Inti Raymi in Cusco

Inti Raymi in Cusco
June 24th

THE FESTIVAL OF THE SUN – THE INTI RAYMI
Destinations: Cusco.
Price: Please contact us Why?
Departures: June 24th
Type of Tour: Available in both Group and Private See Details
Number of People: No minimums or maximums
Accommodations: Budget, Moderate, Luxury See Details
Domestic Flights & Trains Options: Best value, Well-known Airlines. All Train Options See Details
This is the annual representation of the Inca Ritual in recognition of the Sun God. It is said that this festival was celebrated by the Incas as the Festival of the Sun where “Inti” or Sun God was honored. The ceremony takes place at the winter solstice, when the sun is farthest from the earth. Fearing the lack of sun and ensuing famine, the ancient Incas gathered in Cuzco to honor the Sun God and plead for his return. The celebrants fasted for days before the event, refrained from physical pleasures and presented gifts to the Inca, who in return put on a lavish banquet of meat, corn bread, chicha and coca tea as they prepared to sacrifice llamas to ensure good crops and fertile fields.

About the Festival

PeruEvery day has its events, from daytime expositions, street fairs, and people milling and dancing in the streets. In the evenings, live music from the best of Peruvian musical groups draws the crowds to the Plaza de Armas for free concerts. During the preceding year, in preparation for Inti Raymi, hundreds of actors are chosen to represent historical figures. Being selected to portray the Sapa Inca or his wife, Mama Occla, is a great honor. On June 24th, the ceremony starts around 08:00am beginning at the “Korikancha” Temple, where the Inca King starts the ceremony giving the blessings to the Sun. After the blessings, the procession will begin along the Av. “El Sol” towards the Main Square. At this point, performers will dance and offer gifts to the Inca King. Around 11:00 am, the performers will continue the procession to the top of “Sacsayhuaman”. This is a 45-minute walk about (2Km) and you can choose to walk along or arrange a private car. The Inca arrives around noon carried on a golden throne followed by hundreds of Inca guards and royal followers. That is when the show really begins! The Inca will bless the 100,000 spectators that visited him and will thank the Sun God. Once all the celebrants are in place in the grand square of the fortress, there are speeches by Sapa Inca, the priests and representatives of the Suyos: the Snake for the world below, the Puma for life on earth, and the Condor for the upper world of the gods. A white llama is sacrificed (now in a very realistic stage act) and the high priest holds aloft the bloody heart in honor of Pachamama. This is done to ensure the fertility of the earth which in combination with light and warmth from the sun provides a bountiful crop. The priests read the blood stains to see the future for the Inca. The ceremony of Inti Raymi ends with a procession back to Cuzco. Sapa Inca and Mama Occla are carried on their thrones, the high priests and representatives of the Supas pronounce blessings on the people. Once again, a new year has begun. The whole show will last until around 4:00pm so we highly recommend bringing lunch. Also, please note that the show you will see at the Koricancha, requires an entrance ticket with a numbered seat. This festival incorporates another dimension, which is the Sun Solstice.

PeruThis is another ceremony celebrated traditionally in Machu Picchu, at the Temple of the Sun. The stonework of this temple is some of the finest in the city. In the centre, there is a carved rock with a straight edge. During the SUMMER SOLSTICE, this edge will precisely align with the light falling through the only window of the temple. This occurs exactly at 07:10 am, when the first sun rays touches the citadel. This phenomenon can be viewed from June 19th to 23th. The Solstice means that the day is shorter than any other day of the year (hence the night is longer). In the Inca’s time, they believed that the sun awakes after a long time of resting and with this, a new year of harvest begun. To live this experience, you need to spend the night before in Aguas Calientes (the village located at the bottom of Machu Picchu) and climb to the citadel in the first bus the next morning (at 05.30 am) to enjoy this special sunrise in Machu Picchu.

We will customize a tour for you.

As the festival offers many interesting options, we will like to hear from you as which of the days you are interested in the most and we will work with you on customizing your tour to better fit your interests and budget. Remember that we focus on providing the best available options without compromising the quality of your tour. Just contact us with your questions and preferences and we can create the best itinerary based on your expectations and requests.

Price

Upon request.

Price will depend on how much of the festival do you want to take part into and if you want to add an extension. Please contact our agents to help you put together an itinerary for you.

If you prefer a suggested itinerary, please send us the following information and we will respond.

  • Number of people in your party
  • Level of accommodation (3,4,5*). Please see options
  • Choosing a Private or Group Tour?
  • Adding options: if you like to add other destinations, day tours, extra days, meals, etc
  • Need domestic or international flights?
  • Have a special request (ie: special diet, wheelchair, children, senior, etc)

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