Cusco Tourist Ticket: How it works and what sites it lets you visit

The Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTC) is the essential official pass for those planning their vacations in Cusco. This document allows access to a wide variety of archaeological sites and museums located both in the historic center of the city and its surroundings, combining the entry to the most important treasures of the region into a single ticket.

Regarding how it works, there are two main types of entries designed: the full entry and the partial entry. The full ticket is the preferred option for those who want to do many hikes in Cusco and explore the Sacred Valley deeply for 10 days, while the partial entries are focused on specific circuits for shorter visits of one or two days.

It is essential to understand that the sites and museums included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTC) vary according to the type of ticket bought. While the full pass gives total access to the 16 main attractions (such as Sacsayhuaman, Písac and Moray), the partial entries are limited to specific geographic groups, so picking the right version is key to improving your experience and travel budget.

What is the use of the Cusco Tourist Ticket?

The Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTC) is a convenient and affordable option for those wanting to discover the local wonders of Cusco. It not only grants admission to various attractions but also simplifies trip planning. Here are some of its advantages:

• Gain access to impressive archaeological sites and historical monuments, allowing you to explore the architectural structures surrounding Cusco.
• Visit must-see museums and cultural centers, where you can learn firsthand about Andean art, history, and traditions in spaces such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Regional Historical Museum and the Museum of Popular Art.
• Optimize your budget and time, as a single purchase provides access to multiple tourist destinations at a lower price than buying individual tickets.
  
  

What attractions are included?

The sites accessible with the Cusco Tourist Ticket depend on the chosen ticket type. The General Ticket provides access to 16 tourist attractions, while the Partial Ticket is divided into three circuits, each with specific routes and destinations. Below we will tell you about the different attractions included in each type of ticket:

Types of Cusco Tourist Tickets

The Cusco Tourist Ticket comes in two main options, designed to adapt to the different needs of visitors: the Comprehensive Tourist Ticket and the Partial Tourist Ticket. We explain each option below:

Full Tourist Ticket

This is the most complete pass for those who want a full experience during their vacations in Cusco. The Complete Tourist Ticket gives access to the 16 main points of interest in the region, combining the attractions of circuits 1, 2, and 3 into a single document. It is the most efficient and cheapest option for travelers who plan to explore the city of Cusco as well as the Sacred Valley and the South Valley.

Once bought, the ticket is valid for 10 consecutive days, which allows you to organize visits with flexibility and without rushing. Among the most important sites included are:

• Archaeological Parks: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Chinchero, and Moray.

• South Valley: Tipon and Pikillacta.

• Museums and Cultural Centers: Popular Art Museum, Qorikancha Site Museum, Regional Historical Museum, Contemporary Art Museum, Monument to the Inca Pachacutec, and the Qosqo Center of Native Art (where folk dance performances are held).

This pass is especially recommended for independent travelers who have enough time to travel through the Peruvian highlands at their own pace. By covering all main destinations, it avoids the need to buy individual tickets, making transport logistics and access to each archaeological site easier.

Partial Tourist Ticket

For travelers who have less time or want to see certain things, COSITUC offers the Partial Tourist Ticket. This ticket is split into three different circuits, each with its own set of tourist spots. Here are the three circuits you can get with this partial ticket:

Partial Ticket Circuit 1: Cusco Archaeological Sites

This pass is designed specifically for the attractions located near the city of Cusco. It is the ticket that allows you to do the closest archaeological tour without needing to travel to the valleys. Once bought, it is valid for only one day, so you must plan the visit to the four places included on the same day.

The sites that this circuit includes are:

• Sacsayhuaman: The most impressive site of the group, famous for its giant stone walls that represent one of the biggest mysteries of Inca engineering.
• Qenqo: A rock labyrinth with underground chambers dedicated to religious rituals.
• Puca Pucara: A military building that offers strategic views of the valley.
• Tambomachay: A site dedicated to water worship with liturgical fountains that still work.

2. Partial Ticket Circuit 2: Museums and South Valley

This pass is the ideal option for travelers who want to learn more about the history of Cusco beyond the usual tours. The ticket allows entry to both the most important museums in the historic center and the impressive archaeological sites of the South Valley. This area is less busy but has some of the most fascinating ancient buildings in southern Peru.

This ticket is valid for 2 days and allows access to 8 key tourist spots, including:

• Tipon: Considered a masterpiece of Inca water engineering, where you can see water channels and fountains that flow perfectly even today.
• Pikillacta: The only large pre-Inca archaeological site in the region, belonging to the Wari culture, which shows amazing city planning.
• Museums and Cultural Centers: Includes the Regional Historical Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Popular Art, the Qorikancha Site Museum, the Monument to the Inca Pachacútec and the Qosqo Center of Native Art.

3. Partial Ticket Circuit 3: Old Sites of the Sacred Valley

This pass is essential for those who want to explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas, one of the most fertile and strategic regions of the old empire. The circuit covers the most important archaeological and urban centers in the area, allowing you to understand the advanced agricultural and administrative organization of the Incas.

The ticket is valid for 2 days, which is enough time to visit the four included sites without rushing:

• Pisac: Famous for its impressive agricultural terraces and its old cemetery located on the mountain slope.
• Ollantaytambo: Known as the "Living Inca City", it is a military, religious, and agricultural complex that served as a control for access to Machu Picchu.
• Chinchero: A picturesque town that combines Inca walls with a colonial church and a traditional textile center.
• Moray: The circular agricultural laboratory that shows the ability of the Incas to adapt to different microclimates.

Where to Buy the Cusco Tourist Ticket?

You can buy the Cusco Tourist Ticket directly when you get a tour in the city of Cusco or also at the main old sites and tourist spots run by COSITUC.

Note: Keep in mind that this ticket cannot be bought or booked online.
Also, you should know that this ticket has no limit on how many are sold, so you can buy it on the same day as your visit without any problems. Here are the official places to buy it in the city of Cusco:

• COSITUC Main Office
  Address: Galerías Turísticas, Av. El Sol 103, Office 101
  Hours: Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• OFEC Branch Offices
  Address: Calle Garcilaso s/n, Cusco – Peru
  Hours: Monday to Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

What is the cost of the Cusco Tourist Ticket?

The cost of the BTC also varies depending on the ticket type and whether you are a foreign or Peruvian citizen. However, in general, the full ticket for foreign visitors is more expensive than the partial ticket and the full ticket for Peruvian citizens.

It's important to note that the BTG is not valid for entrance to Machu Picchu. To visit Machu Picchu, you'll need to purchase a separate ticket.

The price of the Cusco Tourist Ticket changes based on the type of visitor (local or foreign) and the type of ticket chosen (full or part). Here are the prices for the Tourist Tickets:

Ticket for Foreign Tourists

Ticket for Peruvians

Ticket Names

• Integral Ticket (BTCI - BIN)
• Student Ticket (BEE - BEN)
• Partial Ticket I (BTCPI - BTCPS)
• Partial Ticket II (BTCPII - BTCPC)
• Partial Ticket III (BTCPIII - BTCPV)
  
  

Discounts available

• University students over 18 years old: They can get a discount by showing their physical ISIC card along with a copy of their ID or passport.
• Teens from 10 to 17 years old: They must show a valid ID or passport to get the discounted price.
• Children under 9 years old: They get in completely free.

Recommendations When Buying Your Tourist Ticket

• Check the valid days of the ticket once you have it, as it changes depending on the type of ticket you buy.
• The ticket only lets you enter each tourist site once, so you can't visit again with the same ticket.
• This ticket does not include guide or transportation services.

Is the "boleto turistico" - the tourist ticket for entrance to Cusco and the Sacred Valley worth it?

If you are in Cusco, you might wonder if the rather expensive tourist ticket (130 soles), the so-called "boleto turistico", is worth it for you. It depends on how much time you have and if you are interested in the Inca ruins at all. Maybe only the partial ticket is possible.

First, let's see which 16 sights are included. I have marked my personal recommendations with an *asterisk. You can also read my reviews about the sights.

Sights of Cusco

• Ruins of Sacsayhuaman (above Cusco)
• ruins of Qenqo (above Cusco)
• ruins of Puka Pukara (above Cusco)
• ruins of Tambomachay (above Cusco)
• Pachacutec Tower (Cusco)
• 6th Historical Regional Museum (Cusco)
• 7th Museum of the Inca Temple Koricancha (Cusco)
• 8th Museum of Contemporary Arts (Cusco)
• 9th Museum Arte Popular (Cusco)
• Folklore Dances at the Centro Arte Nativo (Cusco)

Sights in the Sacred Valley

• 11th Ruins of Pisac (Sacred Valley - Pisac)
• 12th Ruins of Ollantaytambo (Sacred Valley - Ollantaytambo)
• 13th Ruins of Chinchero (Sacred Valley - Chinchero)
• Terrace complex of Moray (Sacred Valley - near Chinchero)

 Sights in the southern valley

• 15 *Ruins of Tipon (Southern Valley - Tipon)
• 16th Ruins of Picillacta (Southern Valley - near Urcos).

What you should note:

There is a complete ticket that includes all entries to the 16 sites and this complete "boleto turistico" costs 130 soles (36 euros). In any case, the complete boleto turistico is only worth it if you intend to visit the ruins sites of Cusco and those in the Sacred Valley.

If you visit only Cusco or only the ruins in the Sacred Valley, then only a partial ticket is worthwhile, a so-called "boleto turistico parcial". If you are a student with a valid ISIC card, you can get the full ticket for 50% off, which is 70 soles (18 euros). There is no discount for a partial ticket. This means that as a student you can simply buy the full ticket.

Please note that the full ticket is valid for 10 days. The partial ticket for the ruins of Cusco is valid for one day, the partial ticket for the Sacred Valley in the north is valid for two days.

What to do without the tourist ticket:

If you are preparing the budget for your trip to Cusco, you have to know that there are some important places in the Inca capital and the Sacred Valley that are not included in the tourist ticket. Actually, there are several sites that are not included, but these are the most important ones:

Cusco

• The cathedral of Cusco: whether you like churches or not, I recommend you to visit the cathedral located in the Plaza de Armas as it is a jewel of colonial architecture with 10 chapels, an impressive main altar with pure silver plates, about 400 works of the Cusco School and much more. The entrance fee is 40 soles for foreigners, children, and foreign students 20 soles.
• The convent of Santo Domingo: although the koricancha museum is included in the tourist ticket, the church of Santo Domingo which is part of the Coricancha complex is not. Its courtyard is my favorite part! Entrance 15 soles.
• San Pedro Market: It is the most important market in Cusco and a must for food lovers. It is an opportunity to discover local products, including the many varieties of potatoes and quinoa.
• Mirador de Cristo Blanco: a large 8 m statue of Christ located on the Cerro Rojo (Pukamoqo hill) 5 km from Cusco.
• Church of San Cristobal:Cusco church set back from the center. Built-in the 15th century, it has been declared Cultural Heritage of the nation. I would say that its main attraction is the view of Cusco, which can be obtained from the Plaza San Cristobal or by climbing the bell tower. The entrance fee is 10 soles, and 5 soles for the bell tower.
• The squares of Cusco: Plaza de Regocijo, Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza de Armas, Plaza Nazarenas, 

Sacred Valley

• Chinchero: the handicraft market, the textile workshops.
• Ollantaytambo: several free attractions to see such as the Pinkuylluna and the Ñaupa Church.
• Pisac: the Pisac market, the Potato Park, the botanical garden, the communal museum, etc.

In the rest of the Valley: Andahuaylillas, Yucay, Calca, Urubamba, Huchuy Qosqo, the Inkariy Museum (35 soles), activities such as rating, zip line, ATV, tour to Humantay Lake.

Other experiences near Cusco

Beyond the majesty of Machu Picchu, the surroundings of Cusco offer a variety of experiences that allow you to get to know the culture, history, and landscapes of Andean Peru up close. From traditional towns to little-explored natural wonders, there is a lot to discover just a few kilometers from the imperial city. If you are looking for new adventures outside the usual, here we present the places you can't miss: