Pachacamac is the great pre-Hispanic sanctuary of Peru’s coast: a sacred city of adobe temples and pyramids beside the Pacific in the Lurín district, south of Lima. For more than 1,200 years it was home to an oracle that drew pilgrims from across the Andes, and it was occupied in turn by the Lima, Wari, Ychsma and Inca cultures. Today it makes an easy half day from Miraflores or Barranco: it opens Tuesday to Sunday, general admission is S/15 (about US$4, the same for Peruvians and foreigners) and includes the site museum, home of the wooden Pachacamac idol. This guide covers hours, prices, what to see and how to fit it into a Peru trip.
- S/15general admission, the same price for Peruvians and foreigners.
- 1,200+ yearsas the seat of an oracle, according to Peru’s Ministry of Culture.
- Km 31.5on the old Panamericana Sur highway, in Lurín.
Pachacamac hours and tickets (2026)
| Day | Hours | Last ticket sale |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday to Saturday | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm | 4:30 pm |
| Sunday | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | 3:30 pm |
| Monday | Closed (the site only lists Tuesday to Sunday hours) | |
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| General (Peruvians and foreigners) | S/15 (≈US$4) |
| Accredited university student | S/5 |
| Children and teens aged 3–17 | S/1 |
| Over 60, teachers, people with disabilities | S/7.50 (50% off) |
| Pilgrims’ Route (guided only) | S/20 |
| Official guide (groups of 15–20, ≈1.5 h) | S/50 per group |
Official visitor page of the Pachacamac Sanctuary (Ministry of Culture), checked on October 5, 2026. Another Ministry page lists school-age children as free; confirm at the ticket office. Dollar figures are approximate.
Free Sunday: under Law 30599, entry is free on the first Sunday of every month for Peruvians and foreign residents. It is busier, and guided tours are not offered that day.
A short history
| Period (approx.) | Culture | What it left |
|---|---|---|
| AD 200–600 | Lima | The Old Temple, the oldest in the sanctuary |
| AD 600–1100 | Wari | The wooden idol dates from this time (AD 760–876) |
| AD 1100–1470 | Ychsma | The pyramids with ramps |
| AD 1470–1533 | Inca | The Temple of the Sun and the Acllawasi |
Approximate dates according to Peru’s Ministry of Culture.
In January 1533 Hernando Pizarro reached the sanctuary, and with the Spanish conquest the oracle fell silent. In 2014 Pachacamac became part of the Qhapaq Ñan, the Andean road system listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, through the Xauxa–Pachacamac section. In 2023, Peru’s Law 31819 declared its conservation a matter of national interest.
What to see at Pachacamac
- Site museum: opened on February 15, 2016, with about 270 objects in 1,000 m² (10,800 sq ft) of galleries. Its star piece is the Pachacamac idol. See it before you walk the site.
- The Pachacamac idol: a carved wooden post found in 1938 in the Painted Temple. A study published in PLOS ONE in 2020 dated it to AD 760–876 and found traces of red cinnabar pigment; its authors suggest it may be the original the Spanish saw.
- Painted Temple: the oracle’s temple, with traces of mural painting. Next to it, in 2023, a team from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru found 73 Wari burials, some with “false heads.”
- Temple of the Sun: the largest Inca building in the sanctuary, on top of the hill, looking out to the ocean.
- Acllawasi: the house of the chosen women in Inca times.
- Pyramids with ramps: more than a dozen Ychsma buildings with access ramps.
The sanctuary is large and there is little shade along the route. In April 2026 Peru’s government announced more than S/2 million to improve paths, shade covers and signs; the site gets about 250,000 visitors a year.
How to get there from Miraflores or Barranco
- On a tour, with BarrancoOur Pachacamac tour picks you up at your hotel, visits Barranco (the main square, Bajada de los Baños and the Bridge of Sighs) and Chorrillos, then does a guided visit of the sanctuary and the museum. Admission is included.
- By taxi or carThe sanctuary is at Km 31.5 of the old Panamericana Sur. From Miraflores the drive usually takes about an hour, depending on traffic. Agree on waiting time or a pickup time with your driver before you get out.
- By public transportPossible, with changes toward Lurín. Ask to be dropped at “las ruinas,” not in the town of Pachacamac, which is farther on. Check the route on the day.
When to go
You can visit year-round. From June to August, Lima’s winter brings gray skies and a fine drizzle called garúa, with highs around 19 °C (66 °F): pleasant for walking, but photos come out gray. Cloud cover starts to thin from late September, and in summer the sun is strong, so bring a hat, sunscreen and water. Go early in the morning on a weekday, and skip the first Sunday of the month if you want it quiet.
Pachacamac on a Peru and Inca Trail trip
Many Peru itineraries include a day in Lima before the flight to Cusco, and Pachacamac fits that day well: it is the best way to see, right in Lima, a sanctuary on the same scale as those in the Andes. Pair it with a Lima city tour or a night tour. Then, in Cusco, the contrast is striking: from coastal adobe temples to the stonework of the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. For how many days to plan and how to time your flights, see planning the Inca Trail from the USA.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to visit Pachacamac?
When is Pachacamac open?
Is the museum included in the ticket?
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About the author
Raquel Sánchez co-founded Terra Quechua Peru in Cusco in 2012 together with Edwin Medina, both with extensive trekking experience. She writes our Inca Trail guides from the day-to-day work of securing permits and organizing every departure with our guides, cooks and porters.