Winter Solstice and Inti Raymi

June is an especially vibrant and festive month in Cusco. This month involves a series of ancestral ceremonies that honor the Sun and reaffirm the connection between the people, the land, and the cosmos. These ceremonies are a time for reflection and transformation.

• Winter Solstice in the Southern hemisphere : This is a time to rest, be patient, gain wisdom, and clear processes that need to be liberated and transformed.
• Summer Solstice in the Northern hemisphere: It’s a time of abundance, starting new projects, forming new habits, and discovering new gifts, allowing us to become more efficient and achieve more by doing less.

We also celebrate the highlight of June in Cusco: Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun. Inti Raymi was established by the Inca Emperor Pachacuti in the 15th century as a tribute to the Sun God Inti, who was considered the most powerful deity in the Inca pantheon. The festival marks the winter solstice, celebrating the return of the sun and the promise of a new agricultural cycle. Since 1944, it has been agreed to celebrate Cusco Day on June 24th, along with the reintroduction to the universal culture of one of the greatest festivals of the Inca Empire.

If you decide to join this great celebration, we would love to assist you. However, you can, of course, purchase the tickets on your own here.

You can enjoy IntiRaymi in its three stages:

Qorikancha: At 9:00 in the morning, the Inti Raymi begins on the esplanade of Qorikancha. Here, the Inca, along with the Coya and the Imperial Court, salute the god Inti. In this privileged place of the Cusco capital, conceived in the shape of a puma, the most splendid festival in our country revering the Sun begins.

Plaza de Armas: The entrance to the Plaza de Armas, already crowded with people all around its perimeter, serves as the setting for the second act, the Encounter of the Times. Here, the Inca entrusts the Mayor of Cusco with the proper governance and administration of the province.

Explanada del Chukipampa (Archaeological park of Sacsayhuaman): Inviting the visitors to travel back in time to relive the glorious Inca past, the ceremony begins with the majestic entrance of the Inca and the Imperial Court to the Usnu. In our native language, Quechua, the central part of the grand reenactment unfolds, which includes the presentation of reports from the four suyos (Collasuyo, Contisuyo, Antisuyo, and Chinchaysuyo). This is followed by the rituals of chicha, the sacred fire, the llama sacrifice, and concludes with the Q’ochurikuy (burst of popular exaltation) that marks the end of the ceremony.

We look forward to seeing you in Cusco!