Inti Raymi Tour full Day

The Inti Raymi or the Sun’s festival was the most important religious festival in the time of the Incas celebrated every shortest day of the year, with occasion of the beginning of the Agricultural Year.  The festival is performed in the city of Cusco with the presence of important authorities and people from different parts of the «Tawantinsuyu» or the land of the Incas. During the Inti raymi there are hundreds of participants wearing traditional attire, Singing and dancing the traditional Inca music.  During the Inti raymi there are hundreds of participants wearing traditional attire, Singing and dancing the traditional Inca music. 

After the Spanish conquest in 1532, the Catholic Church suppressed the ceremony and the Andean society that used to celebrate this festivity to the sun which was dismembered; since that the celebration of the Catholic Saint San James. The Inti Raymi was forgotten then, until half of the XX century when, as expression of a great movement of revaluation of the native culture in Peru, was returned to the scene.

you need to know fyIn 1944 a group of intellectuals and artists from Cusco headed by Cusco Historian “Humberto Vidal Unda” decided to recover the Inti Raymi of the History and to present it as a show of theatrical type, dedicated to the whole population of Cusco; From then on, it has been represented every year, getting rich and evolving for the historical investigation.

The INTI RAYMI festival is celebrated on June 24th of each year, the solemn evocation of the splendid Inca ritual takes place in the Inca fortress of «Sacsayhuaman» located at 3 km from the city of Cusco; with a renewed script and prepared by distinguished specialists in the field.

During the Inca times, one night before the INTI RAYMI festival the fires were extinguished in all the extension of the enormous Inca Empire (the Tahuantisuyo); and in the great place Huacaypata (today Place of Weapons) all the most brilliant personages of the empire were concentrated. Among the shadows, the crowd awaited the appearance of the god “Inti” (sun) with great respect.

Generals, princes, and all the nobility waited in profound silence; many of them disguised as creatures and other animals of Andean mythology. When the sun appeared, they expressed their recognition of having him and adore him as a supreme, single and universal god, who with his light and virtue created and sustained all things on earth, thanking him for the harvests received during the year.

The sceneries for the Inti Raymi Tour Full Day are three As we are described below:

1.- The first part of the Inti Raymi is performed in the “QORIKANCHA” or the temple of the Sun of the Incas; it is located at two blocks from the main square. The “Qoricancha” in the time of the Incas was totally covered with gold and silver; it was built by the Inca Pachacutec in the 1436. The Inti Raymi begins here at 09:00 a.m when the musicians and dancer starts to play the special Inca music; here the ceremony last for 45 minutes.

2.- The second part of the Inti Raymi takes place in the “Plaza de Armas” known as the “HAUQAYPATA” or the main square. The main square was most important site for the Incas and it was surrounded by very important buildings among them temples and palaces, one still can see nowadays some remains of that construction. Here the ceremony begins at 11:00 a.m and ends at 12:00a.m.

The most important part of the Inti Raymi Tour full day:

3.- The third and the most important setting are at “SAQSAYWAMAN” which is located at 3 km from the city of Cusco at an altitude of 3,560 masl. Here the celebration of Inti Raymi is divided in five acts. First of all, The Inca speaks in “Quechua” with Father Sun; then continues with the ceremony of the Coca a sacred leaf that people brought from the jungle; after that is performed the ceremony of the “Chicha” a sacred drink prepared of dry corn by the chosen women or the most beautiful girls of the Inca Empire; the “Chicha” contains an approximately 4% of natural alcohol.

The next ceremony is the ceremony of the fire; it’s said that three days before the Inti Inti Raymi everybody in the empire extinguished the fire until they get the new fire from the Inti Raymi ceremony and it has to be carried through the Inca Empire. The last act of the Inti raymi was the blood ceremony; for this the Incas performed a Black Llama sacrifices. During this sacrifice the high priest could predict the future for the agriculture and the life; the ceremony begins in Saqsaywaman 01:30 pm and it last for one hour and half.

• Ceremonial Introduction
• Report the army from the four regions: Qollasuyu, Kuntisuyu, Antisuyu and Chinchaysuyu.
• Ritual of the sacred “Chicha” a corn drink made by the chosen women (the most beautiful girls of the Empire)
• Ritual of the Holy Fire.
• Sacrifice of the llama (Andean cameloid) and auguries.
• Rite of the “Sankhu” (holy bread)
• “Q’ochurikuy” ( Dances and music from all Peru )

• The price of the tour does not include flights. You must buy your flight ticket.So, you’ll need to arrive to Cusco for the tour.
• The Confirmation for Inti Raymi Tour Full Day, will be received when the tour booking is made.
  Passport name, number, date of birth, gender and country is required at time of booking for all participants.
• Valid passport required on day of travel. (Expiration dates older than 6 months are valid).
• Children must be accompanied by an adult.
• Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults.
• Not wheelchair accessible
  Child seats or chairs available
• Most travelers can participate in the experience.
• Airport pickup and drop-off will be provided by arrangement with your flight information.
• There will be a maximum of 12 travelers on the tour or activity Operated by: SPT Travel & Tours.

If our scheduled departure dates don’t work for you, or you would prefer not to travel with a group, then we can also run this tour privately for you. Please contact us for more information and prices.

Private vehicles are used for all sightseeing tours and most of the journeys throughout the tour. A variety of transport including vans and bus is used.

We are committed to being a small group operator, as we feel this gives everyone in the group the best chance to get to know their fellow travellers and to hear and make the most of their guide. There’s no point in us providing great guides if you’ve got to peer over 30-40 shoulders to see them! So, we won’t ever put you in a 50-seater coach with 49 other people and just one guide. Instead, we set this Inti Raymi Tour Full Day group departure to have a maximum of 16 travellers. Average group sizes are around 12 people, lower during the low season (December- March.

Fully trained English-speaking Local guides are provided for Inti Raymi Tour Full Day and many of our travellers consider them a highlight of their tour. We also provide a fully trained English-speaking guide for any sightseeing tours.

It is important when considering and preparing to travel anywhere in the world that you have a good understanding of the country you are visiting, its laws and customs, and the possible risks and situations that may occur. This includes specific risks related to your itinerary (eg. does it involve water & can you swim, are you fit enough for the activities included), as well as more general risks such as natural disasters.

General details and links to more information about health risks, visa requirements, money, and travel insurance are given in these tour notes. We recommend that you re-read all these before your departure as well as the small print of your travel insurance policy so you know exactly what is covered and what is not.

You should take copies of your important travel documents with you and ideally also store them online securely as a backup. Make sure that you have given us your emergency contact details and told that person where and when you are travelling. Ensure you take enough money with you and that you have access to emergency funds.

While an accepted part of the culture and customs in Peru, tipping is always optional, and any amounts paid should reflect excellent service.

It is normal and accepted for people to tip differently, and you should not feel under any pressure to tip any particular amount. We are often asked for advice on common amounts however, and suggest that you consider around US$ 5-10 per person per day for guides, US$ 3-7 p/p/day for assistant guides or tour leaders, and US$ 2-5 p/p/day for porters and drivers.

We understand that life can be unpredictable and things don’t always go as planned. We want to ensure you feel comfortable with our cancellation policy before booking your experience.

Our Cancellation Policy for Inti Raymi Tour Experience is non-refundable and no modifications are allowed for any reason. Due to the nature of our services and the agreements we have with the Peruvian authorities, if you cancel or request a modification, the amount paid for your experience cannot be refunded.

We appreciate your understanding in this matter and thank you for choosing Inti Raymi Tour for your Full Day Experience. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our Cancellation Policy, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to make sure you have the best experience possible!