Tour from Trujillo:Chan Chan, Huanchaco, Sun and Moon Temples, and Dragon Temple
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Tour from Trujillo:Chan Chan, Huanchaco, Sun and Moon Temples, and Dragon Temple
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Tour from Trujillo:Chan Chan, Huanchaco, Sun and Moon Temples, and Dragon Temple

1 day
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About this activity
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: La Huaca del Sol, Carretera Campina de Moche, Moche 13600 Peru

Your day trip from Trujillo starts with hotel pickup for the 15-minute drive south of town to the Temple of the Sun (Huaca del Sol) and Temple of the Moon (Huaca de la Luna), collectively known as the Temples of Moche (Huacas de Moche).

When you arrive, you'll learn about the Moche people, the civilization that inhabited northern Peru from the 1st to 8th centuries and built the two temples you have come to see. Explore the site with your guide, enjoying close-up views of both temples and learning about their history and significance.

Built out of adobe brick, both the Sun and Moon temples played important roles in the life of the Moche; archeologists think that the stepped Temple of the Sun was used for administrative and military purposes, while the terraced Temple of the Moon provided religious and ceremonial functions. Admire the impressive frescoes that adorn the walls of the Temple of the Moon, and marvel at the size of the Temple of the Sun, which is the bigger of the two.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Huaca Arco-Iris or Huaca El Dragon, Chan Chan, Trujillo Peru

Next, continue your day trip to Huaco el Dragon, the Temple of the Dragon, also known as Huaco del Arco Iris, or Temple of the Rainbow. As you enter the site, you’ll be transitioning from the Moche to the Chimú, a civilization that developed in northern Peru around 900 AD, after the Moche died out, and inhabited the region until the Incas came in the 1400s. With your guide, admire the adobe pyramid’s intricate frieze detailing before leaving for your next destination, Huanchaco, about a 20-minute drive west.

Stop At: Playa de Huanchaco, Avenida Costanera, Huanchaco 13000 Peru

Located on the coast, Huanchaco is a fishing village and beach town known for its caballitos de totora (little reed horses), small boats made out of reed that have been used by fishermen in Peru for 3,000 years. Learn about their interesting history from your guide (there is some debate that these tiny watercraft — ridden like a horse — constituted the first form of riding waves, aka surfing), and then have lunch at a local seafood restaurant.

Stop At: Chan Chan, Trujillo Peru

After lunch, head to your last stop of the day, the former Chimú capital of Chan Chan. This World Heritage-listed ancient city is South America’s largest pre-Columbian city and was the center of Chimú politics and culture from approximately 900 to 1470, when it was conquered by the Incan Empire. Tour the 7-square-mile (18-sq-km) archeological site with your guide, checking out its shrines, cemeteries, barns, reservoirs and ceremonial plazas. Learn about its structure of adobe brick and mud; marvel at its expansive, walled design; and visit the Nik-An Palace, a complex that features ceremonial courtyards and walls adorned with friezes.

Your day trip ends with hotel drop-off in Trujillo.

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Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Professional guide
  • Lunch
  • Entry/Admission - La Huaca del Sol
  • Entry/Admission - Huaca Arco-Iris or Huaca El Dragon
Not included
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
Additional
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Most travelers can participate
Features
Tourism
95%
Cultural
80%
Reviews
3.4
5
K
Keith V
1 | 2017-12-11

Do not do this combined tour! A waste of your money! This was a very expensive package and we do not feel that we got our moneys worth. The morning started with a visit to a local vendor to quickly learn how pottery is made and then we were taken to his onsite gift shop before leaving the property. When we arrived our guide had to bang the gate several times while shouting his name to get his attention we think he was still asleep when we arrived. Considering we spent the day visiting ruins made with clay bricks it would have been more interesting to watch the other vendor that we noticed at the back of the same property actually making clay bricks as opposed to the vendor telling us how pottery is made. Definitely seeing Temple of the Moon and Sun which you do not actually visit and Chan Chan were hi-lights. The description for the standalone tour to the temples indicates that both temples will be visited, but when everything is combined as the Archeological Tour we only got to visit the Temple of the Moon and then view the Temple of the Sun from a distance. Temple of the Dragon was a disappointment as we were only there for 10 minutes and then left. Not much to see as part of it is closed due to the rains earlier in the year and there was a lot of driving required to get to this site. Lunch in Huanchaco was excellent! However, the tour guide provided us with a customer satisfaction survey at lunch and then watched as we completed it and then read it as we sat there. Very uncomfortable and we were not given an opportunity to provide our honest feedback. We saw the beach and were shown the reed boats quickly with little to no explanation as to their history/historical importance. Very basic information provided at most of the sites including the museum we could have read the same information ourselves. Not a lot of value added information provided by the guide. Very disappointed!!!

Anonymous
Anonymous

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