Gran Vilaya Expedition

You start this Peruvian trip in the dry Utcubamba River Valley in the Department of Amazonas, then pass up through orchids & bromeliads in the cloud forest (Eyebrow of the Amazon, or La Ceja de Selva), and cross the treeless nightly freeze line and spine of the Central Andes Cordillera of South America. You then drop into incredible ruins located all over peaks while descending into the valley of the main trunk Amazon. This trek follows ancient Inca roads, and a mile a long Inca staircase into Grand Vilaya, then back out over the freeze line, and on to Fortress Kuelap.

During the Inca Revolution against the Spanish, Inca Manco knew his Andes and wanted to establish his capitol in the Andes most defensible zone. He made a desperate march towards Levanto to relocate in the Andes' most fortified zone. The Chachapoyan Cloud People were reputed to be tall fair skin warriors, and didn't want to be under Inca control. They forced the Inca to turn back to the jungle below Machu Picchu.

Departure Dates: first week May - November

Challenging: Combination of horseback and hikes, 4 & 8 hours daily, with steep climbs and descents into the "Birthplace of the Amazon". The trip is moderate on (self steering) horses, but vigorous if you prefer to hike.

Day 1 Chiclayo - Chachapoyas - Flight to Chiclayo then by bus to see a cross section of Peru's extreme geography. Reception at our 3 star colonial mansion in Chachapoyas. Or if direct flight, day trip to Sonche Canyon (as deep as the Grand Canyon, but with cascading huge waterfalls going into it. Also see transplanted Incas making pottery in original ways at Huancas.

Day 2 Lamud - Karajia - Bus to Lamud and Cohechan. Our Chachapoya Expedition first goes to Karajia, which are huge funeral statues, high on a cliff that defies rock climbing. Our adventure begins by horse and guides for 6 hours to Belen. This is an ancient glacial tarn above the nightly freeze line with a meandering river panorama extending for miles. Dinner and camping.

Day 3 Vista Hermosa - Inca staircase - Descend to Vista Hermosa (beautiful view) on a mile long Inca staircase to a level of bananas and coffee in the Vilaya Valley. Dinner at camp on the river.

Day 4 Gran Vilaya - Hike to Carcahuasi, the Chachapoyan ruins of Gran Vilaya found by our guide Damian on the original Gene Savoy expedition, which claimed discovery of the thousands of stone structures.

Day 5 Inca Trail to Choctamal - We cross the spine of the Andes Cordillera Central on the Kuelap East West Road through the cloud forest filled with orchids and bromeliads. Much of this Inca trail follows up the very peak of a ridge between valleys, which they excavated twice and as deep as a person on horseback. Despite missing pavement, all of these ancient roads were incredibly engineered to follow the most efficient grade. The Abra Yumal pass has views with clouds below, in this "Birthplace of the Amazon" where the main trunk Amazon River violently carved out a valley deeper than the Grand Canyon to enter the Amazon Basin. This is an Audubon dream for birding with the world's most exotic hummingbirds. Supper and hot tub at our mountain top Choctamal Lodge, "Gateway to Kuelap & Gran Vilaya".

Day 6 Kuelap - Chachapoyas - Visit Fortress Kuelap (Cuelap), the largest stone structure in South America, estimated to contain three times the building material of the Great Pyramid of Egypt. Kuelap is far larger, more mysterious, and higher than Machu Picchu, and probably more significant in the much older ancient era it served. Return to Chachapoyas and our 3 star adobe colonial mansion.

Day 7 Chachapoyas - Chiclayo - Return to Chiclayo by road for connection to Lima by direct flight. Chiclayo options are available which has 260 pyramids and royal Moche tombs in an Egyptian like setting. Also Trujillo option with the largest city discovered by Europeans in America.

PRICE PER PERSON: US$825 each for 4-10 people, US$1,078 each for 2-3 people, US$1,486 for 1 person

THE TOUR INCLUDES: All entrance fees, All meals (breakfast, lunch or box lunch and dinner), Hotels and taxes, Private transportation specified in the program (vehicles, horses, arrieros, etc), Transportation between cities (Chiclayo/Chachapoyas - Chachapoyas/Chiclayo), Bilingual Guide

NOT INCLUDED: Tips, Alcoholic beverages, internal flights , Airport taxes