The City Tour is Cusco’s best-selling trip and the first one almost everyone does. It is also the one that raises most questions before booking: which ruins are included, how long it takes, which tickets are paid separately and whether going private is worth it. This guide explains it all, with prices and times, so you know what you are buying.
What you visit on the Cusco City Tour
The route has one stop in the city and four above it:
- Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun, with the convent of Santo Domingo on top. Qorikancha guide.
- Sacsayhuaman, the walls of giant stones above the city. Sacsayhuaman guide.
- Q’enqo, a shrine carved into the rock, and Puka Pukara, a checkpoint on the Inca road. Guide to both.
- Tambomachay, the baths of the Inca. Tambomachay guide.
Some shared tours add the Cathedral, on the Plaza de Armas, which has its own ticket. If you are interested, we explain what to see at the Cathedral and the Plaza de Armas; it is easy to visit on your own.
How long it takes and when it leaves
It takes about five hours. Shared tours leave in the early afternoon and return at dusk. Private, you can do it in the morning or the afternoon: the afternoon is the usual choice on arrival day, and the morning has fewer groups at Sacsayhuaman and better light on the walls.
| Section | Approximate time |
|---|---|
| Qorikancha | 45 minutes to 1 hour |
| Sacsayhuaman | 1 hour |
| Q’enqo and Puka Pukara | 20 to 30 minutes each |
| Tambomachay | 30 to 40 minutes |
| Transfers | The rest: you travel between stops by vehicle |
What is included and what is not
On a City Tour the service and the tickets are paid separately. This is the usual breakdown:
| Item | Included in the tour? | Approximate price |
|---|---|---|
| Transport and hotel pickup | Yes | In the tour price |
| Guide | Yes on shared tours; on our private tour you choose it when booking | Depends on the option |
| Tourist Ticket, partial Circuit I | No | 70 soles |
| Full Tourist Ticket, if you also do the Sacred Valley | No | 130 soles |
| Qorikancha entrance | No | About 15 soles |
| Food and tips | No | — |
Tickets are paid in cash, in soles, with your passport. Which one suits you is explained in the Tourist Ticket guide.
Private or shared
| Shared | Private | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | A bus of about 30 people | Only your group |
| Schedule | Fixed, in the afternoon | Morning or afternoon, your choice |
| Pace | The group’s: set times at each ruin | Yours: you can extend or skip stops |
| Pickup | Meeting point or a round of hotels | At your hotel door |
| If you feel the altitude | You carry on with the group | You are back at the hotel in twenty minutes |
| Price | The lowest | Higher for one person; close to shared when there are several of you |
On our private City Tour the price starts at 45 USD for private transport and goes down per person the more of you travel. You choose the bilingual guide when booking: a professional guide with a separate driver, or a guide-driver.
When to do it
It is the ideal tour for your first day, in the afternoon, because most of it is by vehicle and it climbs little: we explain it in the City Tour on your first day. If you prefer to go on your own, how to get to each ruin has the distances and taxis. And if you only have three days, this is how it fits into the full itinerary.
Prices for all our tours, with what each one includes, are in Cusco private tour prices.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Cusco City Tour cost in total?
The tour plus the tickets. Private, from 45 USD for transport plus the guide you choose; on top, 70 soles for the partial Tourist Ticket and about 15 for Qorikancha per person.
Does the City Tour include the Cathedral?
Ours does not: it focuses on Qorikancha and the four ruins. The Cathedral has its own ticket and is easy to visit on foot from the Plaza de Armas.
Can you do the City Tour in the morning?
Private, yes. Shared tours leave in the afternoon.
How much walking is there?
Ten to thirty minutes at each stop, with some stairs at Sacsayhuaman. You travel between sites by vehicle.
Do you need to book in advance?
Not far ahead. Private, you can even book the same morning, subject to availability.
Book
- Private Cusco City Tour, with hotel pickup.
- All Cusco city tours.
- Things to do in Cusco, for the rest of your days.
