Simply enter your details in the enquiry form to start personalising your experience or if you have any questions about booking this tour.
The Qoyllur Rit’i festival is absolutely not to be missed. Join hundreds of Andean pilgrims as they make this important religious pilgrimage to venerate the Lord of Qoyllur Rit’i in this incredible blend of Catholic and Andean faith.
> Read more about this fascinating piece of cultural history!
The Qoyllur Rit’i festival takes place every year at the base of Mt Sinakara in the Ausangate area, just days before Corpus Christi is celebrated in Cusco. To celebrate the Qoyllur Rit’i Festival on this two day trek, we depart on the Sunday, Monday or Tuesday before Corpus Christi (in 2023, this means the 4th, 5th, or 6th of June).
Read more about the fascinating Qoylloriti festival on our Cultural Events page, and join the cultural adventure of a lifetime!
For a more in-depth experience, we also offer a 4-day Qoyllur Rit’i Pilgrimage!
High quality personalized experience
Unique, off-the-beaten track routes
Experienced staff
Verified sustainability practices
$20 of every trek donated to Threads of Peru
We offer you the opportunity to personalize your trek and make your experience more comfortable through our Optional Extras and Upgrades. All options are available during the reservation process; please ask your sales consultant for more information.
We recommend that you bring the following items with you:
For our full packing list for treks in the Andes, see What to Bring.
Our blog How to Prepare for a Trek in Peru will also give you some great tips for how to get ready for your trek, before you even leave home.
Want to join a trek? Ready to confirm a departure date of your own, but interested in having others join you? Then Trekkers Wanted is for you! Our innovative Trekkers Wanted system matches people up who are interested in hiking the same trek, bringing costs down and multiplying the fun for everyone!
Read More about Trekkers Wanted, post your trek or search for confirmed departures!
Leaving Cusco at 5 am, we travel about 3 hours to Mahuayany (via Tinqui, the trailhead for the Ausangate trek) along the Transoceanic highway. The Qoyllur Rit’i Festival awaits! We pass through spectacular landscapes and stop for photos along the way at Urcos, Ccatcca and Ocongate.
We will have an early lunch with other pilgrims at Mahuayany (4600m), which will be bursting at the seams with visitors. Then, we start our hike up to the Sanctuary of Qoylloriti. The Sanctuary is located in a breathtaking spot, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
We slowly hike 3-5h along an uphill trail following the 14 Stations of the Cross, the last one being located at the Sanctuary itself. In the evening, we can attend one of two services at the Sanctuary, at 6 pm or at 8 pm. We will have dinner and camp at the Sanctuary. Note: the Sanctuary is located at a very high altitude, so you should be well-acclimatized!
The morning is spent at the Senor de Qoyllur Rit’i Sanctuary, watching and learning about the activities of the pilgrims as they celebrate the Qoyllur Rit’i Festival. There will be lots of music and dancing! We attend the alacitas market in the morning, where you can buy miniature goods such as trucks, houses, cattle, university titles and anything that your heart desires. The legend says that whatever you purchase and then sacrifice to the Lord will come true thanks to the power of the Lord of Qoyllur Rit’i.
There are various masses for the Pabluchas (Ukukus) and also the Señor de Tayancani. After lunch, we will begin our descent to Mahuayany, where our private transport will be waiting for us. We will arrive back in Cusco late, between 9 and 10pm.
Note: Thursday is Corpus Christi in Cusco. We organise this 2-day Qoylloriti trek so that you will be in Cusco for this event, which is another fascinating cultural experience.
A very dependable and well organized trekking company. I highly recommend Apus Peru and the team in Cusco, especially if you are planning a more challenging trek.