Tarapoto To Trujillo 9-Day Itinerary
Best-value way to visit northern Peru highlights in nine days ... in comfort.
Small group departures using private transport & best hotels in region
Just two passengers needed to guarantee departure.
Amazon rainforest, Kuelap, Gocta Falls, Tucume & Chan Chan included.
Overview
Tarapoto - Chachapoyas - Chiclayo - Trujillo: 9-Day Itinerary Outline:
Day 1: Arrive Tarapoto. Overnight at Pumarinri
Day 2: Huallaga River & Pucayaquillo Waterfall. Overnight at Pumarinri
Day 3: Drive to Gocta, via Huembo & Moyobamba. Overnight at Gocta Lodge
Day 4: Gocta Falls. Overnight at Gocta Lodge
Day 5: Kuelap. Overnight at Gocta Lodge
Day 6: Drive to Tucume; Tucume Pyramids. Overnight at Los Horcones de Tucume
Day 7: Tumbes Reales Museum; Drive to Trujillo, via El Brujo. Overnight at Moche Sanctuary Lodge
Day 8: Chan Chan & Huaca de la Luna. Overnight at Moche Sanctuary Lodge
Day 9: Trujillo City Tour; Transfer to Trujillo Airport.
Tarapoto - Chachapoyas - Trujillo (using deluxe night bus): 9-Day Itinerary Outline:
Day 1: Arrive Tarapoto. Overnight at Pumarinri
Day 2: Huallaga River & Pucayaquillo Waterfall. Overnight at Pumarinri
Day 3: Drive to Gocta, via Huembo & Moyobamba. Overnight at Gocta Lodge
Day 4: Gocta Falls. Overnight at Gocta Lodge
Day 5: Kuelap. Overnight at Gocta Lodge
Day 6: Karajia or Revash & Leymebamba Museum. Transfer to Chachapoyas Bus Station. Overnight bus to Trujillo.
Day 7: El Brujo. Overnight at Moche Sanctuary Lodge
Day 8: Chan Chan & Huaca de la Luna. Overnight at Moche Sanctuary Lodge
Day 9: Trujillo City Tour; Transfer to Trujillo Airport.
Please note that there are departures that go from Trujillo to Tarapoto. Click here for more details.
Dates
2024 Set Departures:
There are no group departures of this tour planned for 2024, as Peruvian tourism continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic. But if you would like to do this in a private service, with dates and itinerary to suit, just ask us how.
Itinerary
Tarapoto - Chachapoyas - Chiclayo - Trujillo Itinerary:
Day 1: Tarapoto: Amazon Valleys & Canyons
The pool at Pumarinri Lodge.
Reception at Tarapoto airport and departure towards Pumarinri Lodge, following the Mayo and Huallaga valleys and canyons.
We make stops at places of major scenic or ecological interest en route.
Arrival at Pumarinri Amazon Lodge.
Afternoon is free to settle in and enjoy the lodge's facilities, including a pool and a number of nature trails.
After dark, we take a guided night walk in the jungle, to spot nocturnal species.
Dinner & Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge.
Day 2: Tarapoto: Rainforest, Waterfalls & Mighty Rivers
One of the man-made pools at Pumarinri.
Breakfast followed by a morning boat trip along the Huallaga River, between the Estero and Chumia rapids, and a forest walk in the Cordillera Azul National Park.
Lunch.
In the afternoon, we go for a hike through the Amazon rainforest, observing a variety of forest features from palm trees, vines, epiphytes and hardwood trees to bullet ants, morpho butterflies and poison dart frogs.
At the end of this walk we have a refreshing swim at Pucayaquillo Waterfall.
Dinner & Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge.
Day 3: Tarapoto - Gocta: From Amazon to Andes
Hummingbird at Marvelous Spatuletail Centre.
Breakfast and early departure towards the Andes.
If time and weather conditions allow, we plan to make stops along the way:
First stop is at Moyobamba to visit an orchid botanical garden.
Second stop at the Marvelous Spatuletail Visitors Centre, to watch this amazing hummingbird amongst many other colourful species, and enjoy our boxed lunch.
We hope to arrive at our accommodation in time to enjoy the sunset in front of Gocta Falls, one of the highest in the world, in the heart of the Peruvian northern Andes.
Dinner & Overnight at Gocta Andes Lodge, or similar.
Day 4: Gocta Falls
A glimpse of Gocta Falls from the trail.
Breakfast.
From Gocta Lodge there's an amazing view of Gocta Waterfall, but the trail leading to them is even more breathtaking.
It is about a two to three hour hike (each way), passing through Andean orchards and lush forest full of bromeliads and orchids.
NB. There is the option to do this trail on horseback (at a small extra cost).
Lunch at the lodge, followed by a free afternoon to rest or explore the local village of Cocachimba.
Dinner & Overnight at Gocta Andes Lodge, or similar.
Day 5: Kuelap
The outer wall & llamas at Kuelap Citadel.
After breakfast we start driving along the Utcubamba Valley, between bromeliads and cacti, towards Nuevo Tingo.
Here we take the newly-built cable car to Kuelap Fortress, located at an altitude of 3,000m (9,842ft).
Guided visit of Kuelap archaeological site, followed by lunch back in the village of Nuevo Tingo (or a picnic lunch).
In the afternoon, we make the scenic, two-hour return drive to our accommodation.
Dinner & Overnight at Gocta Lodge.
NB. The cable car does not operate on Mondays.
Day 6: Gocta - Tucume: Drive to Desert of the Pyramids
Breakfast and early departure towards Lambayeque Department.
Stop at Abra Porculla, the lowest Andean mountain pass between the Caribbean to Patagonia, for a boxed lunch.
Arrival in Tucume and visit to Tucume Pyramids (the largest pyramid complex in the Americas) and museum.
Dinner & Overnight at Los Horcones Hotel, or similar.
Day 7: Chiclayo - Trujillo: Lord of Sipan & El Brujo
Artefact from Huaca Rajada.
Breakfast and departure to visit Tumbas Reales Museum, in the town of Lambayeque, where the Lord of Sipan is exhibited.
Lunch in Pacasymayo, overlooking the sea, watching surfers, windsurfers and kite-surfers taking advantage of excellent watersports conditions.
After lunch, we drive towards Trujillo, stopping on the way to visit El Brujo & Señora de Cao museum and archaeological site.
Dinner and overnight at Moche Sanctuary Lodge, or similar.
Adobe walls at Chan Chan.
Day 8: Huaca de la Luna & Chan Chan
Breakfast followed by morning visit to Huaca de la Luna archaeological site and museum, which are just a stone's throw from our accommodation.
We return to the hotel for lunch, before making our afternoon visit to Chan Chan citadel, the largest adobe (mud brick) city in America.
Dinner and overnight at Moche Sanctuary Lodge, or similar.
Day 9: Colonial Trujillo; Transfer Out
Walking city tour around Trujillo Colonial centre.
Transfer to airport or bus terminal.
End of tour.