Kuelap Travel Guide: Visiting pre-Incan Ruins in Northern Peru
Here is our travel guide on how to visit Kuelap in Peru, the ancient ruins near Chachapoyas in the Amazonas region. Read up-to-date information and tips on visiting the Kuelap archeological site independently or with a guided tour, how to get to Kuelap from Chachapoyas, where to stay, what to expect, best time to visit, and what to pack.
The less-traveled part of Peru, the Northern Highlands, which is also the gateway to the Amazonas region, hides one of the country's most important archeological sites, the Kuelap ruins.
This off the beaten destination is popular with backpackers and all travelers who want to enjoy a trip that offers a well-balanced mixture of incredibly diverse nature, famous ruins that are always shrouded not only in the clouds but in mystery as well.
In our opinion, this destination has everything we've mentioned above - amazing nature, cloud forest, abundant fauna, waterfalls, and, last but not least, an ancient ruin that stands above it all, both literally and figuratively.
These ruins, which actually dates back to pre-Inca times, is Kuelap. That you've never heard about Kuelap?
See, this is the best thing about this site - until recently, it was a hidden gem, an ancient walled settlement near Chachapoyas town.
Personally, we rank Kuelap Ruins very high on our list of the best things to do in Chachapoyas, and you should certainly start planning your visit before the word about its unparalleled beauty spreads fast. If it is not too late.
Not that long time ago, a cable car was built across the valley that connects the ruins with the nearest settlement, so Kuelap is better accessible than ever. It is even often nicknamed Machu Picchu of the North.
Although we are a bit reluctant to compare it to the most famous place in Peru and one of the World's Wonders, we will leave the decision to you. One thing is guaranteed, though. Kuelap is worth the attention.
And we believe, you should consider including Kuelap in your Peru itinerary.
In this Kuelap travel guide, we would like to inspire you to visit this citadel of Cloud Warriors. This post includes everything you need to know about Kuelap Ruins, no matter if you plan on getting there independently or with a tour.
If you want to know more about how to get from Chachapoyas to Kuelap, what you can expect to see, and how was the site discovered, keep on reading.
Is Kuelap Open?
The latest report (March 2024) from one of our readers (thank you, Savannah) is that Kuelap has finally re-opened.
Even though not all areas are still accessible, she mentioned that they spent about 90 minutes at the site, which is great news for everyone traveling there.
In April 2022, some of the walls collapsed due to heavy rain causing significant damage to the fortress. The site has been closed indefinitely since then.
The local authorities reopened the cable car on the 5th of July and also opened a new hiking trail starting at the hostel.
From a practical standpoint, it means that you can get to Kuelap Fortress, enjoy the views, teleferico, or hike (and also support local families who were negatively affected by this incident), but you won't be able to go inside the complex.
One of our readers, Elias, informed us that the Kuelap fortress is currently closed. (updated - still closed in October 2022).
KUELAP: HISTORY & FACTS
Kuelap, more than 3000 meters above sea level, overlooks Utcubamba Valley and the hilly agricultural landscape around.
Sitting majestically high above its surrounding, the position suggests that the main reason to lay the foundations of Kuelap here was to protect the area and citizens by military forces.
Still, this explanation is not correct as Kuelap is not a former fortress but a citadel. But of course, the position and the wall around the settlement was important in protecting Kuelap against invaders as the times were not always peaceful.
The settlement dates back to the 6th century AD. Kuelap was built literally by Chachapoyas people when everyone from the valley and the surrounding settlements climbed the hill every day and helped construct the citadel.
It is a perfect example of how thriving the Chachapoya civilization was and one of the country's best pre-Incan ruin.
Approximately 2500 to 3000 people lived in Kuelap, and only the elite of the area was allowed to build a house there. It was home to priests, lords, and other significant people for Chachapoyas culture.
The majority of structures were built between 900 - 1100 AD, and the city thrived until the 16th century when it was abandoned because of the Spanish conquest.
Then the Kuelap was forgotten until the mid-19th century when the local person from Chachapoyas accidentally rediscovered the site, and archaeologists from all around the world started to pay visits to Kuelap to reveal its secrets.
Unfortunately, even nowadays, we don't know much about Kuelap as the Chachapoyas culture did not leave any written records, and the site was severely affected by grave robbers.
On the other hand, you can let your imagination run wild.
VISITING KUELAP: WHAT TO EXPECT
Once you arrive at the parking lot close to the citadel, you have to buy your ticket (unless it is included in the tour), and we strongly recommend you to visit a small on-site museum.
There are not many information boards within the ruins, so it is a great time to get the context and learn more about the area, the ruins themselves, and Chachapoya culture.
Then, it is time to walk to the entrance to Kuelap.
A narrow path that climbs gradually is well-maintained and build excitement for what you are going to see. It does not take long, and you will spot the wall that protects the ancient city. It is necessary to say that the visit to Kuelap puts together the architectural and natural beauty, and the wonderful landscape just enhances the experience.
We could really feel we are closer to the clouds than ever.
A tall stone wall encircles Kuelap, and there are only three entrances the former inhabitants could use - and it is the same for all visitors until today.
Well, actually the main entrance is impossible to use because it needs to be repaired, but you will use the other two gates. The gate you will use for entering the site is narrow and made of stones, and it feels very authentic.
The site contains about 550 circular structures - this feature differentiates this archeological site from Inca's ruins throughout Peru, as Incas built mostly rectangular buildings (you can find only five rectangular structures in Kuelap).
The houses at Kuelap were several meters high to accommodate extensive families (around 15 people) and animals and dead. Yes, one of the most shocking information we learned was that Chachapoya people lived with their dead.
If you wonder what does it mean - the Chachapoyas culture strongly believed in the post-mortem world, and thanks to chewing coca leaves (apparently a lot), they were able to speak with the dead, which they kept in their houses!
That's why Kuelap is also one of the most important burial sites in Peru.
Although you need to use your imagination in Kuelap as there are only a few houses left (there are more foundations than standing structures), those that survived centuries are even decorated with geometrical shapes, carvings, and even colors.
The site has two levels - the lower level was for regular inhabitants.
In comparison, honorable people used the higher level, and this is where the most religious structures altogether with the most prominent buildings, such as the castle or watchtower, used to stand.
Probably the most notable structure at Kuelap is Templo Mayor. Having the shape of an inverted cone, this building doesn't have an entrance, and it has a hole inside
This temple probably served during sacrificial ceremonies, and the priest had to climb the Templo Mayor and drop bones or animals into the hole. It was proved that Kuelap was home to many rituals too.
Overall, the whole visit to Kuelap should take you about two hours, when you take it slowly and take time to soak up the mystical atmosphere.
HOW TO GET FROM CHACHAPOYAS TO KUELAP
You can visit Kuelap from Chachapoyas either independently or with a tour. Every alternative has pros and cons, but the bottom line is that the site is nowadays well-accessible, and you will be able to get there any time of the year.
We will cover the topic of whether it is better to travel to Kuelap independently or as part of a guided group later on; here's a guide on how to get to the ruins.
GUIDED TOURS
Without any doubts, the easiest and most common way how to visit Kuelap from Chachapoyas is with a tour. The tour starts early in the morning in Chachapoyas and usually includes transport, cable car, entrance fee to Kuelap, a guide, and lunch.
There are many travel agents around Chachapoyas' square, and the all-day tour cost around S/90.
Please note that the cable car is often closed on Mondays, so in that case, the cable car ride is substituted by a regular car ride, which takes longer, but views are impressive as well.
The best way to score the cheapest rate is to walk around Chachapoyas and ask for a tour personally - Kuelap is the top tourist attraction in the area, and departures are every day.
On the other hand, if you travel on a strict schedule, it is possible to book the Kuelap Guided Tour online in advance.
INDEPENDENTLY
If you want to travel to Kuelap on your own and make the journey more adventurous, it is possible as well.
In Chachapoyas, take local public transport from Terminal Terrestre to the village Nuevo Tingo. The colectivo leaves the station roughly every hour, but it is better to start early in the morning.
The drive to Kuelap takes about an hour and costs S/7.
In Nuevo Tingo, go to the cable car platform, buy a return ticket for S/20, and a private bus will take you to the boarding platform.
The cable car ride takes about 20 minutes, and you will disembark at parking lot La Marka. Here buy a ticket to Kuelap for another S/20 and walk uphill to explore the site.
It is also possible to skip the cable car, and from Nuevo Tingo, either hire a taxi (this will add another hour because of the zig-zag road), or you can also hike up.
Hiking to Kuelap is certainly the least common way how to reach the ruins, but the trail from Tingo village is well-marked.
Be prepared to ascend 1200 meters and to cover 9 kilometers, you will need three to four hours one way. To return to Chachapoyas, you must get back to Nuevo Tingo (on foot, by car, or cable car) and catch a van back to the city.
GUIDED TOUR VS INDEPENDENT TRAVEL
To be honest, at first, we wanted to get to Kuelap on our own as it is our preferred travel style. Right after we arrived by night bus to Chachapoyas in the morning, we accommodated ourselves, left heavy backpacks in the hotel room, packed a smaller daypack, and went to the bus terminal to get to Nuevo Tingo.
We did not make it to the terminal as a van going in the same direction picked us up along the way.
But when we were about 30 minutes from Chachapoyas, there was a road closure, and the driver told us we must wait three hours until the road opens.
Later we found out that there was a planned road construction for several months, and the driver must have known we would have to wait there. We were quite irritated, as it was clear the early start was for nothing.
But anyway. All passengers made themselves comfortable to wait for three hours. But we knew that we wouldn't have made it to Kuelap on time (and also didn't have the patience to do so), so we decided to return to Chachapoyas.
Because there was no car going in the opposite direction (as they could not get through because of the closure), we had to walk back 6 kilometers to the main road where we caught a taxi back to Chachapoyas.
When we arrived in Chachapoyas, we went directly to the information office, where the guy told us about the road closure and said that the cable car doesn't work (they didn't know for how long) because of a landslide.
Because we wanted to make sure that we'll get to Kuelap the next day, we booked the tour.
The tour cost S/70 (when the cable car works, the price goes up to S/90), and we had to get to La Marka by car instead of a cable car, which added another 3 hours to this trip.
Also, we had to wait on the way back for a few hours because of the road closure, so the whole tour took beautiful 13 hours (normally, it should take around eight hours). But back to the point.
We were only unlucky that the road was closed, and the cable car did not work at the time of our visit. Under normal circumstances, we would have decided to visit Kuelap with a tour again.
No matter how we enjoy traveling independently, we usually prefer to travel this way when it makes sense financially or time-wise.
Not only in the very case of visiting Kuelap Ruins traveling on own is not really cheaper, but it is even more time-consuming, and this time, we were also grateful we had a guide as there are not many information boards that would explain the history and purpose of the most significant buildings.
Make sure that your guide speaks English, though (unless you speak Spanish well). Kuelap, the same as the whole area, is still mostly visited by local travelers, and English is not widely spoken.
Our guide admitted that he started to learn English only eight months ago (he was not fluent in English but explained everything about Kuelap well), but we found it admirable than frustrating, and we only encouraged him to educate himself and his kids because tourism in this part of Peru is on the rise.
KUELAP CABLE CAR
At the beginning of 2018, a new cable car connecting Nuevo Tingo and Kuelap site has been open. The cable car aims to attract more visitors to the area, but it also helped shorten the time spent on the road.
Normally, it took more than an hour, rather two to drive from Nuevo Tingo to Kuelap, and the road was also often prone to landslides. Cable car shortens the ride to 20 minutes and offers sweeping views of the valley.
We did not have a chance to experience it, but to be honest, the drive to Kuelap was so spectacular we did not mind at all.
The cable car operates every day, although some Mondays are reserved for maintenance, so if it is important to you to arrive at Kuelap by cable car, ask in Chachapoyas' tourist office about the current schedule. The good news is that even when the cable car does not work, there's always another way to get to the ruins.
The cable car runs between 8 AM and 6 PM.
OPENING HOURS
Kuelap is opened to visitors every day between 8 AM and 6 PM; the last entry is at 4 PM, so you'll have enough time to explore the site extensively.
TICKETS
As we've already mentioned, Kuelap tickets cost 20 soles, but the entrance fee should be already included in the tour price if you travel this way.
BEST TIME TO VISIT KUELAP
If you've already checked out a few photos of Kuelap, you might notice that the site is often cloudy. As the ruins sit just above the cloud forest, it explains everything.
The high season lasts between May and October, which is the dry season. That's being said, it rains quite often in this area and the humidity is high, so you should be prepared for every type of weather no matter what is the time of your visit.
The site is accessible all-year-round, even in the rainy season. As Kuelap sits at 3000 meters, it can get cooler during the day, especially when the sun hides behind the clouds.
A side note: Because of the altitude, some travelers might experience a very mild altitude sickness. Be well-prepared and drink a lot of water, which should help you overcome the symptoms better.
Because of the very specific climate, pack a water bottle with integrated filter to stay hydrated, and a proper rain jacket to stay dry.
Unless you plan on hiking from Tingo village, sneakers and a daypack should be fine. Always remember the sun is strong in the altitude, even if it's cloudy, so apply sunscreen.
We've also created an in-depth South America packing list where you will find more useful tips and advice on what to pack.
VISITING KUELAP FROM CHACHAPOYAS
The city of Chachapoyas isn't the best accessible place in Peru; it is not the most beautiful city we visited along our long year trip around South America either. But there are reasons why to visit Chachapoyas for sure.
Overall, the northern part of Peru is very often skipped by travelers in favor of other natural and human-made wonders, which this country has admittedly plenty of.
But we believe that it will change soon as word of mouth about Kuelap citadel spreads quickly and the remoteness which has kept visitors away for a long time doesn't seem to be such a big obstacle nowadays.
Some might argue that to travel (minimum) 10 hours by bus to the Chachapoyas region only to see an archeological site can be too much, but luckily, Kuelap is not the only place to visit here.
The area is home to one of the highest waterfalls in Peru - Catarata de Gocta, but the enumeration doesn't end here.
Chachapoyas region was also a large burial site with mummies, sarcophagus, and ruins, which are still scattered around.
Last but not least, the landscape around the city is beautiful, and every drive from and to Chachapoyas contains views of high green hills, limestone rocks, rapid waters, and deep gorges.
The long bus ride now does not sound that worthless, right?
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
WHERE TO STAY IN CHACHAPOYAS
Chachapoyas is a perfect base for exploring Northern Peru, and it makes sense to spend here a night before and after visiting Kuelap Ruins.
The town's center is compact, and everything is within walking distance, including bus terminals. It makes sense to reserve your room in advance, especially if you arrive early in the morning after all night spent on the bus.
We've handpicked the best three hotels in Chachapoyas for every budget category.
Budget | Casa Hospedaje Teresita - Clean rooms, helpful staff, and good breakfast. Great value for money for all budget travelers.
Mid-range | La Casa de Los Balcones - Excellent location near Plaza de Armas, comfortable and clean rooms, and many tour options. Close to restaurants and markets.
Luxury | Casona El Triunfo Hotel - Attentive staff, spotless rooms, great restaurant, and a charming colonial-style building with scenic views from the rooms. Chachapoyas does not have the classic luxury hotels, but this one is your best option if you are looking for something special.
If you want to stay closer to Kuelap and beat the crowds, you can spend the night in Nuevo Tingo village. Check out, for example, Utcubamba River Lodge, which offers very comfortable rooms.
HOW TO GET TO CHACHAPOYAS
Getting to Chachapoyas takes time as it is off the classic Peruvian Gringo trail, and far from the traditional coastal route.
But there are many overnight buses either from Chiclayo, Trujillo, or even Lima. Peru is a huge country where taking overnight buses is the norm, so we did not see it as an obstacle that would put us off visiting the town and its surroundings.
In Peru, we often traveled with MovilBus, which was a reliable provider. We could sleep on board, so we arrived at our destination (considerably) fresh enough to start exploring the place straightaway.
If you want to skip the long drive, it is possible to take an hour and twenty minutes long flight from Lima to Jaen and take a shuttle bus to Chachapoyas from there, which takes approximately four hours.
It is still quite time-consuming, but a bit more comfortable.
Alternatively, you can fly directly to Chachapoyas from the capital city of Peru, Lima, but the flight is scheduled only three times a week.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
