Trujillo: Getting there & around

Trujillo's airport is 10km (6mi) northwest of town. There's a small departure tax. LAN has a daily flight to Lima and back. Star Perú has two daily flights to Lima: one via Chiclayo and one direct.

Buses often leave Trujillo full, so book ahead. Several companies servicing southern destinations have terminals on the Panamericana Sur; check where your bus actually leaves from when buying a ticket.

Linea buses service Lima (8hr), Piura (6hr), Otuzco (2hr), Cajamarca (6hr), Chiclayo (3hr) stopping at Pacasmayo (1.75hr) and Guadalupe (2hr), Chimbote (2hr), and Huaraz (9hr). There's an enclave of companies around España and Amazonas offering Lima-bound night buses (8hr).

For Chimbote (2hr), America Express is a taxi ride south of town and has buses every 15 minutes.

If you're heading north, El Dorado has rudimentary buses to Piura and Sullana (6hr), and Tumbes (10hr). Empresa Días has a bus to Cajamarca (6hr). Ittsa has buses for Piura (6hr), as well as Lima buses. Transportes Horna has buses to Huamachuco (7hr) and morning buses to Cajamarca (6hr).

Movil Tours specializes in comfortable long-haul tourist services. It has a service to Lima (8hr), an overnight bus to Huaraz (8hr), a bus to Chachapoyas (13hr) and a bus to Tarapoto (18hr).

White-yellow-and-orange B combis to Huaca Esmeralda, Chan Chan and Huanchaco pass the corners of España and Ejército, and España and Industrial every few minutes. Buses for La Esperanza go northwest along the Panamericana and can drop you off at La Huaca Arco Iris. Combis leave every half hour from Suarez for the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna.

For El Complejo Arqueológico la Huaca el Brujo, 60km (37mi) northwest of Trujillo, start at the Provincial Bus Terminal Interurbano and head to Chocope (1.5hr). Ask there for combis going to the site.

The airport is reached cheaply on the Huanchaco combi (minibus), though you'll have to walk the last kilometer. It costs under US$1.00 and takes around 30 minutes. A taxi from the city center costs more but still won't break the bank. A short taxi ride around town is also pretty cheap. For sightseeing, taxis charge about US$8.00 per hour, depending on the distance.