Kuntur Wasi Day Trip

Embark on a journey to explore the intriguing site of Kuntur Wasi, renowned for housing the most ancient gold artifacts in the Americas, starting from Cajamarca.

Kuntur Wasi Day Excursion

Your adventure begins with a pick-up from your accommodation in Cajamarca at the scheduled time, as we set off for Kuntur Wasi, an archaeological site perched on La Copa hill in the San Pablo province. We expect to reach our destination around 10:45 am.

The term Kuntur Wasi translates from Quechua as "house of the condor", a name inspired by the remarkable stone sculptures depicting this majestic bird found in the area. The site has also yielded various statues representing supernatural entities.

This significant necropolis was once part of the Chavín civilization, and its excavation commenced in 1989 under the guidance of Japanese archaeologists, including Dr. Yoshio Onuki. Among the eight tombs explored, numerous valuable artifacts were unearthed, including crowns, masks, and intricately crafted jewelry. Remarkably, the gold artifacts discovered here are the oldest known in the Americas.

We will explore the Museum of Kuntur Wasi, where the exquisite gold objects uncovered during the digs are displayed. Among these treasures is the iconic 14-sided crown, a stunning example of craftsmanship created using the embossing technique with ornate gold plates.

Our exploration continues as we tour the archaeological complex itself, where we can appreciate the temple, the numerous tombs, and the detailed stone sculptures. Following our visit to Kuntur Wasi, we'll head to a nearby restaurant in San Pablo for a lunch break before making our way back to Cajamarca.

We aim to have you back at your hotels approximately 8 hours after the beginning of our journey.