Home South America Peru Bite-sized Trips Lost Cities and Waterfalls - Kuélap and Gocta
Lost Cities and Waterfalls – Kuélap and Gocta
4-day Chachapoyas, Kuélap Fortress & Gocta Falls Tour
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Prices from £335 pp
All prices exclude international flights at the start/end of your trip. Let us book flights for you.
4 days / 3 nights (flexible)
Chachapoyas, Kuélap and Gocta Falls
Suitable for families
Overview
Often referred to as the Machu Picchu of the north, the ruins of Kuélap sit dramatically on a mountain ridge and are a worthy rival to Peru’s most famous site, with fewer tourists too. Once home to the Warriors of the Cloud Forest, Kuélap predates the Inca Empire and provides a jaw-dropping glimpse into the past. Staying in the peaceful town of Chachapoyas, you’ll also visit one of the world's highest waterfalls - the remote and spectacular Gocta Falls.
What's included
- Accommodation – price based on 2 people sharing
- Breakfast
- Shared transfers to/from airport
- Small group guided tours to Kuélap and Gocta Falls, inc. transport, lunch and entrance fees
This tour is designed to start and finish at Jaen Airport, although this is flexible. Domestic flights aren’t included but can be arranged by your travel specialist.
Create your own holiday itinerary 1. Add at least 3 chosen trips to your travel plan 2. Send it our way 3. Our travel specialists will get planning and send you a quote
Location map
Your day-by-day itinerary
Arrival in Chachapoyas
Most travellers choose to fly to this remote part of northern Peru, using the nearest major airport at Jaen. We’ll arrange for a shuttle transfer for your 3-4 hour journey through the rugged countryside to Chachapoyas – a relaxed, white-washed town surrounded by hills and cloud forest. We’ll usually arrange your stay at an attractive colonial hotel in the centre of the town so that you can enjoy the restaurants and bars nearby. You can also upgrade to a stylish hacienda a few miles away, with a swimming pool and great restaurant on-site. Just chat to your travel specialist before booking.
Lost city of Kuélap
You’ll be picked up after breakfast, joining a guided small-group trip to the ruins of Kuélap. It’s around 2 hours away by minibus, and once you’ve parked up in a nearby village you’ll take a relaxed 20-minute cable car ride across the wild landscape, before a steep 45-minute hike to the ruins. Perched on a mountain ridge with views stretching for miles, the site remained hidden for centuries but many of the structures are still intact, and it’s easy to imagine life unfolding within these walls.
You’ll have a couple of hours to explore, and your guide will talk you through what is known about Kuélap, its various buildings and sectors, and the Warriors of the Cloud Forest who once lived here. You’ll descend via the same route, and take the cable car back to the village where a warm lunch will be waiting. You’ll usually be back at your hotel late afternoon, ready to rest your weary feet.
Gocta Falls
There’s more exploring to be done today, as you set off in search of the spectacular Gocta Waterfalls. Although known locally, the falls were only ‘discovered’ in 2002 and now rank among the world’s highest at 771m. You’ll be travelling with a guide and a small group. It’s around an hour’s drive from Chachapoyas before you begin a 2-hour hike through dramatic, untouched nature, with birds and monkeys watching on. Once at the viewpoint you’ll have some time to relax and appreciate your surroundings, before heading for lunch in a village nearby. You’ll be dropped back at your hotel late in the afternoon.
Departure, maybe….
There’s plenty more to see around Chachapoyas, including the cliff dwellings at Revash and some great walking trails, so if you’d like to extend your time in northern Peru then your travel specialist can arrange this. Otherwise, it’ll be time to catch the morning shuttle back to Jaen Airport to fly to your next destination.
Fancy treating yourself? Check out our extended Special Stay trip below..
Extend your trip with our Gocta Falls Special Stay
If you have the time then you could try this extended 4-night version of the trip, including our Special Stay lodge. You’ll spend the first 2 nights staying in Chachapoyas and visiting Kuelap, before moving to a lodge in a wonderful location with views of Gocta Falls, a pool, restaurant, and easy access to the hiking trails which will allow you explore this remote area independently.
Prices from: £ 455 - per person - Standard and Special Stay
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