Museo Nacional Sicán
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Museo Nacional Sicán in Ferreñafe showcases artifacts from the ancient Sicán culture, including gold masks and ceremonial knives.
Planning your visit
The Sicán culture flourished on Peru's north coast between roughly 750 and 1375 AD, and its elite tombs at Batán Grande produced gold work in extraordinary quantity — masks, ceremonial knives, headdresses and ornaments, much of it looted before archaeologists reached it.
The Museo Nacional Sicán at Ferreñafe displays what was recovered from controlled excavation, and its reconstructions of the tombs are the distinctive element: shaft graves several metres deep, with the principal figure buried inverted and accompanied by attendants and enormous quantities of metalwork.
The tumi, the crescent-bladed ceremonial knife with a figure on the handle, has become a Peruvian national symbol, and the Sicán produced the best of them.
The Pómac Forest sanctuary nearby holds the pyramids the culture built, in a dry forest of carob trees.
Allow ninety minutes. Bookable options combine museum and sanctuary. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is Museo Nacional Sicán?
Museo Nacional Sicán is in Ferreñafe, Peru. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Museo Nacional Sicán?
Allow ninety minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Museo Nacional Sicán in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.