JOURNEY LATIN AMERICA- TICO TICO TOUR: CULTURE OF THE NORTHERN ANDES

Operated by Vilaya Tours, the Journey Latin America (UK) Tico Tico Tour: Culture of the Northern Andes, takes in the highlights of the Chiclayo and Trujillo areas. With visits to the astonishing small site of Ventarron which has the oldest murals in the Americas dated at 2500BC. Later we visit Huaca Rajada (also known as Sipan) and we see the precious artefacts found in the tombs on display in the on-site museum and the Royal Tombs Museum in Lambayeque. On the way to Trujillo we stop by the Moche site of El Brujo – the resting place of a tattooed priestess. From the city we visit Huaca de la Luna and its modern on-site museum and the massive mud-brock complex of Chan Chan.

The drive from Trujillo takes us into the Andes and the city of Cajamarca – where the Conquistadors captured the Inca Atahualpa and held him captive. Above this attractive city is the pre-Inca aqueduct of Cumbe Mayo. Leaving the western andes we head east to the Chachapoyas area to see different sorts of cliff tombs built of the Chachapoya culture and Kuelap: the largest ancient stone structure in the Americas.

The final days of the tour are to enjoy some of the natural wonders – Gocta: one of the highest waterfalls in the world, orchids and birds of the Moyobamba area and a “light” jungle tour of the flooded forest reserve of Santa Elena. Dropping further down to Tarapoto, we complete the cross section of Peru: desert, Andes and Amazon forest

Dates: 12 - 26 September, 2025

• Click here to see the itinerary

  Day 1  Arrive in Lima
  
  Day 2 Lima and fly to Chiclayo. Night in Chiclayo.
  
  Day 3 Chiclayo: Ventarron, Huaca Rajada, Royal Tombs Museum. Night in Chiclayo.
  
  Day 4  Drive to Trujillo: via El Brujo. Night in Trujillo.
  
  Day 5  Trujillo: Huaca de la Luna and Chan Chan. Night in Trujillo.
  
  Day 6  Drive to Cajamarca via Kuntur Wasi. Night in Cajamarca. 
  
  Day 7  Cumbe Mayo and City Tour of Cajamarca. Night in Cajamarca.
  
  Day 8  Drive to Leymebamba. Night in Leymebamba
  
  Day 9  Revash and Leymebamba Mummy Museum. Night in Leymebamba.
  
  Day 10  Kuelap. Night at Chachapoyas
  
  Day 11   Huancas and Karajia Sarcophagi. Night at Chachapoyas.
  
  Day 12  Gocta Waterfall. Night in Cocachimba.
  
  Day 13  Drive to Moyobamba, via Waquanki Orchid Garden. Night in Moyoabamba.
  
  Day 14  Santa Elena Forest Reserve and on to Tarapoto.  Fly to Lima.