5:00 pm). Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 5: Transfer to Jaen

The last day of our excursion starts by driving to the province of Jaen and the city of the same name. On the way, we will drive along the Interoceanic Highway that links the great Amazon River to the Pacific Ocean. We will see various ecosystems that make up the unique geography of the Peruvian Andes along with the Marañón river and many coffee fields. When we arrive in Jaen, we will bid farewell to our guide and go to the Jaén airport where our tour ends. Breakfast and lunch included.