The Ruins of Sacsayhuaman in Cusco, Peru

Peru is full of ancient ruins from the Incan empire. Since Cusco is the gateway to Machu Picchu, there are a lot of ruins in and around the city to see. Even just walking through the streets, you’ll find Incan walls as part of the more modern buildings. One of the main places to see Incan ruins is at Sacsayhuaman in Cusco.

Cusco is already at a higher altitude and Sacsayhuaman is located at one of the highest points just outside the city. It’s located at 3,701 meters (about 12,142 feet) and is one of the largest Incan structures built in Peru.

How to Get There

The exact location is Cusco 08002, Peru and there are a few options for getting there:

By Tour

One of the easiest ways to see Sacsayhuaman is by taking a tour. The one we went on during my second visit took us to many of the surrounding ruins as well and we had a guide walking us through and giving us information. If you plan on seeing several of the ruins, it’s a good option as it provides transport and a guide.

If you do book a tour, make sure you get one with a guide who speaks English, or go with someone who can translate for you like I did ha.

By Taxi

If you want to explore the grounds on your own, you can simply take a taxi up the hill to where the ruins are and buy your own entrance ticket. Exploring on your own is fun, but you do miss a lot of great information and fun facts that a guide will point out.

By Walking

You can walk up to Sacsayhuaman from the Plaza de Armas. The walk will take about 30-40 minutes even though it’s not that far. But just know that it’s all uphill along cobbled roads.

Tickets

Like the tickets at Machu Picchu, there’s also a circuit option for tickets around Cusco. The main Cusco Tourist Ticket is S/.130 ($35) and covers entrance to the following 16 sites. You can buy it directly at the ticket offices of each place or the COSITUC office in Cusco and it can also be used over the duration of 10 days.

If you have a limited about of time in Cusco or only want to see specific sites, you can opt for a partial ticket that covers specific ruins.

• Circuit I: Valid for 1 day and costs S/.70 ($19). A Circuit I ticket gets you into Sacsayhuaman, Puka Pukara, Q’enqo and Tambomachay.
• Circuit II: Valid for 2 days and costs S/.70 ($19). Circuit II covers Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Popular Art, Regional History Museum, Qosqo Native Art Center, Monument to the Inca Pachacutec, Qorikancha, Tipon and Piquillacta.
• Circuit III: Valid for 2 days and costs S/.70 ($19). Circuit III gets you into Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray and Chinchero.

Hours: 7:00am – 5:30pm

About the Sacsayhuaman Ruins in Cusco

Sacsayhuaman, also known as Saqsaywaman, is an Incan temple complex built in the 15th century during the reign of Pachacuti. If you’re wondering how to pronounce it, our guide made a few jokes about it sounding like ‘sexy woman’ and it does sound like that.

It’s the largest Incan structure built and is located just outside of the capital city, Cusco. When you take a tour around the ruins in Cusco, they’ll tell you about the theory of the layout of Cusco resembling a puma. And Sacsayhuaman would have been the head.

The fortress has tiered walls in the main area with many of the rocks being several meters tall and weighing over 100 tons. The Incans are well known for being incredible stonemasons. The precision between some of the stones is so precise that you can’t fit a piece of paper between them. Even more, it’s assumed that the rocks were actually pounded into shape by other stones.

Though it has fortress walls, it was likely also used for ceremonies and storage. The grounds are extensive and you can spend a lot of time wandering around to the different areas.

After the fall of the Incan empire, many of the stones at Sacsayhuaman were used for buildings in Cusco and the ruins were covered. You can see partial Incan walls all over Cusco but some of the largest are still in Sacsayhuaman. It wasn’t until 1934 that the site was rediscovered and excavated.

Visiting Sacsayhuaman

I must confess, the first time I went to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman in Cusco, I was not at my best. You see, we had just arrived in Cusco and the members of my party and I ended up getting a late lunch/early dinner at a restaurant that had a full pisco sour menu. You might see where this is going.

(If you haven’t heard of a pisco sour, it’s a traditional Peruvian cocktail made from pisco (a type of liquor), lime juice, simple syrup and egg whites.)

Once we had one, we had to try all the flavors and one turned in to about six. Let it be known that Cusco is at a higher altitude and you should probably take it easy on the alcohol while adjusting. When we finally left the restaurant, we were on another level but headed up the hill to see the Sacsayhuaman ruins at sunset.

Somehow I ended up getting some decent photos at sunset, except for any photo that included one of us.

Luckily I got to go back to Sacsayhuaman on a different trip and took the full tour, which included some of the more popular ruins in Cusco, like Qorikancha and Puka Pukara.

What to See at Sacsayhuaman

It is fun to explore on your own here and wander around for awhile but I do recommend either going with someone who can point things out to you, or having a guide. There’s a lot of information that you won’t get on your own and there’s lots to uncover here.

The Terraces

One of the main structures at Sacsayhuaman is the three-tiered terraces in the main plaza. They were built with a zigzag pattern likely for structural purposes and reach up to 9 meters in some areas. This is where you can see a lot of the giant rocks and precision in the stone work.

The pictures above were taken over a year apart and at different times of the year!

Giant Boulders

Walk up close along the terraces and you’ll be able to see some of the large boulders and admire the craftsmanship of the Incas. The stones are meticulously shaped and interlocked together.

Guarded Towers

At the top of the walled terraces, you can see the remains of three towers that used to stand there. You’ll only be able to see the foundations of where they once stood.

Doors and Enclosures

While walking around, you’ll be able to see several enclosures and Incan doorways. The doorways have giant boulders creating the top of the frame and a lot of Incan layouts were built to align astronomically.

The Incan Throne

Within the grounds, you can see an Incan throne, also known as K’usilluc Jink’ian. This throne is made out of stone and sits near the top of the fortress.

El Rodadero (Suchuna)

The rock slides is another fun area to explore at Sacsayhuaman. This is a section that I didn’t get to see the first time around but it was a highlight.

There are a few theories about this formation as well. One is that it was used to move rocks and the resulting slides is from the friction of rocks. Either way, it’s become a sort of natural playground for kids (and myself). They are slick enough to slide down but watch out for mud pits at the bottom!

Chinkanas

Another part of Sacsayhuaman is the underground tunnels/caves. The word ‘chinkanas’ is a Quechua word that means ‘place where one gets lost’. They’re a bit mysterious and there’s still a lot that’s unknown here. Within the tunnels you can find seats and small rooms.

Round Plaza

Another structure that doesn’t have much known about it is the round plaza just beyond the rock slides. It could have been an amphitheater of sorts but there’s not a lot known about this section.

Cristo Blanco

There’s a white statue of Jesus, also known as Cristo Blanco, just down the way from Sacsayhuaman. You can actually see it from the terraces and main plaza (located on the far left in the photo below). It sits upon the Pukamoqo hill and is about 8 meters tall.

Getting Back

I don’t remember if we walked up or took a taxi, but you can walk here. I do know that we definitely walked back down. If I can do it after many Pisco sours, it’s not that hard of a walk. And I’d actually recommend walking back into town rather than grabbing a taxi if you’re able to.

When to Go

Peru has a rainy season and a dry season which you’ll want to be aware of when planning your visit. The rainy season is typically from November to March while the dry season is April to October. It’s also in the Southern Hemisphere so the seasons will be switched if you’re from the US.

My first visit here was in September and the temperatures were cool and pleasant. The following visit was warmer and much greener!

What’s Nearby

• The Sacred Valley – A famous region in the Andes on the way from Cusco to Machu Picchu. We road motorcycles through the Sacred Valley!
• Puka Pukara ruins – Another set of Incan ruins with a great view of the valley.
• The Human Slingshot – A roadside attraction just outside of Cusco where you can be launched into the air or bungee jump off a platform!

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