Peru is a fantastic country full of biodiversity, various landscapes, and wonderful people. It’s gaining huge popularity amongst tourists, especially in the city of Cusco. This is undoubtedly due to the New Wonder of the World – Machu Picchu. However, that’s not all it has to offer. The city is full of other incredible Inca archaeological sites as well as those from other cultures.
There are museums galore and plenty of hikes around the city as well. With so much to see and do, it can be hard to plan your trip and know where exactly to go. Add to that the costs of all the different attractions, and it can amount to a lot of cash. Well, in comes the tourist ticket, or boleto turístico Cusco.
What is the Boleto Turístico Cusco?
The tourist ticket or Boleto Turístico Cusco is a single ticket that gives you entrance to a lot of sites around the city. Individually they all cost the same amount, but if you buy the tourist ticket, you get to visit them all for the price of one over a specified number of days.
How much does it cost?
There are four options for the tourist ticket.
Option 1: Full Circuit – 130 soles, valid for 10 days
This option includes ALL the sites that are included in the different variations of the ticket. These are:
Cusco Ruins – Saqsayhuamán, Q’enqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay, Cusco Museums + Monuments – Contemporary Art Museum, Museo Historical Regional, Monumento Pachacuteq, Tipon, Museo de Qoricancha, Museo de Arte Popular, Centro Quosqo de Arte Nativo. Pikillaqta, Sacred Valley Ruins – Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Moray.
Option 2: Circuit 1 – 70 soles, valid for 1 day
This option includes the four sites that are on the outskirts of the city of Cusco; Saqsayhuamán, Q’enqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay. It’s easy to visit these in one day and many tourists opt to do a ‘City Tour’ to see them all on one of their first few days in Cusco.
Option 3: Circuit 2 – 70 soles, valid for 2 days
The second ticket for 70 soles includes all the museums and monuments; Contemporary Art Museum, Museo Historical Regional, Monumento Pachacuteq, Tipon, Museo de Qoricancha, Museo de Arte Popular, Centro Quosqo de Arte Nativo, and Pikillaqta. This is the least purchased option.
Option 4: Circuit 3 – 70 soles, valid for 2 days
This is another very popular option as it includes all the important sites in the Sacred Valley of the Incas; Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, and Moray. It can be difficult, however, to get to them all in 2 days unless you opt for a Sacred Valley tour.
How and where do you buy the ticket?
It’s really very easy to get your hands on a boleto turístico Cusco. The simplest way is to purchase one upon entry to the first attraction you visit. You get to choose between the two options and buy it there and then on the spot, no previous planning required.
However, if you prefer to have everything organized in advance, you can also head to the COSITUC office on Avenida El Sol 103 in Cusco. The opening hours are Mon – Fri 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and before 2 p.m. on Saturdays. You must take your passport with you to buy the ticket. You might not need it but if they ask, you need to have it to hand.
What are the Benefits of Buying a Tourist Ticket?
In reality, there are a plethora of reasons to buy a boleto turístico Cusco when visiting Cusco. Let’s take a look at some in more detail.
- Save money – if you plan to visit more than one of the sites included in the ticket, you’ll see it’s hugely beneficial financially. Say you visit 4, you’ll pay 70 soles overall instead of 70 soles each, which adds up to a whopping 280 soles.
- Little planning – once you’ve bought the ticket, that’s it. You don’t need to worry about buying entranced for each of the sites and you can easily plan your vacation around the attractions included.
- Includes great options – There’s no doubt that, if you’re in the city, you’re going to want to visit a large number of the sites included, so why not pay for them all at once?
Sites Included in the Tourist Ticket
Now you know more about what the boleto turístico Cusco consists of, we’ll give you a brief description of each of the sites included so you can pick and choose to put together the perfect itinerary for you and your fellow travelers.
Saqsayhuamán
Of the sites on the circuit 1 ticket, this is definitely the biggest and most impressive to visit. At Sacsayhuaman, you’ll find huge stones that were the foundation of many Inca buildings in the region. Some of them weigh between 100-200 tons and really pose the question as to how they got there in the first place. In addition to enjoying the fantastic site, you get an excellent birds-eye view over the entire city of Cusco.
Opening times: 7:00 – 17:30 Mon – Sun
Q’enqo
Q’enqo archaeological site is just up the road from Sacsayhuaman. It’s a small park but still impressive. It’s still in great condition and the focal point here is the sacrificial table. You also get to explore inside small caves.
Opening times: 7:00 – 17:30 Mon – Sun
Puka Pukara
The name of this site means ‘Red Fortress’ in Quechua, which leads many people to believe that it was some sort of military fortress. It’s one of the smaller sites, but you get a wonderful view from the entrance of the ruins with the mountains and rolling hills in the background.
Opening times: 7:00 – 17:30 Mon – Sun
Tambomachay
This is an enjoyable small archaeological site with many water canals to observe as well as small hikes around it in different directions. It’s interesting to see, although it’s still not really known what it was used for. Many speculate it was some kind of spa for the slite due to the canals and closeness to Puka Pukara.
Opening times: 7:00 – 17:30 Mon – Sun
Contemporary Art Museum
Most of the art here is based on the second floor. It’s a small museum but has some interesting pieces. The building itself is interesting and has a pretty little courtyard in the middle.
Opening times: 9:00 – 18:00 Mon – Sat (Closed Sunday)
Museo Historical Regional
As you can imagine from the name, the museum focuses on all the history from the region. You’ll find all sorts of information including prehistoric animals, the Inca empire, and pieces about the Spanish conquest. It’s very interesting and provides a wealth of knowledge.
Opening times: 8:00 – 17:00 Mon – Sun
Monumento Pachacuteq
This is a small museum and lookout at the bottom of Avenida el Sol. There are a few interesting pieces in your way up and you get a decent view at the top and can see planes taking off on the runway.
Opening times: Currently closed
Tipon
This is one of the bigger archaeological parks and it’s so easy to spend an entire day here. There are plenty of terraces to observe as well as many Inca canals that carried water. It’s possibly the best site for seeing how their waterways worked. There are also lots of little spots dotted around on the sides that you can hike up to.
Opening times: 7:00 – 18:00 Mon – Sun
Museo de Qoricancha
This museum is located beneath the grassy area out the front of Qorcsncha and the Santo Domingo Convent in Avenida el Sol. However, It doesn’t include entrance to those parts. It does include some interesting artefacts and mummies, though, and you get to walk the green grass area afterward.
Opening times: 9:00 – 18:00 Mon – Sun
Museo de Arte Popular
This is a small, basic art museum but has some intriguing clay and painted pieces on display, including masks and religious displays. Look out for Jesus eating guinea pig with his disciples! They’re also not drinking wine, but chicha, a fermented corn drink that’s been drunk since Inca times.
Opening times: 8:00 – 18:00 Mon – Sat (Closed Sunday)
Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo
Every night there’s a show here that shows traditional dances from the region. It’s an excellent experience to witness local customs and learn about the different dances.
Opening times: 18:30 – 20:00 Mon – Sun
Pikillaqta
This is a very unique archaeological park in Cusco as it was built by the Wari culture that predates the Incas. They had a big influence on the Incas and this site is huge. You’ll be able to see how it differs from the Inca structures and also enjoy it in peace and quiet as it’s rarely visited.
Opening times: 8:30– 16:30 Mon – Sun
Pisac
This is a really popular spot for tourists in Cusco. It’s the first site on the Sacred Valley tour and boasts some wonderful Inca architecture. You’ll also spot some tombs in the side of a hill and enjoy a spectacular view over the valley below.
Opening times: 8:00 – 16:30 Mon – Sun
Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo ruins are in pretty good condition and look rather grand overlooking the little plaza below. There are some fantastic terraces and other spots to check out. It’s one of the more attractive locations due to the surrounding hills and how it sits on a steep slope.
Opening times: 7:00 – 17:00 Mon – Sun
Chinchero
This site may have been home to the important Inca conqueror Tupac Inca Yupanqui. It’s thought that he died here at the grand age of 85. After the Spanish invasion they built a church on top, which is now the main focal point of the park. You’ll see other ruins on the boundaries.
Opening times: 7:00 – 18:00 Mon – Sun
Moray
This is a very unique archeological park. Moray is made up of three large terraces in a circular structure that are often thought to have been a sort of agricultural laboratory. It almost looks like something extraterrestrial.
Opening times: 7:00 – 17:00 Mon – Sun
How to Get to the Sites on the Boleto Turístico Cusco
There are a few ways you can make your way to the sites included. The first would be by walking to the ones in and around the city. The museums are all in Cusco and you can walk to Saqsayhuaman and Q’enqo easily.
There’s a city tour that includes all the sites in the circuit 1 ticket and takes half a day. All the ones in circuit 3 are included in the Sacred Valley all day tour.
Alternatively you can make your own way to each by taking a private taxi or looking into bus/mini van services from the city. They’re all easy to get to and you’ll find plenty of locals willing to help you
Things to Keep in Mind
To make sure your trip goes as planned and without any hiccups, make sure you consider the following:
- DON’T lose the ticket. There are NO replacements, so keep it in a safe place, or you’ll have to buy another.
- If you’re traveling on a budget, we recommend purchasing one of the partial tickets, however, you need to plan your time well so that you make sure you get to them all in the time period given.
- Your tour company won’t include the ticket price in their tours, so be prepared to pay extra for it.
- The following sites ARE NOT included in the tourist ticket:
- Cusco Cathedral
- Santo Domingo Convent
- Various museums including the Mueso del Inka
Written by: Liv Palmer
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