The Qorikancha Site Museum is located in the basements of the Santo Domingo Convent, built over the foundations of the ancient Inca Temple of the Sun. This space exhibits archaeological pieces found during excavations in Qorikancha and the surrounding area, showcasing objects that illustrate ceremonial and everyday life in pre-Hispanic Cusco.
The collection includes Inca pottery, textiles, tools, mummies, and human remains that help visitors better understand how this important religious center functioned. The museum complements the visit to the temple itself by offering context about the archaeological findings at the site.
What Is the Qorikancha Site Museum?
The Qorikancha Site Museum is an archaeological space that displays objects recovered during excavations carried out in the Qorikancha complex since the mid-20th century. It is located on the underground level of the Santo Domingo Convent, directly beneath the main cloister.
The museum opened in its current format after restoration and adaptation work carried out in the 1990s. Unlike other museums in Cusco that gather pieces from various sites, this one specializes in material from Qorikancha and its immediate area of influence.
The rooms are organized thematically, showing different aspects of life in Inca Cusco: ceremonial pottery, religious offerings, work tools, textiles, and human remains that reveal funerary practices. There are also scale models that reconstruct how Qorikancha looked before the Spanish arrival.
Lighting is kept low to preserve textiles and organic pieces. Display cases include explanatory labels in Spanish and English, although the information is fairly basic. A full visit takes between 30 and 45 minutes.
The museum is part of the visit circuit of the Santo Domingo Convent but has an independent entrance from the street. There are no audio guides available, although you can hire private guides at the convent entrance.
Opening Hours and Entrance Fees for the Qorikancha Museum
Opening hours:
- Monday to Saturday: 8:00 am – 5:30 pm
- Sundays and holidays: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
The museum is closed on Sunday mornings due to the masses held at the Santo Domingo Convent. During Holy Week and some important religious festivities, hours may vary.
Entrance fees (2026):
- General admission: 15 soles (approximately USD 4)
- Students with valid university ID: 8 soles
- Children under 10 years old: free entry
The museum ticket is separate from the entrance to the Santo Domingo Convent and the Qorikancha Temple. If you want to visit both spaces, you need to pay for two separate tickets:
- Santo Domingo Convent + Qorikancha Temple: 15 soles
- Qorikancha Site Museum: 15 soles
- Total for both: 30 soles
There is a combined ticket that includes the museum and the convent for 25 soles, but not all ticket offices offer it. Ask about it when buying your ticket.
Payment is in cash (soles). Credit cards and US dollars are not accepted. There is a Banco de la Nación ATM half a block away, on El Sol Avenue.
The general Cusco Tourist Ticket does not include the Qorikancha Museum or the Santo Domingo Convent. They are completely separate entrances.
Where Is the Qorikancha Museum and How to Get There
Exact address:
Plazoleta Santo Domingo s/n (or El Sol Avenue at the corner with Santo Domingo Street), Cusco
The museum is in the heart of the historic center, 4 blocks from the Plaza de Armas walking along El Sol Avenue heading south. The Santo Domingo Convent building is unmistakable thanks to its colonial architecture and dome, visible from various points in the city.
Landmarks to help you find it:
- In front of the Óvalo del Sol (roundabout with the Inca Fountain)
- Half a block from the Regional Hospital of Cusco
- Diagonal from Wanchaq train station
How to get there:
On foot from the Plaza de Armas: Walk along Mantas Street (next to the Cathedral) or Loreto Street. Both lead to El Sol Avenue. Turn left and walk 2 blocks. The walk takes about 8–10 minutes.
By taxi: From anywhere in downtown Cusco, a taxi costs between 5 and 8 soles. Tell the driver “Qorikancha” or “Santo Domingo” – everyone knows the place.
By public transportation: Buses that run along El Sol Avenue pass right in front of Qorikancha. However, for visitors it is usually easier to walk or take a taxi, since the local bus system can be confusing.
Entrances:
The museum has its own entrance on Santo Domingo Street (on the side of the convent), identified by a small sign. It is different from the main entrance of the Santo Domingo Convent, which is on El Sol Avenue. If you only want to visit the museum, look for the side door. If you want to visit both spaces, enter through the convent’s main door.
What to See at the Qorikancha Site Museum
Inca Pottery Room:
Displays aríbalos (large ceremonial jars), plates, cups, and pots found during excavations at Qorikancha. These pieces show the quality of Cusco imperial Inca pottery. The geometric designs in red, black, and cream on an orange background are characteristic of the Cusco Inca style.
A collection of ceramic queros (ceremonial drinking vessels) stands out. Queros were used during rituals of reciprocity and for drinking chicha during important ceremonies.
Textiles Room:
Fragments of Inca textiles recovered from offerings and funerary contexts. The textiles show complex techniques such as tapestry, brocade, and double-faced weaving. Preservation varies due to the moisture in Cusco’s subsoil.
Some textiles feature tocapus (rectangular geometric designs that may have represented a system of writing or status symbols). The explanations about the importance of textiles in Inca society are limited on the labels.
Human Remains and Funerary Practices Room:
Mummies and skeletons found in tombs associated with Qorikancha. Bodies were buried in the fetal position, wrapped in textiles. Some skulls show intentional cranial deformation, a common practice among the Cusco elite.
There are also funerary offerings: miniature pottery, tools, dried foods, and personal objects that accompanied the deceased.
Everyday Objects Room:
Stone, metal, and bone tools used in daily activities: knives, needles, awls, tupus (pins for fastening cloaks), tweezers for hair removal, and other utensils. This room showcases life beyond the strictly ceremonial.
Models and Reconstructions:
Scale models that reconstruct Qorikancha at its peak, before Spanish destruction. They show the layout of the temples dedicated to different deities: the Sun, Moon, Stars, Lightning, and Rainbow.
The models help visitors visualize the golden garden that, according to chronicles, existed in the main courtyard, with full-size gold and silver representations of plants, animals, and people.
Historical Photographs:
Images of excavations carried out since the 1950s, documenting the process of discovering Inca walls beneath the colonial convent. There are also photos of the 1950 earthquake, which revealed Inca structures when colonial constructions were damaged.
The route does not follow a strict one-way circuit. You can move freely between the rooms. Flash photography is not allowed, and in some rooms photography is completely prohibited to protect organic materials.
History of Qorikancha and the Santo Domingo Convent
The Inca Qorikancha (13th–16th centuries):
Qorikancha means “enclosure of gold” in Quechua. It was the most important temple in the Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyo), dedicated primarily to Inti (the Sun), the main deity of the Inca state religion. The complex covered approximately 4,000 square meters in the heart of Cusco.
According to Spanish chronicles, the interior walls were covered with sheets of gold. The main courtyard had a ceremonial garden with gold and silver representations of corn, llamas, herders, and other elements. These riches were looted immediately after the Spanish conquest in 1533.
Qorikancha included temples dedicated to different deities: Inti (Sun), Quilla (Moon), Chasca (Venus), Illapa (Lightning), and K’uychi (Rainbow). Each temple had its own priests and specific ceremonies.
The surviving Inca walls display the finest masonry in the empire: andesite blocks perfectly carved and fitted without mortar. The walls are slightly inclined inward, an anti-seismic technique that has allowed them to survive centuries and several earthquakes.
The Spanish Conquest and Transformation (1534):
Francisco Pizarro granted Qorikancha to his brother Juan Pizarro as part of the division of Cusco. In 1534, Juan Pizarro donated it to the Dominican order. The Dominicans began construction of the Santo Domingo Convent over the Inca structures.
Construction of the convent involved the partial destruction of the Inca temple. Stones from Qorikancha were reused to build colonial walls. However, the Inca foundations were kept because they were structurally superior.
The Colonial Period (16th–19th centuries):
For three centuries, the Santo Domingo Convent was one of the most important religious centers in Cusco. Cloisters, the main church, side chapels, and monastic quarters were built. Inca walls remained hidden under plaster and colonial constructions.
The church housed important colonial artworks, including paintings from the Cusco School and baroque wooden altarpieces.
The 1950 Earthquake:
On May 21, 1950, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Cusco. The colonial structures of the convent suffered severe damage, while the Inca walls remained intact. This demonstrated the superiority of Inca engineering.
Reconstruction work revealed Inca walls that had been covered for centuries. Authorities decided to leave many of these structures exposed rather than covering them again.
20th-Century Restorations:
Between 1950 and 1970, archaeological excavations led by various researchers took place. These excavations uncovered offerings, tombs, and additional structures beneath the convent.
In the 1970s, further work fully exposed the Inca walls in the main courtyard. Some colonial floors were removed to reveal Inca drainage channels, which are still functional.
The site museum was formally established in the 1990s to display the findings from these excavations.
Current Situation:
Today the complex functions simultaneously as an active Dominican convent, a Catholic church in use, an Inca archaeological site, and a museum. This overlap creates a certain tension between archaeological preservation and religious function.
Qorikancha is a Cultural Heritage Site of Peru and part of the Historic Center of Cusco, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
Difference Between the Qorikancha Museum and the Qorikancha Temple
This is a common source of confusion for visitors. The site has three different spaces:
The Qorikancha Temple (Inca walls):
These are the remaining stone structures of the original Inca temple. They include the exterior walls visible from the street, the ceremonial rooms, and the main courtyard with its enclosures. These walls are integrated into the Santo Domingo Convent.
To see the Inca walls and walk through the ceremonial rooms, you pay the entrance fee to the Santo Domingo Convent (15 soles). The visit includes patios with Inca architecture, ceremonial rooms, trapezoidal niches, and water channels.
The Santo Domingo Convent (colonial construction):
This is the colonial building constructed over Qorikancha. It includes the main church, cloisters, choir, chapter room, and friars’ quarters. The visit showcases colonial architecture, paintings from the Cusco School, baroque altarpieces, and the coexistence of Inca and colonial elements.
The convent ticket (15 soles) allows you to see both the colonial structures and the Inca walls incorporated into the complex.
The Qorikancha Site Museum (underground):
This is the archaeological space in the basement where objects discovered during excavations are displayed. It is not part of the convent’s standard route. It has a separate entrance on the side street (15 soles).
The museum features pottery, textiles, mummies, tools, and scale models. It is a closed indoor space with display cases; you will not see monumental Inca walls here, but rather archaeological artifacts.
What does each ticket include?
- Convent entrance (15 soles): Qorikancha Temple + colonial architecture + patios + church
- Museum entrance (15 soles): Archaeological collections in the basement
- Combined ticket (25 soles): Both spaces
Which one should I visit?
If you are short on time and must choose, most visitors prefer the convent ticket because it allows you to see the impressive Inca walls in situ. The museum is complementary and recommended if you want to delve deeper into the archaeological finds.
Ideally, visit both spaces: first the convent to see the structures and understand the site, then the museum to learn about the objects used in those same spaces.
Tips for Visiting the Qorikancha Museum
Best time to visit:
Mornings between 8:00 am and 10:00 am are the quietest. After 11:00 am, tour groups arrive, especially between April and October (high season). Sunday afternoons tend to be less crowded.
If you plan to visit both the museum and the convent on the same day, go to the convent early in the morning and then to the museum before noon. That way, you avoid peak hours in both places.
Time needed:
- Museum only: 30–45 minutes
- Convent/temple only: 45–60 minutes
- Museum + convent: 1.5–2 hours total
There’s no need to rush. The museum is small but requires time to read the information and observe the pieces carefully.
Guides:
The museum does not have its own guides. If you want detailed explanations, hire a private guide at the convent entrance (around 30–40 soles per person in a group, or 80–100 soles for a private guide). These guides can cover both the convent and the museum if you request it.
Local guides know stories and details that are not written on the labels. It is worth hiring them if you are interested in history.
Photography:
Flash is not allowed in any room. In rooms with textiles and human remains, photography may be completely prohibited. Respect the signs. Museum staff are strict about these rules.
What to bring:
- Cash in soles for entrance fees
- Water (there is nowhere to buy inside)
- Light jacket (the basement rooms can be cool)
- Camera without flash
- Notebook if you like taking notes
What not to bring:
- Large backpacks (there is no cloakroom)
- Food or drinks (eating inside is not allowed)
- Long umbrellas or walking sticks (they could damage the displays)
Accessibility:
The museum is in a basement accessed by stairs. There is no elevator or ramp. People with reduced mobility will have difficulty accessing it. Staff may assist, but the infrastructure is not adapted.
The convent has several levels with stairs and is also not fully accessible.
Combining with other sites:
Qorikancha is close to several other points of interest:
- Pre-Columbian Art Museum (10-minute walk)
- Plaza de Armas (10 minutes)
- San Pedro Market (15 minutes)
- San Blas neighborhood (20 minutes)
You can easily plan a walking route through the historic center visiting these places on the same day.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Qorikancha Site Museum
Is the Qorikancha Museum included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket?
No. The museum and the convent have separate tickets that must be paid independently. The General Tourist Ticket covers other sites such as Sacsayhuamán, Pisac, and Ollantaytambo, but does not include Qorikancha.
Can I take photos in the museum?
Yes, but without flash. In some specific rooms (textiles and human remains), photography may be prohibited. Follow staff instructions.
How much time do I need to visit the museum?
Between 30 and 45 minutes is enough for a complete visit. If you read all the information and observe the pieces in detail, it may take up to 1 hour.
Are there guides available in the museum?
The museum has no internal guides. You can hire private guides at the convent entrance, and they can cover both the temple and the museum if requested.
Is the museum open on Sundays?
Yes, but only in the afternoon (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm). On Sunday mornings it is closed due to masses in the convent.
Can I visit only the museum without entering the convent?
Yes, they are separate spaces with different entrances. It is not mandatory to visit both, although it is recommended.
Is there a student discount?
Yes, university students with a valid ID pay 8 soles instead of 15. School students and children under 10 enter for free.
Can I buy tickets online in advance?
There is no online ticketing system for the Qorikancha Museum. Tickets are sold only at the on-site ticket offices on the day of your visit.
Are there restrooms in the museum?
Yes, there are basic restrooms inside the museum. There are also restrooms in the convent.
Can I enter with a large backpack or suitcase?
There is no cloakroom. Large backpacks are not allowed because the space is narrow and you could bump into display cases. Leave your luggage at your hotel before visiting.
Is there a café or souvenir shop?
No. The museum is a small space without additional services. There are handicraft shops and cafés on the streets around Qorikancha.
Can children enter the museum?
Yes, children of all ages are allowed. Children under 10 do not pay admission. Parents must ensure that children do not touch the display cases or run inside the museum.
Is food or drink allowed inside?
Eating and drinking inside the museum is not allowed in order to protect the archaeological pieces.
Does the museum have air conditioning or heating?
There is no artificial climate control system. The temperature is cool and stable because it is underground, generally between 12–15°C.
Can I hire a guide who speaks languages other than Spanish and English?
Most guides speak Spanish and English. For other languages (French, German, Italian, Japanese), you should arrange specialized guides in advance. Ask at your hotel or travel agency for contacts of multilingual guides.
