Waqrapukara

Tickets and tours: all the options

Waqrapukara is not on the Cusco tourist ticket. Entry is a small fee collected by the local community at a control point on the trail or at the trailhead, and in practice most tours include it. There is no public transport to the start of the walk, so nearly everyone visits on an organised day trip from Cusco.

The standard tour picks you up in Cusco around 4 am, stops for breakfast on the way, drives about three and a half hours south through Acomayo Province and then hikes to the ruins with a guide. Lunch is usually served on the way back, and you return to Cusco in the evening. Prices normally cover transport, guide, breakfast, lunch and the entry fee; walking poles and tips are extra. Some tours add the lakes of the Acomayo highlands, a bread stop in Oropesa, llamas or a craft centre. Private tours follow the same route with your own driver and guide, and two-day treks camp or stay in a village and approach on foot.

A plain transfer with a driver is also sold, but you would then walk unguided on a route with few signs. For most people the shared guided day hike is the sensible choice; go private if you walk slowly or want to stay longer at the site.

A short history

The first buildings on the ridge are attributed to the Qanchis, a regional people of the southern highlands, who are credited with the round structures on the site. In the 15th century the area came under Inca rule, and the Inca rebuilt and extended the complex with terraces, niches and double-jamb doorways, which point to a sacred function linked to the mountains and the river below. Its remote position meant that it escaped the stone quarrying that stripped many sites near Cusco. Little systematic excavation has taken place, and much of what is known comes from surveys and from the architecture itself. Peru's Ministry of Culture declared Waqrapukara part of the national cultural heritage in July 2017.

Getting there

Waqrapukara lies in the Acos district of Acomayo Province, about 120 km by road south of Cusco. There is no public transport to the start of the trail, and the last part of the road is unpaved and narrow, so most visitors use a tour or hire a driver in Cusco. The drive takes about three and a half hours via the main road south and then mountain roads through the villages of Acomayo. From the trailhead the walk is 1.5 to 2 hours each way, depending on where the vehicle can stop and on your pace. Cusco airport has flights from Lima several times an hour, and visitors should spend at least two or three days in Cusco to adjust before attempting the hike.

Rules and what to bring

Do not climb the rock horns or the walls, and keep to the path near the canyon edge, where there are no railings. Drones need a permit. Carry at least two litres of water, snacks, sun cream, a hat, rain gear and warm layers, because the weather changes fast at this height. There are no toilets or shops at the site; use the facilities at the breakfast stop.

When to go

Tours leave Cusco before dawn so that groups reach the ruins around late morning and start back before the afternoon clouds build up. Arriving later means walking back in cold wind or rain, so do not expect to linger past early afternoon. Because the site is remote, crowds are rarely a problem; even in high season you may share it with only a few groups.

The dry season from May to October is the best time, with clear skies and firm paths, although nights and early mornings are close to freezing. June to August is the most popular period in Cusco, but this site stays quiet. From December to March heavy rain makes the trail muddy and the road can be blocked by landslides, and some tours stop running. Allow a full day, about 14 to 15 hours from pickup to return, and keep the next morning free to rest.