Your day trip from Trujillo starts with hotel pickup for the 15-minute drive south of town to the Temple of the Sun (Huaca del Sol) and Temple of the Moon (Huaca de la Luna), collectively known as the Temples of Moche (Huacas de Moche). When you arrive, you'll learn about the Moche people, the civilization that inhabited northern Peru from the 1st to 8th centuries and built the two temples you have come to see. Explore the site with your guide, enjoying close-up views of both temples and learning about their history and significance. Built out of adobe brick, both the Sun and Moon temples played important roles in the life of the Moche; archeologists think that the stepped Temple of the Sun was used for administrative and military purposes, while the terraced Temple of the Moon provided religious and ceremonial functions. Admire the impressive frescoes that adorn the walls of the Temple of the Moon, and marvel at the size of the Temple of the Sun, which is the bigger of the two.

Next, continue your day trip to Huaco el Dragon, the Temple of the Dragon, also known as Huaco del Arco Iris, or Temple of the Rainbow. As you enter the site, you’ll be transitioning from the Moche to the Chimú, a civilization that developed in northern Peru around 900 AD, after the Moche died out, and inhabited the region until the Incas came in the 1400s. With your guide, admire the adobe pyramid’s intricate frieze detailing before leaving for your next destination, Huanchaco, about a 20-minute drive west.

Located on the coast, Huanchaco is a fishing village and beach town known for its caballitos de totora (little reed horses), small boats made out of reed that have been used by fishermen in Peru for 3,000 years. Learn about their interesting history from your guide (there is some debate that these tiny watercraft — ridden like a horse — constituted the first form of riding waves, aka surfing), and then have lunch at a local seafood restaurant.

After lunch, head to your last stop of the day, the former Chimú capital of Chan Chan. This World Heritage-listed ancient city is South America’s largest pre-Columbian city and was the center of Chimú politics and culture from approximately 900 to 1470, when it was conquered by the Incan Empire. Tour the 7-square-mile (18-sq-km) archeological site with your guide, checking out its shrines, cemeteries, barns, reservoirs and ceremonial plazas. Learn about its structure of adobe brick and mud; marvel at its expansive, walled design; and visit the Nik-An Palace, a complex that features ceremonial courtyards and walls adorned with friezes. Your day trip ends with hotel drop-off in Trujillo.