Is The Cusco Tourist Ticket Worth It?

James Bustamante( Travel Writer )

James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.

www.journeymachupicchu.com

Last Updated on March 17, 2021 by James Bustamante

The easy answer is yes, The Cusco tourist ticket is worth it as long as you don’t plan on taking organized trips with a travel agency or tour operator. 

If you plan on taking some kind of organized day hike like the Sacred Valley tour then it probably is still worth it because it still gives you the option of visiting a few sites on your own.

If your plan is to only have organized tours then it is probably a really good investment since those already include permits along with transportation, guides, and in some cases even meals.

This sort of question usually comes from the younger crowd that is looking to save a few bucks over the course of the trip. Below we have some good information on the Cusco tourist ticket along with pricing, what each version includes, and the validity of each one. 

The Cusco Tourist Ticket Introduction

The Cusco tourist ticket lets you get into some of the more attractive and popular archaeological parks and museums in and around the city. You can look at this permit as a universal pass that allows you to enter several destinations, however, the permit does not include guides for example.

So, you can enter Ollantaytambo (for example) but it does not include the guide around the ruins. The Cusco tourist ticket does not include entering the Inca citadel or the Machu Picchu hike. 

The Cusco Tourist Ticket has 4 different options you can choose from: 

• Full Cusco Tourist Ticket
• Partial Tourist Ticket – Circuit #1
• Partial Tourist Ticket – Circuit #2
• Partial Tourist Ticket – Circuit #3

The Full Cusco Tourist Ticket

This form of the Cusco ticket is the most complete one and allows you to enter the 16 most popular temples, archaeological sites, and museums in and around Cusco. This first version of the Cusco pass definitely gives you the most bang for your buck.

You can visit places in Cusco all the way in the Sacred Valley and back, the only added cost would be the guided tours you’ll want to take. 

First up, the cost of the ticket is $40/person and it has a longevity of 10 days. If you are a university student that the cost is $21/person, this is also true if you are a minor. You can literally visit all 16 destinations on your own during the course of a week if you manage your time correctly.  

List of Archaeological Sites, Museums, and Temples You can visit with the Full Ticket:

• The Sacsayhuaman Ruins
• The Qenqo Ruins
• Puca Pucara
• The Tambomachay Archaeological Site
• The Museum of Contemporary Art
• The Regional Historical Museum
• The Popular Art Museum.
• The Qoricancha Site Museum
• Qosqo Native Art Center
• Monument to the Inca Pachacuteq
• Pikillaqta
• Tipón
• Pisac
• Ollantaytambo
• Chinchero
• The Moray Ruins

The Partial Cusco Tourist Ticket – Circuit #1

This first partial version of the Cusco tourist ticket includes four of the more popular locations on the previous list. One of these places would be the Sacsayhuaman ruins which are a “must-see” location while in Cusco.

You will also get to visit the Qenqo ruins which are also one of the more mysterious archeological sites.  The price for the partial ticket for the first circuit of destinations is $21/person.

The fee is set and there are no discounts for foreign minors or university students. The ticket is only valid for one day so make sure to visit all the destinations in the list below. 

List of Sites, Museums, and Temples You can visit with the Partial  Ticket, Circuit #1:

• Sacsayhuaman
• Qenqo
• Puca Pucara
• Tambomachay

The Partial Cusco Tourist Ticket – Circuit #2

Circuit #2 Cusco tickets include mostly museums and destinations in the south valley. This second circuit is mostly directed towards the crowd that is specifically interested in mostly Art museums and some Inca ruins visits.

The cost of the second circuit Cusco ticket is $21/person and there are no discounts for minors or for university students. The ticket has a validity of 2 days so take advantage and try to visit as many of the destinations we have listed below.

List of Sites, Museums, and Temples You can visit with the Partial  Ticket, Circuit #2:

• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Regional Historical Museum
• Popular Art Museum
• Qoricancha Site Museum
• Qosqo Native Art Center
• Monument to the Inca Pachacuteq
• Pikillaqta
• The Tipón Ruins

The Partial Cusco Tourist Ticket – Circuit #3 

Lastly, we have the third circuit version of the Cusco tourist ticket. This circuit will mostly focus on destinations within the Sacred Valley of the Inca. We can find places with impressive Inca temples and other types of constructions.

The ticket has a cost of $21/person and there are no discounts when it comes to minors or university students. This ticket also has a validity of two days which should be ample time to visit the four destinations below. 

The Sacred Valley of the Incas was the backbone of the Inca empire and houses some of the most important Inca constructions, which remained of the amazing civilization, in towns such as Pisac or Ollantaytambo.

List of Sites, Museums, and Temples You can visit with the Partial  Ticket, Circuit #2:

• Pisac
• The Ollantaytambo Ruins
• Chinchero
• The Moray Ruins

Details About The Cusco Tourist Ticket

As I mentioned earlier in this article the Cusco tourist ticket does not include an entrance into Machu Picchu in any of its forms. Remember that the Machu Picchu permit can be purchased directly through the Machu Picchu government website. 

The Cusco tourist pass does not include guided tours in any of the destinations either so if you are looking for a guide you will need to hire one separately once you arrive at each destination. This brings me to the next and very important point, transportation.

The ticket does not include transportation to any of the sites, this might not matter if you plan on visiting museums near the Cusco main square but if you want to go to the Sacred Valley then you will have to hire transportation separately.

There is also public transportation that you can take though and some sites are around an hour away if you walk.

The validity of the tourist ticket starts the minute you buy it so make sure to purchase it right before you start your trip or get the universal ticket that is valid for 10 days. The last piece of information is that the tickets can only be used once per location.

If you were fond of a certain set of ruins and want to go back to visit another day then you will have to purchase another ticket that includes that destination. 

Buying The Cusco Tourist Ticket

If you would like to personally purchase a Cusco tourist ticket then there are two places where you can do so. 

The first is the main office COSITUC located at Avenida Sol No. 103 (Monday to Friday 8 am to 5:30 pm and Saturday from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm).

The second is the OFEC branch office located in Calle Garcilaso s / n (Monday to Saturday 8 am to 5 pm and Sunday 8 am to 8 pm).

Conclusion

The Cusco tourist ticket is a good investment by most travelers since it gives you the option of visiting various destinations on your own. This changes a bit if you only plan on being in a tour group with already organized hikes.

The maximum price is $40 though so it is definitely affordable to almost anyone and can be rather convenient to just have. If you want more information on Peru travel, Machu Picchu tours, or anything else that is Peru-related please contact one of our travel advisers today!

Frequently Asked Questions About The Cusco Tourist Ticket