Trujillo City Tour with Archaeological Museum

Colonial churches, a cathedral from the 1600s, and pre-Columbian artifacts in three hours

A guided city tour of Trujillo covers colonial architecture, churches, and the National University Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History, with professional guide and round-trip hotel pickup included. The tour runs three hours and visits multiple sites in sequence; on weekends, some colonial houses and the museum close, so the route becomes panoramic. Minimum two passengers required for shared departures.

Step-by-step itinerary

Trujillo city and museum tour

• Pickup from hotel
• Panoramic visit to Santa Clara and Carmen's churches
• Visit Church of San Francisco
• Visit Church of La Merced and Superior Court of Justice
• Visit Plaza de Armas and Cathedral
• Visit Archbishop's Palace and Casa Calonge
• Visit House of Emancipation and Iturregui Palace
• Visit Plazuela El Recreo and old City Wall
• Visit Museum of Archeology and History

The Experience

The tour picks you up from your Trujillo hotel and moves through the city's colonial core on foot and by vehicle. You'll see Santa Clara and Carmen churches with their convents, the Church of San Francisco, La Merced, and the Superior Court of Justice—each one a layer of the city's religious and civic past. The Cathedral at the Plaza de Armas, built between 1647 and 1666, holds rococo altarpieces and paintings from the Cusco and Quito schools, and the route includes the Archbishop's Palace and Casa Urquiaga, a colonial residence where Simón Bolívar stayed after the 1619 earthquake.

The second half moves to the National University Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History, where objects from the different cultures that developed across La Libertad territory are on display. You'll also pass the House of Emancipation (now Banco Continental), the Iturregui Palace built in 1842, Plazuela El Recreo, and the old city wall. A professional guide in English or Spanish narrates the stops and provides context for what you're seeing.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the colonial houses and the archaeology museum are closed, so the tour becomes panoramic—you pass the exteriors and the guide describes them from outside rather than entering. If you're visiting on a weekday, you'll have interior access to the museum and several of the houses. The entire tour runs three hours from pickup to drop-off.

What’s included

• Professional guide in English or Spanish.
• round-trip hotel pickup and drop-off from centrally located Trujillo hotels.
• entry to the National University Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History on weekdays (panoramic viewing on weekends when the museum is closed).

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tangol

Is this one for you?This is a shared tour, so you'll travel with other passengers—book it if you want a guide to handle the route and the history while you focus on the sites themselves. If you're visiting on a weekday, you get interior access to the museum and colonial houses; weekends mean exterior views only, which suits travelers who want the overview without the time commitment of entering every building.

Top questions

What churches and colonial buildings does the Trujillo city tour actually visit?

The tour includes Santa Clara, Carmen, San Francisco, and La Merced churches; the Cathedral at the Plaza de Armas built in the 1600s; the Archbishop's Palace; Casa Urquiaga, where Simón Bolívar stayed; the House of Emancipation; and the Iturregui Palace from 1842. You'll also see Plazuela El Recreo and the old city wall.

Can I enter the archaeological museum and colonial houses, or do I just see them from outside?

On weekdays you enter the National University Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History and visit the interiors of several colonial residences. On Saturdays and Sundays the museum and colonial houses are closed, so the tour becomes panoramic—your guide describes the buildings and their history from outside.

Does the tour include transportation from my hotel?

Yes, round-trip hotel pickup and drop-off from centrally located Trujillo hotels is included. The driver collects you at the start and returns you at the end of the three-hour tour.

What's included in the price of this tour?

The tour includes a professional guide in English or Spanish and round-trip hotel transfer. Food, drinks, and gratuities are not included. The minimum for shared departures is two passengers.

Is this tour suitable for children or people with mobility concerns?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Children 10 and younger must be accompanied by two paying adults. Infants sit on an adult's lap and children 1 and younger are complimentary.