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Chiclayo: The Northern kingdom
TOMBS AND PYRAMIDS
765 km north of Lima along the Panamerican Highway lies Chiclayo, with its 500.000 habitant’s one of Peru’s fastest growing cities. It’s a modern commercial, busting place, without colonial history.
However in 1987 the breaking news about the discovery of a Royal Moche Tomb in a sugar cane field at Sipan, 30 km outside the city, staggered the entire world.
The Moche, the most developed culture before the arrival of the Incas, buried in this area their leaders with their dear beings and slaves.
The excavations that began in 1987 are worldwide known as the biggest archaeological discovery since Tutankhamen. The 1700 years old Sipan Tombs have yielded a wealth of dazzling gold, silver and copper jewellery. Ongoing excavations still uncover gold filled tombs.
The Tumbas Reales museum in Lambayeque, directed by Sipan discoverer Walter Alva, was built during de early excavations. The recently discovered tombs of those Lords of Sipan were brought to this museum. The design of this modern museum however conserved the old Moche tradition; entering the museum is as lowering into the true tomb.
33 km northeast of Chiclayo lies Tucume, a complex of 26 large mud bricks pyramids, dating back to the Sicán culture who flourished between 750 – 1375 AD.
In 1991, the Japanese archaeologist Izumi Shimada made another sensational discovery: the tomb of the Lord of Sicán, a high dignitary buried with gold work of great artistic and iconographical quality. The gold treasure competes in quantity and quality with those of the Lords of Sipan. The discovery is exposed in the Museo Nacional Sicán in Ferreñafe, 18 km from Chiclayo. It’s a piece of living art, a new generation museum that makes the visitor of the present interacting with the life of the past.
*From Chiclayo you can continue your trip to Trujillo or Cajamarca.
*If you are interested in one of these tours, go to our contact form
Programs
CIX 001
NORTHERN KINGDOMS 3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS
DAY 1 / CHICLAYO
Upon arrival reception, assistance and transfer to the hotel for overnight.
DAY 2 / SIPAN – TUCUME - LAMBAYEQUE
Morning excursion to the mud brick burial platform where
the royal tomb of the Lord of Sipan was discovered with
a wealth of dazzling gold, silver and copper jewellery.
In the afternoon the tour continues to Tucume, an archaeological
site consisting of 26 large mud bricks pyramids, dating
back to the Sicán culture who flourished 1200 years
ago. The tour ends at the Tumbas Reales museum; here one
can appreciate the recently discovered tombs of the Lords
of Sipan. Return to the hotel for overnight. (B)
*Optional typical lunch at a local restaurant.
DAY 3 / CHICLAYO – TRUJILLO
Drive 210 km south along the Panamerican highway through
arid deserts and lush coastal oasis. Upon arrival a visit
to the fishing village of Huanchaco to enjoy the beach
atmosphere and watch how the fishermen still ride the
waves on their reed boats. (B)
*Daily departures.
CIX 002
BOSQUES DE POMA / BATAN GRANDE
A trip through arid desserts leads to one of the last huge concentrations of dry forests with its typical flora of the world. Among the vegetation of the forest strikes the locust tree, Prosopis pallida, family of the acacia tree. The locust tree grows in diverse countries of the world, but the Peruvian species produces a fruit of high nutritious content that contains sugars, proteins, minerals, vitamins complex B and fibre.
*Daily departures.
CIX 003
NATIONAL SICÁN MUSEUM
In 1991, the Japanese archaeologist Izumi Shimada made another sensational discovery: the tomb of the lord of Sicán, a high dignitary buried with gold work of great artistic and iconographical quality.
The gold treasure competes in quantity and quality with those of the Lords of Sipan. The discovery is exposed in the Museo Nacional Sicán in Ferreñafe, 18 km from Chiclayo.
*Daily except Mondays.
*If you are interested in one of these tours, go to our contact form
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