The Inti Raymi Tour from Lima includes a 6-day experience in the magical city of Cusco, where you can enjoy the Sun Festival, visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and explore Machu Picchu.
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.
The Inti Raymi 2025 will be held on June 24th in the city of Cusco. On this day, the entire "Imperial City" celebrates the Fiesta del Sol with joy. As in previous years, the festivities will begin at the Qoricancha, or Temple of the Sun. The festivities then continue at the Plaza de Armas, also known as "Wakaypata". Finally, the ceremony ends at Sacsayhuaman.
The Sun God festival allows you to imagine the Inti Raymi celebration in the Inca era and invites you to continue your journey to the magnificent Sacred Valley of the Incas and the Inca jewel, Machu Picchu.
Sustainable Tourism: Inca Trail Machu is very keen and happy to promote and practice sustainable tourism by being eco-friendly and supporting local communities
Physical Activity: 2-Moderate to Difficult - Some points are high.
Service Level: Frienly travel group.
Age Requirement: 4+. Please note: all participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Crew: Inca Trail Machu Representatives in Lima and Cusco, professional local bilingual tour guides.
Accommodation: 3* hotels (6 nights).
Meals: 6x breakfast, 1x Buffet lunch, 1x Box Lunch (Please allow USD 100 - 150 for meals not included.).
Transportation: Domestic flight, van, train.
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:
Early in the morning we will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the train station in Ollantaytambo to board the train to Machu Picchu. During the 3 hour and 30 minute journey, you'll experience spectacular, ever-changing scenery as you pass through lush fields and colorful villages nestled in the foothills of the Andes. The highlight of the trip is the breathtaking view of the mountains and the magnificent Urubamba River that flows through the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Finally, you'll arrive in Aguas Calientes, a town just below Machu Picchu, where your guide will meet you at the train station and escort you to a shuttle bus that will take you to the archaeological complex of Machu Picchu via a 25-minute winding road.
Once in Machu Picchu, you'll be given a guided tour based on the Machu Picchu Circuit you've booked. If you've booked the Circuit 2 Machu Picchu ticket, the guide will show you the main attractions of this unique Inca site, including the Main Plaza, the Sun Temple, Intiwatana (the Sun Clock), the Royal Rooms, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Royal Inca Cemetery, and the agricultural terraces of the Inca citadel. However, if you've booked Circuit 1 or 3, the tour will be shorter due to the time constraints of the circuit.
In general, the tour lasts about 2.5 hours. Afterwards, you can enhance your experience by reserving additional tickets to climb either Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu. After the tour, you'll have time to climb the mountain and take some amazing panoramic photos of Machu Picchu. So don't forget your camera and enjoy your visit to "One of the New 7 Wonders of the World"!
Once you've had enough time to explore the site, you'll take a shuttle bus back to Aguas Calientes, where you can enjoy lunch (not included in the package) at one of the many nice restaurants offering both traditional Andean and international cuisine. You can also visit the local hot springs (10 Soles entrance fee, not included in the package). In the afternoon we'll take the train back to Ollantaytambo, where our driver will be waiting in front of the train station to take you 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.
Solo Traveler: Please note that if you have booked the "Solo Traveler" 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!
