The Inti Raymi or “Fiesta del Sol” is one of the most important festivities of Cusco, in which the winter solstice is celebrated every 24th of June. In this celebration, the Inca is responsible for performing a ritual to honor the most important divinity of Tahuantinsuyo: the sun.

The rebirth of an ancestral tradition
Pachacútec, who was in charge of ordering the construction of Machu Picchu, established this celebration around 1430. Despite being banned by Viceroy Francisco de Toledo with the arrival of the Spaniards, in 1944 Faustino Espinoza Navarro, through the story of the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, was in charge of writing, directing and representing the reconstruction of the Inti Raymi celebration.

Now, to commemorate this holiday, hundreds of actors using typical Inca clothing, get together in the ceremonial fortress of Sacsayhuamán to recreate what was initially the summoning of the sun by the Inca.

The celebration begins at the Coricancha Temple (today Santo Domingo Convent) with the sun salutation. After this, the Inca and the mayor of Cusco meet in Haucaypata to finally carry out the central ceremony in the north of the city on the esplanade of Sacsayhuamán at more than 3600 meters above sea level.

The Inti Raymi, known as one of the great traditions of the Inca Culture, gives tourists every June the 24th the possibility of enjoying songs, characters with typical clothes and native music.

If you plan to make your first trip to the citadel of Machu Picchu, travel on board our PeruRail Vistadome train where you will begin to experience the Andean culture through music and dancing, departing from the Urubamba station, located in the heart of the Sacred Valley and do not miss the opportunity to witness an ancestral celebration in Cusco with PeruRail

Do not forget:

Sunscreen to protect from the sun’s rays.
Wear comfortable clothes for greater mobility.
Bring drinks and fruits to keep the body hydrated and energized.
Buy tickets to enjoy this unforgettable celebration.
Mosquito repellent.