Location: Cusco District, Province, and Region.

Distance from Downtown Cusco: 2 kilometers by foot - 30 minutes by foot.

• Sacsayhuaman has an extension of 2,296.76 hectares and inside this area, 33 sites can be visited. The entire complex is divided into 6 sectors and the stones are perfectly placed one on top of the other to make up the walls. Some of these stones are as heavy as 125 tons. Unfortunately, nowadays only 203 of the original structures are left due to the fact that over the years the conquerors and locals took the majority of the stones from the walls in order to build their houses and other buildings.
• Some experts state that Sacsayhuaman was a fortress while others believe that it was a religious site with a military status. Regardless of the difference of opinions, Sacsayhuaman is an impressive site. Its location allows a panoramic view of the entire City of Cusco. In fact, one of its functions was probably to over look the city and to be used as a checkpoint before travelers gained entry to the city.
• It is believed that the majority of stones used to build the site were extracted from the area known by locals as "La Zona X." In this area it is possible to find a couple of underground caves and dozens of perfectly carved stones. This area is not promoted, and it is usually not included in the regular tours.
• Every year during the winter solstice (June 24), Sacsayhuaman is used for the local representation of the Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun). The Inti Raymi, probably the most important festival during Inca times, was conducted by the Inca king to honor the Sun.
• A visit to Sacsayhuaman is usually included in the City Tour offered by local tour operators. If you are willing to visit the site on your own, you can take a 30 - minutes hike from the Main Square of Cusco via Choquechaca Street. At the entrance gates, there are usually tour guides offering their services.
• When buying the entrance ticket, verify the number of sites you would like to visit, and based on that, purchase either the partial or the full ticket.

Restrictions:

• Walking inside the main buildings or on top of walls is not allowed.