Corpus Christi en Cusco
 Consists of the procession of the 16 patron saints of the city. Musical bands and folkloric groups join the spectacle. The traditional dish eaten during the festival is “chiri uchu” (roast guinea pig, toasted corn, chili pepper, boiled hen, cheese, sausage, fish eggs and tortillas.)
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Wednesday 14th June
- Arrival in Cusco and transfer to your hotel
2:00 p.m.
Pickup from hotel and transfer to the main square (Plaza de Armas) to watch the entrance of the 14?? Saints and virgins that are brought from all over the city to the cathedral. The event is always a very colorful and noisy affair and is always full of devoted crowds of people. The sculptures are very heavy and it requires great physical strength and co-ordination to stabilize and carry them. A band always follows the procession and the people march along to the rhythm of the music. There are no rules when it comes to dress; some go barefooted, some in their everyday clothes whilst others wear Inca style outfits.
The people from each village look after their saint and take the sculpture to the Plaza, around half the people that carry the statue are from agricultural communities of the region and the other half are traders. The weight of the statue causes it to swing and sway as the team below stagger along, they often change with others to take a break. The statues of the saints were carved during the 17th century. The ancient Incas joined the catholic religion and worked together with the monks in the creation of the statues for this reason there are several Inca figures incorporated into the design, jaguars for example: using this approach the ancient cult of the Incas remained present albeit in a secretive manner. The myths survived amidst a mixture of Catholicism and idolatry. Nowadays the people still feel strongly about the Inca traditions. The atmosphere during the festival is very special with the sweet aroma of the food, the biting cold and the bustling of the crowds of spectators.
7:30 p.m. Dinner and show
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- We then talk a walk around the city center with our guide to witness the people buying fruit, a tradition during Corpus Christi.
2:00 p.m. Hotel pickup
- City tour in Cusco visiting the Cathedral, Coricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Quenqo, Tambomachay and Pucapuca.
6:00 p.m. Transfer to the Hotel.
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5:30 a.m. Machu Picchu
- Departs: 5:30 a.m.
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- Transfer to the airport for the flight to Lima.
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