Cajamarca Travel Guide: Best Places to Visit

Cajamarca is one of those places in Peru that tends to be overlooked by travellers heading to better-known destinations such as Cusco and Arequipa. I first heard about it years ago when I read Along the Inca Road by Karin Müller, a travel book about her journey through the Andes and along the Inca Road. Cajamarca appeared in her story, and the name stayed somewhere in the back of my mind.

In this Cajamarca travel guide, I have put together everything I learned while exploring the place during my trip in 2025.

About Cajamarca

Cajamarca has a lot to offer, from colonial streets and Inca history to pre-Inca archaeological sites and hot springs. But the city is also closely associated with one of the most important moments in Peru’s history: in 1532, the Inca ruler Atahualpa was captured by the Spanish conquistadors here. He was later held in what is now known as the Cuarto del Rescate, where he offered a room filled with gold and two rooms filled with silver in exchange for his release.

But Cajamarca is probably most famous today for Carnaval de Cajamarca, one of Peru’s biggest and most colourful carnival celebrations. It takes place every year around February or early March, in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday.

Best Things to Do in Cajamarca

Best Day and Half-Day Trips

Cumbe Mayo

Cumbe Mayo is located about 20 km from Cajamarca. It turned out to be my favourite place we visited in Cajamarca. Cumbe Mayo is an archaeological complex known for its unusual Stone Forest, pre-Inca aqueduct and petroglyphs. The Stone Forest is scenic, and the aqueduct carved into volcanic rock is quite impressive.

Unfortunately, there is no public transport to Cumbe Mayo, but if you prefer to go independently, you can hire a taxi. We visited Cumbe Mayo with a tour group. We booked our tour at a small agency at Plaza de Armas and paid S/20 for the tour plus an S/8 entrance fee. There are quite a few tour agencies around Plaza de Armas. We checked several of them, and they all offered the same tour for the same price.

I have a post on visiting Cumbe Mayo: Cumbe Mayo: How to visit from Cajamarca.

Ventanillas de Otuzco

Ventanillas de Otuzco is about 10 km northeast of Cajamarca and can be easily reached by public transport. The site consists of hundreds of funerary niches carved into a volcanic rock cliff and is associated with the pre-Inca Cajamarca culture. I found it quite different from Cumbe Mayo, and it’s worth visiting if you’re interested in the history of the area.

We got to Ventanillas de Otuzco by colectivo, which was cheap and straightforward. It took around 20-25 minutes and cost S/2 each way.

For how to get to Ventanillas de Otuzco and other practical information, read my post Ventanillas de Otuzco without a tour: How to visit independently from Cajamarca.

Baños del Inca

Baños del Inca, located about 6 km from Cajamarca is a large thermal complex where you can rent private or shared pools. These hot springs were already used in Inca times. The spring water is naturally very hot, reaching more than 70°C, so it has to be cooled before it goes into the pools.

I didn’t think visiting Baños del Inca was as essential as Cumbe Mayo or Ventanillas de Otuzco, but it makes sense if you have an extra few hours in Cajamarca and want to do something different. To get there, you can take a local bus from Plazuela Bolognesi / Av. Héroes de San Ramón to Los Baños del Inca.

Best Things to Do in Cajamarca City

Visit Cuarto del Rescate

Right in the centre of Cajamarca, just a short walk from Plaza de Armas, Cuarto del Rescate (Ransom Room) is one of the region’s most important historical sites and is considered the only surviving notable example of Inca architecture in the city. This is where the Inca ruler Atahualpa was held after being captured by the Spanish in 1532. He offered to fill the room with gold and two rooms with silver in exchange for his freedom. The ransom was collected, but Atahualpa was eventually executed. It feels a bit strange standing inside such a small room knowing what happened here.

The Ransom Room doesn’t take long to visit. We spent around 15-20 minutes there, which I think is enough unless you’re particularly interested in the history. The entrance fee is S/8 per person, and you can pay by cash or card. It’s closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm.

Explore Plaza de Armas

Cajamarca’s Plaza de Armas is right in the heart of the historic centre and a good place to start exploring the city. The square is surrounded by colonial buildings, with the Catedral de Cajamarca on one side and the Church of San Francisco on the other. This is the square where Atahualpa was captured by the Spanish in 1532. Cuarto del Rescate is just across the road from the church, so you can easily visit several of Cajamarca’s main sights in one walk.

Climb Santa Apolonia

Next, you can walk up to Santa Apolonia viewpoint, which sits on a hill just a couple of blocks from Plaza de Armas. The climb is up a flight of stone steps, with the Virgen de Fatima chapel along the way. At the top, you get a good view over the city and the Cajamarca valley. I’d allow around 30 minutes for Santa Apolonia, including the climb, a look around and some time at the viewpoint.

When we went to the Santa Apolonia viewpoint, we climbed the stairs and came across a fence and closed gates. We assumed the viewpoint was closed. I’m not sure if we were supposed to turn somewhere, but we didn’t make much effort to find another way and ended up just taking photos from there.

How Many Days Do You Need in Cajamarca?

If you’re short on time, one full day is enough to see the main sights in Cajamarca. The two main half-day trips fit together very well: Cumbe Mayo tours run in the morning, usually around 9:30 am to 2 pm, while Ventanillas de Otuzco tours leave in the afternoon, usually around 3:30 pm.

You can also fit in Cuarto del Rescate between the two. You only need around 20 minutes at the Ransom Room, so the 2:30–3:30 pm window works well. Just keep an eye on the opening hours: it closes for lunch and is currently open from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm

In the evening, walk around Plaza de Armas and explore the historic centre.

If you have more time, I’d allow 1.5-2 days in Cajamarca for a more relaxed visit. You can take your time around the historic centre, climb Santa Apolonia and add Baños del Inca instead of trying to fit everything into one day.

Getting Around Cajamarca

Cajamarca is fairly easy to get around, especially if you’re staying near Plaza de Armas. Most of the sights in the historic centre are within walking distance, including Cuarto del Rescate, Santa Apolonia and the main churches. We walked around the centre without needing transport.

For places outside the centre, such as Baños del Inca and Ventanillas de Otuzco, public transport is available. But to get to Cumbe Mayo, there is no public transport, and it is easier to visit on organised tours. If you prefer to visit independently, you can take a taxi.

Booking Tours in Cajamarca

If you want to book a tour from Cajamarca, you don’t necessarily need to arrange it online in advance. There are quite a few small tour agencies around Plaza de Armas, and we booked our Cumbe Mayo tour there. We checked several agencies and found that they were offering essentially the same tours for the same price. When we enquired about the Cumbe Mayo tour, we were quoted less than the advertised price. We paid S/20 per person, plus the S/8 entrance fee, while the advertised price was S/30. Below is a photo of the prices listed in the Luis Travel office.

As I mentioned earlier, if you plan to visit Cumbe Mayo and Ventanillas de Otuzco, it’s easy to combine the two tours in one day. Cumbe Mayo tours usually run from 9:30 am to 2 pm, while Ventanillas de Otuzco tours start at around 3:30 pm.

How to Get to Cajamarca

Getting to Cajamarca by plane

Flying is the easiest way to get to Cajamarca. Direct flights are only available from Lima. As of 2026, there are three airlines operating on this route: LATAM, JetSMART and Star Peru. The flight takes around 1 hour 20 minutes, so it’s a much quicker option than taking the bus.

The airport is only about 4 km from the centre of Cajamarca, so getting into town doesn’t take long. You can take a taxi or mototaxi if you’re travelling light. Another, less convenient option is a colectivo that passes by the airport. However, it doesn’t stop at the airport entrance, so you’ll need to walk out to the road. I wouldn’t recommend this if you have luggage.

Getting to Cajamarca by road

If you’re travelling around northern Peru, getting to Cajamarca by bus makes sense. There are direct buses from Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo and Chachapoyas.

Buses from Lima to Cajamarca

There are several bus companies operating direct night services from Lima to Cajamarca, including Civa and Movil Bus. Other operators are also available, so it’s worth comparing the schedules before you book. The bus ride takes around 17-19 hours. If you’re already travelling through northern Peru, I’d personally look at coming from Trujillo or Chiclayo instead. If you’re only visiting Cajamarca, flying is a better option.

Buses from Trujillo to Cajamarca

There are several companies running direct buses from Trujillo to Cajamarca, including Transportes Linea, Turismo Dias, Anita Tours and others. There are both daytime and evening departures, and the journey takes around 7 hours. If you’re travelling through northern Peru, this is one of the more convenient ways to get to Cajamarca.

We took a day bus from Trujillo to Cajamarca by Transportes Linea, leaving at around 10:30 am with a scheduled arrival at 5:30 pm. We arrived at around that time. The first half of the route is quite flat, but later the road gets a little winding as you climb into the Andes. Nothing too extreme.

Buses from Chiclayo to Cajamarca

There are several companies running direct buses from Chiclayo to Cajamarca, including Transportes Linea, El Cumbe, Transportes Chiclayo and Turismo Dias. There are both daytime and night departures, with the journey taking around 6-7 hours depending on the service. If you’re travelling through northern Peru and visiting archaeological sites in Chiclayo, this is a convenient option to get to Cajamarca.

Where to Stay in Cajamarca

If you’re only spending a day or two in Cajamarca, I’d stay in or around the historic centre within walking distance of Plaza de Armas. This makes things much easier when you’re exploring the city on foot, and you’ll also be close to restaurants, shops and the tour agencies.

Budget Hotels and Guesthouses

There are plenty of budget hotels and guesthouses in central Cajamarca, with simple rooms available around the Plaza de Armas and nearby streets. You can also find hostels at fairly reasonable prices.

Casa Wayra

We stayed at Casa Wayra and had a pleasant time there. It’s in a lovely old colonial-style house with a nice courtyard inside. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, with wooden floors, although we found the bedsheets and towels were starting to look a little old. It was also a quiet place to stay, within walking distance of the centre (550 m to Plaza de Armas). The receptionist who worked in the afternoons was lovely and very helpful.

Breakfast was a bit more hit and miss. The lady serving breakfast wasn’t particularly friendly, and the portions of butter and jam were tiny. When we asked for more, we were told we’d have to pay for it. On another day, though, a different staff member served breakfast and gave us extra without us even asking.

So, if you’re looking for a reasonably priced place with spacious rooms and a good location, Casa Wayra is a very good choice.

Other budget accommodation options in Cajamarca:

Below are some more budget accommodation options for Cajamarca that I picked:

Mid-range Accommodation

For something a bit more comfortable, there are quite a few mid-range hotels in the historic centre, many in old colonial buildings. Hostal Catequil, El Cumbe Inn and El Portal Del Marques are just a short walk from Plaza de Armas.

Frequently Asked Questions