Northern Kingdoms

Today, at the coordinated time, we have a short drive to the airport to take our 40-minute flight to the city of Trujillo. If possible, we will try to get a seat on the right side of the aircraft as some of the best views of the Andes can be seen from this side of the aircraft. Upon arriving to Trujillo, reception by our representative and transfer to your hotel, where we will take a few minutes to brief you on your upcoming program. At 12.30 our private guide will pick us up to take us to a demonstration of the Peruvian Paso horse. This horse breed is distinguished by a natural, four-beat, lateral gait called the paso llano which adapts perfectly to Peru’s northern coastal desert. Its gentle pass has inspired dancers to perform complex movements in the Marinera Dance, which will also be performed during this demonstration. A welcoming lunch menu is provided during the demonstration. We’ll then continue to the “Huaca de la luna”, an adobe mud pyramid made by the Moche Civilization (100 – 750 AC) which is decorated with mural paintings that represent their main deities like Ai–Paec, known as the “Decapitator ”. This is a perfect introduction to this northern program as the whole way of life of the Moches is depicted in the walls of this pyramid. Before entering the monument we’ll visit the interesting site museum which shows pieces found during the excavations of the last 23 years. Suggested Accommodation : Hotel Korianka

After breakfast we have a short drive to meet our Paso Horse Guides to join them on a 1.5 hour ride along the outskirts of Chan Chan, the capital of the Chimu dynasty (1200 a 1470 AC). This excursion allows us to observe the extension of Chan Chan and its strategic position, close to the sea and aside of a fertile valley. When we arrive in the Nik-An or Tchudi Palace we leave the horses and start a guided walking tour in the only restored palace of Chan Chan: the reliefs in the walls, the huge plazas and the high walls all express the importance of this old capital. Afterwards we visit the beach town Huanchaco, where locals have used reed boats, known as “caballitos de totora”, to surf its waves and fish since before the Inca times. A local fisherman will shows us where fishermen find the reed and how they make their reed boats. Our local friends will be more than happy to help us try out these Caballitos de Totora if we wish to too!
For lunch, and as a way of learning about the gastronomic aspect of the Moche and Chimu history, we will visit a garden with all the local vegetables and fruits cultivated on the outskirts of Chan Chan: all cultivation is organic and local food will be served in this green environment. We’ll be returning to Trujillo in the afternoon, which will give us some time to explore a little of Trujillo’s historic city center at our own rhythm if we’re up for it. Suggested Accommodation : Hotel Korianka

This morning we set off towards Chiclayo. After driving for about an hour we’ll reach the “Huaca el Brujo”, a sacred site which was used by different civilizations. During the Moche period (100 – 750 AC) the site was ruled by the Lady of Cao, the first female emperor in Peru (100 AC). The mural paintings of the pyramid are very well preserved and, in the site museum, we can find the remains and the belongings of the Lady of Cao. This site has historically been a place frequented by the famous Northern Chamans, who preserve the ancient knowledge of Peru’s oldest civilizations. After the tour we will have an interactive demonstration to see how these traditional doctors have endured for many centuries and are still very much active nowadays. Our next stop will be at Pacasmayo, a small and beautiful beachside town between Trujillo and Chiclayo. Pacasmayo used to be an important port for exporting sugar cane and rice in the 19th an early 20th Century, nowadays it is famous for its amazing surf. Here we’ll enjoy lunch on a restaurant located in the waterfront promenade. We’ll then continue our journey towards the center of Chiclayo and its herbal market, place where the traditional doctors (Shamans) buy their herbs. This “witch market” is part of the central market of Chiclayo, a huge traditional market. Suggested Accommodation : Hotel Mochiks

Today’s first stop will be at the Museum of Sican which holds a great collection of golden objects found in Pomac Forest. Some of the golden artifacts in this museum are said to be amongst the most beautiful ever found in the province of Lambayeque, or maybe even in the whole of Peru. We’ll then continue to the sacred dry tropical forest of Bosque de Pomac itself. The forest, which holds 34 ancient pyramids, was the old capital of the Lambayeque culture. We will cross the entire forest as we approach Tucume. First we visit the arbol milenario, an ancient tree where many ceremonial and mystical rituals and legends have taken place. Closeby we visit the Huaca Las Ventanas, an adobe construction still in excavation. On the way we can observe local families who still live in traditional houses. Many of the families speak Muchik, the local dialect and live of farming. We’ll then visit the Salinas viewpoint for great views of Pomac and its pyramids. This forest gives us good idea of the natural habitat of Pre-Columbian cultures in the North Coast. Lunch will be served at the outskirts of the archeological site of Tucume, the last Capital of the Lambayeque culture with 26 truncated pyramids of up to 35 meters high. Afterwards we visit the splendid museum Tumbas Reales with the remains of the tomb of the Lord of Sipán, the most important archeological discovery in Latin America of the last 30 years: he was a leader of the Mochica hierarchy. Today, we´ll spend the night at the peacefull hotel “Los Horcones de Tucume”. Suggested Accommodation : Hotel Los Horcones

In the freshness of the early morning we’ll visit the archeological site Tucume. These huge pyramids and ceremonial plateaus were built using the local “adobe” (mud bricks) by the Lambayeque and Chimu Civilizations (900 AD). Tucume consists of 26 pyramids stretched in a forest area covering over 540 acres. After this tour prepare for a 10 hour journey on private transport through the northeastern Peruvian Andean range, over the Porcuya mountain pass (7,000ft), crossing the rice fields of Bagua, and driving along the gorgeous Utcubamba Canyon to Chachapoyas, gateway to the territory of the ancient “Sachapuyu” or “inhabitants of the Cloud forest”. Late evening arrival and transfer to the Gocta Lodge where you´ll spend the night with awesome views overlooking the famous Gocta Waterfall. Suggested Accommodation : Gocta Lodge

After a good breakfast, we prepare to take on a beautiful 3 hour hike to the famous Gocta Waterfall, one of the tallest falls in the world (771m). To reach the fall we follow a smooth path which crosses; first through cultivated fields and then goes into the cloud forest, home of the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, mountain sloth and the magnificent cock-of-the-rock. Those brave enough may want a dip in the base pool. Later we head back to the village and at the coordinate time we board our private transport and head to the “Chillo” Country Manor, located in Tingo a small village just on the base of the valley under the fortress of Kuelap. Suggested Accommodation : El Chillo

Today’s tour will take us from our lodge, to Revash and then onto Leymebamba. The first stop is at the village of Santo Tomas. From where we take a short hike to the grave-towers of Revash. A succession of Chachapoyas “tombs” located over narrow and inaccessible cliffs in shape of miniature houses which host the mummified remains of the elite ancestors. After lunch our route takes us by car along the Utcubamba valley up to the pleasant town of Leymebamba where we visit its famous museum. The museum contains not only a remarkable archaeological collection, ceramic artifacts and textiles but also 225 mummies that were salvaged from the mausoleums of Lake of the Condors. Time permitting, we will visit the Quenti Café to see the world’s most famous hummingbird: the wonderful “tail spatula Colibri ‘. In the afternoon we´ll return to el Chillo for the night. Suggested Accommodation : El Chillo

Departing from Chillo, if we are up for the challenge, we can choose to hike up to Kuelap, this 9 km hike is moderately demanding but provides nice views of the valley and a little adventure to keep us entertained as we ascend a through a pre Inca trail towards the fortress. It should take us around 3 hours to hike to Kuelap. On the other hand, if you wish to enjoy a more relaxed journey, we can simply take our private transport uphill. The journey by car takes approximately one hour. The fortified citadel of Kuelap is located above a mountain ridge at 9,850 feet. The towering walls and hundreds of roundhouses capped by the cloud forest always amaze first time visitors. We explore this pre Inca citadel, which contains not only archaeological remains of singular value but also stunning views of the valley and the possibility to observe a wide variety of birds. After visiting Kuelap we head to the City of Chachapoyas for the night. Suggested Accommodation : Casa Vieja

Today, at the coordinated time, we´ll board our private transport and return to Chiclayo on an all-day scenic journey. On arrival we´ll continue to the Local Airport to board our flight to Lima and connect with your international flight home.