Ayacucho Tourist Guide – Carnival & Semana Santa

I spent half a year in Ayacucho doing an internship for my university. That’s how I got to know this wonderful city. I want to share with you my favorite places, restaurants and hotels. There are also some important events that you should plan your trip to Peru around. Learn all about it in this Ayacucho Tourist Guide. If you want to visit Peru here’s a complete itinerary for the country. If you’d rather watch the Ayacucho Tourist Guide in video, here it is: https://youtu.be/GdoCNJ1TG90.

Attractions within the city

The city center

From the Plaza Mayor we explore the center of the city. The first attraction is the Cathedral. Stay at Hotel ViaVia on the main square to enjoy a beautiful view with breakfast, lunch (menu) or dinner. You can have a delicious ice cream. There is live Ayacuchan music every Thursday night and if you are lucky there’s a Pisco Sour workshop going on.

Jirón 28 de Julio is a shopping street that starts on the main square and ends with the beautiful Arc de Triomphe. You can buy a CD or DVD with the beautiful Ayacuchan music at the Dolly JR Discotienda, you find it in front of the National Bank. What stands out are the huaynos and carnival songs.

Handmade souvenirs

In Jirón 9 de Diciembre we pass by the Parque de las Aguas with the basilic Temple of Santo Domingo. If you continue in the same direction you end up in the artisan market in the María Parado de Bellido park. The authentic work of artisans is widely recognized. The craftsmanship of Ayacucho stands out in the world with its famous “Ayacucho retablos” (altarpieces). You also find crosses of Christ, lambswool fabrics, carpets, sculptures and jewelry.

In Plaza Santa Ana you will find the Huamanga Stone Sculpture Workshop. There you can buy a nice souvenir for your friends or family. And you can visit the Temple and Monastery of Santa Teresa nearby. Believe me, it’s worth it.

Viewpoints

There are different viewpoints over the city from where you can appreciate the main square, the churches, the airport and the Obelisk of the Pampa de Quinua. The Acuchimay viewpoint, for example, is the one closest to the city center. It is located in the Carmen Alto district.

Another viewpoint is La Picota, that is much further away, although the view is amazing. There you can find adventure sports such as motocross or the extreme swing. On the way to La Picota viewpoint, is the Las Chozas viewpoint. The view is also great. You go here in a group with some drinks and enjoy the moment there with music. Seeing the whole city at night is very rewarding. With all those lights, it’s as if the stars fell on the ground.

Dark history

I did the Recorrido de la Memoria (memory walk) with Centro Loyola. Ayacucho is where the Shining Path terrorism shaped the history of Peru in the 1980s. The tour includes a visit to the Memory Museum that graphically shows the massacres that occurred. You also pass significant places and monuments.

Regional delicacies

Ayacucho has some amazing regional food. You must try Puca Picante, the most typical dish in the city. Delicious Bubble waffles in Nugga, the best pizza at Magia Negra and a fried trout or a guinea pig in the mountains. During the weekend they sell muyuchi on the main square, an ice cream made of peanuts and milk. With your breakfast you’ll probably be served the famous Ayacuchan chapla bread.

Attractions around the city

Vilcashuamán

Vilcashuamán was one of the most important Inca settlements of Peru. It is known as a mini-Cusco. Around the central square are large ruins where the Spanish built the church of San Juan Bautista in the late 16th century. In addition, there are the Ushnopi pyramid, the temple of the sun, the temple of the moon, important houses and terraces. When you go on an excursion to Vilcashuaman, you will pass by the archaeological complex of Intihuatana. Intihuatana is one of the most visited places in Ayacucho. According to some archaeologists, this site was a resting place for the Inca elite. Here you can visit the remains of a palace with some baths, an artificial lake and a tower. Along the road you’ll stop to see the Raimondi Puyas that can reach 12 meters in height and can live for more than 100 years. It is considered an endangered species. Here’s the Day Trip I went on.

Quinua

Quinua, is a typical, quiet and charming Andean city, known for its ceramics. The stone on which the act of Spanish surrender is signed is now a memorial in the great market. There is also a museum about the battle for independence. Quinua is the base for an excursion to the Historical Sanctuary of the Pampa de Quinua and the ruins of Wari. You will find ruins of what was the capital of the Wari and one of the largest urban centers of ancient Peru. In the local museum you can see all the objects found there, including ceramics. Here’s a day trip to Quinua.

Discover a breathtaking view while enjoying delicious meals and cocktails at QuinuaQ, just a few minutes from the main square of Quinua. They offer Peruvian food and Ayacucho specialties with international influences. Enjoy the climbing trails, the gnome village or a mountain bike tour. They also have guides available to explore Ayacucho and the region. They are all young people from the region and in this way you can support them. You can stay here in the beautiful Las Casitas.

Montefino Farm and the Jovem project

The Montefino farm is an Ayacuchan company dedicated to agrotourism. It is located one hour from the city on the road to Vilcashuamán. It produces milk, 8 types of cheese, yogurt, honey, and other organic products. Vegetables, strawberries and roses are produced in a greenhouse at more than 3.800 meters above sea level., which is very unique! Spend an unforgettable day in the field and visit the young people taught on the farm. The Jovem Project teaches them how to work on the farm and support their families, instead of moving to the city.

7 Cañones

About 30 minutes from the city is one of the most beautiful natural attractions: the 7 Cañones. There we rappelled and discovered the canyons. This excursion was organized by Esmeralda Tours. They have adventurous excursions like the natural pools of Millpu four hours away from the city. There are 20 natural pools with turquoise waters. The best season to visit them is from May to September. An excursion to the Pachapupum Volcano is also worthwhile. Some breathtaking landscapes!

Huaraca Stone Forest

Also visit the Huaraca Stone Forest with the Ñañapuqio hot springs on the way. It is located approximately between 4.000 and 4.500 meters above sea level. There you can see different huge stones, which were sculpted by Mother Nature. They have spectacular figures and forms.

Unforgettable events

Carnival

My Ayacucho Tourist Guide would not be complete without these amazing events. The Ayacuchan Carnival is National Cultural Heritage. More than 500 people pass through the streets for 3 days. They show off the romantic, humorous songs, their graceful dances and colorful regional clothing. It is the best Carnival in Peru, I have no doubt about that. I was lucky to take part in it and it was an unforgettable experience!

During the entire month leading up to Carnival, there are a lot of events! Try attending a traditional Yunza, where people dance around a tree and try to cut it down one by one. The one making the tree fall loses and must organize next year’s Yunza. The presents that were up in the tree are then up for grabs. Very strange to see people running towards a falling tree.

There are also a lot of competitions going on and me and my friends took part in one. We did not know what we signed up for. We had to dance and run in traditional clothing in front of hundreds of people. It was so funny because we had no idea what we were doing. Safe to say we didn’t win, but we made people laugh though.

Semana Santa

Holy Week in Ayacucho is the most famous religious festival in Peru. It is the second biggest Easter celebration in the world. It begins on the Friday before Palm Sunday, a day when the so-called Virgen Dolorosa is taken out in procession. The celebration continues on Palm Sunday, beginning with the blessing of palms and flowers that children throw on the path that Christ travels riding a donkey. All the Ayacuchan people participate. Every year it brings together thousands of tourists who come from all over Peru and abroad.

All week there are multiple processions and religious demonstrations, accompanied by folk dances. The procession walks over beautiful drawings on the street made of natural products and by different organizations of the city. From Thursday to Saturday there are festivals and fun parties. On the last day, Easter Sunday, the Aurora procession starts before sunrise with the beautiful tour of the Lord of the Resurrection around the main square. It is an unforgettable event, because so many people come together to carry the Lord who weighs a ton. Some people jokingly say that the weight one carries depends on the number of sins that one commits.

I hope I have convinced you to visit this beautiful city and you liked this Ayacucho Tourist Guide. I hope to travel Northern Peru next year, until then I’m enjoying the memories of this trip. Here is the Ayacucho Tourist Guide in video: https://youtu.be/GdoCNJ1TG90. If you want to visit Peru here’s a complete itinerary for the country.