THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL TREASURES OF THE NORTH
Included:
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Tour
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Accommodation
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Guides
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Transport from a to airport
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Touristic tickets
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​Museum entry
Not included:
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International flights
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Meals
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3
days
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Day 1
Arrive in Lima. Transfer to hotel in the Pacific coast district of Miraflores.
You will be met at the airport and escorted to your hotel on the Pacific-side residential and commercial district of Miraflores by one of our local representatives.
Lima is a vast, complex metropolis, with a history dating from the era of its wealth and importance to Imperial Spain to its current status as a dynamic, growing city of trade, industry and tourism.
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Optional visit the Larco Museum (depending on time of arrival), one of our favourites in Latin America, where exhibits are beautifully displayed in a colonial building with flowery patios and a smart restaurant.
The museum houses an astonishing private collection of pre-Columbian ceramic pieces. The comprehensive range of pottery items shows you just how Peruvian culture developed over the centuries. There are particularly good examples from the exotic Moche, Sicán and Chimú cultures, and in fact this is the world’s largest collection of artifacts from the eras of their ascendancy.
It’s not all about pots though – there are displays of gorgeous textiles, intricate gold and silver work and haunting mummies, all left behind by highly artistic pre-Inca civilizations. and on top of it all, there’s an extensive and unique collection of erotic figurines.
PACHACAMAC RUINS
Day 2
Pachacamac Ruins and Museum:
Explore Peru’s past and present with a half-day guided tour. Be amazed by the Pachacamac Archaeological Complex, an important pre-Inca religious sites.
We will drive down the South Pacific Coast Highway to Pachacamac, the most important ceremonial center in the Peruvian coast during pre-Inca and Inca times. Throughout the centuries Pachacamac was occupied by many different Andean civilizations such as the Lima’s, the Wari’s, the Ichma’s and finally by the Inca Empire. However, the Pachacamac Oracle always remained a religious center.
We will see several pyramidal temples and enclosures from different time periods: the Adobitos & Old Temple (I C. A.D.), the painted Temple (VIII C. A.D.), a pyramid with a ramp (XIII C. A.D) & the Temple of the Sun (XV C. A.D.). Besides the ruins we will also visit an on-site museum displaying pottery, textiles, shell and stone ornaments, as well as the wooden Pachacamac idol found during excavations (1938)
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Lunch at a country restaurant where we will be able to enjoy delicious typical dishes.
Afternoon:
City tour
An insightful tour of Lima's city centre and travel back in time to the colonial era. Admire amazing collections of 17th and 18th-century oil paintings, wooden verandas, and gilded mirrors. Immerse yourself in local culture and history with the assistance of your guide. Admire the monuments of Plaza Mayor, such as the cathedral, Archbishop's Palace, Municipal Palace, and Palace of the Union. Continue to the Baroque-style San Francisco Monastery and take a look at its catacombs. Along the way, discover hidden gems, such as the remains of the old city walls, the historic bridges over the River Rimac.
Immerse yourself in a tour full of history, culture, and more.
Marvel at the age-old monuments of Lima's Plaza Mayor on a guided adventure
Explore the city's historic centre and see its imposing colonial mansions
Visit the San Francisco Convent and access its famous underground catacombs
Admire San Martin Square, the Archbishop's Palace, and the Municipal Palace.
Learn about local history from a professional guide and discover hidden gems.
CARAL
Day 3
Discover the exciting new pre-Columbian site at Caral.
Depart Lima by road for 3 hours to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Caral, a city 26km inland from the coast founded circa 2,600BC. It is a monumental construction which is overturning many of the accepted theories of Peruvian archaeology. Indeed, it is believed to be the oldest city in South America.
The arid site lies on the southern fringes of the Supe Valley, where further ruins are continually being revealed. There’s time to explore this remarkable ancient city which, in complete isolation from other cultures, managed to reach an unparalleled degree of sophistication, with religion as the binding factor of control and social cohesiveness. Return to Lima.
Dinner at Peruvian traditional restaurant.
3.5
days
CUSCO
Day 4 and 5
Rise early for the morning flight to Cusco.
Arrive in Cuzco and check into a hotel.
Lunch at a typical Cuzco restaurant
City tour (visiting Koricancha, Saqsayhuaman, Q’enco, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay).
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Day 5:
Early start of the day, Sacred Valley tour (Chinchero, Moray, Urubamba
Lunch (buffet )
Salineras, Ollantaytambo, where we will spend the night)
CUSCO
Day 6 and 7
On day 6:
Leave for Machu Picchu by train to arrive and enter the wonderful Citadel of Machu Picchu.
After a day of exploring return to Cuzco.
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On day 7:
Free morning in Cuzco
Afternoon flight to Lima with a connecting flight to Trujillo
Arrive in Huanchaco
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7
days
TRUJILLO
Day 8 and 9
On day 8:
Free day to explore the town of Huanchaco.
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On day 9:
Visit Huacas del Sol and de la Luna and the Chimu city Chan Chan.
Discover two temples 5km from Trujillo which date to the Moche Culture. Firstly visit the 1,500-year-old Huaca del Sol (Temple of the Sun), built with many millions of moulded adobe bricks. Directly opposite, the Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon) dazzles with its decorated walls and impressive friezes.
In the afternoon, take a tour of Chan Chan, the extensive pre-Columbian adobe citadel of the Chimú empire, considered the largest of its kind at over 20km2.
The partially restored city gives a true insight into ancient Peruvian civilization. It was founded somewhere between 850 and 1300AD – no-one is sure, but it is older than the Inca empire which subdued it in 1470. At the apogée of the city’s influence it housed somewhere between 30,000 and 60,000 people and stored a wealth of gold, silver, and pottery.
HUANCHACO
Day 10 and 11
On day 10:
Visit the archaeological complex El Brujo (The witch doctor) and La Señora de Cao (The Lady of Cao)
The denomination “El Brujo” (or “The Witch Doctor”) is owed to the fact that for hundreds of years at this site, healing masters of the area congregated to perform “mesadas” or shamanic rituals.
The Lady Cao, a young woman adorned with the regalia of a high Moche religious and political leader.
Her arms were decorated with tattoos of snakes and spiders, indicating she was imbued by her people with mystical powers. This woman, who died around 450 C.E., shortly after giving birth, is believed to have been the first known female ruler of pre-Columbian Peru — a Cleopatra of South America.
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On day 11:
Early start of the day as we will be travelling to the neighbour city of Chiclayo, where we will be visiting the Tumbas Reales del Señor de Sipan (The Royal tombs of the Lord of Sipan.)
The tomb was widely considered the most important archaeological find in half a century and was compared to the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen in Egypt.
Transfer to Lambayeque for a guided tour of the Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum, the ultra-modern, three-story exhibition dedicated exclusively to the stunning contents of the Lord of Sipán tomb, and the tombs of a dozen other individuals excavated at the site.
LORD OF SIPAN MUSEUM
Day 12, 13, 14, 15
Day 12:
Seeing as the trip to the Tombs of the Lord of Sipan was a long and tiring day, today is a rest day. However, we cannot miss the one chance in the week to enjoy an evening tour to Moche called MOCHE DE NOCHE (MOCHE AT NIGHT) on which we will enjoy a cultural and fun experience.
Leave Huanchaco at 6:15 pm
Meeting at the Plaza Mayor de Trujillo (Main Square) at 7pm.
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We will be visiting Moche Pueblo (the village), Plaza de Armas, Huaca Chica,
The beautiful polychrome murals and finally we move to the artisan workshop of the García brothers, where the staging of a shamanic ceremonial will be observed.
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Then we will enjoy folk music and a campfire.
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Also, chicha de jora tasting.
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Back to Trujillo where our driver will be waiting us to head back to Huanchaco.
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Day 13:
At 9.30 am we will be leaving for the city of Trujillo where you will have a taste of a typical everyday Peruvian market and a visit to the artisan fair where you can find a fine selection of Peruvian handicrafts to commemorate the memories of your trip.
After a nice rest back in Huanchaco in the afternoon; we will take an evening to enjoy a beautiful display of Peruvian Dancing horses (caballos de paso peruano) as you cannot leave Peru without witnessing the elegance of this romantic world-famous dance called Marinera while enjoying a nice meal or drinks.
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Day 14:
As it is your last day of your holiday in Peru before you travel back home; we suggest a restful day so you can prepare for your long flight home.
However, if you feel that you wish to do a last-minute shopping, feel free to let us know so that it can be arranged.
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Day 15:
Early rise to fly back to Lima with your connecting flight home.