The Inti Raymi festival in Peru is a feast of the Sun God and Pachamama (Mother Earth), the main Gods of the Inca civilization. These Gods were considered to be the creators of all that exists. They rule over the destiny of mankind and the universe!
This Inca festival of Inti Raymi is the most luxurious, large, and colorful celebration to be performed in Cusco as it was originally dedicated to an Incan ruler, considered to be a demigod for his people. The Sun was to be worshiped and offered sacrifices to avoid that it would leave the Earth and its children during its long journey while it ensures its return providing heat and joy.
The interesting question is when is Inti Raymi celebrated? It is because, it is held on the 24th of June at present time, while the authentic celebration took place on the 21st of June, a Southern Hemisphere winter solstice. It was moved on the 24th probably to prevent it would merge with other catholic feasts.
This Cusco festival of the Sun 2025 takes you not only to the famous Inti Raymi celebration but also invites you to continue to the splendid Sacred Valley of the Incas and the Inca´s jewel - Machu Picchu.
The Sun God Festival 2025 will be held on June 24 in the city of Cusco. This is the last 1 day, on which the whole 'Imperial City' lives with joy the Fiesta del Sol. As every year, the celebrations will begin in the Qoricancha or Temple of the Sun. Then they will continue in the Plaza de Armas or 'Plaza del Armas'. Warrior'. Finally, the ceremony will conclude in Sacsayhuaman.
Crew: A Inca Trail Machu representative in Lima and Cusco and a professional bilingual tour guide.
Accommodation: 3* hotels (6 nights).
Meals: 6x breakfast, 1x lunch (Please allow USD 100 - 150 for meals not included.).
Transportation: 2x domestic flight, transportation by private van, a train round trip (Expedition Class).
If you want to see the "Greeting Sun" at Coricancha, we recommend purchasing the Coricancha ticket, which incurs an additional cost. The Inti Raymi Tour 2025 includes the entrance fee to Sacsayhuamán, where you can view the principal ceremony of this festival. Coricancha ceremony is included, but you will be standing from the spectator area.
The first day is an arrival day and no activities are planned, so that you can arrive at any time. When you arrive to the airport at Lima, our Representative waits for you holding a sheet with your name and takes you to your hotel.
The capital of Lima is also known as the "City of the Kings" as it was founded by Francisco Pizarro on the Day of the Three Kings (Epiphany) in 1535! The Plaza de Armas (main square) is a heart of old Lima. There can be found the Cathedral, Governmental Palace and Archbishop´s Palace.
In the morning, we take you to the Lima´s airport for your flight to Cusco City. Our Representative awaits you in front of the Cusco´s arrival airport hall holding a sheet with your name. After he/she welcomes you in Cusco, he/she takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax and explore around this fascinating city as well as to acclimatize to its high altitude.
The Cusco City is the oldest continuously inhabited city of this continent as well as a hub of the South American travel network! The city attracts people from all around the world, who arrive not only to visit a unique destination, but also to experience an antique culture that differs a lot from the occidental 21st century´s way of life. One could easily spend a week just in and around this site. Inca-built stone walls line most of the central streets and it is not necessary to go far to see other major Inca ruins! This is a city steeped in history, traditions and legends!
Every year, Cusco is visited by thousands of travelers, who come to delve into its noble, but tragic past. It is a perfect base for optional explorations around the city´s surroundings as well as for a range of outdoor activities.
Cusco also has got numerous colonial churches. The most important of them is the Cathedral on the main square. Its construction started in 1559 and it took 100 years to finish!! The Cathedral can pride on the biggest depository of Colonial art of the city! A vault containing remains of the famous Incan historian - Garcilaso de la Vega is just past the entrance. Other churches that are worth seeing are La Compañía, La Merced and San Francisco.
The city is also a perfect base for those more adventurous as it offers a range of optional outdoor activities such as white river rafting on Urubamba River, horseback riding around nearby archaeological sites (Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay and Puca Pucara) or mountain biking down to Maras-Moray-Salineras and perhaps visiting some Incan sites on the way.
One of the most spectacular days of the tour takes us through the Sacred Valley of the Incas that was once an important source of food to Incan people. Sacred Valley is a lush agricultural region that keep supplying the city of Cusco with much of its production. As it lays 600 metres lower than Cusco, its average temperature is 5ºC higher so it has got a very pleasant climate.
The tour shows us around the major archaeological sites placed in Pisaq, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. At Pisaq, an optional two hour (5 km) trek allows us to fully appreciate this huge antique Incan city nestled high in this Andean range. Later on, we can observe a colorful handicraft market at the modern Pisaq Town that is without any doubt a unique place to find perfect souvenirs! Then, we stop in Urubamba, considered to be the capital of the valley, where we have a buffet lunch offering Andean cuisine. Afterwards, we continue to the picturesque town of Ollantaytambo, a place that can boast with another large Incan site. Its major ruin is known as the best surviving example of Incan urban planning and engineering! But Ollantaytambo is more than that, it is an alive and breathing Incan town!! Then we start returning to Cusco, but there is one more Incan site expecting us on the way! The site is Chinchero where we enjoy our last guided tour. Later on, we get to Cusco to overnight and get ready for Inti Raymi - the Cusco festival of the Sun 2014!
The festivity in honor of the Sun god is celebrated in 3 historical scenes.
Program of the Sacsaywaman´s scene:
Very early in the morning, we pick you up from your hotel and transfer you during a 1 hour and 40 minute ride to the railway station of Ollantaytambo in order to reach Machu Picchu by train. During this 1 hour and 45 minute ride, you experience spectacular changeable landscapes passing through lush fields and colourful villages placed on the foothill of the Andes. The highlight of the way are wonderful views of mountains and the marvellous Urubamba River that runs through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. In the end, you reach Aguas Calientes, a town just below Machu Picchu, where your Tour Guide welcomes you at the railway station to accompany you to a shuttle bus taking you up to the archaeological complex of Machu Picchu following a zigzag path for about 25 minutes. Once in Machu Pichu, your Guide introduces you to the most important attractions of this unique Incan site such as its main square, the Sun Temple, Intiwatana (Sun Clock), the Royal Rooms, the Temple of the Three Windows and the Royal Incas Cemetery. This guided tour takes about 2 and half an hour and then you are given time off to explore around the complex and to climb Huayna Picchu (or Machu Picchu Mountain) to take some amazing panoramic photos of Machu Picchu. So please do not forget your camera and enjoy the visit of the "One of the New 7 Wonders of the World"!!
When you have enjoyed the site enough, you take a shuttle bus down to Aguas Calientes where you can have lunch (not included in the package) in one of many lovely restaurants offering traditional Andean as well as international cuisine. You can also visit local hot springs (entrance fee of 10 Soles is not included in the package). In the afternoon, we take a train back to Ollantaytambo where our driver expects us in front of the railway station to transfer us back to Cusco.
In the morning, you are transfered back to the airport at Cusco in order to take a flight to Lima. There you are picked-up by our Representative and taken to your hotel. Afterwards, you are given time off to explore the city on your own and buy some souvenirs.
We can also offer you an optional City Tour of Lima that takes about 3 and half an hour and introduces you Lima in its 3 periods of time: pre-Colombian, Colonial and Modern. The start of the tour is at the archaeological site of the cultures Wari and Inca - “Huaca Pucllana”. After that, it continues to the impressive city centre visiting its colonial palaces, houses, churches and squares. Finally, it takes you to the modern city quarters such as the residential and financial zones of San Isidro and Miraflores with its unforgettable views of the Pacific Ocean!!
We can arrange you the City Tour upon request!
Transfer to the Lima´s airport for your international flight.
End of service!
Meals budget: Please allow USD 50 - 100 for meals not included.
Single room: Please note that if you have booked the "Single Room" option for the Inti Raymi tour, you receive your own single room for all overnights.
Local flights: There are two local flights included in the cost of the tour. It is very important that we have got your passport details at the time of booking in order to process the air ticket! Internal flight tickets are issued locally and will be given to you prior to each flight departure!
