Northern Highlands

Vast tracts of unexplored jungle and mist-shrouded mountain ranges guard the secrets of the Northern Highlands like a suspicious custodian. Here, Andean peaks and a blanket of luxuriant forests stretch from the coast all the way to the deepest Amazonian jungles. Interspersed with the relics of Inca kings and the jungle-encrusted ruins of cloud-forest-dwelling warriors, connections to these outposts are just emerging from their infancy.

Cajamarca’s cobbled streets testify to the beginning of the end of the once-powerful Inca Empire, and remnants of the work of these famed Andean masons still remain. The hazy forests of Chachapoyas have only recently revealed their archaeological bounty: witness the staggering stone fortress of Kuélap, which clings for dear life to a craggy limestone peak. At the jungle gateway of Tarapoto, the Amazon waits patiently on the periphery, as it has for centuries, endowed with a cornucopia of wildlife and exquisite good looks.

Explore Northern Highlands

Kuélap
Travelers have their heads literally in the clouds when visiting the walled jungle fortress Kuélap in the northern highlands of Peru – the gateway to the…
Catarata de Gocta
This 771m waterfall somehow escaped the notice of the Peruvian government, international explorers and prying satellite images until 2005, when German…
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Museo Leimebamba
The mummies found at Laguna de los Cóndores are housed in the Museo Leimebamba, 5km south of town. The museum is owned by the local community and located…
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Gran Vilaya
The name Gran Vilaya refers to the bountiful valleys that spread out west of Chachapoyas, reaching toward the rushing Río Marañón. Abutting the humid…
K
Kuntur Wasi
Perched on a mountaintop overlooking the small town of San Pablo, these seldom-visited pre-Inca ruins are well worth the trip from Cajamarca. The site is…
M
Marcahuamachuco
This spectacular collection of rugged ruins sprawls over a windswept plateau at a dizzying 3600m. The 3km-long site dates from around 400 BC and has…
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Catarata Yumbilla
A tiered waterfall falling in four sections, Yumbilla, rather like Gocta, was not properly surveyed until the early 2000s. And with all the recent…
M
Museo Kuntur Wasi
This excellent museum at the foot of the Kuntur Wasi ruins houses many objects from the archaeological site including amazing gold crowns and jewelry. Be…
R
Revash
This historic site protects several brightly colored funerary buildings tucked into limestone cliff ledges high above a valley near the town of Santo…

Kuélap
Travelers have their heads literally in the clouds when visiting the walled jungle fortress Kuélap in the northern highlands of Peru – the gateway to the…
Catarata de Gocta
This 771m waterfall somehow escaped the notice of the Peruvian government, international explorers and prying satellite images until 2005, when German…
M
Museo Leimebamba
The mummies found at Laguna de los Cóndores are housed in the Museo Leimebamba, 5km south of town. The museum is owned by the local community and located…
G
Gran Vilaya
The name Gran Vilaya refers to the bountiful valleys that spread out west of Chachapoyas, reaching toward the rushing Río Marañón. Abutting the humid…
K
Kuntur Wasi
Perched on a mountaintop overlooking the small town of San Pablo, these seldom-visited pre-Inca ruins are well worth the trip from Cajamarca. The site is…
M
Marcahuamachuco
This spectacular collection of rugged ruins sprawls over a windswept plateau at a dizzying 3600m. The 3km-long site dates from around 400 BC and has…
C
Catarata Yumbilla
A tiered waterfall falling in four sections, Yumbilla, rather like Gocta, was not properly surveyed until the early 2000s. And with all the recent…
M
Museo Kuntur Wasi
This excellent museum at the foot of the Kuntur Wasi ruins houses many objects from the archaeological site including amazing gold crowns and jewelry. Be…
R
Revash
This historic site protects several brightly colored funerary buildings tucked into limestone cliff ledges high above a valley near the town of Santo…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Northern Highlands.

See
Kuélap
Travelers have their heads literally in the clouds when visiting the walled jungle fortress Kuélap in the northern highlands of Peru – the gateway to the…
See
Catarata de Gocta
This 771m waterfall somehow escaped the notice of the Peruvian government, international explorers and prying satellite images until 2005, when German…
See
Museo Leimebamba
The mummies found at Laguna de los Cóndores are housed in the Museo Leimebamba, 5km south of town. The museum is owned by the local community and located…
See
Gran Vilaya
The name Gran Vilaya refers to the bountiful valleys that spread out west of Chachapoyas, reaching toward the rushing Río Marañón. Abutting the humid…
See
Kuntur Wasi
Perched on a mountaintop overlooking the small town of San Pablo, these seldom-visited pre-Inca ruins are well worth the trip from Cajamarca. The site is…
See
Marcahuamachuco
This spectacular collection of rugged ruins sprawls over a windswept plateau at a dizzying 3600m. The 3km-long site dates from around 400 BC and has…
See
Catarata Yumbilla
A tiered waterfall falling in four sections, Yumbilla, rather like Gocta, was not properly surveyed until the early 2000s. And with all the recent…
See
Museo Kuntur Wasi
This excellent museum at the foot of the Kuntur Wasi ruins houses many objects from the archaeological site including amazing gold crowns and jewelry. Be…
See
Revash
This historic site protects several brightly colored funerary buildings tucked into limestone cliff ledges high above a valley near the town of Santo…

Guidebooks

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Get to the heart of Northern Highlands with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.