3 Day Empires of the North, Mochicas & Chimus (Chiclayo & Trujillo)

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Lima / Chiclayo
3 stops
1
Huaca Rajada consists of an adobe pyramid built by the Moche people, the civilization that inhabited this region from the 1st to 8th centuries. Explore the site with your guide, learning about the important excavation that unearthed the Lord of Sipán, who was buried with jewels and other treasures.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
2
Túcume, also known as the Valley of the Pyramids (Valle de las Pirámides), an archeological site made up of 26 pyramids. With your guide, learn about the site’s history as the regional center for the Sicán culture, who are believed to have built Túcume around 700 AD, and hear the legend of their god Naylamp.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
3
Lord of Sipán Royal Tombs Museum, some of the rarest artifacts from the Moche civilization, including those found buried with the Lord of Sipán, are housed in this museum, which opened in 2002. Before going in, take a moment to admire the museum’s unusual exterior — a replica of a Moche tomb. Inside, see gold and silver artifacts, precious stones, jewelry, headdresses and other rare treasures found in the Moche tombs, and learn about the Moche culture and what position the Lord of Sipán held in the ancient community.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 2
Chiclayo / Trujillo
3 stops
4
Sicán National Museum in the town of Ferreñafe, 13 miles (20 km) north of Chiclayo. Explore the museum with your guide to see its large collection of artifacts found in the tomb of an important Sicán who was excavated in the early 1990s on the site of the Batan Grande sugar plantation. Learn about the Sicán people, who inhabited this region from around 750 to 1300 AD, after the Moche people, as you admire jewelry, weapons, armor, funerals masks, crowns, gold and silver objects, and other treasures from the tomb.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
5
El Brujo, built by the Moche between the years 1 and 600 AD. See the three huacas (temples) that make up the site — Huaca Cao Viejo, Huaca Partida and Huaca Prieta — and hear the theory behind the site’s name, El Brujo (The Witch). Take a look at the detailed drawings and carvings that can be seen on the sides of the structures, and hear about the religious ceremonies that took place in the temples.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
6
Mseum dedicated to the Lady of Cao, a female mummy just discovered in 2006. Excavated in a highly preserved state, the Lady of Cao is thought to have been an important woman, maybe even a ruler, as she was found surrounded by ornate jewelry and weapons. See the mummy and her treasures inside the museum
1 hour • Admission ticket included
Day 3
Trujillo / Lima
4 stops
7
La Huaca del Sol
emple of the Moon (Huaca de la Luna), just 3.5 miles (5 km) south of town. When you arrive at the site, your guide will tell you about the history and significance of the terraced temple, built by the Moche out of adobe brick. Learn about its purpose, believed to be used for ceremonial and religious events, and admire the frescoes that adorn the walls.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
8
Huaca Arco-Iris or Huaca El Dragon
Huaca el Dragon, the Temple of the Dragon — also known as Huaco del Arco Iris, or Temple of the Rainbow. Built for religious and ceremonial purposes by the Chimú people, who lived in northern Peru from about 900 to the 1400s, the adobe pyramid is known for its intricate frieze murals. With your guide, walk around the temple and learn a bit about the history of and theories behind the site — the temple features carvings of a dragon (hence its name), and it’s believed that the temple was used during rituals to honor the rainbow (hence its other name).
1 hour • Admission ticket included
9
Chan Chan
Chan Chan, the former Chimú capital. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the largest pre-Columbian city in South America and was the center of Chimú political and cultural life from approximately 900 to 1470, when the Incas arrived and conquered the city. Tour the 7-square-mile (18-sq-km) archeological site with your guide, exploring its variety of shrines, reservoirs and ceremonial plazas. Learn about its structure — made from adobe brick and mud — and admire its expansive, walled design. You’ll visit one of the main features, Nik-An Palace, a complex that features ceremonial courtyards and walls adorned with friezes.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
10
Huanchaco
Huanchaco, a coastal fishing village known for its caballitos de totora (little reed horses), small boats made out of reed that have been used by Peruvian fisherman for about 3,000 years. As you admire their interesting design, learn about their history and modern-day use from your guide
2 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Please note that if your flight arrives in Chiclayo later than 8:30am, you will miss the morning excursion

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