Itinerary
DAY 01: LIMA
Arrival and transfer to the hotel.
DAY 02: LIMA / TRUJILLO
In the morning transfer to the airport to board the flight to Trujillo. Arrival and transfer to the hotel at 13.30 p.m. City tour around the amazing Main Square, the catedral, del Carmen Church, the famous colonial houses and the Casinelli Museum. (prívate service).
DAY 03: TRUJILLO
9.00 a.m. Visit to the Huaca del Sol, a step pyramid 20 meters high, and the Huaca de la Luna, with astounding wall paintings depicting Moche rituals, places that clearly show the splendour of the ancient inhabitants of the northern coast of Peru.
We will continue with a visit to the famous seaside resort of Huanchaco,where we will be able to see the traditional “caballitos de totora” (“little reed horses”) which are still used by local fishermen and enjoy a fresh delicious seafood lunch.
Visit to the Moche valley where the citadel of Chan-Chan, the capital of the Great Chimu Kingdon. It is considered the largest adobe-built citadel in the world (an area of 20 square kilometers). Return to the hotel at 5:30 pm approximately.
DAY 04: TRUJILLO / CAJAMARCA
8.00 AM. A drive to the historical city of Cajamarca in our prívate transportation.
Arrival at 13.00 pm. approx. and transfer to the hotel.
14.30 pm. City Tour to visit the Main Square (Plaza de Armas), the cathedral( Santa Catalina Church) which is one of the most representative colonial religious constructions in Peru of baroque style; San Francisco Church, one of the earliest religious temples of colonial Peru, the Monumental Complex Bethlehem, one of the most relevant colonial masterpieces in the city and Santa Apolonia Hill, a viewpoint from which the panoramic view of the city and the countryside will delight our eyes.
DAY 05: CAJAMARCA
8.00 am A full day visit at Porcon Farm. This alternative will enable us to enjoy and experience rural life style in the highlands. Visitors to the farm take part in different farming and ecological activities, such as planting trees for reforestation, sowing and harvesting potatoes and vegetables, milking the cows of the farm and visiting the biohuertos (organic gardens). A top priority, nevertheless, is to share with local residents so that we can familarize and benefit from their wisdom, their culture and their traditions.
DAY 06: CAJAMARCA
8.00 am. Visit to the Archaeological complex of Cumbemayo. This complex is made up of several megalithic constructions that extend in an area of 25,000 square meters. It is believed that such remarkable constructions, which combine perfectly with the splendid landscape- were built around the year 1,200 A.C by the Cajamarca-Marañon culture. Cumbemayo is located at 3,400 meters a.m.s.l,22 kilometers south of Cajamarca.
This complex has a hydraulic cultural sequence covering periods preceding the dissemination Chavin and reach the Inka conquest.
14.00 pm. visit to the Inca Bathing Place. Hot springs which were enjoyed by Inca Atahualpa when the Spanish Conquistadores arrived. This is a unique place, as it is rather surprising to learn of the variety of minerals contained in its waters. At the Inca bathing place (2,667 m.a.s.l.) the so-called Poza del Inca (Individual Inca Bath) has been preserved intact, as well as the stone canals and some fountains dating back to those days. New pools have been built both for groups and individuals, to which visitors have access. Residents comment on the medicinal or healing properties of these waters, with a temperature of about 70° C. Actually, they are considered ideal to treat some skin,bone and nervous system diseases and to relax.
DAY 07: CAJAMARCA / CELENDIN
8.00 Visit to the niches of Otuzco.
The site is a pre-Inca cemetery which pre-dates the Caxamarca culture, probably influenced by the Wari empire.
Hundreds of galleries and individual niches resembling windows were hewn into the volcanic stone. The niches are 8-10 meters deep, 50-60 cm high and are rectangular or quadrangular shaped. The niches probably were originally sealed with gravestones carved with figures in haut-relief, judging by fragments found nearby.
Legend has it that the Incas cleared out the niches and used them as grain storerooms («collca» in Quechua), redirecting their entrances towards the wind to keep them cool. The niches lead into a network of dark and mysterious galleries which appear to have no end, giving rise to myths of secret tunnels that linked Cajamarca to Cusco.
14.00 pm. Departure to Celendin. With mild weather and light breeze, Celendin is the capital of a province in the department of Cajamarca, which is called Celendin too. The town is famous for the quality of the taquilla-straw hats which are woven there. There are all kinds of straw hats, for ladies, gentleman, children, low or high quality … etc. A straw hat of fine quality takes about three or four weeks to finish it, and there are even finer ones, that can take up to two months! Celendin is a stop over in the route to the beautiful Amazonas región and is located 109 kms from Cajamarca.
DAY 08: CELENDIN / LEYMEBAMBA
8.00 A.M – Departure to Leymebamba, arrival and transfer to the hotel.
02.00 P.M. Visit to the mummy museum of Leimebamba (Mallqui Research Center) where the mummies,ceramics, carvings and other pieces, which were discovered in a ledge-farallon of the Condores lagoon, are exhibited.
DAY 09: LEYMEBAMBA / CHACHAPOYAS
8.00 A.M. As we head for the city of Chachapoyas, we will visit the fortress citadel of Kuelap ,one of the most outstanding archaeological remains of the Chachapoyas culture., located on top of a mountain at 3,000 meters a.m.s.l. It consists of two enormous superposed platforms, over which the citadel stands protected by massive defensive walls. The structure of the main building is circular and for security purposes has only one access corridor, sufficiently narrow to allow only one person at a time to enter. Inside there are several divisions, hundreds of round stone houses decorated with zigzag patterns, small up to 1,969 feet (600 m)long and 66 feet (20m) high. Towers indicate how well protected the compound was. It comprised more than 400 buildings, many of them with decorated walls and cornices or protruding friezes.
Ancient Peruvians were highly successful in integrating with nature. The Chachapoya, whose secrets still lie buried in the dense jungle, created harmonic structures in a privileged site, a timeless land where the jungle-clad hills are wreathed by mist. The view from the towers is incredibly beautiful.
In the afternoon we will continue our trip towards Chachapoyas. Arrival and transfer to the hotel.
DAY 10: CHACHAPOYAS
8.00 Visit to the Sarcophagus of Karajia
The Sarcophagus of Karajia are precariously located on a mountain cliff at about 2600m. It is an spectacular funerary site down the road about a mile and a quarter. Here we will find 2 meter anthropomorphic wooden coffins located under a cliff. Mummies were placed inside each coffin.
In the afternoon we will visit the citadel of San Antonio.
Drive back to Chachapoyas at 5.00 pm. Approximately.
DAY 11: CHACHAPOYAS
8.00 am. We will head for the Gocta Waterfall. Nowhere is there more spectacular high waterfalls than here! This is similar but bigger and more spectacular than gigantic waterfalls you might have seen in the movies of pristine mountainous jungles. With a height of 771 meters it is well over twice as high as the Eiffel Tower.or America’s tallest building. It was discovered in 2006 by Stefan Ziemendorff, and testifies to the remoteness and unfolding discoveries of America’s newly accessible and most pristine ecological and archeological destination. This is considered the world’s 3rd highest waterfall. Although others may be higher, they only run off while it is raining. A unique feature here is that it is a substantial river that doesn’t dry up in the dry season.
To reach this waterfall the only way is walking 5 hrs by virgin jungle departing from the village of Cocachimba, through the trek its possible to see another amazing 22 waterfalls, toucans, hummingbirds, monkeys and much more.
DIA 12: CHACHAPOYAS / CHICLAYO
8.00 am Departure towards the city of Chiclayo. On the way we will visit Bagua, the capital of the district. The city of Bagua is located on a natural platform raised from the right shore of the Utcubamba river. All the houses of the western part of the city have a view of the river waters. There are a big quantity of animals that are typical of the zone, such as huanganas, pumas, anteaters, tigrillos, cashpaicuros, armadillos.
Thanks to the valuable number of species, a tourist current dedicated to the sport of hunting can be achieved, of course with rules adapted to assure the survival of these species. For collectors, the quantity and variety of butterflies can be of big attraction in the wooded zone of the district mainly.
Arrival to Chiclayo and transfer to the hotel.
DIA 13: CHICLAYO / BATAN GRANDE / SICAN
8.00 am . Visit to the Pomac dry forest,
Located in the province of Ferreñafe in Lambayeque, only 36 kilometres from Chiclayo, the Bosque de Pómac is the world’s largest dry forest. The Bosque de Pómac, part of the Reserved Zone Batán Grande, offers a great variety of eye-catching attractions. Besides the impressive landscape of the dry forest with its algarrobos (carobs) in the middle of a meager desert, you will find several archaeological sites. The forest used to be the centre of the Sicán culture, which followed that of the Mochica. 34 pyramids and ruins are waiting to be explored. The surrounding forest is also home to a great number of bird and mammal species, among them foxes, wildcats and anteaters.
Archaeologists excavating Huaca El Loro in Pomac found a 1,000 year-old Tallán mummy, wearing a distinctive headdress, facemask and chest plate and surrounded by gold and silver ornaments, buried in a lavish Sicán tomb.
The findings are rather sensational because one of the ceremonial knives measures 35 centimeters (13.8 inches) and has an engraved image of the God Sicán or Naylamp, the mythical name of a wise and courageous warrior. This constitutes a new landmark in Peruvian archaeology.
We will continue our tour heading for the National Museum of Sican, devote to the preservation and promotion of Sican cultura, also referred to as Lambayeque (750-1373 AD). It displays the different daily aspects of the Sican culture including different processes for making pottery and metal crafts. In addition Sican Museum has an interesting display of the tombs of the Sican nobility.
DAY 14: CHICLAYO – SIPÁN (Huaca Rajada + Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum).
Through this tour we will discover the complete history of the Great Lord of Sipan, starting from Huaca Rajada (Sipan), an archaeological complex made up of two pyramids and the platform under which the Lord of Sipan was discovered in 1987 and, later, the Old Lord of Sipan.
So far, researchers have excavated three major tombs of spectacular contents, and many other minor burials also have been found all through the platform.
We will see the archaeological reminders and the site museum. Then we will head for Lambayeque to enjoy a delicious lunch in a typical restaurant previous to our visit to the Royal Tombs Museum, where a recreation of the Huaca Rajada tombs, the attires of the Lord of Sipan and the Old Lord of Sipan, gold and silver jewels and other ornaments and ceramics that were also found in the tombs, can be seen. We will also attend a dramatization of the life of the Lord of Sipán and his royal court.
This tour takes 7 hours ,approximately.
DAY 15: CHICLAYO / LIMA
Transfer to the airport to board our flight to Lima. Once there a full day city tour to visit colonial Lima, the Main Square, the catedral, the popular church of San Francisco and the mausoleum, and the moderna rea of the capital that includes Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro.
DAY 16: LIMA…
Transfer to the airport to board our international flight.
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