Cusco & Inti Raymi

Festival

1/2

Difficulty:

Average

Length:

5 Nights/6 Days

Brief description:

Inti Raymi is a very important festival that takes place every year on the 24th of June. It is held in the capital of the Incas in commemoration of the Sun God. It shows the cities artistic expression. To celebrate the Cusqueños are nourished by their deep roots to project an eternal alliance with nature and through rhythms and colours they reinforce their commitment to life that extends to other visitors around the world. The festival reveals the real nature of the Peruvian men and women. To end our trip we will visit the Inca City of Machu picchu - one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Itinerary

Day 1:

Cusco

When you arrive in the City of Cusco our staff will be waiting for you at the airport and take you to your chosen hotel. At the hotel, you will be greeted with the typical coca tea for acclimatization. Our staff will help you check in and give you all the information and recommendations such as: Banks, Restaurants, Exchange Houses and others.

In the afternoon we will pick you up at 13:30 hrs and will take a bus to start the visit of the city of Cusco.

The first stop we will do will be in the Main Square of Cusco or also known as Plaza de Armas, where we will visit the Cathedral which corresponds to one of the most beautiful and imposing buildings of Peru and Latin America.

Continuing with the tour we will move to the Temple of Koricancha or Temple of the Sun, where we can appreciate the very fine work that the Incas performed on the stone.

Then we will take our bus to leave the city of Cusco and visit the archaeological site Sacsayhuaman, where every year in June, the Sun Festival “Inti

Raymi” is held, in the Winter Solstice in the Hemisphere. It has a strategic location that offers a complete view of Cusco City to visitors.

We will also appreciate the Archaeological Centers of Qenqo, Tambomachay and Pucapucara.

Returning to the City of Cusco approximately at 18:30 hrs.

Optional: Presentation of typical Andean music and dances at the Qosqo Native Art Centre (6:30pm to 8.00pm) The entrance ticket is included in the package.

Accommodations: Economy (Casa Hostel Rojas Inn and others in the same category)
Accommodations: 3* Standard Hotel (Rojas Inn Hotel, Anden Inca, San Francisco Plaza and others in the same category)
Accommodations: 4* Hotel (San Agustin International, Monasterio San Pedro and others in the same category)

Day 2:

Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

Pick up from your hotel will be at 8am.

We make our first stop at The Andean Animal Refuge where we will find llamas, alpacas, condors, and pumas. Continuing our tour we visit the most important archaeological sites in the Sacred Valley. Here we will have a guided tour exploring the sites for around one hour. This place is best known for having the largest Inca cemetery in the area, and also has religious temples, agricultural terraces, and irrigation systems. Then we go to the colonial town of Pisac where we visit a silverware workshop and learn the process of making silver. Also, we will walk through the traditional markets where you can find a lot of handmade crafts, here we will have time to buy souvenirs.

We then go to the town of Urubamba where we stop at a restaurant to have a buffet lunch.

To complete our day's tour, we visit the Archaeological Centre of Ollantaytambo which is another important site in the Sacred Valley having temples and gardens.

Also, in this place one of the greatest battles of Spaniards with Incas was celebrated.

Finally we go to the train station of Ollantaytambo to take the train to the town of Aguas Calientes, upon our arrival you can expect to stay at a cozy hotel with all the comforts.

Accommodations: Economy (Tayta Hostel and others in the same category)
Accommodations: 3* Standard Hotel (Flower House, Hatun Samay and others in the same category)
Accommodations: 4* Hotel (La Cabaña, Inti Punku and others in the same category)

Meals included: Breakfast and buffet lunch

Day 3:

Machu Picchu – Cusco

We will start the early morning climb after a delicious breakfast. Making the short trip by bus to the Machu Picchu complex, where we visit the incredible architecture and the mysterious temples left by the Incas.

Your professional English-speaking guide will help you understand the sophisticated ideas and technology of this highly advanced culture.

If you still have energy, you can also climb the mountain of Machu Picchu (meaning Old Mountain) at 3000m. It takes around one hour and a half to reach the top ($16.00 USD - optional).

Once the official tour is completed, we will have plenty of time to go to the Inca Bridge or explore the Sanctuary on our own before returning to Cusco by train in the afternoon.

The suggested time to descend from Machu Picchu to the town of Aguas Calientes is 1.00pm. It is recommended to arrive 30 minutes before the departure of the train.

Accommodations: Economy (Casa Hostel Rojas Inn and others in the same category)
Accommodations: 3* Standard Hotel (Rojas Inn Hotel, Anden Inca, San Francisco Plaza and others in the same category)
Accommodations: 4* Hotel (San Agustin International and others in the same category)

Meals included: Breakfast

Optional lunch in Santuary Lodge which is situated close to Machu Picchu - $45 USD or in Aguas Calientes at a local restaurant - $25 USD

Day 4:

Inti Raymi Festival

At 08:00am our staff will collect you from your hotel and will move to the first spot of the day, we will meet with the group and with our professional guide. The Inti Raymi ceremony takes place in three different places. First, it starts at the Inca Temple of Qoricancha on the Avenue Of The Sun. Then, we go to the main square (Plaza de Armas of Cusco), to the second stage and finally, it ends with the most extraordinary and largest scene held in the esplanade of

Sacsayhuamán (3 km from Cusco) We will travel by bus together with our

guide. Once we arrive the guide will direct us to the festival stands at Inti Raymi which will be held in the main square of the Sacred Temple of Sacsayhuaman.

Accommodations: Economy (Casa Hostel Rojas Inn and others in the same category)
Accommodations: 3* Standard Hotel (Rojas Inn Hotel, Anden Inca, San Francisco Plaza and others in the same category)
Accommodations: 4* Hotel (San Agustin International and others in the same category)

Meals included: Breakfast and buffet lunch

Day 5:

Our company staff will be at the hotel two and a half hours before your flight to take you to the airport.

Meals included: Breakfast

Included:

City tour in Cusco – (luxury service maximum 16 people per group)
Tour to Sacred Valley of the Incas with Buffet – (luxury service maximum 16 people per group)
Tour in Machu Picchu – Private Tour Guide speaking English/Spanish
Entrance Ticket for all Archaeological complexes
Entrance Ticket to Machu Picchu Citadel
All transport is included according to the itinerary