004 NORTHERN PERU'S EXTREME CROSS SECTION 

Northern Peru offers the world’s most extreme geography: its greatest rainforest, driest desert, and 2nd highest mountains. These offer thousands of mini-ecological zones with natives, plants and animals adapted to each zone.

Tarapoto and Moyobamba transitions from the Basin to mountain jungles & huge waterfalls. Kuelap is the “Machu Picchu of Northern Peru” with Peru’s most mysterious and largest variety of ruins in the Andes. We have many of the world’s most exotic and almost extinct hummingbird that we are working to preserve at our lodges.

On Chiclayo’s Pacific coast where a “Nile River” irrigated hundreds of kilometers of desert. It was ruled by “Moche Pharaohs” buried in the valley’s 260 pyramids, in a mirror image of ancient Egypt.


Day 1 Lima - Tarapoto

Flight from Lima to Tarapoto on the marginal jungle edge. Stay night at the luxury resort Puerto Palmeras.

Day 2 Tarapoto - Moyobamba

Private coach takes us 2 hours to another mountainous jungle town of Moyobamba and another really neat jungle 3 star hotel Puerto Mirador. Canoe trip on Mayo River to observe variety of birds, visit to the thermal baths, orchid displays, and Moyobamba, the orchid capitol of Peru. (B, L, D)

Day 3 Moyobamba - Chachapoyas

Private coach takes us 5 hours to the city of Chachapoyas. On the way to Chachapoyas we will enjoy a short walk in the jungle, we will see a variety of butterflies, birds and animal from the region. We will also stop in Pomacochas Lake for some pictures and a brief explanation. Night in restored Colonial Mansion, 3 Star hostel in Chachapoyas. (B, BL, D)

Day 4 Chachapoyas - Levanto

Private transportation to Levanto (1 hr), the most significant city of the Inca and colonial Spanish era. Twenty minute walk up to explore the Yalape ruins, and the Inca Canal. See the restored Inca Garrison built to guard this major hub of Inca roads radiating out over 2000 miles from here. Spend afternoon in Levanto where we donated a ceramics kiln to the community to reproduce pottery in the ancient style. Optional 4-hour downhill walk on perhaps Peru’s best un-restored Inca highway. We stay the night at the Choctamal Marvelous Spatuletail Lodge, high in the cloud forest looking down at the clouds and fortress Kuelap. (B, BL, D)

Day 5 Choctamal - Kuelap

We will spend the day at Fortress Kuelap known as "the Machu Picchu of the North". Kuelap has over 400 buildings inside 3 levels of walls, and is the largest stone structure in all the Americas. Orchids and bromeliads cover the walls and trees inside this fortress. On the way to Chachapoyas we will observe the platforms of Macro located on a cliff overlooking the Utcubamba River. Overnight in restored Colonial Mansion, 3 star hostel. (B, L, D)

Day 6 Chiclayo

Coach to Chiclayo 9 hours and stay night in a 3 Star Hotel. On this trip you will have seen the world's most extreme conditions, the mightiest rainforest, the 2nd highest mountains, and the driest desert. Americas’ most advanced culture left the richest gold tomb of the Americas, the Lord of Sipan. This is on the Pacific coast in an environment like Egypt, with 270 pyramids, and a rich desert soil irrigated by a river and huge canals taking water from mountains over 100 miles away. (B, BL, D)

Day 7 Chiclayo – Lima

After seeing Pimentel (reed boats on the Pacific Coast), Huaca Rajada, (Sipan’s archaeological complex), and the pyramid complex with continuing excavation of royal tombs including the Lord of Sipan, we catch our evening flight to Lima. (B, L)

Price:

2 - 3 pax US$ 1,092 p.p.
4 – or more US$ 866 p.p.

Single supplement: US$210

THE TOUR INCLUDES:
All entrance fees
Transfers to airport or bus station
Meals where noted in the program
Accommodations and taxes
All transportation specified in the program
Bilingual Guide

NOT INCLUDED:
Airport taxes
Gratuities (not expected in this zone)
Alcoholic beverages
Internal flights
Snacks, water bottles