(24 days / 23 nights plus optional rainforest extension)
Day 1
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Arrival in LIma
Day 2
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After a relaxing night’s accommodation in Lima our first day will be spent at Caral, the oldest city in the Americas, located in the Supe Valley, just 180 kilometres from Lima in the Pacific coastal desert. Since its discovery in 1994, Caral has changed the way archaeologists view the emergence of sedentary cultures in the Americas, as well as causing them to revise theories regarding the founding of the world’s first cities. After spending time at the site in the company of our guide, we will have time in the afternoon to enjoy the warm waters and interesting birdlife of the desert lake known as “medio Mundo”, before returning to Lima in the early evening.
Day 3
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Today we travel from Lima to Huaraz, a journey inland from the Pan-American Highway on Peru’s desert coast to the central Andes. Huaraz is often described as “the Switzerland of Peru”, and is renowned for its dramatic scenery; the Cordillera Blanca is a region of lakes and snow-capped peaks, with more than thirty mountains over 6000 metres (19,700 feet). The town of Huaraz is well-used to catering to the needs of the trekkers and climbers who descend on its hostels, restaurants and bars in the dry season from May to September, and many of the region’s finest mountaineers offer their services as guides.
Day 4
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From Huaraz we will drive to the site of Chavin de Huantar, the 2,800 year-old fortress-temple with its fine stonework which is the only structure remaining from the Chavin culture. Chavin dominated much of the central Andes and has been described as Peru’s “mother culture”. The site is a World Heritage Site and research indicates that much of the subterranean tunnel system of the temple site remains unexcavated. Chavin architecture and sculpture influenced much of the subsequent cultural development of Peru over a wide area from present-day Ica to the south and Cajamarca in the north.
Day 5
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After another night in Huaraz, we will spend the day touring the Callejón de Huaylas, a valley formed by the Santa River. This spectacular valley with its surrounding peaks and lakes is one of the most beautiful places in all Peru, and this will be an ideal opportunity to enjoy the views and indulge in photography.
Day 6
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From Huaraz we drive to Sechin along a road renowned for its stunning scenery, leaving the mountains and heading down to the coast once again. The ruins of Sechin are about 5 km from the pleasant market town of Casma and just 10 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean. The climate here is warm and dry with very little annual precipitation. The archaeological site is spread over an area of five hectares, with the group of monumental buildings covering about one hectare. This complex comprises seven structures, six of which are built from stone and mud, with the other made from the conical-shaped mud bricks typical of the Archaic Period (1600 BC). One of the two central buildings, named by archaeologists the “Main Building”, boasts carved friezes on its outer walls representing processions of warriors and priests and the body parts of defeated or sacrificed individuals. The other four buildings are grouped in pairs on both sides of the Main Building. The site was discovered by the Julio C. Tello in 1937, and his study of the site profoundly influenced Peruvian archaeology. From Sechin we will continue to the city of Trujillo, where we will spend the night.
Day 7
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The elegant colonial city of Trujillo stands as a testament to the European empire which superseded those of pre-Columbian Peru. Founded in 1535 and named after the birthplace of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro, its wooden-balconied colonial mansions are well-preserved and its people revel in their Spanish traditions of horsemanship, music and dance. From the city it is a ten-minute drive to the remains of Chan Chan, the largest mud brick city discovered in the Americas and once the capital of the kingdom of Chimu. The Chimu were powerful enough to resist Inca expansion for some time, until their capital was finally besieged and taken by the Inca Tupac Yupanqui around 1470 AD. The central area of Chan Chan comprises ten compounds, each one a palace belonging to one of the Chimu kings. After the death of the king, his palace would be converted into his mausoleum, where his descendants would continue to receive tribute and exert influence, a custom which the Incas would also adopt.
Archaeological evidence indicates that the Chimu considered the warlike Moche their ancestors. Just a few miles from Chan Chan is the Moche ceremonial centre dominated by the Huaca del Sol and the Huaca de la Luna. The former is all that remains of a heavily looted and eroded Moche pyramid said to have been the largest adobe structure in pre-Columbian America and to have originally contained between 50 and 100 million mud bricks. The Huaca de la Luna is a fascinating site where excavations carried out since the early 1990s amply demonstrate the way the Moche built their pyramids over generations, with each ruling dynasty added a level. The Huaca de la Luna has six levels, decorated with colourful friezes featuring mythological figures dominated by the Decapitator God Ai Apaec.
Day 8
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From Trujillo it is a mere two and a half hour drive to the city of Chiclayo, from where we will visit a number of important attractions. Although it is a modern, commercial city devoid of colonial charm, Chiclayo has the good fortune to lie at the centre of the territory once inhabited by the Moche (100 to 700 AD) and Lambayeque (700 to 1000 AD) cultures and which is now one of the most archaeologically rich areas in Peru. There have been a number of recent, spectacular archaeological discoveries in the region, including the Lord of Sipan at Huaca Rajada, the Lord of Sican at Batan Grande and the excavations and restoration at the Tucume pyramids. Today the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum houses a collection of incalculable value to the study of Peruvian history. Other fine museums in the area include the Bruning and the National Museum of Sican in Ferrañafe.
Day 9
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Today we will explore just some of the many archaeological wonders offered by this unique region. The pyramids of Tucume, also known as the “Valley of the Pyramids”, constitute one of the most important archaeological sites on Peru’s northern coast. This Moche culture site covers over 200 hectares and includes the remains of 26 monumental pyramids. Important excavations were carried out from 1989 to 1994, and the site museum was opened in 1993. The Royal Tombs of Sipan museum features a replica of the Lord of Sipan tomb discovered by Walter Alva in 1987 and hailed as one of the great discoveries of the 20th century.
Day 10
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Today we will have more time to investigate Chiclayo’s archaeological attractions and museums, before taking a short early evening scheduled flight to Lima.
Day 11
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We will have an entire day in this busy metropolis. Sights of particular interest to archaeologists include the Museum of the Nation, the Gold Museum and, of course, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, with its chronological exhibit of Peru’s Pre-Columbian cultures. Lima also boasts the remains of the pre-Inca culture of the same name, particularly at the Huaca Pucllana, but after visiting the city’s principal museums you may decide to simply enjoy Lima’s restaurants, cafes or bars and relax before the next stage of our journey south.
