Cusco is not only the gateway to Machu Picchu; it is also a museum city that is home to some of Peru’s best cultural spaces. From pre-Columbian art collections dating back more than 3,000 years to contemporary art galleries, the former Inca capital offers a fascinating journey through Andean history and culture. In this guide, you’ll find the most important museums in Cusco with up-to-date information on opening hours, prices, and what to see in each one.
Pre-Columbian Art Museum (MAP)
The Pre-Columbian Art Museum is the first and only museum in Peru dedicated exclusively to the art of civilizations that existed before the arrival of the Spanish. Located in the historic 16th-century Casa Cabrera, this cultural space displays more than 450 masterpieces dating from 1250 B.C. to 1532 A.D., representing cultures such as Chavín, Nazca, Moche, Wari, and Inca.
The collection includes exceptionally crafted gold and silver jewelry, finely decorated ceramics, wooden sculptures, and textiles that demonstrate the high level of artistic sophistication of ancient Peruvian civilizations. The exhibition is organized into 11 thematic rooms that allow visitors to understand the evolution of pre-Columbian art across different periods and cultures.
Location
Plaza de las Nazarenas 231, a 5-minute walk from Cusco’s Plaza de Armas.
Opening hours
Daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Entrance fee
Foreign adults: 20 Peruvian soles (approximately 5 USD). Foreign students: 10 Peruvian soles.
Tourist Ticket
Not included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket. Admission must be purchased separately.
Recommended visit time
Between 1.5 and 2 hours to visit all the rooms at a relaxed pace.
What makes this museum special
The museum design is of international level, and the pieces are exceptionally well preserved and illuminated. In addition, the colonial building that houses it was originally a school for Inca nobility before becoming Casa Cabrera. The museum features MAP Café in its central courtyard, considered one of the best fine-dining restaurants in Cusco.
Inka Museum (Casa Garcilaso)
The Inka Museum holds the most complete collection of artifacts from the Inca Empire in all of Peru. Located in the Casa del Almirante, an elegant 17th-century colonial mansion built atop Inca walls, this museum is administered by the National University of San Antonio Abad del Cusco.
The exhibition includes Inca textiles showcasing weaving techniques still practiced in Andean communities, ceramics from different periods, precious metals, farming tools, weapons of war, and the world’s largest collection of queros (Inca ceremonial vessels). It also displays mummies, trepanned skulls that show advanced medical knowledge, and dioramas that recreate scenes of daily life during the Inca Empire.
Location
Cuesta del Almirante 103, just a few steps from Cusco’s Plaza de Armas.
Opening hours
Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
Entrance fee
Foreign adults: 10 Peruvian soles (approximately 3 USD). Foreign students: 5 Peruvian soles.
Tourist Ticket
Not included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket. Admission must be purchased separately.
Recommended visit time
Between 1.5 and 2 hours to fully appreciate the collection.
What makes this museum special
This museum is essential for understanding Inca culture before visiting archaeological sites such as Sacsayhuamán or Machu Picchu. The collection covers both the peak of the Inca Empire and the pre-Inca cultures that inhabited the region (Chavín, Paracas, Nazca, Wari, Chimú). The colonial building itself is an architectural gem, with a Mudéjar-style courtyard surrounded by semicircular arches and a stone-carved coat of arms.
Machu Picchu Museum – Casa Concha
This museum exhibits 360 archaeological pieces found at Machu Picchu by American explorer Hiram Bingham during his 1912 excavations. These artifacts were taken to Yale University and returned to Peru in 2011 after nearly a century of negotiations. It is the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to the Machu Picchu citadel.
The exhibition includes ceramics, stone objects, metals, tools, and an almost complete skeleton found during the excavations. The museum combines modern technology with ancient history, offering augmented reality, interactive videos, historical photographs of the discovery, and scale models of the citadel that help visitors understand its architectural layout.
Location
Calle Santa Catalina Ancha 320, in Cusco’s historic center.
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
Entrance fee
Foreign adults: 20 Peruvian soles (approximately 5 USD). Peruvian nationals: 10 Peruvian soles.
Tourist Ticket
Not included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket. Admission must be purchased separately.
Recommended visit time
Between 1 and 1.5 hours for the full tour.
What makes this museum unique
The interactive technology and audiovisual resources make the visit both educational and entertaining. It is recommended to visit this museum before going to Machu Picchu to gain historical and archaeological context that will enrich your experience at the citadel. The museum’s 11 rooms explain the entire research process carried out by Bingham and the historical importance of the site.
Contemporary Art Museum
Founded in 1995 thanks to the donation of 100 national and international artworks by the then mayor of Cusco, this museum is located inside the Municipal Palace on Plaza Regocijo, just one block from the Plaza de Armas.
The museum exhibits works by renowned contemporary Peruvian artists such as Hilario Mendívil (famous for his religious sculptures with elongated necks inspired by llamas and alpacas), Edilberto Mérida, Antonio Olave, and other 20th- and 21st-century creators. It has two exhibition rooms where temporary and traveling exhibits are presented, keeping the cultural offering dynamic.
Location
Municipal Palace, Plaza Regocijo (Plazoleta de Regocijo), in front of the main fountain.
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
Entrance fee
Included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket, Circuit 2 (approximately 70 Peruvian soles).
Tourist Ticket
Yes, it is included in Tourist Ticket Circuit 2, which also grants access to other archaeological sites and museums.
Recommended visit time
Between 30 minutes and 1 hour, depending on the temporary exhibitions.
Why this museum is important
It is one of the few spaces in Cusco dedicated to contemporary Peruvian art. It lets you see how today’s artists interpret and keep Andean artistic traditions alive using modern techniques. The Municipal Palace is built on the foundations of the ancient palace of Inca Roca.
Qorikancha (Site Museum)
Qorikancha, which means “Golden Enclosure” in Quechua, was the most important temple of the Inca Empire, dedicated to the worship of the Sun god (Inti). After the Spanish conquest, the Dominicans built the Santo Domingo Convent over the Inca walls, creating an impressive fusion of Inca and colonial architecture.
The site museum displays archaeological pieces found on-site and explains the history of the temple, its religious function during the Inca Empire, and its transformation during the colonial period. The perfectly fitted Inca stone walls contrast with the Spanish Baroque architecture, showcasing two historical periods in a single space.
Location
Avenida El Sol (main entrance) / Calle Ahuacpinta 609 (site museum entrance), in downtown Cusco.
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Entrance fee
15 Peruvian soles (approximately 4 USD).
Tourist Ticket
Included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket. If you have this ticket, you do not need to pay an additional entrance fee.
Recommended visit time
Between 1 and 1.5 hours to visit the museum, the gardens, and the Inca structures.
What makes this museum special
Qorikancha is unique because it allows you to see original Inca architecture right in the middle of the city. According to chronicles, the temple walls were covered with sheets of gold and the garden featured life-size gold sculptures of llamas, plants, and even people. Although the gold was looted during the conquest, the precision of Inca stonework remains impressive. From Qorikancha, you also get panoramic views of the city.
Religious Art Museum (Archbishop’s Palace)
Located in the 18th-century Archbishop’s Palace, this museum holds one of the most important collections of colonial religious art in South America. The building itself is a work of art, with cedar-carved ceilings, unique stained-glass windows designed especially for the palace, and richly decorated walls.
The collection includes the famous 12 Corpus Christi canvases, masterpieces of the Cusco School of painting that depict religious processions with both Inca and Spanish characters. It also houses the Golden Room, the Zodiac Room, and the Orchard Room, each with paintings and sculptures of great historical and artistic value.
Location
Calle Herrajes 38, next to Cusco Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas.
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
Entrance fee
Approximately 25 Peruvian soles (8 USD or 8 EUR).
Tourist Ticket
Not included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket. Admission must be purchased separately.
Recommended visit time
Approximately 1 hour to visit all the rooms.
What makes this museum special
The Cusco School of painting was a unique artistic movement that blended European Renaissance and Baroque techniques with Andean symbolic elements. This museum holds the finest pieces of this style, including works by Marcos Zapata and other colonial masters. The famous painting of The Last Supper with cuy (guinea pig) instead of lamb is a perfect example of the cultural syncretism that characterizes Cusco art.
Santa Catalina Monastery Museum
This museum operates inside the Monastery of Santa Catalina, built in 1601 over the Acllawasi or “House of the Chosen Women,” an Inca compound where women lived who were dedicated to weaving for the Inca and preparing ceremonial chicha. Some original Inca columns and walls are still preserved inside the colonial building.
The museum exhibits colonial religious art from the 17th and 18th centuries, including paintings from the Cusco School, sculptures, wood carvings, and liturgical objects. It also presents an exhibition on the life of cloistered nuns throughout history, with tableware, furniture, and personal items used by the religious community.
Location
Calle Santa Catalina 401, in Cusco’s historic center.
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
Entrance fee
Approximately 25 Peruvian soles (8 USD or 8 EUR).
Tourist Ticket
Not included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket. Admission must be purchased separately.
Recommended visit time
Between 45 minutes and 1 hour.
What makes this museum special
The combination of Inca and colonial architecture within the same building makes this museum unique. Roman-style arches, colonial courtyards, and Inca walls coexist in perfect harmony. The Renaissance-style architecture from the monastery’s later stages is a testament to the cultural transition that Cusco underwent after the Spanish conquest.
