In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Peru
Pisac
Písac
Sleep 1–2 nights in Pisac as your first stop after Cusco: it sits 428 m lower, so you acclimatise here, see the ruins, then move down-valley.
Pisac is a small Sacred Valley town 32 km from Cusco with the biggest Inca site in the valley above it and the region's largest market in its plaza. At 2,972 m it is 428 m lower than Cusco, which makes it the usual first overnight after flying in. Most travellers give it one or two nights, walk the ruins, and continue to Urubamba or Ollantaytambo.
- Country
- Peru
- Local name
- Písac
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (dry season)
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (rain; February worst, paths slippery and landslides possible)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PEN
- Money
- Currency is the Peruvian sol (PEN, S/). Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants in Lima and Cusco; markets, small towns, taxis and entrance fees in villages need cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget S/ 90–150 excl. bed · Mid S/ 150–260 excl. bed · High S/ 260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Claro, Movistar, Entel and Bitel sell prepaid SIMs; register with your passport at official shops.
- Emergency
- Police 105 · Fire 116 · SAMU ambulance 106
- Plugs
- Types A, C · 220 V · 60 Hz · US devices need to be dual-voltage (most chargers are).
- Tipping
- Restaurants: About 10% if service is not included.; Inca Trail porters and cooks: Per the operator's guidance; pooled at the end.; Guides: S/ 20–50 per person for a day tour.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap; bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- Paper in the bin; carry tissue and coins for public toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Menu del día (set lunch) | S/ 12–25 |
| Coffee or coca tea | S/ 5–10 |
| Bottle of water | S/ 2–5 |
| Colectivo Cusco–Pisac | S/ 5 |
| Taxi Pisac–Urubamba | about S/ 50 |
| Botanic garden entry | S/ 8 |
| Boleto Turístico (multi-site pass) | check current price; buy in soles only |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CUZ · Alejandro Velasco Astete, Cusco
- Closest airport; about 1 h by road to Pisac. Check current Cusco–Pisac transfer times.
Typical fares
- Colectivo Cusco → Pisac
- about S/ 5, 45–60 min
- Taxi town → upper park entrance
- S/ 30–35, 15–20 min
- Colectivo Pisac → Urubamba
- about S/ 4, 1 h
Get around
The town is small enough to walk. Taxis run up the sealed 8 km road to the upper park entrance (Paradero Alto) in 15–20 min. Colectivos and buses stop at the bridge or on Avenida Amazonas near Calle Espinar.The town is small enough to walk. Taxis run up the sealed 5 mi road to the upper park entrance (Paradero Alto) in 15–20 min. Colectivos and buses stop at the bridge or on Avenida Amazonas near Calle Espinar.
See and do
Known for
- Pisac Archeological Park (Inca Pisac)
- Pisac market (Tue, Thu, Sun)
- Intiwatana altar
- Terraces and the largest known Inca cemetery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ollantaytambo | Colectivo or bus via Urubamba; direct colectivos are occasional | About 1.5–2 h |
| Urubamba | Colectivo from the bridge or Avenida Amazonas | About 1 h |
| Maras and Moray | Taxi or tour from Pisac or Urubamba | 1.5–2 h |
| Cuzco | Bus from Av. Tullumayo 207 or colectivo from Calle Puputi | 45–60 min by colectivo |
| Patacancha | Road via Ollantaytambo | 2.5–3 h |
| Mollepata | Road via Anta or Limatambo | 2–3 h |
Sleep
- Plaza Constitución and around
- Walk to market, church and the trailhead; most guesthouses and cafés are within a few blocks.
- Avenida Amazonas / river side
- Near the bridge where buses and colectivos stop; 5–10 min uphill walk to the plaza.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta |
| Thank you | GraciasGRA-syas |
| Where is the market? | ¿Dónde está el mercado?DON-de es-TA el mer-KA-do |
| I need a taxi | Necesito un taxine-se-SI-to un TAK-si |
| Can I take a photo? | ¿Puedo tomar una foto?PWE-do to-MAR U-na FO-to |
| The check, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; one cheek kiss among acquaintances; avoid: Skipping greetings
- Food pride: Ask about local dishes; avoid: Comparing pisco or ceviche unfavourably with Chile's
- Photos: Ask and pay if asked; avoid: Photographing people without asking
- Politics: Listen; avoid: Taking sides in protests
Scams and watch-outs
- Altitude: the ruins sit at 3,446–3,514 m; acclimatise before the climb.
- Park paths have loose gravel and no map boards; bring the free map from the tourist office.
- Rainy season: slippery paths and possible landslides closing sections.
- Boleto Turístico must be bought in Peruvian soles; US dollars and cards are not accepted, and you show your passport.
- Ask before photographing market vendors; a small payment per person is the local norm.
Pisac is a small, low-crime tourist town; the real risks are altitude, loose gravel in the ruins, and unpredictable rain in Nov–Mar. Use licensed taxis and keep to marked paths.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Pisac yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Pisac Archeological Park (Inca Pisac)
- Pisac market (Tue, Thu, Sun)
- Intiwatana altar
- Terraces and the largest known Inca cemetery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Municipalidad de Pisac: munipisac.gob.pe
- Wikivoyage: Pisac, revision 5309213 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5309213
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
PisacPísac
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Pisac; most are in Lima, with consulates in Cusco (check your country's list).
Buy the Boleto Turístico in soles before the park; cards and US dollars are not accepted.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/pisac). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.