Often ignored by travelers, Peru’s North coast is possibly the most important archaeological area in the whole of the Americas. Even though the Incas have taken the lion’s share of archaeological attention in Peru, the prior cultures of the North coast, were at least as important, and survived for a much longer period of time. A visit to Chiclayo and Trujillo is an unforgettable cultural experience. The Moche culture developed near Trujillo and spread out over much of the North coast, lasting from 200BC to 800AD. The area around Trujillo was important long before the arrival of the Spanish, and the Moche valley was the origin of the Moche culture , one of the most important in the history of Peru. The Chimú culture emerged when the Moche culture died out, presumably victim of the El Niño phenomenon and built Chan Chán , the largest pre-Hispanic city in Peru, built out of adobe, also known as "Ciudad de la Luna" (City of the Moon) . Although the Spanish saw the walls of the city when sailing along the coast, Chan Chán had been abandoned before their arrival, Incas had transferred the Chimú population to a new city as punishment for their resistance to Inca rule. The city grew in importance during the colonial period as a result of agriculture, and there are still many fine colonial houses and churches in the city. However, the city also rebelled against Spanish rule, and declared its liberty from the crown before the rest of Peru.

Trujillo aspires to be designated a World Heritage Site, because of the proximity of both those cultures and its historical colonial city centre whose old houses attract many visitors. The old mansions and manors of Trujillo are distinguished for their solemn and austere facades. Inside, their impressive halls are overflowing with ornaments. Trujillo’s window railings are a truly unique feature of the mansions. The House of Ganoza-Chopitea or "casa Ganoza" with a polychromatic front in the baroque style, crowned by a rococo frontispiece and two lions, is the city’s most representative example of Trujillano mansion architecture. Another one is the House of Mayorazgo, as old as the city itself, and holding one of Peru’s greatest numismatic collections. In addition, the revolutionary leader Simón Bolivar lived in a house on the Plaza de Armas.
The world-famous beach Huanchaco, a surfing destination, is located just north of Trujillo. Trujillo’s restaurants offer a wide variety of local food such as shambar, mostly served on Mondays, ceviche, sopa teologa and cabrito.