La Xalca Hotel

Quick Escape to Machu Picchu

Family Classic + 3 more + 3 more

A short but unforgettable holiday to Peru's Incan World Wonder.

9 days

from £3,595 pp

Amazon & Machu Picchu

Wildlife & Nature Off-the-beaten-track + 2 more + 3 more

Explore Peru’s Amazon, Andes and ancient wonders in one holiday.

13 days

from £4,945 pp

Classic Peru

Family Classic + 3 more + 3 more

A classic overland adventure through Peru’s most iconic highlights.

16 days

from £6,175 pp

Pre-Inca Northern Peru

Wildlife & Nature Off-the-beaten-track + 3 more + 3 more

Venture off the tourist trail to explore Peru’s rich pre-Inca heritage.

16 days

from £5,596 pp

Wildlife & Nature Off-the-beaten-track + 3 more + 3 more

Peru & Galapagos In-Depth

Peru, Galapagos

The ultimate wildlife adventure through Peru & the Galapagos Islands.

18 days

from £9,995 pp

Peru Family Holiday

Family Classic + 3 more + 3 more

A family adventure through Peru’s culture, history, and nature.

14 days

from £5,795 pp

Quirky excursions

View all excursions in Peru

Temples of the Sun & Moon, Dragon, Huanchaco and Chan Chan

You will be collected from your hotel this morning for a comprehensive tour of the key pre-Inca sights located around Trujillo. First stop is at the Temples of the Sun & Moon, striking an impressive profile in the bleak desert of the Moche Valley. The size of the Sun Temple alone suggests its importance during the era of the Moche between 200 and 600 AD, but the smaller and better-preserved Moon Temple is where you will spend more time, taking in the impressive colourful friezes to be found inside. Travel a little further through the Moche Valley to visit the enormous adobe city of Chan Chan, one-time capital of the Chimu empire, and also to Huaca del Dragon, a pre-Inca temple with elaborate carvings on its main wall. A stop for lunch will be made during the day at Huanchaco, a coastal town 12 kilometres outside Trujillo, where traditional reed boats employing methods dating back to the Moche era are still constructed and sailed by the locals here.

El Brujo

60 kilometres north of Trujillo you will find the pre-Inca archaeological site of El Brujo, a series of pyramids and tombs dating back to the Moche era and of key spiritual importance in their time. Highlights of a tour to the complex include the intricate wall painting of the Cao Viejo temple depicting animals, warfare and sacrifice rituals. The Cao Viejo temple also houses the original burial tomb of the tattooed Moche mummy known as The Lady of Cao, whose remains can be seen in the nearby museum, along with an impressive range of artefacts that were found alongside her.

Tomb of Lord Sipan, Royal Tombs Museum & Tucume Pyramids

The temple of Sipan, situated 30 kilometres to the south of Chiclayo, was the site of one of the most important archaeological finds in the Americas. It was here in 1987 that the archaeologist Walter Alva discovered the tombs of key members of the Mochica nobility, buried alongside one of richest collection of treasures ever seen on the continent, including gold, silver, precious stones and ceremonial wear. The most significant tomb discovered here was that of Lord of Sipan, warrior-ruler of the region during the late 3rd century. As little now remains at the tomb itself, it is essential to combine a visit to the tomb with the Royal Tombs Museum in nearby Lambayeque. The exterior of the museum is striking in itself, a red pyramid emerging from the desert, and inside you can peruse all the riches found buried alongside the Lord of Sipan and other important finds. This museum really is unmissable for anyone with an interest in South American history. You will finish the day with a visit to the Tucume pyramids, remnants of a vast city constructed by the Sicán people over 1000 years ago, and subsequently occupied by the Chimu and Inca civilisations.

Kuelap Fortress

Situated an hour outside the city of Chachapoyas, the pre-Inca fortress of Kuelap is a remarkable place. When it comes to scale and significance, comparisons are often made to Machu Picchu, and the site's remote location in rolling mountains surrounded by cloud forest is similarly one to be marvelled at. Kuelap, however, receives only a fraction of the visitors of Machu Picchu, making a journey here all the more atmospheric and rewarding if you can brave the challenging journey. The site itself is distinguished by its mighty stone walls and complex of over 300 circular stone houses dotted around various levels of the sprawling complex. Your guide will lead you around the most significant areas of the complex and recount some of the theories surrounding it, and you will find it difficult not be enchanted by this most tranquil of ancient cities.

Chan Chan, Huanchaco Bay & the Dragon Temple

This half-day tour will begin at the Chan Chan, the world’s largest adobe city and former capital of the Chimu empire, who flourished from 900 AD until their defeat by the Inca in 1470. The desert-like conditions of this area of the Moche Valley means the city is remarkably well-preserved and you will have a full tour of the site with your expert guide. Next stop is Huanchaco, a somewhat ramshackle seaside town 12 kilometres outside Trujillo but a great place to see the traditional reed boats that date back to the Moche era. They are still constructed and used by the locals here in a manner unchanged for many hundreds of years. Your final visit is to Huaca del Dragon (the ‘Dragon Temple’), a pre-Inca site best-known for the elaborate carvings and friezes etched into its adobe wall.