Tipón

Tipón is an Inca archaeological park in the South Valley of Cusco, about 23 km southeast of the city, famous for its terraces watered by channels, fountains and waterfalls that are still working today. It’s one of the finest examples of Andean hydraulic engineering and, for many people, the most underrated Inca site in the region. Admission is included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket, and the town of Tipón, at the foot of the site, is famous for its oven-roasted guinea pig (cuy al horno).

What is Tipón?

Tipón was a farming, ceremonial and leisure estate for the Inca nobility. Its main construction is dated to the 15th century, in the time of Pachacútec or Túpac Inca Yupanqui, although the area had been inhabited long before that. What makes it unique is the water: a spring feeds a system of channels that distributes irrigation across the terraces and empties into stone fountains with a constant flow.

In 2006, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) added Tipón to its international list of historic civil engineering landmarks. It was declared a National Archaeological Park of Peru in 1984.

Where is Tipón and what is its elevation?

It’s in the province of Quispicanchi, in the district of Oropesa, on the hillside that rises above the town of Tipón, next to the road from Cusco to Urcos. The park covers some 239 hectares on a slope between two ravines.

Tipón’s elevation varies a lot within the park. The 13 main terraces are at around 3,400 m, slightly higher than the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, while the highest point, Cruzmoqo, reaches about 3,960 m. The usual visit stays in the area of the terraces and fountains.

What to see at Tipón

The main terraces

There are 13 large terraces at the center of the park, with walls of fine stonework and staircases. The lower ones are irrigated with water from the spring and the upper ones with a channel that brings water from the river. According to the ASCE, they were built over a filled-in ravine and have underground drainage, and their design helped retain the day’s heat against the nighttime frosts.

The main fountain and the channels

The heart of the site is the ceremonial fountain, where the spring water splits into several streams that fall onto carved stone. From there, stone channels run across the terraces with vertical drops of several meters, designed not to splash. Notice how they branch off to divide the flow: it’s pure engineering, and it still works.

Tip: climb the staircases on the side where the channels run and listen to the water. In the dry season, when the rest of the valley has turned yellow, the contrast with the green terraces shows exactly what the whole system was for.

Intiwatana, Cruzmoqo and other sectors

• Intiwatana: a rocky outcrop at around 3,525 m, used to observe the solstices and equinoxes.
• Cruzmoqo: the highest point in the park, home to most of the site’s rocks with petroglyphs. It requires a long, steep hike.
• Sinkunakancha and Pukara: sectors of dwellings and enclosures near the outer wall.
• The outer wall: a wall several kilometers long that surrounds the complex.

How to get to Tipón from Cusco

• By taxi: about 40 minutes along the road to Urcos. It’s the most comfortable way, because the site sits high up, far from the main road.
• By colectivo: the ones bound for Urcos leave from Avenida de la Cultura, across from the university. Get off at the Tipón turnoff and go up to the site by local taxi or on foot along the mountain road; walking, it’s a long climb.
• On a tour: agencies in Cusco include it in the half-day trip through the South Valley, along with Pikillacta and Andahuaylillas.

If you’re going by colectivo, combine Tipón with Pikillacta, a few kilometers farther along the same road, and finish in Andahuaylillas.

Tipón entrance fee

Tipón is included in Circuit II of the Cusco Tourist Ticket. There’s no individual ticket.

Ticket	What it includes	Valid for	Foreigner	Peruvian or resident
City and South Valley partial ticket (Circuit II)	Tipón, Pikillacta and six museums and venues in Cusco	Foreigners: 2 days. Nationals: 1 day	S/ 70	S/ 40
Full ticket	16 sites in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the South Valley	10 days	S/ 130	S/ 70

Fares checked on October 23, 2026. Confirm them on the official channel before you buy.

If you’re also going to Sacsayhuamán or the Sacred Valley, the full ticket works out cheaper than two partial tickets. You can buy it at the Tipón ticket office or at the Cosituc counter on Avenida El Sol, in Cusco.

The guinea pig of Tipón

The town of Tipón is the go-to place for oven-roasted guinea pig in Cusco. The town’s country restaurants (quintas) serve it stuffed with herbs and with potatoes on the side, and many Cusco families come out to eat it on weekends. A whole guinea pig is enough for two people. Right next door, in Oropesa, Peru’s National Bread Capital, you can buy freshly baked pan chuta. More dishes in our guide to traditional Cusco food.

How much time to spend and when to go

Allow an hour and a half to two hours for the terraces, the main fountain and the channels. If you want to climb up to Cruzmoqo, add several hours of hiking.

You can visit Tipón year-round. From May to September the skies are clear and the contrast between the green terraces and the dry hillsides is sharper; from December to March the channels carry more water, but it often rains in the afternoon. Check our guide to Cusco weather before you go.

Important: the route has lots of stairs and sits higher than Cusco. Save it for after your first day of acclimatization, and read our guide to altitude sickness if you’re arriving straight from the coast.

Tips for visiting Tipón

• Go in the morning: there are fewer people, and you’ll have the afternoon free for Pikillacta and Andahuaylillas.
• Bring water, sunscreen and a hat; there’s almost no shade between the terraces.
• Wear shoes with good soles: the stone staircases are uneven.
• Don’t put your hands or feet in the channels: the system is a heritage site and it’s still in use.
• If you’re going by taxi, agree on the waiting time and the ride back before you go up: there isn’t always transportation at the top.

Next step

If you’re interested in Inca water engineering, compare Tipón with the fountains at Tambomachay, on the outskirts of Cusco, and with the terraces at Pisac in the Sacred Valley.

Tipón is the logical first stop in the South Valley of Cusco. If you have five days or more in the city, fit that half day into your Cusco itinerary.