Overview of Your Inti Raymi Festival & Machu Picchu Tour

Join our special Peru tour through the celebration! The entire week is full of colorful processions and dancing, culminating with the religious ceremony of the Inca Empire at the legendary Inca ruins of Sacsayhuamn. Along the way, bargain at the vibrant markets of Cusco and Pisac. After touring Cusco, spend winter solstice, one of the most important days of the year for the Incas, in the Sacred Valley of the Urubamba and Ollantaytambo. Reach the hidden city of Machu Picchu, where you will spend two days exploring its mysterious ruins and the surrounding cloud forests before returning to Cusco for the Inti Raymi Celebration.

Trip Features
  • 8 Days
  • Starting at $3,395 per person
  • PHYSICAL RATING
    Moderate
  • ACTIVITIES
    Sightseeing, Festival
  • HIGHLIGHTS
    Inti Raymi, Festival of the Sun, Sacred Valley of the Incas, Machu Picchu, Lima, Cusco and Chincheros Artisan Market

Sample Itinerary

Inti Raymi Festival & Machu Picchu

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Arrival and transfer to your hotel. If you arrive early, we can arrange optional tours to explore the city, including museum visits and other sites of interests.

In the morning, transfer back to the airport for a short flight to Cusco, center of the Inca Empire. Meet your guide at the airport and begin a day-long excursion through snowcapped Andes to the Incas’ legendary Sacred Valley. The first stop is Pisac’s hilltop citadel, featuring the civilization’s agricultural terracing along the steep valley walls, panoramic views of jagged granite peaks and the temple ruins. Descend down to the town of Pisac, known for one of the best Andean textile markets in Peru. After taking in some of the local culture and enjoying a traditional lunch, depart for Ollantaytambo (9,185 feet), a small town with an impressive Inca fortress. Stay overnight at a hotel in Ollantaytambo. (B,L)

Spend another day exploring the well preserved archaeological sites and dramatic landscapes of the Sacred Valley. This morning, pass small farms situated in the fertile Urubamba Valley surrounded by snowcapped mountains to reach Moray. This mysterious site includes three circular terraces, thought to have been used by the Incas as an open-air crop experimentation station. Continue past the small village and pre-Inca settlement of Maras. At this photogenic spot, a geo-thermally heated stream feeds hundreds of small salt terraces which create a striking white-on-brown landscape that has been used for salt mining since well before the Incas. Return to your Ollantaytambo hotel in the late afternoon. (B,L)

OPTIONAL ADD-ON: PACHAMANCA LUNCH

In the afternoon, gather for a special Pachamanca lunch where meat, several varieties of potatoes, corn, beans and other produce are cooked in the ground under hot stones. This traditional cooking practice has existed since the time of the Inca Empire. Enjoy your meal al fresco, surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Sacred Valley. Return to your Sacred Valley hotel in the late afternoon. (B,L)

Start the day off with a refreshing walking tour of the Ollantayambo ruins. Next, head to the train station, where you’ll board the Vistadome train for the first leg of today’s unforgettable journey to Machu Picchu! Enjoy the panoramic views as the train follows the Urubamba River into the lush cloud forest, before arriving at the Aguas Caliente train station. Stop for lunch in town and then  board a bus that will take you to the gates of Machu Picchu (7,875 feet). Spend the afternoon exploring the famous ruins with your guide. Return to Aguas Calientes, where you will have time to relax and enjoy dinner at your hotel. (B,D)

Today, you’ll have the opportunity to experience Machu Picchu during the early morning hours. Explore the numerous ruins including an optional climb to the sacred peak of Huayna Picchu. By midday, you return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and an early afternoon train ride back to Ollantaytambo. Your private vehicle will be waiting at the station to deliver you to the Chinchero textile market, where members of the local weavers’ collective will explain the traditional weaving methods of the Sacred Valley. Continue on to your Cusco hotel for the evening. (10,856 feet) (B)

Huayna Picchu Hiking Details: 1.25 miles; approximately 2-3 hours hiking, the trail is narrow and very steep.

Altitude min/max: from 7,875 ft to 8,835 ft.

Today begins with a guided walking tour through Cusco to see the colorful markets, the colonial cathedral and Koricancha, the impressive Temple of the Sun. After a lunch of regional cuisine, you tour the remaining prominent Inca sights in and around Cusco. These include the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, with its megalithic stone terraces; Kenko, with carved stone surfaces and subterranean altars; Puka Pukara the small fortress that once protected the royal capital; and the water temple, Tambo Machay. In the late afternoon, you’ll return to the comfort of your hotel to relax or continue to explore Cusco on your own. (B)

Today, experience the Inti Raymi Ceremonial events. At Korikancha Square, the Sapa Inca gives a traditional oration, calling for blessings from the sun, fabled to be the origin of the Inca rulers. From here, the Sapa Inca, carried on a golden throne, leads the procession through the ancient city of Cusco up to Sacsayhuaman in the hills above the city. Transfer to the ruins where you have reservations to watch the reenactment of the ancient ceremony of sacrificing a llama to the Pachamama, Mother Earth, to ensure the fertility of the earth and warmth from the sun. Return to Cusco in the late afternoon to celebrate the new year! (B)

Transfer to the Cusco airport for your flight back to Lima and your connecting international flight, marking the end of Southern Explorations’ services. If your schedule permits, trip extensions to other regions or extra days may also be arranged. (B)

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Accommodations for Peru & Machu Picchu

Here is a sample of possible hotels on this trip. To see more, or discuss available hotel upgrades, please contact us.

Trip FAQs

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You have the flexibility to choose your own travel dates on most of our trips. Certain trips, such as cruises, have fixed schedules. Availability on these trips is always changing so please contact us with your preferred travel time and we can find the perfect itinerary for you

We provide full service tours so in general our trips include all guided activities with professional English-speaking guides, accommodations, transportation, airport transfers, entrance fees and permits, select meals, and pre-departure services. You will be responsible for international airfare while we will book all in-country airfare. Contact one of our expert travel planners for even more details on this specific tour.

The first step is to get in touch with a Southern Explorations travel planner for date availability and information on activities, accommodations and other travel aspirations you may have. Give us a call at 1.877.784.5400, fill out this form or email info@southernexplorations.com.

Yes! All of our posted itineraries can be considered a starting point and we’re happy to tailor a trip to your exact desires. There may be some elements of a trip, such as a cruise or all-inclusive lodge stay, that cannot be modified but we can always adjust the tours around those components.

We have more detailed information about each destination in the Plan Your Trip section of this website. Our team of friendly travel planners is also available to walk you through various options and to work with you on the perfect trip!

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Southern Explorations really knows what they are doing. They provide a top notch guest experience overall and I would highly recommend them and also consider taking another trip with them.

– Wanda Vermeer

Trip Extensions

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