Raqchi (Temple of Wiracocha)

Raqchi (Temple of Wiracocha) tickets and tours: which one to book

Raqchi lies in the Vilcanota valley about 110 km south-east of the city of Cusco, at about 3,480 m above sea level. Entry is paid at a ticket office at the site, separately from the Cusco tourist ticket, and there is no need to book. Local women sell pottery and textiles in the village square in front of the gate. Most visitors come on one of two kinds of trip. The first is a day tour along the southern valley from Cusco, combining Raqchi with the painted colonial church of Andahuaylillas and often with the pre-Inca ruins of Pikillaqta, with lunch at a country restaurant;

transport, guide and lunch are usually included, entry tickets sometimes not. The second is the tourist bus service between Cusco and Puno, which takes most of a day and stops at Raqchi, Andahuaylillas, the La Raya pass and other sites along the way, with a guide and a buffet lunch. This is an efficient choice if you are travelling on to Lake Titicaca anyway. Independent travellers can take a local minibus from Cusco towards Sicuani and ask to be dropped at the turn-off for San Pedro, from where it is a short walk or mototaxi ride to the site. Allow plenty of time, as return connections thin out by late afternoon.

Visiting Raqchi (Temple of Wiracocha): what to see and how to behave

Raqchi was an important Inca waystation on the royal road from Cusco to Lake Titicaca, set on a ridge above the river and guarded by a defensive wall about 4 km long and a dry moat. Its centrepiece is the Temple of Wiracocha, dedicated to the creator god of Inca belief, whom legend says once called down fire on the surrounding hills here and then forgave the local people; the dark lava fields to the south are said to be the trace of that fire. The temple was a vast roofed hall, about 92 m long and 25 m wide, the largest of its kind known in the Inca empire. Down its middle runs a single wall, still standing to a height of about 18 m: its lower part is of finely fitted Inca stonework, and the upper part is of adobe, protected today by a small modern roof.

On each side stood a row of eleven round columns, some of them rebuilt, which supported an enormous sloping roof. The doorways are set so that worshippers had to weave between the columns on their way through the building, a zigzag route that may have had ritual meaning. Beyond the temple, look for the rows of about 220 round stone storehouses on the hillside, used for grain and supplies, the residential compounds arranged around courtyards, and the fountains and baths fed by a spring. Walk slowly, as the altitude is high, keep to marked paths and do not climb on the walls. Respect the residents of the village, and ask before photographing people.

Raqchi (Temple of Wiracocha): opening hours, ceremonies and the best time to go

The site is open daily from early morning until late afternoon, roughly 7 am to 5 pm; check locally for current hours. Mornings tend to be clear and calm, while strong winds and clouds often build in the afternoon. Tour buses heading for Puno arrive mainly around the middle of the day, so an early visit or a late afternoon one is quieter. The dry season from May to September brings sunny days and very cold nights, and is the best time to travel in the southern valleys.

From December to March the rains turn the valley green but make roads slower. A regional folk festival with music and dance from communities across the Cusco region is traditionally held at Raqchi in June, close to the Inti Raymi season, and draws large local crowds; ask in Cusco for the dates. Allow one to two hours at the site. Combine it with the church of Andahuaylillas, the ruins of Pikillaqta and Tipon, and the hot springs or the rainbow-coloured hills further south.