The Inti Raymi, Festival of the Sun, Cuzco, Peru

It's hard to imagine 100,000 Peruvians celebrating the Inti Raymi together, but that's what happens every June! Throw in a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you've got one of the best trips in the World!!!!

"Welcome to Peru and the Second Largest Festival in South America!"

After meeting your experienced guides in Cuzco, we'll be heading straight to Sacsayhuaman, not only the site of the greatest battle of the Incas and the Spanish that ever took place, but also where the Inti Raymi will occur later in the week. It's important to get a view of what we'll be experiencing in the calm of a lazy sunny morning. For that same reason we'll be taking a tour of Cuzco in the afternoon as later in the week, the town will be full of activity with Peruvians! That night we'll be relocating to our home in the sacred valley for the next three days, the lovely, the one and only, the irreplaceable Hotel Sol Y Luna.

After waking up to a beautiful Peruvian valley morning, we'll be easing our day by visiting the Sacred Valley town of Pisac. After the tour of the Pisac ruins we'll be walking through the weekly market to shop for Andean crafts. After lunch, our drive takes us to the salt mines of Maras. A short walk and ride will take us back to the hotel. The afternoon is "relaxo" time where you can go horseback riding or sit by the pool. It's important to acclimatize in these first few days ensuring that our hike to Machu Picchu is an enjoyable one.

What better way to relax than to take a river rafting trip down the Urubamba River. This relaxing journey is more a "float and bloat" enjoying the scenery rather than your normal Colorado "rapid" trip. We end the river journey in Ollantaytambo where we get a chance to visit this picturesque town at the end of the Sacred Valley. After a tour of Ollantaytambo there's another opportunity to relax or take a horseback ride before our hike tomorrow.

What's described as the most breathtaking Heritage Site in the world, we journey to Machu Picchu! Our journey takes us to Ollantaytambo where we take the train to Kilometre 104 of the famous Inca Trail. Our seven hour hike takes us to Winny Wanga before arriving in Intipunku where we start our Machu Picchu Odyssey. That night we move into our home in the clouds, the one, the only Machu Picchu Sanctuary Hotel.

We move from one High to another. We'll be taking a leisurely train down in the morning to Ollantaytambo before enjoying a ride back to Cuzco. Now the fun begins!!! You'll immediately notice the increase in the number of people. Cuzco swells to 100,000 during the festival! After settling into our exquisite Cuzco home, the Monasterio Hotel, we'll be taking a walking tour of the Cuzco markets. That afternoon you'll have the opportunity to shop to your heart's content. That evening will be a Night-On-Your-Own Dinner allowing you to choose from the many culinary delights that Cuzco has to offer. An early sleep is required before the excitement of the following day!

Inti Raymi!!! Are you excited? We are!! The Inti Raymi will be heeeeeeeeectic! The Festival of the Sun occurs each year three days after the winter solstice. Daytime expositions, street fairs, live music, people milling and dancing in the street will be overwhelming. We'll be spending most of the day back at Sacsayhuaman to witness the ceremonies paying homage to the Incan gods to ward off famine and bring sun to the valley all year-long. That afternoon you'll have more time to walk around and enjoy the festivities before our final night dinner/celebration.