This five-day Northern Peru jungle adventure takes you on an exporation of the Sonche Canyon and the town of Huancas, built by the Inca Empire to pacify the Chachapoya warrior tribes. The journey continues to the archaeological complex of Yalape and includes a three-hour trek on a remote Inca-built trail. The tour culminates with a guided excursion to the massive mountaintop fortress of Kuelap.

Includes:

• Two nights Casona Colonial lodge
• One night Choctamal Marvelous Spatuletail Lodge
• One night lodging in Levanto
• Sonche Canyon & Huancas excursion
• Three-hour Inca Trail trek
• Full-day excursion to Kuelap
• English-speaking guides
• Entrance fees

Prices available upon request

Day 1: Chiclayo - Chachapoyas

Pickup from Chiclayo Airport and private transport to the city of Chachapoyas. We see panoramic vistas of cloud forest and mountain ridges. First night in Casona Colonial, a comfortable 3-star lodge. (BOX LUNCH)

Day 2: Chachapoyas - Huancas - Levanto

Visit the Sonche Canyon, and the town of Huancas. Built by the Inca, the town's residents were forced to migrate from Huanuco to pacify the warrior Chachapoya culture, which resisted Inca conquest.
The main industry in Huancas is ceramics, and the town remains the primary supplier of pottery for the region. All the artisans in the town are women. After a five minute walk we arrive at the Sonche Canyon. After lunch we travel to Levanto, one hour away. It was the most important region in the area during the Inca invasion and the early Spanish colonial period. We also visit a colonial church as old as any in Lima.
A 20-minute drive brings us to the hilltop archaeological ruins of Yalape, a Chachapoyas urban center that dates from the years 1100 to 1300 AD. Belonging the Chachapoyas culture, the site sprawls over 4 hectares, and contains the signature circular buildings of the Chachapoyas culture, featuring rhomboid and zigzag friezes.
We spend the night in Levanto. (B)

Day 3: Inca Trail Levanto - Choctamal

We trek an Inca trail for three hours, arriving in Chachapoyas for lunch. From there we drive to Choctamal, spending the night at the community-owned Choctamal Marvelous Spatuletail Lodge, where you can spot hummingbirds feeding on the nectar of orchids. The lodge is on the road to Kuelap, only 35 minutes drive away. Views from the balcony take in the ruins on a distant ridge. Dawn is spectacular, with commanding vistas of the mountains, cloud forest and villages along the route to the fortress. (B/L)

Day 4: Choctamal - Kuelap - Chachapoyas

We spend the day Kuelap, a spectacular pre-lnca walled city hidden atop a precipitous mountain. Although Kuelap was discovered 60 years before Machu Picchu, it is not as well-known to the outside world. Nevertheless recent amazing discoveries in nearby areas that relate to Kuelap and to its history have captured the attention of archaeologists, international magazines and film companies. Orchids and Bromeliads cover the walls and trees, bearded with moss. On the road back to Chachapoyas we can see the platforms of Macro, built on the ridges of a mountain on the banks of the Utcubamba River. We spend the night at Casona Colonial. (B/BOX LUNCH)

Day 5: Chachapoyas - Chiclayo

Transfer to Chiclayo Airport (9 hours) for a connecting flight to Lima. (B/BOX LUNCH)

(B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner

Tour Includes:

• All entry fees
• Transfers to airports and bus stations
• Meals mentioned in the program
• Private transport specified in the itinerary
• Transfers between cities
• Accommodation
• Bilingual guide

Not included:

• Tips
• Alcoholic beverages
• Airport Taxes
• Internal Flights (We are an IATA-affiliated agency and can book your air tickets if you want)