13 Best Sights in The North Coast and Northern Highlands, Peru

This striking pyramidal complex, which ranks among the country's best museums, displays the artifacts from the Tomb of the Lord of Sipán, one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century. The discovery showed the world how advanced the Moche and other pre-Inca civilizations in Peru once were, and these stunning exhibits detail what and where every piece of jewelry, item of clothing, or ceramic vase was found. As you descend through the different floors, you'll see spectacular turquoise-and-gold earrings, bizarre hairless dogs buried with the Señor, and life-size mockups of Sipán warriors. This museum is very highly recommended. English-speaking guides are available to help with the Spanish-only descriptions and confusing order of exhibits.

Begin your archaeological exploration at this small but thorough museum, which has displays of ceramics and textiles from the Chimú Empire. The entrance fee to the museum includes Chan Chan, Huaca Arco Iris, and Huaca Esmeralda, so hold on to your ticket (you may also go directly to the ruins and purchase the same ticket there, for the same price). From Trujillo, take a taxi or join a tour from an agency. Each location is a significant distance from the next. Guides are available at the entrance of each site for S/10 or more (S/25 for Chan Chan) and are strongly recommended, both for the information they can provide and also for safety reasons (a few robberies have occurred in the more remote sectors of the archaeological sites). At the museum, and all sites, there are clean restrooms and a cluster of souvenir stalls and snack shops, but no place to buy a full meal.

Built in the 17th century, this large complex, originally a hospital, now houses the city's most interesting museums and a colonial church. At the Museo Arqueológico de Cajamarca, the town's archaeological museum, are exhibits of Cajamarcan ceramics and weavings. The pre-Inca Cajamarcans were especially famous for their excellent patterned textiles, which were often dyed vivid shades of blue. The Museo Etnográfico has a few displays of everyday bric-a-brac—there's even an old saddle and a dilapidated coffee grinder—dating back to precolonial times. The Iglesia de Belén is a charming church with a polychrome pulpit and cupola.

What draws visitors to this small museum is the park out back, which has a delightful assortment of pre-Hispanic statues from the Chavín and Recuay cultures. The musicians, warriors, and gods here will keep you company as you reflect on the mummies and ceramics you've examined in the museum's inner rooms. Upstairs, numerous skulls bear the scars (or rather holes) from trepanation, the removal of bone from the skull. There are also textiles, metalwork, and a room dedicated to ancient Andean beliefs about the afterlife.

While not as exciting as the Sipán museum next door, this archaeological museum opens a window onto daily life as it transpired among different pre-Inca civilizations. Excellent interpretive displays show how the Moche, Lambayeque, and other pre-Inca cultures such as the Cupisnique, Chavín, Chimú, and Sicán fished, harvested, and kept their homes. There's also a wonderful photography exhibit detailing the archaeologist Hans Heinrich Brüning and his experiences in Peru beginning in the late 1800s. Descriptions are in Spanish, so an English-speaking guide is recommended.

A major collection of archaeological gems in the basement of a shuttered gas station? Well, yes, and it's very much worth a visit—if you can catch it when it's open. The original owner, Jose Luis Cassinelli, amassed a 2,800-piece collection that is internationally renowned among specialists, but since his death the museum's opening hours have been notoriously spotty. If you do get lucky and find it open, you'll see some spectacular portrait vases from the Moche civilization and whistling pots, which produce distinct notes that mimic the calls of various birds. The museum is located on the right-rear side of the now-closed REPSOL station in the traffic circle next to the highway.

Originally built in the 17th century, this museum displays pottery and other artifacts recovered from the archaeological sites surrounding Trujillo. There are excellent reproductions of the colorful murals found at the Huaca de la Luna, the pyramids southeast of the city, as well as a lovely courtyard.

Puppets, puzzles, toys, games—what could be more fun than a toy museum? This private museum houses a large collection of toys from all over the world and shows the transformation of toys through the centuries. The toys from pre-Colombian Peru are especially interesting, giving a seldom-seen view into the daily lives of ancient people. You can't play with the toys, so it may not be appropriate for very young children.

One of the most striking museums in all of Peru, the Museo Leymebamba, which opened in 2000, is situated in a small village 60 km (37 miles) south of Chachapoyas. Inside are more than 200 mummies, some dating back over 500 years, that were discovered high on a limestone cliff above the Laguna de los Condores in 1997, together with other artifacts from the Chachapoyas culture. Day-trips are available from downtown Chachapoyas; otherwise you can take a Cajamarca-bound bus (via Celendin) and ask to be let off at Leymebamba.

Offering insight into the culture of the Sicán people, this interesting museum also has unique exhibits on such topics as the El Niño effect and where the pre-Inca civilizations fit into world history. Visual timelines hammer home just how far back Peruvian history goes. The displays introducing the Sicán (also known as the Lambayeque) touch on everything from common eating utensils to ceremonial burial urns, with models of what their homes might have looked like and a central room full of amazing headdresses and masks. The replicas of the tombs are especially cool.

This archaeological museum, sometimes called the Museo Municipal, was extensively renovated during the first decade of this century. It houses the city's collection of pre-Columbian ceramics and gold artifacts, primarily from the Vicus culture, as well as changing art exhibits.

With its seven defensive walls, the gigantic pyramid at Paramonga is worth a look. Nicknamed "the fortress" for its citadel-like ramparts, it may have only been a ritual center for the Chimú people back in the 13th century. In any case, it was already in ruins when the Spanish arrived in Peru in 1532. A small museum has interesting displays on Chimú culture. The archaeological site sits just off the Pan-American Highway, about 3 km (2 miles) north of the turnoff for Huaraz. For a few soles you can take a taxi to the ruins from the nearby town of Barranca.