Driving either from Chiclayo you will be crossing the lowest Andean Pass to the north of the country, or flying from Lima to the Jaen airport.

Crossing by car the low Porculla (2150 m.a.s.l.) Andean pass, you would arrive to the road passing the left detour to Jaen (where the closest working airport to Chachapoyas city is placed), and heading southeast you will cross Bagua Grande town, a place to stop for a reasonable lunch in a restaurant.

Continue your trip until Pedro Ruiz town, where you turn to the right into the Utcubamba river valley and doing about 18 kn you’ll turn to the left on a dirt road for about 5 km. to the Cocachimba village and to the Gocta Lodge, lodging with an extraordinary view on the Gocta Waterfall. From here you could do a 2 hours hike to the cataract basis lagoon, just impressive.

 You are allready in the area of the amaizing and less known  Chachapoyas culture area (the so-called fearsome warriors of the clouds).

It was a culture of the Andes living in the cloud forests of the southern part of the Department of Amazonas of present-day Peru. The Inca Empire conquered their civilization shortly before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century..

The Chachapoyas boast about 80 very particular and impressive monuments, in special the Kuelap Fortress,- (called the Machu Picchu of the North) to be reached through a cable car from Nuevo Tingo in the valley;

Also very interesting are the Karajia standing sarcophagi,to be reached from Cocachimba in one and a half hours, driving down to the Utcubamba valley doing first 24 km to the small Caclic town, and turning left crossing the river to drive up along a road with numerous hairpin bends as far as  the Lamud and Luya villages for about 22 km, and walk for 4 km. to reach the Karajia sarcophagi placed on a natural plattform at a steep rock wall.

Back to Caclic, drive for 20 minutes to the Chachapoyas city, to your hotel. If time left, you could reach in 18 minutes the Huancas village, specialized in producing traditional pottery, and give a look in the impressive Sonche canyon watching place.

Next, from Chachapoyas, driving  again down to the valley you can reach in 2 hours the Nuevo Tingo departure station for the cable-cabin to the huge Kuelap fortress, the most impressive visit you can do to the so-called Machu Picchu in the North.

Next important destination is the Leymebamba colonial village, to spend the night. Here you can get a guide to explore the Revash colorful mausoleums perched at a high rock wall.

After the visit to Revash you can drive again to Leymebamba and visit its veru interesting Mummies and Chachapoyas culture Museum, to understand better the Chachapoyas culture.

Next impressive but suitable exit from the Chachapoyas area is about a 5 hours and a half driving up to the Barro Negro Pass, to continue driving downhill on one of the most impressive roads in the country to the 1800 mts. lower Balsas tiny village for 2 hours,  and crossing the bridge on the mighty Marañon river, drive uphill to the highlands and reach the Celendín town, to continue towards Baños del Inca, an important Cajamarca quarter, and stay overnight.