5-Day Kuelap, Karajía and Gocta Tour from Chachapoyas, Peru
Ancient fortress, cliff-side tombs and a 771-meter waterfall
Ride a cable car up to Kuelap, a fortress with walls that can reach 20 meters high, then meet the Karajía sarcophagi, statues set into an inaccessible cliff. Walk to Gocta Falls, considered the third highest in the world, and finish in Quiocta Cave on lit walkways. It is a guided tour in Chachapoyas, Peru, that starts and ends in the city.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Chachapoyas city tour and viewpoint circuit
- Reception at Chachapoyas airport
- Transfer to hotel and rest
- Transfer to Huancas town
- Observe Sonche Canyon from viewpoint
- Enjoy viewpoint with geological formations
- Pass through pine forest to Huanca Urco
- Visit archaeological site of Huanca Urco
- Participate in pottery making experience
- Observe city of Chachapoyas from Luya Urco viewpoint
- Visit independence square and artisan workshop
- Walk along El Comercio street
- Return to hotel
Day 2: Visit Kuelap fortress by cable car
- Transfer to Kuelap fortress
- Observe Macro archaeological site
- Pause at Nuevo Tingo village
- Board bus to cable car station
- Ride cable car to Malca stop
- Walk to Kuelap fortress
- Explore Kuelap fortress narrow passageways and walls
- Return to Chachapoyas city
Day 3: Sarcophagi of Karajía and Quiocta cavern
- Travel to Cruzpata town
- Walk downhill to Karajía sarcophagi
- Return to vehicle and transfer to Lamud city
- Have lunch in Lamud
- Transfer to Quiocta tourist stop
- Visit interpretation room
- Walk to cavern entrance
- Tour cavern on illuminated platforms
- Return to Chachapoyas city
Day 4: Hike to Gocta Falls
- Transfer to Cocachimba village
- Reserve lunch at restaurant
- Walk 5 km to Gocta Falls
- Enjoy Gocta Falls and surroundings
- Walk back to Cocachimba village
- Have lunch in Cocachimba
- Return to Chachapoyas city
Day 5: Departure transfer
- Transfer to Chachapoyas airport or terminal
What’s included
- Chachapoyas city, Huancas village and viewpoints.
- Karajía sarcophagi visit and Quiocta cavern.
- Safety gear for the Quiocta cavern visit.
- Air-conditioned vehicle.
- Cable car ride and visit to the Kuelap citadel.
- Gocta Falls Tour.
- Tourism guide.
- Every day 10:00
Last departure this season: 27 Dec
Information
You ride a cable car up to Kuelap, reach the Karajía sarcophagi on a cliff, walk to Gocta Falls and explore Quiocta Cave on lit walkways.
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The experience
Your first day starts with a drive to Huancas, a town where people were moved during the Inca conquest. From viewpoints you look down on the Sonche Canyon, where a river has cut its narrow way for about 11 kilometers. The walk to Huanca Urco passes a pine forest and the old pre-Hispanic road, and from the top you can see the Gocta Falls through binoculars. At a potter's house you watch clay shaped by hand and take part in the steps yourself. The guide then leads you through the walnut crafts and along El Comercio, past colonial balconies.
The second day climbs toward the fortress by cable car. You stop for lunch in Nuevo Tingo before the 22 minute ride, then walk about 30 minutes through narrow passages lined with circular houses and stone friezes. The walls of Kuelap can reach up to 20 meters high, and up close you feel how massive they are. On the third day you walk about 30 minutes downhill from Cruzpata to the Karajía sarcophagi, where the guide explains the mummified rulers they still hold. After lunch in Lamud, Quiocta Cave opens with an interpretation room, then platforms carry you past funerary areas and stalactites and stalagmites, each with its own light.
On the fourth day you drive about an hour to Cocachimba, then walk about 5 kilometers to the base of Gocta Falls. Its 771 meters fall in two jumps, and birds, some of them endemic, fill the trees around you. You walk back to Cocachimba for lunch before heading to Chachapoyas.
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 17 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.
Is the cable car to Kuelap included?
Yes, the Kuelap visit by cable car is included. The ride takes 22 minutes, then a walk of about 30 minutes leads into the fortress.
Can you go inside the Karajía sarcophagi?
The sarcophagi sit on an inaccessible cliff, so you see them from the spot where the guide explains them, after a 30 minute downhill walk from Cruzpata.
Is Quiocta Cave lit for visitors?
Yes, the walkways are illuminated, and each sector has its own artificial lighting. Protective equipment is provided before you enter the cavern.
How long is the walk to Gocta Falls?
The walk is about 5 kilometers, roughly two hours per section, starting from Cocachimba and returning there for lunch.
Is there time for the pottery in Huancas?
Yes. You visit a potter's house and take part in each stage of making clay vessels, with time to watch the ancestral customs.
Does the tour include the city centre of Chachapoyas?
Yes, the first day ends with the Independence square, a walnut crafts workshop, El Comercio street and the square of arms.
Operated by Kuelap Adventure. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 12 days ago
5-Day Kuelap, Karajía and Gocta Tour from Chachapoyas
5d · EN · ES · at your hotel
from US$ 245 per person
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