The walled complex of Sacsayhuaman is made of large polished dry-stone walls, with each boulder carefully cut to fit together tightly without mortar. It is frequently referred to as a fortress because of its immense walls and its location on a steep hill overlooking the city of Cusco. The 3 massive terrace walls in the plaza used stones which are among the largest used in any building in prehispanic America. The stones are so closely spaced that a single piece of paper will not fit between many of the stones. Early accounts of Cusco indicate that Sacsayhuaman also included a Sun Temple, which suggests that the complex was the focus of ritual activities as well.

Today, Sacsayhuaman, which has been added as part of the city of Cusco to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983, is the site of an annual Inca festival called Inti Raymi which celebrates winter solstice.