TOLL FREE FOR USA-CANADA: 1-866-356-5524
(Call Us, English speakers crew)
Business Hours: Monday to Sunday: 9 am 1 pm
(by mornings) - 4pm - 8 pm (by afternoons)
Peruvian Time Zone: GMT - 5 hours
Calendar Events Cusco
Annual Events in Cusco
The best, the only way of compenetrating with a city that is living a constant festivity like Cusco is to understand the deep sense of its celebrations. The range of festivities that Cusco propose to the visitor is almost endless. Thus, the main ceremonies are the ones that establish the most important moments. By the way, Cusco take also into account the national holidays such as our Independence day but none of them can be compared to the regional celebrations in Cusco if we talk about the quantity of audience joint.
The Coyllur Riti, for instance, meet pilgrims from the andean south as well as from other nearby countries. On the other side, there are minor celebrations related to daily life such as cleaning the drains, the first hair cut or the engagement of a couple.
Along with all of these celebrations and showing the versatility and diversity of Cusco as a festive city, modernity has entered the city establishing a festival which could be considered the most important festival of youth music in the country.
FESTIVITIES FOR
2007
2008
CARNIVAL
In the squares of Cusco as well as the outlying villages in the Sacred Valley, Peruvians celebrate the Spanish custom of Carnival, beginning 40 days before Easter Sunday (Lent). Carnival parades are not as common here as in other South American cities, but you will often come across festivals in smaller villages, as well as kids running around with water balloons and spray-foam.
Week of February 19
Week of February 4
Ash Wednesday
Church going and special service in all Catholic Churches
Wednesday, Feb 21
Wednesday, Feb 5
HOLY WEEK - (Semana Santa)
April, ending on Easter Sunday: Pilgrims come from all over Peru, South America and overseas to Cusco to celebrate this festival. Holy Monday, 6 days before Easter, sees the procession of the Lord of the Earthquakes, the effigy of Christ said to have stopped the 1650 earthquake that destroyed much of the city.
Sunday, April 1
Sunday, Mar 16
LORD OF EARTHQUAKES (Cuzco)
Major Festival in Cuzco. Definitely worth scheduling to coincide. Cuzco's most venerated image of Christ is taken out in procession in the afternoon/evening of Holy Monday. The entire city participates. If you want a trip to coincide with that festival, please go to
Monday, April 2
Monday, Mar 17
Maundy Thursday
Special services in Churches all over. Churches open longer hours.
Thursday, April 5
Thursday, Mar 20
Good Friday
Major, if somber processions in most villages and towns. The processions of Our lady of Dolours and the Holy Sepulchre are particularly important in the villages in the If you want a trip to coincide with that festival, please go to
Friday, April 6
Friday, Mar 21
Glory Day
Saturday, April 7
Saturday, Mar 22
Easter Sunday
Remarkably little happens but Easter Sunday services are longer and more colourful than normal ones
Sunday, April 8
Sunday, Mar 23
FIESTA DE LA CRUZ (all over)
The festival of the Cross is very much celebrated. The Cross is taken out in Procession. There are processiones from 1st May until a couple of days after May 2 which is the "Central" days.
Monday, May 2 Tuesday, May 4
Friday, May 02
PENTECOST (Ollantaytambo)
Pentecost is celebrated with non-stop ethnic dances in Ollantaytambo. Well worth a visit.
If you want a trip to coincide with that festival, please go to
Sunday, May 27
Sunday, May 11
QOYLLOR RIT'I - June: Cusco is host to Qoyllor Riti, the "Snow Star Festival", in the Sinakara valley southeast of Cusco, near Ocongate at 4,800 meters above sea level. This is a syncretism of Catholic and indigenous rites, and tens of thousands of pilgrims attend the festival, hiking 8 kilometers from where public transport and trucks leave them. This is one of the most important religious festivals in all of South America.
Saturday, Jun 2
Saturday May 17
CORPUS CHRISTI - June: The fourteen images of Cusco´s patron saints are taken from their respective churches and carried in procession to the historic center. Corpus Christi is the result of the syncretism between Catholic and indigenous faiths, for the Incas too carried the mummified remains of their sovereigns in procession at the same time of year as the Catholic celebration of Corpus. In the streets around the plaza, local people and visitors can enjoy the typical dish "chiriuchu" (a plate of cold meats, tortillas, toasted maize, cheese and roasted guinea pig)
Thursday, Jun 7
Thursday, May 22
INTI RAYMI (Winter Service): Inti Raymi, the Inca festival of the Sun, is held each year on June 24th, and is one of Peru's prime tourist attractions. The festivities begin at the Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun, and end at Sacsayhuaman, the fortress temple the Incas built above the city. Here high priests offer a llama in sacrifice to the sun, and dancers perform for the Inca and the many thousands of ordinary Cusco people who travel from all over the region to witness the festivities.
Sunday, June 24
Tuesday, Jun 24
VIRGIN OF CARMEN: On July 16th, in the village of Paucartambo, one of Peru's most colourful and important festivities takes place as fifteen traditional dance groups pay homage to the Virgin of Carmen on her feast day. In fact, the celebrations last for four days, during which the dancers perform an intricate narrative choreography and the huge crowds that gather celebrate with copious amounts of food and drink. Many pilgrims also make the trip to nearby Tres Cruces where, perched above the Amazon basin, they witness the phenomenon of a unique and spectacular sunrise only seen at that time of the year, during which the sun appears to divide in two as it climbs into the sky.
Monday, July 16
Wednesday, Jul 16
INDEPENDENCE DAY: Peruvians celebrate their independence from Spain on July 28th, and the festivities range from concerts held in the multiple squares in Cusco to streets full of processions, local food and drink, and parties in many of the bars and restaurants. Make sure to wear red and white, the colors of Peru!
Saturday, July 28
Monday , Jul 28
Assumption of the Virgin
All over Peru, there are processions in this, the most important day to celebrate the Virgin Mary. Mostly every temple that is dedicated to the Madonna will have a procession today.
Wednesday, August 15
Friday, Ago 15
VIRGEN DE LA ALMUDENA Y DE LAS NIEVES
(Cuzco and Chinchero)
The Almudena is one of Cusco’s most venerated and “richest” Madonnas. Hence the importance of her procession. On the same day in the Urubamba (Sacred ) Valley many villages small and larger sucas Maras (Church of Tiobamba) Huayllabamba and Chinchero, have the feast day of their Madonna. If you want a trip to coincide with that festival, please go to
Saturday, Sep 8
Monday, Sep 08
SEÑOR DE HUANCA (near Cuzco) This is one of the Andes most venerated Christ figures and the pigrimage involves people coming from far and wide. Very important celebration.
If you want a trip to coincide with that festival, please go to
Friday, Sep 14
Sunday, Sep 14
San Jeronimo, Cusco
The festivity of San Jeronimo is celebrated around his Parrish Church in the vicinity of Cusco with dances and processions.
Sunday, September 30
Tuesday, Sep 30
CHRISTMAS in cuzco
The market of Santuranticuy is a wonderful crafts markets on the main Square of Cuzco. The Plaza comes alive on the morning of Christmas eve with crafts people selling images for their nativity scenes.
Please click for more information.
Monday, Dec 24
Wednesday, Dec 24
KeyWord Reference:
Cusco Peru, Cuzco Peru, Machu Picchu, Machupicchu, Machu-picchu, Cusco Hotels, Travel Peru.
Main Office N° 1 : Calle Santa Teresa 381, Plaza de Armas, Cusco, Peru
Office N° 2 : Calle Plateros 372, Plaza de Armas, Cusco, Peru
(Both ones located just half block from the main square of Cusco City) Fax Telephone: 00-51-84-261269 Emergency Mobil Phone: 00-51-84-9673544
Licensed Inca Trail tour operator, specialists in trekking in the Andes (Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and other treks) ŠAndean Life 1999 - 2005. All material within this web site is original work and subject to national and international copyright laws and cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.
