The key moments
This journey through northern Peru combines cultural discoveries with spiritual experiences. You will visit the Museo de Tumbas Reales, explore Huaca Montegrande, an ancient temple dedicated to cacao, and hike to the majestic Gocta waterfall. The trip also includes a visit to the impressive pre-Inca citadel of Kuelap.
The spiritual approach is at the heart of this journey, with meditations, ancestral ceremonies, and learning traditional techniques, offering you a complete immersion in the local culture.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Chiclayo and visit to the Mercado de Brujo
Upon your arrival in Chiclayo, you will begin your cultural immersion with a fascinating visit to the famous Witch Market, *Mercado de Brujo*. This market is known for its stalls filled with traditional remedies, medicinal herbs, amulets, and various objects used in folk medicine and shamanic rituals. You will learn about local customs and may even meet healers or shamans.
Included: Transfer, guided tour, private English-speaking guide, room, and breakfast.
Day 2: Exploration of the Royal Tombs Museum, the Túcume Pyramids, and craft workshop
The day begins with a visit to the Royal Tombs Museum, where you will admire impressive archaeological treasures, including those from the tomb of the Lord of Sipán.
Next, you will head to the mysterious Túcume Pyramids, an archaeological site composed of 26 monumental pyramids.
To conclude the day, you will participate in a workshop with Julian Bravo, a local craftsman, to learn about traditional regional crafting techniques.
Included: Transportation, guided tour, private English-speaking guide, entrance fees, room, and breakfast.
Day 3: Transfer Chiclayo – Jaen (460 kilometers / 7 hours)
You will leave Chiclayo for a transfer to Jaén. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed at the hotel, where a small welcome circle will be organized to mark the beginning of your stay.
You will enjoy a convivial dinner before spending the night at the hotel.
Included: Transfer without a guide, dinner, room, and breakfast.
Day 4: Discovery of Huaca Montegrande and immersion in the cacao culture
After a short 15-minute transfer, you will arrive at Huaca Montegrande, an ancient temple dedicated to cacao, over 5000 years old. You will set an intention during an opening circle.
Archaeologist Quirino Olivera will introduce you to the site, and you will participate in a cacao ceremony prepared by the Nuwas association, women of Awajun origin (an indigenous Amazonian ethnic group). This ceremony will be led by a specialist in herbal medicine. You will then visit an ecological cacao farm associated with the Nuwas, where you will enjoy a locally prepared lunch.
The afternoon will be dedicated to a workshop on identifying the different parts of the cacao tree, followed by a guided meditation to connect with the spirit of the plant.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Included: Transport, guided tour by Mr. Quirino, private English-speaking guide, entrance fees, activity, lunch, dinner, room, and breakfast.
Day 5: Excursion to Poza Azul and visit to the Hummingbird Refuge
The day will begin with an early departure to Poza Azul in Quinti Llacta, located 1.5 hours away. There, you can relax by applying a nourishing cacao mask before swimming in the natural pools.
After lunch, you will head to Cocachimba (2 hours away), where you will visit the Spatule-tail Hummingbird Refuge, a rare endemic species.
The day will end with a transfer to the hotel for dinner.
Included: Transport, guided tour, private English-speaking guide, lunch, dinner, entrance fees, activity, room, and breakfast.
Day 6: Hike to the Gocta waterfall and sensory experiences
An early departure will take you on a 2-hour hike to the majestic Gocta waterfall. Once there, you will enjoy a picnic breakfast while admiring the site’s natural beauty. A cacao offering will also be made, with the possibility of spotting the Gallito de las Rocas, Peru’s national bird.
After returning to the hotel, you will have lunch and rest, followed by a late afternoon herbal sauna to relax.
The evening will conclude with dinner by the fire.
Included: Guided tour, private English-speaking guide, entrance fee, lunch, dinner, room, and breakfast.
Day 7: Visit the Sarcophagi of Karajía and Molino de Piedra San José
After breakfast, you will head to the Sarcophagi of Karajía, located 1.5 hours away. You will walk for about 40 minutes to reach the viewpoint from where you can see these mysterious human-shaped tombs.
Next, you will visit Molino de Piedra San José, a traditional mill where you will learn about the grain milling process.
A lunch will be served at the Tambo Sapalanchan hotel before returning to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Included: Transport, guided tour, private English-speaking guide, entrance fees, lunch, dinner, room, and breakfast.
Day 8: Discover the village of Huancas and cacao tasting
You will depart early for the historic village of Huancas, located an hour away in the town of Chachapoyas. Here, you will meet the “mamitas” ceramicists, whose works are classified as part of the nation’s cultural heritage. You will attend a presentation and explanation of their ceramic art.
You will then return to Chachapoyas to visit the town before heading to the Maná chocolaterie, where Yuliana, a cacao artisan, will offer you a tasting of her creations.
The day will end with a transfer to ACP Milpuj La Heredad, where you will enjoy dinner and a restful night.
Included: Transport, guided tour, private English-speaking guide, entrance fees, activities, dinner, room, and breakfast.
Day 9: Discover the Kuelap archaeological complex and guided tour of Milpuj
We will leave Perico’s home for the Kuelap archaeological site. After a 15-minute drive, we will arrive at Tingo Nuevo, the village where we will take the cable car up to La Malca.
Once at La Malca, we will walk about 2 km to the Kuélap complex, built from 400 AD. The tour lasts about 3 hours and explains the administrative, military, and ceremonial functions of Kuélap, as well as the unique features of nearly 500 roundhouses spread over 6 hectares at 3,000 meters above sea level.
After the visit, we will return to Milpuj for lunch and a guided tour by Perico of his land. He will explain his efforts in reforestation and nature conservation, flora, and fauna. You will have the opportunity to plant a tree on the property. We will conclude the day with a hojas de coca ceremony.
Included: Transport, guided tour, private English-speaking guide, entrance fees, cable car, activities, lunch, dinner, room, and breakfast.
Day 10: Discovery of the Revash Mausoleums and Muesca houses – Leymebamba Museum
Today we will drive for 1.5 hours to reach the San Bartolo community, an annex of the Santo Tomas district in the Luya province, Amazonas region. In this area, we will follow the route to discover the Revash mausoleums and the traditional *Muesca* houses.
We will begin at the interpretation center with a local resident explaining their belief in three worlds: the living, the gods, and the dead. We will then visit a *Muesca* house, a typical local construction where logs are joined by notches at the ends, fitting together without nails or glue.
From there, we will continue to the Revash mausoleums, enjoying the local flora, fauna, and agriculture along the way, as well as some typical houses. The cultural promoter will explain some medicinal plants still used by locals. Finally, we will reach the viewpoint to admire the elevated areas where these ancient constructions, witnesses of their ancestors’ lives, are found.
Afterward, we will return for a typical community lunch in a *Muesca* house, where we will share music and other customs with our host. As the last activity, we will visit the local baker’s house to discover and observe the traditional artisanal bread-making process in San Bartolo.
We will then drive to Leymebamba for one more hour to visit the Mallqui Museum of Leymebamba, home to a collection of 219 perfectly preserved mummies and other objects from the Chachapoya culture, such as textiles, ceramics, and quipus.
Included: Transport, guided tour, private English-speaking guide, entrance fees, cable car, activities, lunch, dinner, room, and breakfast.
Day 11: Transfer Leymebamba – Cajamarca (244 kilometers / 7 hours)
Today we will leave Leymebamba and head towards Barro Negro summit, which is located at 3,600 meters above sea level and offers a magnificent view of the Marañón Valley and the Andes mountain ranges. Then, we will descend into the Balsas Valley, where we can admire the green of fruit trees like coconut, mangoes, plums, avocados, and cacao.
We will continue climbing up to 3,100 meters at the Gelic summit, from where we can see the Marañón River and its valley, before continuing to Celendín. We will then travel to Cajamarca (2,800 m) for hotel accommodation.
Included: Transfer without guide, room, and breakfast.
Day 12: Cumbe Mayo and Ventanillas de Otuzco
We will depart from Cajamarca towards Cumbe Mayo. On the way, we will visit the Bellavista viewpoint, the pre-Inca temple of Layson, the sanctuary, the sacrificial stone (ceremonial altars), the Forest of Stones, and the Cumbe Mayo Canal (the most important pre-Inca hydraulic work of its time).
After lunch, we will visit the Ventanillas de Otuzco, one of the most important pre-Inca cemeteries belonging to the Cajamarca culture.
Included: Transport, guided tour, private English-speaking guide, entrance fees, room, and breakfast.
Day 13: Transfer to the airport
Transfer to the airport. End of our services.
Budget
We provide our tour plans as an example for you to get inspired and an idea of how your travel in northern Peru could look like.
Once you have your trip in mind, we are happy to create with you your dream trip according to the length of your stay. We suggest you interesting sites to visit, nice places to stay, how to get there and if you should choose a guide to travel with you in order to discover a more confidential side of Peru.
Contact us by email at info@phimavoyages.com or by our contact form. We will get back to you within 24 hours.
This program includes:
- Transfer to/from airports
- Guides
- Entrances to archaeological sites and natural reserves
- Activities and excursions as indicated in the program
- Meals as indicated in the program
- Land transport according to the program, private (by car for 2 people, in Mini Van H1 for 3 or more people), by night bus, taxi / combi
This program does not include:
- International and national flights
- Airport taxes or visa fees
- Excess baggage charges
- Additional nights following flight cancellations
- Insurance
- Meals not mentioned in the program
- Alcoholic beverages
- Laundry service
- Phone calls
- Re-confirmation of international flights
- Bank transfer fees
