Sights in Peru

Peru's best-known sights cluster around Cusco, high in the Andes, with Machu Picchu reached only by train or on foot and the rest of the country a flight or a very long bus ride away. The rule that matters most: book your Machu Picchu entry first, build the trains around it, and keep a spare day, because strikes, blockades and rainy-season landslides can cut the route.

Checked 6 October 2026

Our sight guides for Peru

Visiting sights in Peru

The Boleto Turístico del Cusco

The Boleto Turístico del Cusco (BTC), run by the committee COSITUC, covers 16 sites: Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay above the city; Písac, Ollantaytambo, Moray and Chinchero in the Sacred Valley; Tipón and Pikillacta to the south; and several Cusco museums and the Inca Pachacútec monument. The full (integral) ticket costs S/ 130 for foreigners and lasts 10 days; each of the three partial circuits costs S/ 70 and lasts one or two days (as reported by tour operators in 2026; COSITUC's own site was not working, so check the price when you buy). It does not include Machu Picchu. Buy it at the COSITUC office at Av. El Sol 103 or at some of the sites. A law of May 2026 keeps COSITUC in charge, plans digital tickets and guarantees single-site tickets, so the format may change.

Free days and discounts

Discounts for foreign adults are rare; the savings are for young people and students. The BTC student ticket costs S/ 70 for all 16 sites over 10 days: ages 10–17 show a passport, ages 18–25 need a valid student card or ISIC as well (2026). At Machu Picchu, foreign children aged 3–17 and students with an original university card pay roughly half the S/ 152 adult price (see the Machu Picchu page). Lower prices for Peruvians, residents and Andean Community citizens, and free Sundays for Cusco residents, do not apply to tourists. Paying by card often costs extra: the BTC adds 3.15% for cards, Plin or Yape, so carry soles in cash.

Getting between the sights

Most visitors fly from Lima to Cusco: LATAM, Sky and JetSMART fly the route in about 1 hour 30 minutes, and guides quoted US$80–90 return in 2026, more at the last minute. The bus takes about 22 hours. From Cusco, PeruRail and Inca Rail run to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes): about 1 hour 30 minutes from Ollantaytambo, or 3.5–4.5 hours from Cusco's Poroy, San Pedro or Wanchaq stations, the last by bus and train. Trains carry one backpack of up to 8 kg or a carry-on of up to 12 kg per person, so leave big bags in Cusco. PeruRail also runs Cusco–Puno for Lake Titicaca (about 10 hours 30 minutes).

Money, ID and customs

Carry your passport: Machu Picchu tickets are tied to its number, the BTC asks for it, and the UK government advises always carrying ID because police may ask for it. Site tickets are in soles; trains and the Aguas Calientes bus are priced in US dollars. Counterfeit US and Peruvian notes circulate, so use ATMs inside banks or shops during business hours. Foreigners may not join demonstrations or other political activity and can be detained or deported for it. On altitude, the US CDC's wording is that many popular destinations such as Machu Picchu are at high altitudes and you may experience altitude sickness; talk to your doctor before you go.

Seasons, holidays and crowds

The dry months from May to October are the main season around Cusco; the rainy season runs from November to around April or May and brings landslides on mountain roads and the Hidroeléctrica route, and the Inca Trail closes every February. Machu Picchu's official 2026 high season, with a cap of 5,600 visitors a day, runs from 19 June to 2 November plus 1 January, 2–5 April and 30–31 December; otherwise the cap is 4,500. Inti Raymi on 24 June fills Cusco: 2026 seats at Sacsayhuamán cost S/ 490–850 and sold out a week ahead, while the Plaza de Armas part is free. The national holidays left in 2026 are 8 October, 1 November, 8–9 December and 25 December.

Scams and problems to know about

Strikes and road or rail blockades are the biggest risk to a Machu Picchu trip: in September 2025 a local protest stopped the trains and about 1,400 stranded tourists had to be evacuated to Cusco, and the UK government notes that trains to Machu Picchu are occasionally suspended by protests in the Cusco region. Allow a spare day and follow your train company's notices. Taxis are the other known problem: robbers pose as drivers, especially at Lima airport and bus terminals, so the UK advice is to use licensed phone or app taxis, hotel-booked cars or the official airport desks, and not to hail one in the street. In Cusco, street money changers have passed off old out-of-circulation intis.

Also worth the trip

Not on Sightsale yet, but worth knowing about.

  • Lake Titicaca and Puno

    The high lake on the Bolivian border, with island communities reached by boat from Puno. PeruRail's train from Cusco takes about 10 hours 30 minutes across the altiplano.

  • Colca Canyon

    One of the deepest canyons in the world, a long day or an overnight trip from Arequipa, known for condors gliding at the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint.

  • Kuélap

    A lesser-known gem in the northern cloud forest: a walled mountaintop citadel of the Chachapoyas people, far from the Cusco crowds.

  • Chan Chan

    The vast adobe capital of the Chimú kingdom near Trujillo on the north coast, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Questions people ask about visiting Peru

Is the Boleto Turístico del Cusco worth it?

Yes if you will visit Sacsayhuamán and at least a couple of Sacred Valley sites such as Písac or Ollantaytambo. The full ticket costs S/ 130 for 10 days and 16 sites, while a single partial circuit costs S/ 70 (as reported in 2026; check at the COSITUC office or the first site you visit). It does not include Machu Picchu, which has its own ticket.

Can I pay in US dollars in Peru?

Sometimes. Trains and the Machu Picchu bus are priced in dollars, and the bus office takes dollars or soles in cash, but site tickets such as the Boleto Turístico are in soles. Card payments often carry a surcharge (3.15% on the BTC in 2026), so carry soles, and watch for counterfeit notes.

How do I get from Lima to Cusco?

Fly: LATAM, Sky and JetSMART take about 1 hour 30 minutes, and guides quoted US$80–90 return in 2026. The bus takes around 22 hours and costs roughly S/ 100–195 depending on the company.

Can strikes close Machu Picchu?

They can cut off access. In September 2025 protests stopped the trains and about 1,400 tourists had to be evacuated, and the UK government warns that trains to Machu Picchu are occasionally suspended by protests. Keep a spare day and check your train company and local news before you travel.

When is Inti Raymi and do I need tickets?

Inti Raymi is on 24 June every year. Only the seated stands at Sacsayhuamán and the Qorikancha need tickets (S/ 490–850 at Sacsayhuamán in 2026, sold out about a week before); the part in Cusco's Plaza de Armas is free. Book Cusco hotels and Machu Picchu early for late June.

Sources for this page (11)
  1. LP Derecho: Ley 32586, Nueva Ley del Boleto Turístico (El Peruano, 8 May 2026) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  2. Salkantay Trekking: Boleto Turístico Cusco, the complete guide (prices, student ticket, card fee) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  3. Nick Kembel: The Cusco Tourist Pass (Boleto Turístico) explained (list of 16 sites) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  4. Andina: Machu Picchu 2026 measures, daily cap and high-season dates (accessed 6 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK: Peru travel advice, safety and security (accessed 6 October 2026)
  6. US CDC: Travelers' health, Peru (accessed 6 October 2026)
  7. PeruRail: Train service comparison (journey times, luggage) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  8. TreXperience: Cómo viajar de Lima a Cusco (accessed 6 October 2026)
  9. Infobae: Entradas agotadas para el Inti Raymi 2026 (17 June 2026) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  10. Primicias: Protestas en Machu Picchu, turistas varados (16 September 2025) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  11. Gob.pe: Feriados nacionales 2026 (accessed 6 October 2026)