The Inti Raymi in Peru is a traditional religious festival of the most powerful god of the Inca civilization "Inti" (Sun). The god was considered to be the creator (along with "Pachamama" - Mother Earth) of all the universe! The Inti Raymi festival is celebrated during the winter solstice of the Southern Hemisphere - 21 June, the shortest day of the year in terms of the time between sunrise and sunset. It also represents the Inca New Year, when hours of day light begin to lengthen again. However, in the modern history, it was moved on 24 June probably as a precaution it would be merged with other Christian feasts.
The festival is the most luxurious, large and colourful 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, which was especially important for the Andes when the Sun is the only resourse of warmth.
Our Inti Raymi festival will take place on the 24 June and it will take you not only to Cusco city, but also invites you to continue to the splendid Sacred Valley of the Incas and the Inca's jewel - Machu Picchu!
There are several reasons that have forced Inca civilization to make sacrifices and offerings to their ruler (Inca), the personification of the Sun on Earth to whom they owe their existence!
1.- If the corn harvest during the last agricultural year was sufficient, people had to be grateful, but if the harvest was poor, it was necessary to ask for an improvement for next year.
2.- The sun moved away in June (during the winter solstice), so temperatures dropped and the water froze at dawn. Therefore, it was necessary to ask the Sun for its return so that it would remain close at dusk and not move north.
3.- In the end, it was necessary to prove to the sun (the eternal and absolute gift of its children) their subordination and respect.
The Inti Raymi Festival will allow you to become fully acquainted with Inca culture and gain once in a lifetime experience with many colourful, festive and cultural events at this time!
Sustainable Tourism: At Tierras Vivas, we are happy to promote and practice sustainable tourism by being eco-friendly and supporting local communities
Inti Raymi Operator: Tierras Vivas Travel
Service Level: Comfortable, tourist-class accommodation, tourist-class train, and private transport.
Trek's Difficulty: 2 - moderate; a low-altitude hike, accessible to healthy travelers.
Age Requirement: 4+. Please note: all participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Permits: It is included the Inti Raymi, Tourist Ticket for the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Please note: this year, there are a limited for the Inti Raymi ticket, it is very important to book in advance.
Crew: A professional Tour Guide.
Meals: 4x breakfast, 1x box lunch (during Inti Raymi), 1x lunch, 1x bag of snacks.
Transportation: Private van, 2x train.
Accommodation: Hotel, 3* hotel (4 nights), you will spend a night in a comfortable hotel with a private bathroom.
Day 1: 22 June: Arrival to Cusco city
Day 2: 23 June: Sacred Valley Tour
Day 3: 24 June: Inti Raymi 2023 Tour
Day 4: 25 June: Machu Picchu Tour
Day 5: 26 June: Departure day
In case, you would like to combine Inti Raymi with the Inca Trail, please click on Inca Trail to Inti Raymi 2023
The sun worship festivity (Inti Raymi) will be held this 2022 with all the biosecurity measures and will be attended by few people. it is very important to book way in advance.
It is our foundation focused on help to Andean native people and disadvantaged people. If you like to know more, please click at Responsible Travel.
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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 Peru, he/she takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax and explore 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 - Inca 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 keeps 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 colourful 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 2021 - the Cusco festival of the Sun!
Program of the scene at Sacsaywaman:
The Machu Picchu tour is start 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 is 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 15 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.
Transfer to the airport of Cusco for your flight back to Lima (or to your home country).
End of service!
*Solo Traveller: Please note that if you have booked the "Solo Traveller" option for the Inti Raymi tour, you receive your own single room for all the nights.
Meal budget: Please allow USD 50-100 for meals not included.
Welcome to Cusco! A Tierras Vivas representative will be waiting with your name tag at the Cusco airport. It is important to get out of the airport because outside you will find various companies waiting for other customers. They will call your name in case you would not find the representative to get another customer and charge for transport. Due to your pick up it is really essential that you give us the details of your flights such as the time of your arrival in Cusco, the name of the airline and the number of your flight. You can send us this information 2 weeks before the trip.
Important note: You will always have our 24/7 emergency contact in case of any difficulty!
All Tierras Vivas adventure tours are accompanied by a Tierras Vivas Tour Guide, representative or expedition team. Our guides are university graduates and have a degree in tourism! They also have a broad general knowledge of each country visited during the tour, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. The goal of the guides is to eliminate worries of our customers and help them achieve the best possible trip. Tour Guides provide information about the places visited, offer suggestions on what to see and do, recommend a good place to eat and introduce your colleagues. In addition, they also ensure that all hygiene measures are complied with to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
We used the following hotel to accommodate our customers on the tour:
Address: Calle Matara N 394, Cusco
Tel: (+51) 84 224466
We always ask our hotels to prepare rooms of our customers for the time of their arrival, especially if they arrive before the standard check-in time. However, this is not always possible. In this case, just leave your luggage in the hotel storage and in the meantime, you can explore your new destination.
Please note! If you have purchased pre-/post-trip accommodation in the hotel, you might be asked to change your room during/after the tour.
We recommend early booking of individual single rooms and pre-/post-tour accommodation. Single accommodation can be arranged for a supplementary charge and is subject to availability. Please enquire about this when booking.
In case, you prefer an upgrade of your accommodation, we can offer you the following special prices (there is a discount of USD 40 per night x 4 nights = US$ 160) and it is valid for these hotels:
| CUSCO HOTELS | STARS |
SINGLE ROOM (in USD) |
DOUBLE ROOM (in USD) |
| Hotel Belmond Monasterio | 5* | 845.00 | 845.00 |
| Hotel Casa Andina Cusco | 3* | 185.90 | 185.90 |
| Hotel Tierra Viva Machu Picchu | 3* | 70.00 | 80.00 |
| Hotel Ferre Cusco | 3* | 90.00 | 100.00 |
Hotel Belmond Monasterio: The accommdation is in a Deluxe Room.
Hotel Casa Andina Cusco: This hotel involves 2 hotels in Cusco: Casa Andina Plaza or Casa Andina Cathedral. The accommodation is at a Traditional Single or Double room.
Hotel Tierra Viva Cusco: This hotel has 4 hotels in Cusco: Tierra Viva Centro, Tierra Viva Plaza, Tierra Viva Saphi and Tierra Viva San Blas. The accommodation is in a Standard room.
Hotel Ferre Cusco: The accommodation is at a Standard room.
Cusco to Machu Picchu: A private vehicle and tourist train
Departure time: 4:30 or 5:30 am
Pick-up point: Your hotel
| Railway Company | Service | Route | Departure | Arrival |
| PeruRail | Expedition 81* | Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes | 6:10 am | 7:40 am |
| Expedition 83* | Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes | 7:45 am | 9:15 am | |
| Inca Rail | The Voyager* | Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes | 6:40 am | 8:01 am |
*Extra service is not included when on the Expedition and The Voyager train.
| Railway Company | Service | Route | Departure | Arrival | Route | Arrival | |
| PeruRail | Expedition 84* | Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo | 6:20 pm | 8:05 pm | Ollantaytambo to Cusco | 10:00 pm | |
| Expedition 86* | Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo | 8:50 pm | 10:50 pm | Ollantaytambo to Cusco | 11:30 pm | ||
| Inca Rail | The Voyager* | Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo | 7:00 pm | 8:41 pm | Ollantaytambo to Cusco | 10:30 pm | |
| The Voyager* | Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo | 8:20 pm | 9:59 pm | Ollantaytambo to Cusco | 11:00 pm |
*Extra service is not included when on the Expedition and The Voyager train.
** Our driver drops you off in your hotel.
If you like to upgrade for a more comfortable class, then you might choose from Vistadome and The 360° Machu Picchu Train for a surchage of US$ 65.
Important note: you need to notify us about this preference before your ticket is booked!
Vistadome Class has panoramic windows allowing to appreciate the beautiful scenery along the route. You can pass an unforgettable experience of magic connection with nature when going from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu, or vice versa.
Vistadome Class Provides:
1. Long section: Poroy (Cusco) - Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu):
2. Short section: Ollantaytambo (Sacred Valley) - Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu):
The only train in Peru with an entertainment application on board allowing to learn more about the train journey and the Inca civilization. One might experience a unique way to travel to Machu Picchu, explore the Andean countryside like never before with wider and higherr panoramic windows and an outdoor observation carriage including a bar.
The 360° Machu Picchu Train Provides:
The Inti Raymi Festival Tour is a 7-day package starting in Lima and finishing in Cusco. The first day after arrival, you spend in the Peruvian capital and the second day our representative accompanies you to the airport, where you board an airplane to Cusco. So, you have the opportunity to get acquainted with this former Inca capital. Another day awaits you a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The highlight of the program takes place on 24 June, it means the Festival of the Sun - Inti Raymi. The best way to get to know Inca culture for you, however, probably is a one-day trip to Machu Picchu! This travel package is a complete way to appreciate the wonderful traditions and culture of the Inca Empire. For more details about the package, please click here.
This Inti Raymi and Inca Trail package includes 6-day trips and hikes in Cusco city, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Inti Raymi Festival and the 2 Day Inca Trail (also called Short Inca Trail). This package has been created for those adventurous who would like to experience the famous Peruvian trail - Inca Trail and also want to see the most important holiday of Inca culture - Inti Raymi. Visit our website and read more about the program here.
The Inti Raymi Day Tour is celebrated in Cusco on June 24. The sun, the main god of Inca civilization, was considered the creator of all that existed. It presided over the destinies of man and the universe.
The most spectacular celebration of the Inca Empire, therefore, was dedicated to the royal star - the Inca, as he was the personification of the Sun on Earth. The sun was adored and sacrificed to prevent it from leaving Earth and its children during its long journey through the sky and space. See what the Inti Raymi Day Tour looks like here.
The 4-day package includes a visit to Machu Picchu, touring the Sacred Valley of the Incas and in one day, you can watch the festival of the sun - Inti Raymi (in Quechua "Feast of the Sun"). This feast is an Andean and Inca celebration in honor of the "Inti" or sun god, which takes place every winter solstice in the southern hemisphere. It is celebrated on June 24. For more information on the Inti Raymi Festival and Machu Picchu, click here please.
| Days | 5 |
| From per person |
$ 750.00 |
| Code | PFS |
Activity level |
|
24 March 2023
24 March 2023
24 March 2023
