What is Boleto Turistico, Cusco tourist ticket, Entrances to Pisac

If you’ve been planning your own adventure to Peru, then you may have come across the phrase “Boleto Turistico” quite a few times. This Tourist Ticket or Boleto Turistico in Spanish is an essential purchase for any visit to Cusco and the Sacred Valley due to a unique, but slightly confusing, system implemented by the Peruvian government a few years ago for entrances to historical and or archeological sites.

In this short guide, we want to cut through the various options and any confusion, to give you the essential facts so you know exactly what the Boleto Turistico is, why you need it, understand what’s included in it, and know the best value for your money and tour needs in Cusco and Sacred Valley.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Boleto Turistico!

Please Note: All tourist tickets must be paid in Soles, dollars or credit/debit cards are not accepted anywhere. Be sure to carry Soles with you if you are purchasing at a site or government office.

WHAT IS THE BOLETO TURISTICO?

You can just simply turn up and pay your entrance fee on the day you want to enter a tourist site. However, you must pay the 70 soles in soles, (you cannot pay with dollars or credit card). Also, the one day ticket only includes 4 major sites, not 16 that you can purchase for 10 days. Depending on how many days you will be touring the most economical purchase may be the 10 day ticket.

The one day boleto turistico is a single ticket which has to be purchased in advance or at the gate to allow entry to various sites, such as Sacsaywaman, the Pisac and Ollantaytambo ruins. It is not possible to visit or enter these sites without a valid boleto turistico, and it is not possible to buy an individual entry ticket for any single site which is included on the boleto turistico. If you wish to purchase a one day ticket in advance or the 10 day ticket described below, it can be purchased at the COSITUC office on Avenida El Sol 103 in Cusco. (see more detailed instructions below).

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE 10 DAY BOLETO TURISTICO?

Broadly speaking, the majority of the the most popular and well-known sites in Cusco and the Sacred Valley (except Machu Picchu and private salt mines site) are included on the 10 day boleto turistico. See below the rest of the exceptions.

The 10 day boleto turistico has 16 possible sites:

Cusco Ruins: Saqsayhuamán, Q’enqo, Puka pukara, Tambomachay
Cusco Museums + Monuments: Contemporary Art, Museo Historical Regional, Monumento Pachacuteq, Tipon, Museo de Quoricancha, Museo de Arte Popular, Centro Quosqo de Arte Nativo. Pikillaqta
Sacred Valley Ruins: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Moray. Tipon, Pikillacta

***The Maras Salt Mines, Cusco Cathderal, Machu Picchu, and Rainbow Mountain are not included on the boleto turistico and therefore require a separate entrance fee; several of Cusco’s best museums and sites in Cusco are also not included. These you must pay in Soles at the gate.

HOW MUCH ARE THE BOLETOS TURISTICOS?

This is where things become a little more complicated!
There are four boleto turistico options. We have included all the essential details below:

1.- 10 DAY CUSCO TOURIST TICKET / 10 DAY BOLETO TURÍSTICO

This is the standard and most economical if you want to visit more sites over a span of more than one day which includes 16 sites.
Price: S/. 130 / $35 for non-Peruvian adults. S/. 70 / $19 for under 18 non-Peruvian (see below for more information).
Time: Valid for 10 consecutive days (i.e. it will expire 10 days after you purchase it, regardless of how or when you use the ticket).
Tip: Note that the Quoricancha aspect is only access to the outdoor gardens – an additional entry has to be purchased for the museum or Inca temple inside, fee 10 soles.

2.- ONE DAY PARTICAL CUSCO TOURIST TICKET / UN DIA BOLETO TURISTICO PARCIAL

The partial ticket is the ideal option for those on a tighter budget, or who only wish to visit a handful of specific sites. There are three different ‘Circuitos’ / Circuits available:

Circuit 1

What’s Included: The ruins which lie just outside Cusco: Saqsayhuamán, Q’enqo, Puka pukara, Tambomacha. These are best visited on a single day-trip.
Price: S/. 70 / $19 for non-Peruvian adults
Time: Valid for 1 day only.

Circuit 2

What’s Included: The Cusco Museums: Contemporary Art, Museo Historical Regional, Monumento Pachacuteq, Tipon, Quoricancha, Museo de Arte Popular, Centro Quosqo de Arte Nativo. Pikillaqta.
(We imagine that this is the least purchased Cusco tourist ticket because a number of these museums are not worth it.)
Price: S/. 70 / $19 for non-Peruvian adults
Time: Valid for 2 days.

Circuito 3

What’s Included: The Sacred Valley Ruins: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Moray.
Price: S/. 70 / $19 for non-Peruvian adults
Time: Valid for 1 day. This is a good option for a stand-alone ticket, but with it being valid for only one day, it’s actually a bit of a challenge (unless joining a Sacred Valley Tour) to visit all of these sites in one day. It is absolutely possible (but difficult) with a combination of taxis, public transport, and walking to visit them all in two days.

***On the full boleto turistico, international students can receive a 50% discount – making the ticket just S/. 70 / $19USD . To take advantage of this offer, you have to be 25 or under, and need to bring your original student or ISIC card and passport. Children are also charged a discounted price.
Tickets will be required at the checkpoint for each site and it’s essential that you don’t lose it as we’ve heard that no replacements are issued and this is a strictly adhered to.

IS THE TOURIST TICKET (BOLETO TOURISTICO) WORTH IT AND DO YOU REALLY NEED IT?

As you can see, the Cusco tourist ticket system is designed so that for the majority of people, the most convenient option is to buy the full S/. 130, $34 USD, it’s an unavoidable and essential cost; the key is planning ahead so you get the best option for your Cusco / Sacred Valley Itinerary and budget. For example, if you know that you’re going to visit more than 50% of the sites included, then simply go ahead and buy the S/. 130 / 10 day ticket – you will definitely get your money’s worth out of it. If you calculate the entry price per site, it actually represents pretty good value.

If you are travelling on a budget however, or know that you only want to visit a specific selection of sites, then we’d recommend going for one of the partial tickets. But – and this is a big but – be sure to plan your time wisely! Work out what’s possible, and where you really want to go, then purchase your boleto turistico accordingly so that you don’t end up unable to make it to a certain ruin in time or end up extending your stay in Cusco and end up having to buy another ticket!

HOW & WHERE TO BUY THE BOLETO TURISTICO IN CUSCO?

The tourist ticket is available to buy from most of the sites included within the boleto turistico, but the safest bet is to go straight to the COSITUC office on Avenida El Sol 103 in Cusco (finding actual opening hours is quite difficult, but your best bet is Mon-Fri at 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and before 2 p.m. on Saturdays) to purchase directly. ID is technically required (although it is possible that you may not be asked) and you will need to pay in cash in Peruvian soles.

When you buy the ticket, your name will be written on it and it will be valid from that day. They are not transferable to other persons. This is particularly important if buying one of the partial tickets, as they are only valid for a relatively short time. (it is wise to just keep a passport copy on your phone).

Note: that it isn’t possible to purchase the boleto turistico online or in advance. Only in Cusco or at the 1st site you visit.

WILL YOUR TOUR COMPANY INCLUDE THE TOURIST TICKET?

No – the tour price will not include the price of the boleto turistico except if your are buying a full package tour of several days. (Be sure to check what is included on any tour package). On a one day tour of Sacred Valley for example, you will be required to purchase this in advance or on the day of your tour.

Be sure to bring soles, no dollars or credit cards are accepted. If unsure about logistics, contact your tour company directly. If you would like to take a Sacred Valley tour from Cusco, we have some highly rated operators for the Sacred Valley you should check out. They include more sites in their tour for the same price!