The Inti Raymi is a religious ceremony of the Inca Empire in honor of the god Inti, one of the most venerated deities in Inca religion.
| DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION | Cusco Airport Transfer | |||||||||||||||
| WEAR | Comfortable athletic clothing, hiking boots, hat, jacket and sunscreen. | |||||||||||||||
| INCLUDED | NOT INCLUDED
|
Day1
22nd June - Arrival in Cusco
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 acclimatise 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 travellers, 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.
Day2
23rd June - Sacred Valley Tour
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 colourful 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 2017!
Day3
24th June -Inti Raymi Tour
(Inca Festival of the Sun) The festivity in honour of the Sun god is celebrated in 3 historical scenes. Qorikancha (Golden Temple), it was the principal temple dedicated to the Sun in the Incan era.Plaza de Armas (called by the Incas “Auqaypata”, the Warrior Square), which was a huge square during the Inca times where this ceremony was held on a ceremonial platform (“ushnu” in Quechua). From there, the Inca was carried on a golden throne leading a procession through the ancient city of Cusco up to Sacsaywaman in the hills above city. Saqsaywaman (“saqsay” and “waman” in Quechua mean “satiate hawk”), which is an impressive archaeological centre situated at 3,555 m.a.s.l., just a kilometre far away from the Inca neighbourhood of Qolqanpata.
Program of the Sacsaywaman´s scene: Ceremonial arrival, Announcement of the 4 “Suyus” (or the four cardinal points): Qollasuyu, Kuntisuyu, Antisuyu and Chinchaysuyu, Chicha Ritual, Sacred Fire Ritual, Lama (Andean camelid) sacrifice and a sign reading (But no worries, there is not any lama killed in fact nowadays!Sankhu (sacred bread) Reading. Q’ochurikuy (burst of popular exaltation)
Program of the Sacsaywaman´s scene: Ceremonial arrival, Announcement of the 4 “Suyus” (or the four cardinal points): Qollasuyu, Kuntisuyu, Antisuyu and Chinchaysuyu, Chicha Ritual, Sacred Fire Ritual, Lama (Andean camelid) sacrifice and a sign reading (But no worries, there is not any lama killed in fact nowadays!Sankhu (sacred bread) Reading. Q’ochurikuy (burst of popular exaltation)
Day4
25th June - Machu Picchu Tour
Very early in the morning, we pick you up from your hotel and transfer you during a 1 hour and 40 minute ride to the railway station of Ollantaytambo in order to reach Machu Picchu by train. During this 1 hour and 45 minute ride, you experience spectacular changeable landscapes passing through lush fields and colourful villages placed on the foothill of the Andes. The highlight of the way are wonderful views of mountains and the marvellous Urubamba River that runs through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. In the end, you reach Aguas Calientes, a town just below Machu Picchu, where your Tour Guide welcomes you at the railway station to accompany you to a shuttle bus taking you up to the archaeological complex of Machu Picchu following a zigzag path for about 25 minutes. Once in Machu Picchu, your Guide introduces you to the most important attractions of this unique Incan site such as its main square, the Sun Temple, Intiwatana (Sun Clock), the Royal Rooms, the Temple of the Three Windows and the Royal Incas Cemetery. This guided tour takes about 2 and half an hour and then you are given time off to explore around the complex and to climb Huayna Picchu (or Machu Picchu Mountain) to take some amazing panoramic photos of Machu Picchu. So please do not forget your camera and enjoy the visit of the “One of the New 7 Wonders of the World”!! When you have enjoyed the site enough, you take a shuttle bus down to Aguas Calientes where you can have lunch (not included in the package) in one of many lovely restaurants offering traditional Andean as well as international cuisine. You can also visit local hot springs (entrance fee of 10 Soles is not included in the package). In the afternoon, we take a train back to Ollantaytambo where our driver expects us in front of the railway station to transfer us back to Cusco.
Day5
26th June Departure
Transfer to the Cusco’s airport for your flight.End of service.
Original passport and Student ISIC card (if applicable), and some copies.
Travel insurance (and some copies)
Backpack to carry your things.
Phone and Camera charger and adapter.
Bathing suit (if you would like to enjoy the hot springs in Aguas Calientes).
Camera
Deet or mosquito repellent ( recommendable 30% deet).
Rain gear (especially if traveling in the wet season, from October to March).
Flip-flops or light sandals.
Sunblock and sunglasses.
Water bottle or canteen.
American dollars and Peruvian soles in cash.
Sun hat
Toilet paper, and face tissue paper.
Credit or debit card.
Anti-inflammatory tablets (e.g. Ibuprofen).
Personal first-aid kit (should contain lip salve, Aspirin, Band Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhoea, re-hydration powder, extra prescription drugs you may be taking).
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