Chachapoyas (3–4 hours). The regional capital and the most practical base for exploring this part of Peru. It has a busy market, a pleasant colonial plaza, and enough life to be enjoyable in itself. From Chachapoyas you can also visit the Sarcófagos de Karajía in a separate half-day trip.
Karajía sarcophagi (2–3 hours from Chachapoyas). One of the most striking Chachapoyas sites: eight human-shaped clay coffins, up to 2.5 metres tall, set into a cliff face hundreds of metres above the valley floor. The sarcophagi still hold mummies and grave goods. A short but steep hike from the road brings you face to face with them. Highly recommended alongside Kuelap.
Gocta waterfall (2 hours from Chachapoyas to the trailhead, then 2–3 hours on foot). Gocta is one of the tallest waterfalls in the world — around 771 metres in two stages. The hike through cloud forest to the base is beautiful and not too strenuous. The falls were little known outside the region until the early 2000s. The village of Cocachimba is the usual starting point.
Leymebamba Museum (2–3 hours south of Chachapoyas). The museum was built to house over 200 mummies and thousands of artefacts recovered from Laguna de los Cóndores in 1997 — a major archaeological find from a Chachapoyas burial site at the edge of a remote lake. The museum is small but the collection is extraordinary. Combine with a visit to the lake itself if you have the time and fitness for the multi-day trek.