Our Guide to Seeing the Sacred Valley with the Cusco Tourist Ticket 

If you’re in Cusco, Peru and looking for a way to see the highlights of the Sacred Valley, we highly recommend checking out the Cusco Tourist Ticket. The Cusco Tourist Ticket or ‘Boleto Turístico del Cusco’ includes 16 attractions in and around the city for S/.130 soles ($46 USD), which is well worth it considering you would pay around S/. 70 soles ($25 USD) just to see some of the sites individually. 

Each ticket includes 10 ruins, 5 museums, and a theater.  

We didn’t visit every site during our stay. The theater and a couple of the museums were closed, but we were able to visit one of the museums and most of the ruins over a few days. We were impressed by the value of this ticket and really loved all it included. If you’re in Cusco for a few days, the Cusco Tourist Ticket is definitely worth it–especially if you want to see all that the Sacred Valley has to offer.

One nice thing about the various versions of the Cusco Tourist Ticket is that it’s organized by location within the Sacred Valley, so it’s easy to plan out what sites to visit together. 

Here are the attractions included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket throughout the Sacred Valley!

Ruins

Sacsayhuaman

Saqsaywaman was built by the Inca in the 15th century to help defend the city against the Spaniards. The walls are constructed of huge stones, of varying size and shape, that were sanded down to fit together like a perfect jigsaw puzzle, quite remarkable and only a short walk from the city center. 

An adorable alpaca herd appears to live on the complex, as well. They’re used to people, so you can get pretty close to take pictures. Though, we recommend refraining from trying to pet them unless offered by an owner.

The ruins have a lot of open space and are a great place for couples or families to go for a midday picnic! You can just sit back and enjoy the view of the ruins, people, and alpacas!  And when you’re done vendors are lined near the entrance and exit if you feel inclined to purchase souvenirs or handmade goods,. 

Q’enqo

The ruins of Q’enqo have a series of underground tunnels and chambers, which archeologists believe the Inca originally used as a place of worship, religious sacrifice, and embalmification. Along the rock are a series of snake-like channels, which carried blood from animal or human sacrifices to an underground chamber.   

It is also believed to have been used as an observatory to observe the sun, moon, and stars. The centerpiece of the ruins is a 55 meter amphitheater that archaeologists believe was used for public ceremonies.  

About 2 km, northeast of the Plaza de Armas, you can walk there in a little over 30 minutes or take a quick cab.  

Puka Pukara

Puka Pukara means “red fortress” in Quechua and gets its name from its reddish brown stone walls. It was once an Incan military fortress used to help defend the city of Cusco.

In addition to exploring the ruins, you can also find people here selling some food and handmade goods. We grabbed some homemade hot chocolate here before trekking back down to Cusco. 

It’s about a 20-25 minute drive north of Cusco. So you’ll probably want to take a bus or cab.  

Tambomachay

Tambomachay is right next to Puka Pukara. It’s pretty easy to hit them up together. 

One of the most impressive aspects of the ruins are the beautifully preserved aqueducts. Archeologists believe they were used as baths by the Incan elite. And they still work today! 

On our way to see the aqueducts we bought some mint from some local kids for a couple sole, which smelled and tasted great, as well as some really nice alpaca wool scarves. To be honest, we weren’t planning on the scarves, but the guy definitely was a fantastic salesman and had a great helper (a pretty friendly golden retriever). We actually love these scarves and were surprised that they’ve ended up being probably the best scarves we own. That alpaca wool has earned its reputation.

Near the entrance to these ruins, I got to hold and take pictures with some alpacas and a baby lamb. Tony said it was my biggest smile on the trip. Not going to lie, definitely a highlight for me. They were so soft and cute!

Between here and Puka Pukara, we also tried some corn on the cob with homemade cheese for a snack. It was quite different from the corn on the cob we’re used to, but good. The kernels are much bigger, almost bean-like. And the cheese was a nice touch, a little bit of saltiness to go with the sweet corn. 

Note: For Puka Pukara and Tambomachay, we recommend going in the morning or early afternoon. If you go toward evening, there may not be as many cabs going back and forth. So, you may have to hike down… which may or may not have happened to us. 

Pisac

Pisac is a town about an hour northeast of Cusco that is known for its Incan ruins and terraces. Historians believe the ruins were initially a fortress used for ceremonies and agricultural purposes.

These were probably our favorite ruins after Machu Picchu. This alone might’ve been worth touring the Sacred Valley with the Cusco Tourist Attack. The buildings are remarkably intact compared to other sites, and the 40-some terraces apparently come together in the shape of a condor if viewed from above.  

The ruins also sit atop a mountain, approximately 3,000 meters above sea level, offering stunning views of the valley and surrounding countryside. Very few visitors came out here when we were there, but it’s kind surprising that they don’t. We got the place mostly to ourselves besides a couple other families.

There are also thousands of Incan tombs built into the side of the mountain, which still contain mummified remains, unique to Pisac.

After you’re done exploring this gorgeous ancient city, there’s also a market nearby where you can purchase handmade goods or souvenirs, like jewelry, flutes, chullos (transitional wool hats), or alpaca wool scarves.  

Ollantaytambo

The ancient city of Ollantaytambo served as the royal estate for Incan Emperor Pachacuti. It was an agricultural, religious, and military center, including a point of defense against the Spanish during the 16th century. 

One of the most popular attractions at Ollantaytambo is The Temple of the Sun, which is made up of 6 large monoliths. Ollantaytambo is also a starting point for one of the most popular Inca Trail hikes to Machu Picchu.  

Definitely got to drive here! It’s about 1.5 hours from Cusco.  

Moray

Moray is the name given to a set of concentric circular terraces built by the Inca in the 15th century. You can easily visit this when you’re coming from Ollantaytambo.

The terraces create approximately 20 different microclimates, with warmer temperatures at the central lower levels and cooler temperatures further out. Apparently, the temperature can vary up to 15°C between the lowest and highest level.  

Because of this, historians believe Moray was an agricultural research center. The Incans experimented with the effects of altitude and temperature on crops. Moray is about a 1.5 hour drive from Cusco and is often paired with the Maras Salt Mines. Maras Salt Mines aren’t included in the tourist ticket, but when you’re in the Sacred Valley, you might as well visit them since they’re so close by!

Chinchero

Chinchero was the former palace of Incan ruler, Túpac Yupanqui, who ruled over the area in the mid to late 1400s within the Sacred Valley.  Unfortunately, part of the palace was destroyed during the Spanish invasion during the 16th century. Luckily some ruins and agricultural terraces remain. 

After the Spaniards conquered the area, they built the Church of Our Lady of Monserrat over the former Incan palace. The church was built in a baroque style with a gold altar and religious paintings from the period. 

There is also a small market in the square surrounding the church, where you can purchase handmade goods, traditional clothing, or other souvenirs. Chinchero is about a 1 hour drive northwest of Cusco. 

Tipón

The Tipón Archeological Park is about 1 square mile. It was once an Incan citadel focused on water. It’s one of the largest preserved Incan irrigation networks, with 13 Terraces, and aqueducts and fountains that still work today. Because of this, it has been referred to as a “marvel of civil engineering. Like Moray, historians think Tipón may have been an agricultural research center. 

On the upper part of the complex is also part of the Inca Trail. While many people may be familiar with the Inca Trail as a hiking trail to Machu Picchu, what you may not know is that it was actually part of an extensive road network built by the Inca. Tipón offers a lot to explore and is a worthwhile stop in the Sacred Valley with the Cusco Tourist Ticket, especially if you’d like to add in some short, scenic hikes. 

Tipon is about a 30-60 minute drive east of Cusco.  

Piquillacta

This might’ve been one of the most unique sites we got to see in the Sacred Valley with the Cusco Tourist Ticket. Piquillacta Archeological Complex are city ruins that predate the Inca. The city was inhabited by the Wari people around the 6th – 9th century.  

You’ll notice stark differences between Piquillacta and Incan cities. While the Inca are known for their perfectly carved stone structures, the Wari city is constructed from uneven stones and mud. That said, it was still an impressive city for its time. Archeologists have found evidence for over 700 buildings, some with 2 or 3 floors, and believe the walls of the city were up to 12 meters high.

It’s approximately a 1 hour drive from Cusco. 

Museums

Unfortunately, we were only able to visit the Regional History Museum during our stay, but here’s a bit of information on each to help you plan your visit. But when you’re done seeing the ruins throughout the Sacred Valley, your Cusco Tourist Ticket will get you into some other cool places.

Monumento al Inca Pachacutec

This is a monument dedicated to Pachacutec, an Inca ruler during the 15th century who expanded the Inca empire, built an impressive network of roads covering over 30,000 km, and built some of the most important temples and citadels that we still visit today, including: Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu.  

It’s about a 25 minute walk or a 10 minute drive south of the Plaza de Armas. 

Museo de Sitio de Qorikancha

El Museo de Sitio de Qorikancha or Qorikancha Site Museum is a small museum just a 7 minute walk southeast of the Plaza de Armas under the Santo Domingo Convent. The museum covers the history of the area, from pre-Incan civilization through the colonial era, and has some Incan artifacts, including pottery, metals, textiles, and musical instruments.  

Museo de Arte Popular

The Museo de Arte Popular or ‘Popular Art Museum’ is just a 2 minute walk south of the Plaza de Armas and features ceramics, paintings, photographs, sculptures, and textiles by local artisans. Interestingly, most of the work displayed in this museum was acquired from vendors during the annual Santurantikuy Christmas fair.   

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo

El Museo de Arte Contemporáneo or “The Contemporary Art Museum’ is located just a 3-minute walk west of the Plaza de Armas in the Municipal Palace. It was founded in 1995 by the Mayor of Cusco, Daniel Estrada Perez, and a generous donation of 100 pieces by a local art collector, Dr Luis Rivera Dávalos. Today it has almost 300 pieces by both local and international artists. 

Museo Histórico Regional

At the Regional History Museum, you learn about South American Independence, see religious and cultural artifacts from pre-Incan to colonial times, and learn about the first Peruvian writer published in Spain. It was okay, but if you’re pressed for time, we would definitely recommend focusing on the ruins. 

Theater

Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo

El Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo or “The Qosqo Center of Native Art” is a small theater that provides daily native Peruvian music and dance performances. It also has a small museum, which displays traditional clothing and musical instruments. Admission to a performance is free with the Cusco Tourist Ticket. 

Final Tips

• For more information, here is the Cusco Tourist Ticket website and visiting the Sacred Valley: https://cosituc.gob.pe/.
• Getting to the sites outside of Cusco is made much easier if you hire a cab for the day. We spent a total of two day trips exploring the ruins outside of Cusco using TaxiDatum’s Taxi Tour services. We did both the Southern Sacred Valley tour and the Full Day Sacred Valley Tour. That covered just about everything we wanted to see outside of Cusco.
• With the full ticket, you have a total of ten days to visit all the attractions. So you don’t have to pack everything into one single day.
• While you’re visiting the Sacred Valley, be sure to check out the Maras salt mines (below). They’re worth a stop and pretty cool!