Chachapoyas Itinerary: Five Days in Peru’s Cloud Forest

Practical essentials

When to go: Dry season runs May to October. September and October are the sweet spot – dry, not cold, and past the domestic tourist peak. Outside those months the cloud forest lives up to its name. The Gocta hike is steep and slippery in the rain. I survived it but it will be much more pleasant dry!

How long: Five nights covers the main highlights without rushing. Many people underestimate the distances between sites, and compressing it costs you more than you save.

Altitude: Kuélap sits at 3,000 metres, so start altitude medication twenty-four hours before your Kuélap day. The rest of the circuit is lower and doesn’t require it.

Day 1. Arrival and Sonche Canyon

Chachapoyas is a working Peruvian highland town. Though not a big tourist hub it’s the gateway to Kuélap, and there are early signs of more touristy places opening. Plaza de Armas is pleasant and the streets are safe to wander.

A small hike along Sonche Canyon near Huancas to La Goya is a good gentle warm-up for the first day if you arrive in the morning like I did. Afterwards head to Mirador Huancauro for a different angle and you will find circular stone dwellings of the Chachapoyas people, the first of many on this circuit.

Back in town, climb the stairs to Mirador Luya Urco for views over the city, or take a short stroll around the Mercado Modelo de Chachapoyas for a local vibe.

Day 2. Sarcofagos de Karajía and Caverna de Quiocta

The Karajía sarcophagi are the reason why I chose the Peru north circuit in the first place. Six fascinating 2.5 metre tall painted figures housing dead leaders are placed high in a natural cliff recess by a culture that roamed the Amazonian Andes as well as the valleys of the Marañón and Huallaga rivers.

Archaeologists estimate ninety percent of Chachapoyas sites remain unexplored. There are likely thousands more out there. A guide is essential to learn about the history of the site. Explore the history behind the cliff tombs and what to expect when you visit Karajia.

Most tours package Karajía with the Quiocta limestone caves, which are worth it if you haven’t visited caves before. 

Day 3. Cocachimba and Cataratas de Gocta

Cocachimba is a tiny village at the base of the Gocta Falls trail. Staying here means a short walk to the trailhead rather than lengthy transfers to and from Chachapoyas. This is the easiest way to do Gocta Falls yourself, and also experience a peaceful small village atmosphere.

The hike is not easy because of steep climbs and descents, although it’s only ten kilometres return from the village. From the base, you can fully appreciate the power of the falls. Prepre to get wet from the spray! Horses are available as seems usual with the more popular Peruvian trails. Read on for how to independently do the Lower Gocta Falls hike.

Day 4. Kuélap and Macro ruins

Kuélap is also known as the Machu Picchu of the north because it is an elevated city, but it deserves its own recognition. The largest Chachapoyan settlement found to date, built between 900 and 1100 AD, it sits at 3,000 metres and predates Machu Picchu by several centuries. At this elevation even a moderate incline makes it hard to catch your breath. I took the pills, was not messing around! A day out at Kuélap goes in depth on the Chachapoya culture and how they resisted three Incan conquests.

On the way back we stopped at Macro, smaller ruins lower down in the valley, where the highlight was crossing the river in a little hand-pulled cable car.

Day 5. Revash and the Leymebamba Mummy museum

Revash is a burial site with painted mausoleums for families built directly into the cliff face, high above the valley floor, with animal paintings still visible on the walls. You can get close enough to see the site clearly from multiple viewpoints.

Museo Leymebamba holds 219 mummies recovered from the Laguna de los Cóndores in 1997, a lakeside cliff burial site discovered by local farmers and one of the most significant Chachapoya finds ever made. The mummies are displayed in a purpose-built facility, slightly eerie but very fascinating.

Kentitambo is a convenient place to stay, a small lodge opposite the museum. If you’re returning to Chachapoyas it’s 2.5 hours’ drive each way, so there’s no time to see anything else on the same day.

Onwards

Leymebamba connects south towards Cajamarca via Celendín.

Honest assessment

Chachapoyas is the best reason to leave the well-trodden Cusco circuit. The Chachapoyas people, fiercely independent and resistant to both Inca and Spanish conquest, left behind a landscape of sites that are extraordinary and almost entirely unvisited by international travellers. At Kuélap, the most famous site, there was only one other foreign tourist when I visited. Everyone else was Peruvian, although this is largely true for most of northern Peru.

Logistics require some planning. The roads are winding, and the sites are much more spread out than you might anticipate. Using the hotel as a logistics hub makes things efficient. The independent version of this trip, combined with strategic group tours, is not that much harder than the operator version, even if you’re not a laissez-faire backpacker.

This was my favourite town of the whole trip.

Where to stay

Hotel Dordéan Casona Boutique, Chachapoyas. A charming independent hotel on Chachapoyas’ most beautiful street off the main square, with made-to-order breakfasts and exceptionally helpful staff. Their guide and transport facilitation made my trip much easier. Choose a balcony room. I visited Karajía from here.

La Xalca Hotel, Chachapoyas. A backup choice. A colonial-style hotel with a beautiful inner courtyard located three blocks from the Plaza de Armas, it offers spacious rooms and an excellent breakfast buffet.

Gocta Andes Lodge, Cocachimba. Two pools overlooking the falls, an on-site restaurant, and alpacas and hummingbirds in the garden. I stayed here to hike the Gocta Falls independently, but they also offer tours to all the major sites. I visited Kuélap from here.

Kentitambo, Leymebamba. A small lodge set in lush gardens with hummingbirds, just opposite the mummy museum. I stayed here and visited Revash on the way down.

Getting there and around

Into Chachapoyas: Overnight bus from Chiclayo, roughly ten hours. Alternatively, fly Lima to Jaén and transfer by road.

Getting around: The main base is Chachapoyas, and can extend to Cocachimba north, or Nuevo Tingo or Leymebamba south. Distances are long, a private car or tour is the most practical way to move between them.

Travel insurance: Non-negotiable on a circuit that includes 3,000-metre altitude and remote cloud forest hiking.

Flights to Peru: British Airways / LATAM to Lima

More from my North Peru Travels

Travel to Chachapoyas after 5 days in Trujillo and Chiclayo.

From Chachapoyas, travel onwards for 2 days in Cajamarca.

See how Chachapoyas fit into my 2 week North Peru itinerary.