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Machu Picchu

The Inca citadel at 2,430 m (7,970 ft) above the Urubamba River, 3.5 hours from Cusco by road and train, visited on a timed ticket with a guide.

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Cusco City Tour Half Day: Qorikancha and Sacsayhuaman

4.9 Tripadvisor, Viajes Cusco Perú (sister agency), 78 reviews Cusco, Qorikancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay Daily departures
Five and a half hoursDepartures 8:45 a.m. or 12:45 p.m.
5 Inca sitesQorikancha and 4 sites above Cusco
Entries includedQorikancha and partial Tourist Ticket
12,470 ft high pointAbout 3,800 m at Tambomachay
Hotel pickupIn central Cusco

The trip in one paragraph

This is the tour we tell everyone to book for their first or second day in Cusco. It is short, it stays near the city's height and it explains the Inca capital before you see anything else. Travelers who prefer to wander on foot through markets and backstreets should book the Cusco walking tour instead.

Five sites in five and a half hours

You start inside Qorikancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, where a Dominican convent was built on top of the finest Inca walls in the city. Then the van climbs to Sacsayhuaman, the zigzag walls of giant fitted stones on the hill above Cusco. The last three stops are short: Qenqo, a carved rock shrine with a cave and channels, Puca Pucara, a reddish stone checkpoint, and Tambomachay, where Inca fountains still run.

Morning or afternoon

Two departures, 8:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. The afternoon slot gives you a slow morning to adjust and ends with sunset light on Sacsayhuaman. The morning slot leaves your afternoon free. Either way, the site entries are covered and you are back at your hotel in about five and a half hours. For more ideas read what else to do in Cusco.

Qorikancha, the Sun TempleInca walls of perfectly fitted stone inside a colonial convent, the clearest lesson in how the Spanish built over the Inca city.
The walls of SacsayhuamanThree tiers of zigzag walls, some blocks taller than a person, looking down on the Plaza de Armas.
Tambomachay fountainsInca stone channels where water still flows, at the highest point of the tour.
Cusco from aboveFrom Sacsayhuaman the red-tile roofs of the old city spread out below you.

Price

One price for everyone: US$87 per person, shared service, with guide, transport and all site entries. There is no hotel tier because you sleep in your own Cusco hotel. Groups who want their own departure get a quote through the free quote form.

Pick your tour date

Two departures every day, at 8:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Pick your date and slot and send the free quote form. We confirm the seats within the day.

A good plan for the afternoon of your arrival day or your first full day in Cusco. A few days ahead is usually enough.

Day by day

Open a day to see the hours, the altitude and where you sleep. Times are the ones our guides actually keep.

Day1

Cusco, Qorikancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay

Half day, back at your hotel the same afternoon, high point about 12,470 ft (3,800 m)

All entries included Meals not included About 2 hours on foot About 5 h 30 min
12:45
Pickup at your hotel

Pickup at 12:45 p.m. for the afternoon departure, or 8:45 a.m. for the morning one, from hotels in central Cusco. Times below follow the afternoon departure.

13:15
Qorikancha, the Sun Temple

A guided visit inside the temple and convent. Look for the curved Inca wall on the outside, the best-known piece of stonework in Cusco.

14:45
Sacsayhuaman

The longest stop. Walk along the zigzag walls, stand next to the largest stones and look down over the city.

16:00
Qenqo

A carved limestone outcrop with a small cave, an altar and channels cut into the rock.

16:40
Puca Pucara

A short stop at the reddish stone post that controlled the road into Cusco.

17:00
Tambomachay

The Inca fountains, still running, at about 12,470 ft (3,800 m).

18:15
Drop-off at your hotel

Back at your hotel with the evening free for dinner.

Where you go

The tour starts in the historic center at Qorikancha and climbs north to the four Inca sites on the hills above Cusco.

Interactive map loads from OpenStreetMap when the page is online.
Route: Qorikancha · Sacsayhuaman · Qenqo · Puca Pucara · Tambomachay.
Stops on the itinerary Machu PicchuDashed line: road and rail route

What is included

Included

  • Partial Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico)Covers Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay.
  • Qorikancha (Santo Domingo) entrancePaid in advance.
  • Bilingual guideSpanish and English.
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in central CuscoTourist transport for the whole tour.
  • First aid suppliesWith support from our office all day.

Not included

  • MealsEat lunch before the afternoon departure.
  • Tips for the guide and driverOptional. Bring small bills in soles.
  • Travel insuranceRecommended for any trip in Peru.

Good to know

AltitudeCusco sits at about 11,150 ft (3,400 m) and Tambomachay at about 12,470 ft (3,800 m). The CDC links altitude illness risk to travel above 8,000 ft (2,500 m). Walk slowly and drink water.
Tourist TicketSacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay are on the Boleto Turístico del Cusco, sold by COSITUC. Your partial ticket and the Qorikancha entry are included.
WalkingAbout two hours on foot in total, with some uneven stone at Sacsayhuaman and Qenqo. Easy for most people.
WeatherWarm in the sun, cold in the shade and after 5:00 p.m. Carry a warm layer on the afternoon departure.
RainFrom December to March afternoon showers are common. A rain shell beats an umbrella on the hills.
What to bringPassport copy, sun hat, sunscreen, a warm layer, water and cash in soles.
Service typeShared group tour with other travelers and a bilingual guide.

Travelers on this itinerary

Sacred Lake Titikaka is new; these are public Tripadvisor reviews of Viajes Cusco Perú, the family agency that operates every package on this site.

4.9
78 reviews
Viajes Cusco Perú, Sep 2026
4.7
83 reviews
Google Maps

Reviews shown: Viajes Cusco Perú travelers (sample of public Tripadvisor reviews, read Sep 30, 2026).

C
Claudia I.Sep 2026, with friends
Posted on Tripadvisor
Dream Come True

"Incredible experience!! Beautiful landscape and beautiful people. We were lucky to be guided by Vladimir, who with his lovely personality and amazing knowledge made this trip a great learning experience."

Translated from Spanish by Tripadvisor
E
Erika C.Jul 2026, solo traveler from Argentina
Posted on Tripadvisor
I recommend them, people!

"All the tours I did (Machu, Humantay Lake, Rainbow Mountain, Sacred Valley) were spectacular!!! From picking me up at the hotel (always punctual and attentive, notifying about everything!) to the guides I had who were also excellent."

Excerpt. Translated from Spanish by Tripadvisor
M
Martin Rogelio I.Jul 2026, Sullana, Peru, with family
Posted on Tripadvisor
Professionalism, trust, and human quality

"I came to this agency by recommendation and, after traveling with them on two occasions, I can say that it was an excellent decision. I must highlight the professionalism of the guides, who made every tour very interesting and safe."

Excerpt. Translated from Spanish by Tripadvisor

Still have questions?

Everything we get asked about this package before people book.

What does the Cusco city tour include?

A bilingual guide, hotel pickup and drop-off in central Cusco, transport between sites, the Qorikancha entrance and the partial Cusco Tourist Ticket for Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. Meals and tips are not included. The price is US$87 per person, shared service.

Do I need the Boleto Turístico?

Yes, the four sites above the city only accept the Boleto Turístico del Cusco, run by COSITUC. On this tour the partial ticket for those sites is already in the price, and Qorikancha has its own entrance, also included. You do not buy anything at the gates.

How long is the Cusco city tour?

Roughly 5.5 hours, door to door. The morning departure is at 8:45 a.m. and the afternoon one at 12:45 p.m. Sacsayhuaman is the longest stop, the last three sites are short.

Is the city tour good for my first day in Cusco?

Yes, it is the tour we recommend for day one or two. You ride between sites, walk about two hours in total and stay close to the city's height. Take the afternoon departure if you landed that morning, and rest first.

City tour or walking tour?

The city tour covers the big Inca sites above Cusco with transport and entries included. The walking tour stays on foot in the old town, with the San Pedro market and San Blas. If you only do one, do the city tour first.

Destinations on this trip

From, per personUS$87
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