This tour provides travelers with an excellent look at Peru’s Chimú civilization. You’ll visit the Huaca Arcos Iris (Rainbow Temple), the traditional town of Huanchaco, and Chan Chan, one of the most important archaeological sites in Peru.

This tour begins with a visit to the Arcos Iris Temple, which was built by the Chimú around A.D. 1200. While here you’ll explore two main platforms, one of which is adorned with restored adobe panels carved with the huaca motif. The other platform has 14 niches that were likely used to store ritual objects like shells, necklaces, gold, and textiles. Local legends say that this temple was the home of Takaynamo, the mythical man who founded Chan Chan.

Next you will explore the archeological complex of Chan Chan, the largest pre-Columbian adobe city in America. Chan Chan was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. This was the capital of the Chimú empire, which stretched from Chancay (near Lima) to Tumbes. At its prime, Chan Chan was an elaborate adobe city with high walls, intricate passages, courtyards, terraces, gardens, and palaces. Around 30,000–60,000 people are thought to have lived here. Chan Chan’s enormous walls are decorated with geometric figures, animal outlines, and mythological beings. It’s a fantastic place to explore.

The tour ends with a visit to Huanchaco, an ancient fishing village where you can watch local fishermen work the waters on their traditional “Caballitos de Tórtora,” or reed rafts.