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The stone terraces and walls of the Pisac ruins on a ridge above the Sacred Valley, with Andean mountains behind
The ruins on the ridge above town · the terraces step down to the valley floor
Town brief · 13.4213°S 71.8505°W

Písac

Come on a Sunday, when Pisac's market is at its largest and fills the main square, and spend the morning on the Inca terraces on the ridge directly above it.

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Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Písac

How long
A full daymost Sacred Valley tours give Pisac about an hour
Getting around
Walking, and a taxi up to the ruinsno public transport reaches the site
Market days
Sunday, Tuesday and ThursdaySunday is the largest; some stalls trade every day
When
June to Augustthe dry season; rain comes most from November to March
Money
Peruvian soles, in cashsome stalls take nothing else
Airports
Cusco CUZthen about 45 minutes on from Cusco city by colectivo
How long

How long does a visit to Pisac take?

A full day covers the ruins in the morning and the market after them. The town also works as a base for the first few days of a trip, before Machu Picchu.

Getting around

Is there a footpath from Pisac up to the ruins?

A steep footpath leaves the main square along the left side of the church of San Pedro Apóstol, passes the ticket checkpoint at the top of Calle Manuel Prado and climbs through the farming terraces. The climb takes about 90 minutes at a steady pace and as long as 3 hours for slower walkers, with about 90 minutes for the descent. The upper sectors reach roughly 3,300 metres, so the climb is hard without acclimatising first.

Market days

What is sold at the Pisac market?

Alpaca textiles, woven belts, ponchos, ceramics with Inca motifs and silver jewellery, with fresh produce from the valley alongside. The market serves residents of the valley as well as visitors, and on Sunday sellers come down from the highland communities. Polite bargaining is normal for crafts, and some pieces are not made locally, so asking where a piece was woven is fair.

When

When is the best time to visit Pisac?

The dry season gives the clearer, sunnier days for the ruins, and the wet months, November to March, are greener, with more frequent rain. Inti Raymi is held on 24 June at Sacsayhuamán in Cusco. Weekends bring the most visitors to the market, so a weekday morning is the quieter time to browse.

Money

Do shops in Pisac take cards?

A few market shops accept credit or debit cards, but card payment is not the norm, and some souvenir stalls sell for cash only. Soles in cash cover the market stalls.

Airports

Which airport is closest to Pisac?

Cusco's Alejandro Velasco Astete International, CUZ. Pisac lies 33 km from Cusco in the Sacred Valley. Buses, minibuses and shared colectivos run there through the day from Calle Puputi, about 15 minutes' walk from Cusco's main square, and colectivos leave when full.

Taxis wait on the main road to run visitors up to the top gate of the ruins, a ride of about 15 minutes. From the top gate, walk the site downhill; going through every sector takes two to three hours at a comfortable pace. Stop longest at the Templo del Sol, whose dry stone walls are precisely cut and fitted.

Buy the Cusco Tourist Ticket before you go up, because the guard at the gate turns away anyone without it. Nothing is sold inside the site, so carry water, snacks, a hat and sunscreen, and wear sturdy walking shoes.

The market stalls open around nine and trade into the afternoon. On a day trip, be back down in Pisac before dark to catch the bus.

If you want to step straight out into the market, sleep in the town centre: several guesthouses sit a five to ten minute walk outside it.

Things to do

3
  1. Sacred Valley Market

    Sacred Valley Market

    Market · 2 hr

    If you want Pisac's market at its fullest, go on a Sunday: highland communities trade produce behind the craft stalls, and the mass in Quechua lets out onto the main square.

    View more →
  2. Pisac Ruins

    Pisac Ruins

    Ruins · 2.5 hr

    Pisac's Inca citadel holds terraces, watchtowers, a carved sun stone and a cliff of old tombs along one ridge above the town.

    View more →

  3. Church of San Pedro Apóstol

    Church

    Pisac's parish church faces the main square, where the market stalls are set out, on Plaza Constitución in the flat town centre. On Sunday mass ends at around twenty past twelve, and the congregation walks straight out into the market and fills the square.

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Sources 3

The official pages this guide was checked against.

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