Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turistico)
So, like I explained on the previous page, getting the tourist ticket is pretty much essential for visiting Cusco. The main official place to get it is at the COSITUC central office, and I wouldn't really look any further than that when trying to decide where to purchase it. It is just a 7-minute walk from the central square where you are probably going to be headed on Day 1 anyway. I have read you can buy it at the sites, and that may be true for some of the big ones like Ollantaytambo, but I'm almost positive that is not the case for most of them because it is often just a dude with a hole punch checking tickets. I can't imagine that person is equipped to be collecting hundreds of soles or dollars from tourists.
My Rankings of the Cusco Tourist Ticket Sites, 1st to Last
Most of these places I mention on the Cusco page and when I do, I have attached a link to see information about them. My deepest and most sincere apologies for forcing you to use the back button to navigate between the ticket and the sites.
The goal of this page is to give you a quick rundown of what the 10-day tourist ticket includes. I'll have a section at the bottom for a couple other versions you can get but Jesus Christ, you flew all the way to fucking Peru, just drop 38 bucks and buy the 10-day, see everything ticket. I know you came here to see Machu Picchu, but 80% of the shit worth doing in this region is on this one piece of paper.
Ollantaytambo - I think this is far and away the best spot on the ticket. This is just based on the site itself, but this spot is really important in deciding how to plan your Machu Picchu trip.
Tipon - If you just go on a guided tour here you would probably rank this site a lot lower, but if you visit the spot the way I did, just like the Transformers that were filmed in Cusco, you will see there is "More than meets the eye"
Saqsaywaman - Best site within walking distance. It is in Cusco and is an awesome site. Watch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts before you go. It is a pretty shit movie so maybe on the airplane... Or better yet, watch it on the flight home so you can do this....
Pisac - I'd like to say this place is similar to Machu Picchu because it did look awesome with so many actual structures. I had to knock it down a few slots because I just don't know...our tour group came too close to closing and we didn't get much time here. There is a chance this could be the number one slot.
Pikillaqta - I liked it and is worth going on by yourself. If you pay for a tour you may be disappointed.
Puka Pukara - Most people would rate this lower. It is small but cool enough. But the view from it is likely the best you will see in all of Cusco. I mean it is one of those times I took a picture and shared it with friends...but after I looked at it closely, I just got annoyed that anyone who hasn't seen it in person will understand.
Moray - Nice, cool views, cute village while walking through. It is like if the site above and below merged into one mediocre site.
Chinchero - It is cool, but it's just one amazing view of the whole "spaceship landing zone". Our tour sucked on this but even if we had more time, a single photo shows the whole site.
Monumento El Inca Pachacutec - Fun way to kill two hours because it is outside of most of the sites in Cusco, but not a bus ride, just a 30-minute walk. I would highly recommend it, I just can't honestly say it is better than the stuff above.
Tambomachay - It is an Incan spring-fed fountain. Very cool that they built it and that it has been running for 500 years. I'm only putting it this low, because I have to put it somewhere. It's worth seeing especially since it is directly across the street from Puka Pukara.
Q'engo - If you follow my route, this is worth seeing but since my route involved an hour-long walk, you may not find it worth it.
Museo Historico Regional - This is the only museum worth visiting. It is small but has some decent displays and it is just a block away from the Plaza de Armas. I'd drop in; you'll likely be done in less than 30 minutes though.
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo - Just another small room with some art and a few sculptures. Not for me but maybe for someone.
Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo- This could have been cool. There are supposed to be native performances here throughout the day but I never saw one. If I did maybe I would move it up a notch or two.
Museo de Arte Popular - It isn't that different from Qorikancha. A shit museum made to fill out the Tourist Ticket.
Museo de Qorikancha- Bait and switch bullshit designed to confuse you for Qorikancha. Qorikancha stands up perfectly well on its own and has a very high Google profile. No reason to even have this site exist except to trick you into going there. The temple is worth the $5 entrance fee. This spot isn't worth the 5 minutes it takes to walk through it
Other Ticket Options
If you're coming to Cusco, I strongly recommend getting the full 10-day ticket. It is just the best deal for the money, and even if you can't do all the stops on it, for nine out of ten tourists, these other options just simply won't be enough to do the normal tourist stuff. But just to be thorough, I'll cover the other options. The cost for all of these is 70 soles ($20.50)—a little over half the cost of the full ticket. So if there is just ONE more site you want to see that isn't listed on the cheaper ticket, that option will not be more cost-effective. Do not buy two of these.
Also, don't confuse these circuits with the circuits at Machu Picchu.
Circuit I
This is just a one-day ticket. It covers Saqsaywaman, Tambomachay, Puka Pukara, and Q'engo. I have done a breakdown of the best way to see these four sites HERE. This ticket may be worth it to someone who is in Cusco for just one day as a stop on the way to Machu Picchu. All of these sites are in town and can be seen in a couple of hours with a cab, or a couple of extra hours on foot. Be aware: if you are planning to spend the night in Ollantaytambo and see those ruins, this ticket will mess up those plans.
Circuit II
This two-day ticket is pretty much worthless to me. It has Pikillaqta, Tipón, and all the museums. It may seem like a bargain because it has the most stops, but most of them are the shitty museums. I mean, Tipón and Pikillaqta are definitely worth seeing, but I can't imagine someone coming to Cusco just for them. This is extremely niche and would probably only be good for someone coming to Cusco for the second time who has already seen all the other ruins. I'd bet Peruvian tourists buy this ticket more than anyone else.
Circuit III
This includes just the stops on the Sacred Valley tour: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, and Moray. This really only works if you are taking a group tour of the Sacred Valley and nothing else. While all of these stops are great, I just can't imagine visiting Cusco and seeing only these without doing the stops in town. Same as above, the only person I can see buying this is someone who has visited Cusco before and missed the Sacred Valley the first time around.
Realistic Stops for the Average Tourist
In closing, spring for the 10-day ticket. I think a good target itinerary for two days would be as follows:
Day One (Everything in town):
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Saqsaywaman
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Tambomachay
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Puka Pukara
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Q'engo
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Monumento El Inca Pachacutec
Day Two (Sacred Valley Tour):
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Pisac
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Ollantaytambo
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Chincero
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Moray
I left Tipón and Pikillaqta off this because I can't see how you would be able to add them to a two-day trip alongside the stuff above. But if you have more days, definitely work them in because they are worth seeing.