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Voykit pocket guide · Peru
Trujillo
Give Trujillo 2 nights: one full day for Chan Chan and Huanchaco, one for Huacas de Moche and the colonial centre. Skip it if you only have a Lima–Cusco week.
Trujillo is Peru's northern archaeology base: the Chimú adobe city of Chan Chan and the Moche pyramids of Huaca de la Luna sit within 8 km of a colonial centre, and the surf village of Huanchaco is a S/1.50 bus ride away. It is a dry, warm coastal city at low altitude, so it works as a two-night stop between Lima and Chiclayo or as a break on the long bus north to Máncora and Ecuador.
- Country
- Peru
- Best months
- Apr–Nov (dry, sunny, 21–26 °C (70–79 °F)); Dec–Mar is warmer and busierApr–Nov (dry, sunny, 70–79 °F (21–26 °C)); Dec–Mar is warmer and busier
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep for beach days (garúa cloud and cool breeze); Jan–Mar if you dislike crowds
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PEN
- Money
- Currency is the Peruvian sol (PEN, S/). Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants in Lima and Cusco; markets, small towns, taxis and entrance fees in villages need cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget S/120–180 excl. bed · Mid S/200–350 excl. bed · High S/400+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Claro, Movistar, Entel and Bitel sell prepaid SIMs; register with your passport at official shops.
- Emergency
- Police 105 · Fire 116 · Ambulance 106
- Plugs
- Types A, C · 220 V · 60 Hz · US devices need to be dual-voltage (most chargers are).
- Tipping
- Restaurants: About 10% if service is not included.; Inca Trail porters and cooks: Per the operator's guidance; pooled at the end.; Guides: S/ 20–50 per person for a day tour.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap; bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- Paper in the bin; carry tissue and coins for public toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Menú del día (soup, main, drink) | S/10–18 |
| Cabrito con frijoles, sit-down restaurant | S/25–45 |
| Ceviche at Huanchaco | S/25–45 |
| Coffee | S/5–10 |
| Beer, bar or shop | S/10–18 |
| Bus Trujillo–Huanchaco | S/1.50 |
| Taxi in the centre / to Huanchaco | about US$1.50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TRU · Capitán FAP Carlos Martínez de Pinillos International
- On the Huanchaco road, 10.5 km (6.5 mi) northwest of the centre; Lima flights only, plus JetSmart to Santiago. Taxi to the centre about US$6 (check).On the Huanchaco road, 6.5 mi (10.5 km) northwest of the centre; Lima flights only, plus JetSmart to Santiago. Taxi to the centre about US$6 (check).
Typical fares
- Taxi airport → centre
- about US$6, 20–30 min
- Bus Trujillo → Huanchaco
- S/1.50 from Avenida España
- Taxi by the hour, ruins
- about US$5/h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Yellow taxis with a municipal coat-of-arms sticker on the windscreen; short hops in the centre about US$1.50, to Huanchaco about US$4, airport about US$6 (check). Uber works but with few drivers. Buses and combis to Huanchaco cost S/1.50 from Avenida España. Ruins are 5–8 km (3.1–5 mi) out: hire a taxi by the hour (about US$5/h, check) or join a tour.Yellow taxis with a municipal coat-of-arms sticker on the windscreen; short hops in the centre about US$1.50, to Huanchaco about US$4, airport about US$6 (check). Uber works but with few drivers. Buses and combis to Huanchaco cost S/1.50 from Avenida España. Ruins are 3.1–5 mi (5–8 km) out: hire a taxi by the hour (about US$5/h, check) or join a tour.
See and do
Known for
- Chan Chan (UNESCO)
- Huaca de la Luna and Huaca del Sol
- El Brujo and the Lady of Cao
- Huanchaco surf and caballitos de totora
- Cabrito and northern seafood
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Huanchaco | Bus or combi from Avenida España, S/1.50; taxi about US$4 | 30–45 min |
| El Brujo and Magdalena de Cao | Tour or taxi on highway 104, about 52 km (32 mi) northwestTour or taxi on highway 104, about 32 mi (52 km) northwest | 1–1.5 h each way |
| Chiclayo | Bus from the Pan-American terminals, 3–4.5 h | 4–5 h |
| Máncora | Night bus north, 9–10 h | 9–10 h |
Sleep
- Centro Histórico (Plaza de Armas)
- Colonial streets, museums and most restaurants on foot; noisier at night, taxis needed for ruins.
- Huanchaco
- Beach and surf base 12 km (7.5 mi) northwest; buses to Trujillo run all day, but ruins trips start earlier from town.Beach and surf base 7.5 mi (12 km) northwest; buses to Trujillo run all day, but ruins trips start earlier from town.
- Av. América Sur / Mall Aventura area
- Chain hotels, malls and bus terminals; practical for one night with an early departure.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much to Huanchaco? | ¿Cuánto cuesta a Huanchaco?KWAN-to KWES-ta a wan-CHA-ko |
| Please use the meter / agreed price | Al precio acordado, por favoral PRE-syo a-kor-DA-do por fa-VOR |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| I don't need a guide, thank you | No necesito guía, graciasno ne-se-SI-to GI-a GRA-syas |
| Is this the bus to the ruins? | ¿Este bus va a las ruinas?ES-te bus va a las RWI-nas |
| Help | Ayudaa-YU-da |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; one cheek kiss among acquaintances; avoid: Skipping greetings
- Food pride: Ask about local dishes; avoid: Comparing pisco or ceviche unfavourably with Chile's
- Photos: Ask and pay if asked; avoid: Photographing people without asking
- Politics: Listen; avoid: Taking sides in protests
Scams and watch-outs
- Unsolicited 'guides', surf or salsa teachers and party invitations are a known setup; walk on and book tours yourself.
- Watch for switched or false banknotes when paying taxis and touts.
- Use ATMs inside malls or banks in daylight and do not count cash on the street.
- Some taxi firms have a poor record for crime; note the plate and prefer app or hotel-arranged cars at night.
- Sun is strong at the ruins and beach even when the breeze feels cool: hat and sunscreen.
Trujillo is fine by day in the centre and at the ruins, but the tourist scams here are persistent: fake guides, party invitations and switched notes. Keep bags in front, use app or hotel taxis at night, and book tours directly.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Trujillo yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Chan Chan (UNESCO)
- Huaca de la Luna and Huaca del Sol
- El Brujo and the Lady of Cao
- Huanchaco surf and caballitos de totora
- Cabrito and northern seafood
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- El Brujo official site: www.elbrujo.pe/en/
- Trujillo airport (ADP): adp.com.pe/es/sede/trujillo
- Wikivoyage: Trujillo (Peru), revision 5266442 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5266442
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Trujillo
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US or UK embassy in Trujillo; embassies are in Lima, with honorary consulates in the north (check).
Cruise ships dock at Salaverry, 17 km (11 mi) southeast; taxis need a port permit, so drivers wait outside the gates.Cruise ships dock at Salaverry, 11 mi (17 km) southeast; taxis need a port permit, so drivers wait outside the gates.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/trujillo-peru). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.