Inti Raymi Festival and the Sacred Valley

The Winter Solstice in the southern hemisphere and the local harvests are the driving force behind the greatest, most majestic pre-hispanic ceremony to render homage to the sun. Today, the Inti Raymi Festival evokes the splendid Inca ritual of yore, being carefully scripted by Cusco professors, archaeologists, and historians. The central event is acted out on the esplanade below the imposing fortress of Sacsayhuaman, outside the city of Cusco. There, step by step, thousands of actors enact a long ceremony giving thanks to the sun god, Inti. On this Peruvian adventure, you will experience the Inti Raymi Festival as well as tours of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Pisac Market, Ollantaytambo, and mysterious Machu Picchu. Your nights will be spent in some of Peru’s most luxurious and renowned accommodations, including the Hotel Monasterio in Cusco, which was originally a monastery built in 1595, and the Sol y Luna Lodge, a rustically elegant resort in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.