Cusco Tourist Ticket: price, sites included and where to buy it

The Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico del Cusco, sometimes called the Cusco tourist pass or BTC) is a single ticket for 16 archaeological sites and museums in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the South Valley. The full version costs S/ 130 (about USD 37) for foreign visitors, is valid for 10 days and is sold at the COSITUC office in Cusco or at the ticket booths of some of the sites. The part that trips people up: it does not include Machu Picchu, Cusco Cathedral or the Coricancha temple.

These are 2026 reference prices: check them before you buy, since COSITUC sets the fees and they can change.

How much the Cusco tourist ticket costs

You can buy it two ways: the full ticket, with all 16 sites, or a partial ticket for one circuit, cheaper but with fewer sites and fewer days.

• Full ticket (16 sites, 10 days): S/ 130 (about USD 37) for foreigners; S/ 70 (about USD 20) for Peruvians.
• Partial ticket, Circuit I, II or III: S/ 70 (about USD 20) for foreigners; S/ 40 (about USD 11) for Peruvians, each.
• Partial ticket validity: Circuit I is valid for 1 day; Circuits II and III for 2 days.
• Students: there is a reduced full-ticket rate with a valid university card or ISIC.

2026 reference price, confirm before you buy. Dollar amounts are approximate and depend on the exchange rate of the day.

What's included: the 16 sites by circuit

The full ticket combines all three circuits. This is how the sites are split:

Circuit I: Sacsayhuamán archaeological park

• Sacsayhuamán, the great fortress with its giant stone walls.
• Q'enqo, a shrine carved into the rock.
• Puca Pucara, an old Inca checkpoint.
• Tambomachay, the ceremonial water fountains.

Circuit II: Cusco museums and South Valley

• Coricancha Site Museum, Regional History Museum, Contemporary Art Museum and Popular Art Museum.
• Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo (a traditional dance show) and the Pachacutec Monument.
• Tipón and Pikillacta, in the South Valley.

Circuit III: Sacred Valley

• Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray.

These are the same sites you visit on our Cusco City Tour (Circuit I), the Sacred Valley tour (Circuit III) and the South Valley tour (Tipón and Pikillacta, from Circuit II).

What the Cusco tourist pass does not include

This is the most common mistake: many travelers buy the tourist pass thinking it covers "all of Cusco". It doesn't. These sights have their own tickets:

• Machu Picchu: tickets are sold by the Ministry of Culture, by circuit and entry time. We explain how in our Machu Picchu tickets guide.
• Cusco Cathedral: it has its own ticket, sold on the Plaza de Armas.
• The Coricancha temple: the tourist ticket only covers the Coricancha Site Museum below it; the temple and the Santo Domingo convent are paid at the door.
• The Maras salt mines: Moray is included, but Maras charges its own fee.
• Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake: their fees are collected by the local communities.

Where to buy the Cusco tourist ticket and how to use it

The ticket is bought in person. The usual places are:

1. The COSITUC office at Av. El Sol 103 (Galerías Turísticas), in central Cusco. It's the safest option and sells every ticket type.
2. The ticket booths at some sites, such as Sacsayhuamán, Pisac, Ollantaytambo or Chinchero. Expect lines, and bring cash in soles.

When you use it, keep three rules in mind:

• It's personal: you'll be asked for your passport when buying it and at the site entrances.
• Each site allows a single entry; staff mark it when you go in.
• Validity counts in calendar days: when you buy it, check the start date, and don't buy it too early if you'll spend days outside Cusco.

Full ticket, partial ticket or already in your package?

It depends on how you plan your trip:

• Traveling independently or with single-day tours: day tours don't include entrance fees, so you buy the ticket yourself. For most trips of 4 days or more, the full ticket is the best buy.
• Just one day in Cusco: a Circuit I partial ticket covers Sacsayhuamán and the nearby sites.
• Traveling with an IPA package: you don't buy anything. Our packages include every entrance fee in the program: the Tourist Ticket, Machu Picchu (subject to availability), the Cathedral, Coricancha and Maras, depending on the itinerary.

The tourist ticket is cheap for everything it opens; the expensive part is finding out at the gate that the site you most wanted to see costs extra.

If you're still choosing dates, check the best time to visit Cusco: in the dry season, the Circuit I and Sacred Valley sites get busiest in the morning.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Cusco tourist ticket include Machu Picchu?

No. Machu Picchu has its own ticket, sold by circuit and entry time, with limited daily capacity. The Cusco Tourist Ticket covers 16 sites in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the South Valley, but the citadel isn't one of them.

Can I buy the Cusco tourist ticket online?

It's normally bought in person, at the COSITUC office on Av. El Sol or at the ticket booths of some sites. A travel agency can arrange it for you, and if you travel with an IPA package it's already included.

Is the Cusco tourist ticket worth it?

Yes, if you plan to see Sacsayhuamán, the Sacred Valley and some of the South Valley sites, because there's no other way in. With three or more days of sightseeing around Cusco, the full ticket pays off over partial tickets.

Does the tourist ticket include Cusco Cathedral and Coricancha?

No. The Cathedral has its own ticket, and only the Coricancha Site Museum is included. The temple itself is paid separately at the door.

What happens if I don't visit every site within the 10 days?

Any sites you don't use within the validity period are lost. That's why it pays to fit the city tour and the valleys inside those 10 days.

At Inka Planet Adventure we see travelers every day queuing at a site that wasn't on their ticket. If you'd rather not think about entrance fees, our packages include them all; and if you're traveling on your own, now you know exactly what to buy.