Peru is a country with a fascinating history and a vibrant living culture, and there is always something to celebrate somewhere in the country. Peru’s cultural calendar is packed with unique events throughout the year: from ancient Andean traditions and religious pilgrimages to colourful processions, traditional dances and national holidays,
Apus Peru can help you plan a trip around many of these special cultural events, so get in touch if there is a particular festival you would like to experience.
Please note that this list is not exhaustive. Some important saint’s days, religious celebrations and local events are not included, and several religious festivals do not have fixed dates. Easter and Corpus Christi, for example, fall on different dates each year.
These are genuine cultural and religious celebrations that follow local traditions and rhythms. They are not staged events, so dates, schedules and activities can sometimes change. If you plan your trip around a particular festival, we recommend checking the details in advance and travelling with an open mind and a little patience.
You may also be interested in:
One of the more unusual cultural events like El Sinkuy is a ceremonial ball game held in Ollantaytambo on the afternoon of 1 January.
The event is organised by incoming community officials, known as varayocs, from the surrounding communities of Huilloc, Patacancha, Kellkanka and Yanamayo. Its purpose is to introduce the new varayocs and other community leaders to the people of Ollantaytambo.
During the afternoon, community members gather in the Ollantaytambo main square dressed in traditional festival clothing. They bring jugs of chicha and breads shaped like different animals, known as ch’askhuacos.
The game itself is played around six poles decorated with red flowers. Pairs of players attempt to knock down the poles using two wooden balls. The mayor of Ollantaytambo and the wife of a community leader traditionally play first.
Each participant contributes a small amount of money, which the varayocs later use to buy food and drink for their communities. Throughout the celebration, the sound of pututus, traditional shell trumpets, adds to the distinctive atmosphere.
The Bajada de los Reyes, or Epiphany, is one of the most important celebrations in the Sacred Valley and is particularly colourful in Ollantaytambo.
The festival commemorates the biblical visit of the Three Wise Men and also coincides with the transfer of authority from one varayoc, or community leader, to the next.
Residents from surrounding communities walk to Ollantaytambo wearing traditional festival clothing. The communities of Huilloq and Patacancha carry an image of Melchor, known locally as Marcacocha, accompanied by varayocs, musicians and dancers.
The celebration includes a procession featuring images of the Christ Child and San Isidro, the heavenly protector of farmers. Visitors may also see traditional dances such as Huayllascha, Huallata, Herreros, Chucchu and Negritos.
Chiaraje is one of the most dramatic events in the Cusco region. Held in the remote province of Canas, around four hours from Cusco, this traditional event centres around ritual battles, or pucllay, between neighbouring communities.
The tradition is connected to Mother Earth, and the fertility of the land. The ritual takes place during the rainy season, traditionally a time associated with agricultural renewal.
Participants gather on Chiaraje hill and engage in a ritual battle, with the winning group traditionally claiming the largest area of land. The event is accompanied by songs, shouts, traditional clothing, food and celebrations.
This is a deeply traditional event and can be intense to witness, so visitors should approach it respectfully and be aware that it is not a performance created for tourists.
Held in Plaza San Sebastian in Cusco, this local celebration honours San Sebastian, the heavenly protector of the city, and features traditional dancing, music and food.
The Virgen de Copacabana is an important religious figure in both Bolivia and Peru. Her feast day falls on 2 February, coinciding with the Feast of the Purification of Mary and the celebrations surrounding the Virgin of Candelaria.
She is also honoured on 5 August with religious ceremonies and local celebrations.
The Virgen de la Candelaria, affectionately known as Mamacha Candelaria, is one of the largest and most spectacular cultural celebrations in Peru.
Held in honour of the Virgen de la Candelaria, the patron saint of Puno, the festival brings together Catholic devotion, Andean traditions, music and choreographies. Thousands of dancers and musicians take to the streets wearing beautiful costumes and masks.
The city of Puno, in the southern region of Peru, is already well known as the gateway to Lake Titicaca, but during the festival the city becomes the centre of one of Peru’s biggest celebrations.
The festivities begin on 2 February with religious ceremonies and a procession of the Virgin. Throughout the following days, groups from communities across the region perform traditional dances and compete in large cultural events.
The celebrations become even more spectacular during the second part of the festival, when huge parades fill the city streets with music, elaborate costumes, masks and dancing.
If you are travelling through southern Peru in February, this is one of the country’s most unforgettable festivals to experience.
Carnaval is celebrated throughout Peru and is particularly lively in Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
The celebrations usually take place in February or March, depending on the date of Easter. Music, dancing, flowers, paint, foam and water balloons all play a role, so if you happen to be walking through the streets during Carnaval, expect to get wet!
One important tradition is the yunsada or yunza. A tree is decorated with gifts and participants dance around it before taking turns chopping it down. The couple responsible for the final blow traditionally earns the honour of organising the following year’s celebration.
In Cusco, you are more likely to see traditional dances, celebrations and children playing with water and foam during the octavo, the eighth day after Carnaval begins.
During February, communities in the Patacancha Valley gather for the Compadres celebration in Maracocha.
The event offers an opportunity to experience local traditions and observe the distinctive customs of the different communities in the valley.
The Festival of the Vendimia is held annually and celebrates the grape harvest in Ica.
Expect dancing, music, wine and Pisco tasting as the region celebrates one of its most important agricultural traditions. This is a great event for travellers interested in Peru’s wine and Pisco culture.
The Lord of the Earthquakes is one of Cusco’s most important religious celebrations.
According to local tradition, the image of Christ helped protect Cusco during a devastating earthquake in 1650. Since then, the people of Cusco have paid homage to Taytacha Temblores, the Lord of the Earthquakes.
The main procession takes place on Holy Monday, before Easter. Thousands of people gather in Cusco’s historic centre to watch the image being carried through the streets.
The celebration is a fascinating example of the way Catholic and Andean traditions have become intertwined. The image is decorated with ñucchu flowers, which have both Christian and pre-Hispanic symbolic significance.
Easter, or Semana Santa, is an important celebration throughout Peru. Dates vary each year and Easter can fall in either March or April.
The most famous Easter celebrations take place in Ayacucho, where the streets fill with religious processions and ceremonies throughout Holy Week.
Easter Sunday marks the Resurrection of Christ and is celebrated with religious ceremonies and traditions throughout Peru with thousands of visitors.
In Cusco, one of the most important events is the procession of the Señor de los Temblores on Holy Monday.
The Fiesta of the Virgen de Chapi is an important religious event near Arequipa.
The Sanctuary of the Virgin of Chapi is located around 45 kilometres from the city, and pilgrims travel from across the region to take part in the celebrations.
Some of the most devoted pilgrims walk through the night carrying large candles before reaching the sanctuary. The following day includes a procession, fireworks and celebrations that continue into the night.
Cruz Velacuy, or the Festival of the Crosses, is celebrated throughout Cusco and the wider Andean region.
Crosses are decorated with flowers and ribbons before being honoured during religious ceremonies. They are carried to churches to be blessed, accompanied by musicians and dancers.
The festival is another fascinating example of the blend of Catholic and Andean traditions that can be seen throughout Peru.
This annual music festival takes place in Cusco and features national and international musicians and performers.
The event usually attracts visitors from across Peru and is held over several days.
As dates and schedules can vary, make sure to check whether the festival is taking place before planning your trip around it.
Señor de Choquekillka is the patron saint and the focus of one of Ollantaytambo’s most important festivals.
The celebration includes processions, music and festivities and can continue for several days.
Associated with Pentecost, this important religious celebration takes place in Urubamba in the Sacred Valley with dancing and celebrations culminating on Pentecost Sunday.
Qoyllur Rit’i is one of the most fascinating and important cultural and religious events in the Peruvian Andes.
Thousands of pilgrims travel to the Sinakara Valley in the Ausangate region, where Catholic traditions combine with ancient Andean beliefs and the worship of the apus, or sacred mountain spirits.
Pilgrims walk for several hours through the mountains, passing the Stations of the Cross before reaching the sanctuary at the base of the Sinakara glacier, at approximately 4,600 metres.
The pilgrimage includes dancing, music, Catholic ceremonies and ancient Andean traditions.
This event occurs immediately before Corpus Christi, usually starting on Trinity Sunday.
Read our Ultimate Guide to Attending the Qoyllur Rit’i Festival.
Want to experience it yourself? Take a look at our 4-day Qoyllur Rit’i Pilgrimage Trek or 2-day Qoyllur Rit’i Trek.
Corpus Christi is celebrated throughout Peru, but the celebrations in Cusco are particularly impressive.
Fifteen saints and virgins are brought from different churches and neighbourhoods to Cusco Cathedral, where they gather in honour of the body of Christ.
The celebrations include processions, traditional food and large gatherings in the Plaza de Armas.
One of Cusco’s most famous Corpus Christi traditions is the doce platos, or twelve dishes. These traditional foods include chiriuchu, as well as other regional specialities.
The celebrations continue for several days, and a further procession takes place during the octavo, one week after the main event.
Corpus Christi usually falls in May or June, so make sure to check the dates before planning your visit. It falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, or 60 days after Easter Sunday.
The Festival of Q’eswachaka celebrates the annual rebuilding of one of the last remaining Inca rope bridges.
Located in the province of Canas, the Q’eswachaka bridge is reconstructed using traditional techniques and native grasses. Local communities work together to plait and weave the ropes before rebuilding the bridge over the Apurimac River.
The process takes several days and culminates in a community celebration with music, food and traditional festivities.
Read more about the Q’eswachaka festival or join our Q’eswachaka Bridge Tour.
This is a genuine community tradition rather than a tourist attraction, so visitors should come with patience, curiosity and respect for the people taking part.
June is one of the busiest and most exciting months in Cusco’s cultural calendar. Throughout the month, the city hosts parades, concerts, religious celebrations and traditional events, leading up to the famous Inti Raymi festival.
The Andean New Year, celebrated on June 21 around the winter solstice, marks the beginning of a new agricultural and spiritual cycle in the Andes. Rooted in ancient Andean traditions, it is a time to honor the sun, Pachamama (Mother Earth), and the connection between people and nature.
Ceremonies often include offerings, prayers, music, dancing, and rituals welcoming the return of the sun and giving thanks for the year ahead.
Although Inti Raymi is the most famous event in June, celebrations take place throughout the entire month.
The days leading up to Inti Raymi are filled with parades, concerts, fireworks and cultural events. Cusco comes alive as communities, schools and organisations take part in celebrations across the city.
The evening of 23 June is particularly lively in the Plaza de Armas, as Cusco prepares for Inti Raymi the following day.
Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, is one of Cusco’s biggest and most famous celebrations.
Inspired by celebrations held during Inca times to mark the winter solstice, the event honours Inti, the Sun God, who played a central role in the Inca Empire.
The main ceremonies take place at Sacsayhuaman, although the celebrations begin earlier in the day at Qorikancha and continue through Cusco.
Read more about Inti Raymi or join our Inti Raymi tour.
As Inti Raymi takes place during the busy tourist season, accommodation fills up quickly and prices can increase. Book well in advance if you plan to visit Cusco during this period.
The Huancaro Agricultural Fair is a great event for anyone interested in Peruvian agriculture and regional traditions.
Exhibitors from Cusco and other parts of Peru present their products, while musicians and performers provide entertainment throughout the event.
Visitors can also experience the Festival of the 13 Provinces of Cusco, where representatives prepare traditional food and perform regional music.
Pampa Galeras, located several hours from Nazca, hosts an annual chaccu, a traditional roundup of wild vicuñas.
Local communities work together to gather the animals, shear their valuable wool and then release them back into the wild.
The event is followed by food, celebrations and recognition of the importance of Andean camelids, including vicuñas, llamas, alpacas and guanacos.
Celebrations take place around the Church of San Pedro in Cusco, close to the famous San Pedro Market.
Ollantay Raymi is dedicated to the Sun God and includes performances of the Quechua-language drama Ollantay.
The story tells of the military general Ollantay and his forbidden love for a princess. The performances are followed by traditional dances and opportunities to try local food.
This festival in Paucartambo is one of the most colourful and spectacular celebrations in the Cusco region.
The town of Paucartambo is located east of Cusco on the road towards Manu National Park. During the festival, the town fills with dancers wearing elaborate costumes and masks.
Many of the dances portray characters and events from Peruvian history and folklore, while the famous Saqra dancers represent demons and appear in dramatic performances throughout the celebration.
Read more about the Virgen del Carmen festival.
You can also join our 2-day Virgen del Carmen Festival Tour, which combines the celebrations with a visit to Tres Cruces.
While not a festival itself, Tres Cruces is often visited by travellers attending the Virgen del Carmen celebrations.
Located around 40 kilometres north of Paucartambo, this viewpoint sits at the edge of the Andes, overlooking the Amazon basin.
Tres Cruces is particularly famous for its sunrise views during June and July, when unique atmospheric conditions can create unusual optical effects.
Corpus de Santiago is a religious celebration held in Santiago Plaza in Cusco.
One of the traditional dishes associated with the event is chiriuchu, a cold dish made from small portions of different regional foods.
This religious celebration takes place around the chapel of Santa Ana in Cusco and includes a festive mass, procession, music and traditional dances.
Like the Corpus of Santiago, chiriuchu is one of the traditional foods associated with the celebration.
Fiestas Patrias is Peru’s national holiday and a major commemoration of the country’s independence from Spain.
Towns and cities across Peru mark the occasion with parades, music, fireworks and celebrations. Streets are decorated in red and white, the colours of the Peruvian flag.
In Cusco, celebrations include concerts, processions, traditional food and lively gatherings in restaurants and bars.
The Yawar Fiesta is a traditional ritual associated with Fiestas Patrias and is still celebrated in some communities in the Peruvian highlands.
One of the best-known versions takes place in Cotabambas in the Apurimac region. The tradition symbolically represents the struggle between the Incas, represented by the condor, and the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, represented by the bull.
The event is also known as the Fiesta de Sangre and is a traditional ritual with a long and complex history.
In the Andes, August is an important month for honouring Mother Earth.
Many families perform pagos, or offerings, to Pacha Mama. These ceremonies may include coca leaves, sweets, incense, wine and other symbolic offerings.
A paq’o or traditional spiritual practitioner may lead the ceremony and make offerings to Mother Earth and the apus, or sacred mountain spirits.
While 1 August is particularly significant, ceremonial offerings can take place throughout the month and at other times of the year.
San Cristobal is celebrated in San Cristobal Square in Cusco with a procession, dancing, music and traditional food.
The Virgen de la Asunción, also known locally as Mamacha Asunta, is particularly important in Coya, a small town in the Sacred Valley between Calca and Pisac.
The celebration includes a procession accompanied by dancers, including performers wearing devil masks.
Santa Rosa de Lima is an important national holiday and is particularly significant in Lima.
Santa Rosa was the first saint to be canonised in the Americas and is the heavenly protector of Peru, the police and the armed forces.
Visitors to Lima may see religious processions and celebrations around the Plaza de Armas. The Sanctuary of Santa Rosa de Lima is also an important place of pilgrimage, where visitors leave written wishes and prayers.
The Virgen de Natividad is celebrated in many small towns and rural communities.
In the Cusco region, the celebration in Chinchero is particularly important. The festival includes a mass, a procession of the Virgin and performances by musicians and dancers dressed in colourful traditional clothing.
The celebrations continue with music, dancing and fireworks.
This religious celebration dates back to the 17th century and honours the Virgin of Almudena.
Celebrations take place at the Church of Almudena in Cusco and include a procession, traditional dances, music and regional food.
The Señor de Huanca is an important religious event near Cusco.
Every year, thousands of devotees travel to the sanctuary to receive a blessing and ask for their wishes to be granted. Pilgrims come not only from Peru but also from neighbouring countries.
The event is another fascinating example of the combination of Catholic and Andean traditions that can be seen throughout the region.
Warachikuy is inspired by an ancient initiation ceremony.
Traditionally, young men had to demonstrate their physical strength and abilities through athletic tests and mock battles before earning the right to wear their first wara, or breechcloth.
Today, the event is recreated with traditional dances, athletic displays and celebrations.
The festival of San Jeronimo is celebrated around the parish church in the Cusco area with traditional dances and religious processions.
In communities including Urcos, Combapata and Checacupe, the Virgin of the Rosary is honoured with processions, fairs, traditional food and local celebrations.
One popular dish is pachamanca, a traditional meal cooked underground using hot stones.
Every October, thousands of pilgrims travel to Ayabaca in northern Peru to honour the Señor Cautivo.
The celebration centres around a famous image of Christ and includes religious processions, music and traditional celebrations.
The Señor de Luren festival is one of Ica’s most important religious celebrations.
The image of the crucified Christ of Luren is carried through the city during an overnight procession that continues until the following morning.
The Señor de los Milagros, or Lord of Miracles, is one of Lima’s most important religious celebrations.
October is often known as the Mes Morado, or Purple Month, because many devotees wear purple in honour of the Lord of Miracles.
Huge religious processions take place through the streets of Lima, with thousands of people following the image while praying and singing.
The festival has its origins in the colonial period and reflects the complex mixture of Catholic, African and local traditions that have shaped Lima’s cultural identity.
October is also a great time to try turrón de Doña Pepa, a traditional sweet strongly associated with the celebrations.
The Day of the Creole Song celebrates Peru’s música criolla traditions.
Musicians, singers and composers take part in performances and celebrations, particularly along the Peruvian coast.
The beginning of November is an important time for remembering loved ones who have passed away.
The traditions combine Catholic beliefs with older Andean customs surrounding ancestors and the dead.
On 1 November, families and friends gather together and share traditional foods such as lechon, or roast pork, and tamales.
On 2 November, many families attend mass before visiting cemeteries with flowers and food to symbolically share with deceased relatives. In some communities, candlelit vigils continue through the night.
Traditional breads such as caballitos and t’anta wawa also play an important role in the celebrations.
The small community of Huarocondo in the Sacred Valley celebrates its annual Festival del Lechon, dedicated to roast suckling pig.
Lechon is a popular dish for celebrations and special occasions, and this festival gives visitors the opportunity to experience the food traditions of the region.
Misk’a Raymi is celebrated in the community of Chillca, in the Ollantaytambo area of the Sacred Valley.
The festival celebrates the first corn harvest and includes traditional games, food and drinks such as chicha de jora, mazamorra, cuy, river trout and choclo with cheese.
Christmas in Peru is filled with local traditions, and one of the most heartwarming is the chocolatada.
Families, businesses and organisations bring hot chocolate, sweet bread and gifts to communities during the Christmas season.
Santurantikuy, meaning the “Selling of the Saints”, is one of Cusco’s most interesting Christmas traditions.
Every year on 23 and 24 December, Cusco’s Plaza de Armas and surrounding streets fill with market stalls selling figurines of Baby Jesus and other saints, along with mosses and native grasses for traditional nativity scenes, often reflecting a unique blend of Catholic traditions and Quechua culture.
It is a wonderful time to experience Christmas in Cusco and see how local traditions and Catholic customs come together.
For more information about the festive season, take a look at our guides to Christmas in Peru and New Year’s in Peru.
Peru’s cultural calendar is full of opportunities to experience the country’s traditions, history and communities in a more meaningful way.
Whether you want to witness the spectacular dancers of the Virgen de la Candelaria, take part in the celebrations surrounding Inti Raymi, experience the spiritual atmosphere of Qoyllur Rit’i, or simply discover a local festival while travelling through the Sacred Valley, there is always something happening somewhere in Peru.
Just remember that many of these events follow religious calendars or local traditions, which means dates and schedules can change. If there is a particular celebration you would like to experience, make sure to check the details before booking your trip.
And if you would like help planning your Peru adventure around a special cultural event, contact Apus Peru and let us help you create an unforgettable cultural journey.