Travel through Cusco’s Inca heart on this guided city and ruins tour. Visit Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun, then explore the great sites just outside the city: Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Pucapucara, and Tambomachay, discovering the architectural genius of the Incas in the Andes.
Suitable for all ages.
Entrance fees are not included, and there are two to budget for. Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Pucapucara and Tambomachay are covered by the Cusco Tourist Ticket (Circuit I partial, S/ 70 for foreign visitors, around USD 19); there is no individual ticket for these sites. Qorikancha is charged separately at about S/ 15. Bring cash in soles, as card payment is not reliable at the gates.
It depends on the rest of your trip. The integral ticket costs S/ 130 (around USD 35), is valid for ten days and covers sixteen sites across three circuits, including Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray in the Sacred Valley. If you are also doing a Sacred Valley day, the integral works out cheaper than two partial tickets. If this city tour is your only archaeological outing, the partial is enough.
It is one of the better ones. Cusco sits at 3,399 m and the tour is mostly short walks between sites, with a car covering the distances. That said, Sacsayhuaman involves uphill walking on uneven stone, so take it slowly. Choosing the afternoon departure lets you rest during the morning, which is what we would recommend if you flew in that same day.
The morning run leaves at 09:00 and returns at 14:00, leaving your afternoon free. The afternoon run leaves at 13:00 and returns at 18:30, and the low light on the stonework at Sacsayhuaman late in the day is noticeably better for photographs. Both cover exactly the same sites.
No. The tour runs about five hours, so it falls between meals either way: have a proper breakfast before the morning departure or lunch before the afternoon one. Bring water and a snack. Transport, hotel pickup and a bilingual guide are included; meals, drinks and entrance fees are not.
