If you are wondering what to buy in Cusco without falling for fake alpaca or overpaying, here are real prices in soles, the markets with their opening hours and a route you can combine with an excursion. With the Tour Místico Cusco from $20 USD by Turismo Liberty, hotel pickup is between 9:40 and 10:00 AM, so you have the early morning free for San Pedro Market, which opens at 6:30 AM.
A genuine souvenir costs very different amounts depending on where you buy it: a simple wool sweater can be S/ 25 at the market, while a real baby alpaca garment starts in the hundreds of soles. This guide shows what each item costs, how to recognize real fiber, which markets are worth your time and what to bring. If you would rather book right away, message us on WhatsApp and we will confirm the departure.
🗺️ What to buy in Cusco without missing your tour: times, prices and departures
The most common mistake is mixing shopping and sightseeing without checking the clock: markets have closing hours, and full-day tours get back late. This table lists the three Turismo Liberty tours from Cusco with the details that matter for planning your day.
| Tour | Price | Pickup | Back in Cusco | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour Místico Cusco | from $20 USD | 9:40–10:00 AM | Near the Plaza de Armas | Not included |
| Rainbow Mountain (Montaña de 7 Colores) | from $39 USD | 4:30–4:45 AM | ≈ 4:30 PM | Breakfast and lunch |
| Laguna Humantay | from $39 USD | 4:30–4:45 AM | ≈ 6:00 PM | Breakfast and lunch |
San Pedro Market closes at 6:00 PM from Monday to Saturday, according to a guide by Explorandes published in July. If you get back from Laguna Humantay around that time, the market will be closed, so do your shopping the day before. With the Tour Místico Cusco that is not a problem, because you set off mid-morning.
✅ What is included in the Tour Místico Cusco
- Tourist transport
- Pickup from your hotel in Cusco
- Professional guide
- Permanent assistance
❌ What is NOT included
- Food
- Entrance to the Morada de los Dioses: S/ 15 foreigners · S/ 10 Peruvians
- Entrance to the Valle de los Duendes: S/ 5
- Entrance to the Huasao Wetland and the Bosque de los Ents: S/ 6
The route visits four places near the city: the Morada de los Dioses, the Valle de los Duendes, the Huasao Wetland and the Bosque de los Ents, in San José de Turpo. The fitness level is easy, the maximum altitude is 3,399 meters above sea level and groups have up to 18 people.
🛍️ 8 souvenirs worth buying (and one to double-check)
Cusco gathers crafts from across the region, from the high plateau to the Sacred Valley. These are the souvenirs travelers look for most, with what to know about each.
- Alpaca clothing: sweaters, scarves and gloves. The most popular item and the one with the most imitations.
- Chullos and ponchos: Andean hats and wool ponchos, inexpensive at San Pedro Market.
- Hand-woven textiles: cushion covers, blankets and table runners, good at the Centro Artesanal Cusco.
- Silver jewelry: earrings and necklaces, mostly in boutiques near the Plaza de Armas.
- Paintings and sculptures: San Blas is the artisans’ district.
- Ceramics: figures and utensils inspired by Andean cosmology.
- Cusco chocolate and coffee: light, easy to pack and good for gifts.
- Keychains and magnets: the budget souvenir when you need many gifts at once.
🐑 Real vs. fake alpaca: 4 checks before you pay
You will see “100% baby alpaca” tags everywhere in Cusco, including on acrylic garments, as Fodor’s warns. No single check is foolproof, but together they protect you:
- Look at the price. Fodor’s says a genuine baby alpaca sweater costs more than S/ 200. A shopping guide puts those in reputable shops at S/ 280 to S/ 350. A “baby alpaca” garment at S/ 40 is not baby alpaca.
- Touch it. Real alpaca feels cool against the skin; acrylic feels warmer.
- Ask for the composition. An honest seller explains it clearly. If they change the subject or dodge, it is probably a blend.
- Choose the place carefully. Buy fine pieces at established boutiques, Chinchero cooperatives or the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco, a non-profit association founded in 1996.
💰 Real prices in soles: what each souvenir costs
These ranges come from travel guides (Fodor’s and Lorenzigo) and move with the season and with bargaining. Use them as a reference, not a fixed rate.
| Item | Where | Reference range |
|---|---|---|
| Simple wool sweater | San Pedro Market | from S/ 25 |
| Poncho | San Pedro Market | from about S/ 35 |
| Hat | San Pedro Market | about S/ 10 |
| Keychains and magnets | Centro Artesanal Cusco | S/ 5–10 |
| Woven cushion covers | Centro Artesanal Cusco | S/ 35–60 |
| Mid-size textile | Centro Artesanal Cusco | S/ 80–150 |
| Silver earrings | Plaza de Armas boutiques | S/ 90–150 |
| Silver necklaces | Plaza de Armas boutiques | S/ 220–400 |
| Genuine baby alpaca sweater | Trusted shops | over S/ 200 (S/ 280–350 in boutiques) |
| Fine alpaca coats | Trusted shops | from about S/ 600 |
To bargain at San Pedro Market, ask the price, pause, and offer around 30% less before settling somewhere in the middle. Explorandes advises not pushing too hard and asking for a small discount when you buy several pieces. Fixed-price shops have less room to negotiate.
📍 Where to shop in Cusco: San Pedro, San Blas and more
The four main spots are in the historic center or along Avenida El Sol, within easy reach of the Plaza de Armas. Each one is good for something different:
| Place | What you find | Best for | Useful detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Pedro Market | Hats, ponchos, simple knits, coffee | Cheap gifts | ~5 blocks from the Plaza de Armas; opens 6:30 AM |
| Centro Artesanal Cusco | ~340 stalls: keychains, cushion covers, textiles | Souvenirs in bulk | Municipal market at Av. El Sol and Av. Tullumayo; prices negotiable |
| Centro de Textiles Tradicionales | Textiles by weavers from the region | Authentic pieces | Av. El Sol 603; also has a textile center in Chinchero |
| San Blas | Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, jewelry | Artist-made pieces | Craft fair on Saturdays in front of the church |
🧭 One-day shopping route, combined with the tour
This route uses each place’s published hours and the Tour Místico Cusco pickup time:
- From 6:30 AM — San Pedro Market. Compare three stalls before buying hats, ponchos and simple knits, and bargain calmly.
- 9:40–10:00 AM — Hotel pickup for the Tour Místico Cusco: Morada de los Dioses, Valle de los Duendes, Huasao Wetland and Bosque de los Ents.
- When you are back — The tour drops you near the Plaza de Armas. Walk along Avenida El Sol to the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales (no. 603), about 10 minutes on foot from the plaza.
- Further south, along the same avenue — Centro Artesanal Cusco, for keychains, cushion covers and mid-size textiles.
- Last stop — San Blas: paintings, ceramics and artist-made jewelry. If it is Saturday, do not miss the craft fair.
- If you have one more day — Chinchero, in the Sacred Valley, where the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales has a textile center.
If you are staying longer, browse all our tours in Cusco or the Peru tour packages to build the full trip.
🌤️ When to go shopping: days and hours worth knowing
Market hours change by day. Confirm them when you arrive, because they can vary.
| Day or moment | What happens | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | San Pedro Market: 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM | Go early to compare without rushing |
| Sunday | San Pedro Market: 6:30 AM to 4:00 PM | Do your shopping in the morning |
| Saturday | Craft fair in San Blas, in front of the church | Good for paintings and artist-made pieces |
| March to November | Best season for our tours | Book in advance in high season |
🎒 What to bring for shopping and sightseeing in Cusco
The Tour Místico Cusco reaches 3,399 meters above sea level and is easy, but walking between markets is more tiring than it looks at that altitude.
- Cash in soles, in small bills, for entrance fees and markets
- Warm clothes, and a rain poncho in the rainy season
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Water for the tour
- A cloth bag or light backpack for your purchases
❓ FAQ: what to buy in Cusco
The most popular souvenirs in Cusco are alpaca clothing (sweaters, scarves and gloves), chullo hats and ponchos, hand-woven textiles such as cushion covers and blankets, silver jewelry, paintings and sculptures from San Blas, ceramics, Cusco chocolate and coffee. For cheap gifts, San Pedro Market and the Centro Artesanal Cusco have keychains, hats and simple knits at low prices. For finer pieces, head to a trusted shop or to the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco at Avenida El Sol 603, which sells textiles made by weavers from the region. Be wary of anything labeled “baby alpaca” at a very low price, because it is often an acrylic blend. If you want to fit shopping around an excursion, the Tour Místico Cusco from Turismo Liberty runs daily from $20 USD, and its pickup is at 9:40 AM, which leaves the early morning free for the market.
It depends on the place and the fiber. At San Pedro Market a simple wool sweater starts around S/ 25, but that is not baby alpaca. According to Fodor’s, a genuine baby alpaca sweater costs more than S/ 200, and another travel guide puts the ones in reputable shops near the Plaza de Armas at S/ 280 to S/ 350, with fine coats going past S/ 600. If a sweater labeled “100% baby alpaca” costs S/ 40, it is almost certainly acrylic. These are reference ranges that move with the season and with bargaining. Pay in soles, compare at least three stalls before deciding, and always ask what the garment is made of. If you want to plan your shopping around an excursion from Cusco, such as the Tour Místico Cusco from Turismo Liberty at $20 USD, message us on WhatsApp and we will confirm times and availability for your date.
There is no foolproof test, but four checks help. First, the price: genuine baby alpaca rarely costs less than S/ 200 for a sweater. Second, the touch: real alpaca feels cool against your skin, while acrylic feels warmer. Third, the label: ask what percentage of alpaca the garment contains, and be suspicious if the seller changes the subject or answers vaguely. Fourth, the place: buy fine pieces at established boutiques, at Chinchero cooperatives or at the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco, a non-profit association founded in 1996 that works with weavers. Fodor’s warns that false “100% baby alpaca” labels are common around Cusco, so do not rely on the tag alone. If you are unsure, buy the cheap garment for what it probably is: simple wool or a blend, at market prices, rather than paying a baby alpaca price for a piece you cannot verify.
The four most useful places are San Pedro Market, the Centro Artesanal Cusco, the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco and the San Blas neighborhood. San Pedro Market, about five blocks from the Plaza de Armas, opens Monday to Saturday from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM and on Sundays from 6:30 AM to 4:00 PM, according to a July guide by Explorandes; confirm the hours when you arrive, because they can change. The Centro Artesanal Cusco is a municipal market with around 340 stalls on Avenida El Sol, and the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales is at Avenida El Sol 603. San Blas, the artisans’ district, holds a craft fair on Saturdays in the small square in front of the church. All of them are in central Cusco, within easy reach of the Plaza de Armas, where the Tour Místico Cusco from Turismo Liberty ends. It runs daily from $20 USD.
The Tour Místico Cusco from Turismo Liberty costs from $20 USD per adult. The price includes tourist transport, pickup from your hotel in Cusco, a professional guide and permanent assistance during the tour. It does not include food or entrance fees, which are paid in cash in soles: the Morada de los Dioses costs S/ 15 for foreigners and S/ 10 for Peruvians, the Valle de los Duendes costs S/ 5, and the Huasao Wetland together with the Bosque de los Ents costs S/ 6. Children under 5 do not pay if they sit on an adult’s lap; if they want their own seat, they pay the regular fare. The tour has daily departures and flexible booking subject to availability, so the easiest way to confirm your spot is to message us on WhatsApp with your date and the number of travelers.
The Tour Místico Cusco includes tourist transport, pickup from your hotel in Cusco, a professional guide and permanent assistance. The route visits four places near the city: the Morada de los Dioses, the Valle de los Duendes, the Huasao Wetland and the Bosque de los Ents, in San José de Turpo, with sculptures carved in stone and wood that blend into the landscape. It does not include food or the entrance fees to the sites, which are paid in soles on the same day. The tour is easy, the maximum altitude is 3,399 meters above sea level, and each group has up to 18 people. When it ends, Turismo Liberty drops you near the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, from where you can walk to San Blas or Avenida El Sol to keep shopping. Bring warm clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses and water.
The Tour Místico Cusco from Turismo Liberty departs from Cusco: we pick up passengers at their hotels between 9:40 and 10:00 AM and, after about a 20-minute drive, reach the first stop with a professional guide. When the tour ends, we drop you near the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. It has daily departures, and the best season is March to November, according to the tour page. Because pickup is mid-morning, you can visit San Pedro Market first, which opens at 6:30 AM, and leave San Blas and the Centro Artesanal for later. The tour page does not set a return time, so ask for it on WhatsApp if you want to plan your afternoon shopping. The Rainbow Mountain (Montaña de 7 Colores) and Laguna Humantay tours, by contrast, pick you up at 4:30 AM.
Knowing what to buy in Cusco comes down to comparing price, label and place: cheap things at San Pedro, the fine piece in a trusted shop and the rest of the day on an excursion. With the Tour Místico Cusco from $20 USD you have a simple way to build that plan. Message us on WhatsApp with your date and we will send availability and the itinerary.
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