Arrival in Trujillo and transfer to your hotel. The Huaca de la Luna and the Moche countryside. One of the most interesting characteristics of the Moche culture was their artists, who obtained the highest level of mastery in the creation of pottery and decorative iconography of their monuments. The first stop is the “Moche Hands” crafts factory, where leather crafts featuring Moche iconography are made using the “pirograbado,” or “fire-branding” technique. The route continues on foot for a walk of about 10 minutes to experience a small section of the Moche countryside, appreciating the traditional Moche lifestyle, including its family-based culture and kitchen gardens. The walk finishes in a workshop, where it's possible to participate in the production of modern Moche ceramics. The final stop and main attraction of the Moche countryside route is the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (Temples of the Sun and Moon) Lunch, with a presentation of traditional Marinera dancing and the world famous Peruvian Paso Horses. Afternoon visit to Chan Chan, named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimu Empire, which inhabited this region after the fall of the Moche. At over 500 acres, it is the largest known adobe complex in the world, and is divided into 9 separate smaller cities. We will visit some of the restored sectors.  Hotel overnight. L

We start the day with a visit to the "Huaca del Arco Iris" (rainbow), located about 2.5 miles north of Trujillo, west of the Pan-American Highway. It is in much better condition, having been excavated only in the 1960s, and its well-conserved rainbow-shaped friezes are fascinating. Some have interpreted the central motif to be that of a dragon. Outer walls have reliefs of snakes and peculiar lizards.  Drive to Huanchaco for lunch. A once tiny fishing village, occupied in pre-Incan times by fishing communities’ oceangoing canoes built from local reeds. The peculiar method used to maneuver these water craft gave rise to their nickname, the "Little Reed Horses", as they rode their craft like horses and ride the waves. Afternoon at leisure. B/L

Early departure to Chiclayo. On the road visit to the archaeological complex of El Brujo. The archaeological site is located north of Trujillo, near Chocope, in the Ascope province. At the El Brujo archaeological site there are three huacas: Huaca Cao Viejo, Huaca El Brujo, and Huaca Prieta. These structures were built by the Moche people, who lived there between the years A.D. 100 and 700. The Huaca Cao Viejo was most likely used for religious rituals. Within this temple, archaeologists have found the ruins of an important ceremonial precinct. Its two walls decorated with small high-relief iconographic designs. The narrative scenes that decorate both walls each contain approximately 50 iconographic figures showing scenes of fishing and navigation, human figures related to the cosmic world, mythical animals, shamans, warriors, and human sacrifice.  At Huaca El Brujo the archaeologists found the famous mummy of the Lady of Cao, the only Moche shaman woman known to these days. Lunch of local specialties in a tourist class restaurant in Pacasmayo. Arrival in Sipán for a visit the Huaca Rajada, or Cracked Temple, archeological site. At Huaca Rajada we'll find the mausoleum of the Lord of Sipan, one of the most powerful Moche kings of his time. The complex has multiple differentiated areas, among them religious monuments, patios, cemeteries, living areas, military fortifications, etc. B/L

Royal Tombs of the Lord of Sipan Museum. In the museum, one of the most modern and acclaimed in all South America, one can appreciate the magnificence of the archaeological find at the Sipán site: ceramics, textiles, jewelry in gold and silver, and an enormous quantity of ceremonial utensils.
Lunch in a tourist class restaurant in Chiclayo. Afternoon visit to the Valley of the Pyramids and the on-site museum.
Túcume was the last capital of the Lambayeque kingdom. The Túcume pyramids are among the principal monuments of the region. Their 26 enormous structures are made entirely of adobe, and were designed for diverse ritualistic, commercial, residential and other functions.  Huaca Larga is the largest structure, with an impressive 2300 feet in length, 920 feet in width and 100 feet in height. It's the single largest adobe structure in South America. Recent discoveries at the site include painted murals in its interior squares, surrounded by walkways and roofed in galleries.  Late in the afternoon transfer by plane back to Lima.  B/BL