Machu Picchu
Aguas Calientes, Peru
Llaqta de Machupicchu
The 15th-century Inca citadel on a ridge above the Urubamba, reached by train and bus.
Checked 6 October 2026
Machu Picchu is an Inca citadel at 2,430 m above Aguas Calientes, and every visit is a timed, named ticket for one fixed circuit and route, sold officially only by Peru's Ministry of Culture at tuboleto.cultura.pe. Daily numbers are capped and the best routes (Circuit 2 and Huayna Picchu) go first, so buy your entry ticket before you book trains or hotels, and bring the passport you bought it with.
About Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a stone city built by the Incas around 1450 on a narrow saddle between two peaks, Machu Picchu (old mountain) and Huayna Picchu (young mountain), with the Urubamba river looping through the gorge far below. It is thought to have been a royal estate of Pachacuti, the emperor who turned the Inca state into an empire, and it was abandoned about a century later, around the time of the Spanish conquest.
What makes it special is how the city fits the mountain: terraces stepping down the slopes, temples and houses of fitted dry-stone walls, fountains fed by an Inca water channel, all framed by cloud forest and snow peaks. The Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows and the Temple of the Condor show Inca stonework at its finest.
The Spanish never found it, and it was known only to local farmers until the American explorer Hiram Bingham, led up the slope by a farmer from the valley, reached it in 1911 and made it famous worldwide; the road the buses climb today carries his name. Peru declared it a Historic Sanctuary in 1981, UNESCO listed it in 1983 as both a cultural and a natural site, and today it receives more than 1.5 million visitors a year.
To protect it, Peru limits the daily number of visitors and, since June 2024, sends everyone along one of three circuits split into ten one-way routes, from a gentle walk through the royal quarter to steep climbs up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. Choosing the right route is the most important decision you will make.
What to see
The classic view from the terraces
The postcard view of the city with Huayna Picchu behind it. Circuit 1 (route 1-B, upper terrace) gives the highest version; Circuit 2 gives it from the upper and lower terraces before you walk into the city. Circuit 3 only gets a lower, closer angle.
Temple of the Sun and the royal quarter
The curved tower of the Temple of the Sun, the House of the Inca, the ceremonial fountains and the Temple of the Condor. Circuit 3 walks through them; Circuit 2 sees the Temple of the Sun from a viewpoint above.
Main plaza, Sacred Rock and the quarries
The heart of the urban sector on Circuit 2: the main plaza, the Sacred Rock, the water mirrors and (on route 2-B) the quarries where the building stone was cut.
Huayna Picchu
The steep peak behind the city, route 3-A, about 2.4 km round trip with narrow Inca stairs and steel cables on the steepest parts. It has its own small quota and a fixed check-in time at the control hut with no grace period. It was closed for maintenance through June 2026.
Machu Picchu Mountain
Route 1-A: a 3.8 km round trip to the higher summit opposite Huayna Picchu, with views of the Salkantay and Pumasillo snow peaks. Hard work, but less vertigo than Huayna Picchu.
Intipunku, the Sun Gate
Route 1-C (high season only): 3.4 km round trip to the gate where the Inca Trail arrives, with a view of the city from the south-east.
Inca Bridge
Route 1-D (high season only): 2.6 km round trip along a cliff path to a bridge of stone and logs. It closed 20–25 September 2026 for emergency repairs, and ticket holders were moved to the Sun Gate route.
Great Cavern and Huchuy Picchu
High-season-only Circuit 3 routes: 3-C to the Great Cavern (Temple of the Moon), about 3 km round trip, and 3-D up the small peak of Huchuy Picchu, 1.7 km round trip and moderate.
Machu Picchu tickets: which to buy and where
Buy a named ticket for a circuit, route, date and entry hour on tuboleto.cultura.pe. Circuit 2 suits most first-time visitors because it combines the classic view with the city streets. Your ticket only covers that one route, in one direction, once: you cannot switch routes or go back in, and since September 2026 the date and name cannot be changed. The official site shows the price only after you sign in to an account, so the foreign-visitor prices below are as reported by independent guides in 2026.
The official ticket site
Ministerio de Cultura – TuBoleto
The only official online seller, run by Peru's Ministry of Culture on a cultura.pe address. The Ministry's Cusco office site, machupicchu.gob.pe, links straight to it. In-person sales happen only at the Ministry's ticket office in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo).
Circuit 2 – Classic (route 2-A or 2-B)
S/ 152 adult; S/ 70 ages 3–17; S/ 77 students; under 3 free (as reported by guides, July 2026; the official site shows the price at checkout)
(€40 · €18 · €20)
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- Upper or lower terrace viewpoint, then the main gate, plaza, Sacred Rock and water mirrors (2-B adds the quarries); 2.5–2.7 km, all year
- Best for
- First visit: the classic photo and the city
Official site · as of July 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Circuit 1 – Panoramic (1-B, 1-C or 1-D)
S/ 152 adult; S/ 70 ages 3–17; S/ 77 students (as reported by guides, July 2026; the official site shows the price at checkout)
(€40 · €18 · €20)
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- Upper terrace viewpoint (1-B, all year), Sun Gate (1-C) or Inca Bridge (1-D) in high season; you look down on the city but do not walk through it
- Best for
- The best photos, or a second visit the same day
Official site · as of July 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Circuit 3 – Royalty (3-B or 3-D)
S/ 152 adult; S/ 70 ages 3–17; S/ 77 students (as reported by guides, July 2026; the official site shows the price at checkout)
(€40 · €18 · €20)
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- Lower terraces, Temple of the Sun, House of the Inca, Temple of the Condor (3-B, 1.3 km, least effort); 3-D adds Huchuy Picchu in high season
- Best for
- Limited mobility, or when Circuit 2 is sold out
Official site · as of July 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Mountain routes: Huayna Picchu (3-A), Machu Picchu Mountain (1-A), Great Cavern (3-C)
S/ 200 adult; S/ 118 ages 3–17; S/ 125 students (as reported by guides, July 2026; the official site shows the price at checkout)
(€52 · €31 · €33)
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- The climb plus part of the citadel; the mountain check-in time is strict, with no grace period
- Best for
- Fit hikers who book early
Official site · as of July 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Next-day ticket at the Aguas Calientes office
Same prices as online
Official ticketsDoes not skip lines
- Includes
- Up to 1,000 tickets a day across all routes, for entry the following day, bought in person with your passport; live count on the Ministry's availability page
- Best for
- When online tickets are sold out and you have a spare day in Aguas Calientes
Official ticket office (DDC Cusco) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Full-day tour from Cusco with entry
from €295
ResellerSkips some lines
- Includes
- Hotel pickup in Cusco, bus to Ollantaytambo, train, bus up and down, entry, 2-hour guided visit; the circuit is assigned (Circuit 2 first, then 3, then 1)
- Best for
- Travellers with one day who want everything arranged
GetYourGuide (Peru Andes Top) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)
How to buy
- Pick your route first (Circuit 2 for most people; 3-A or 1-A if you want a mountain), then your date and entry hour. Morning slots and Circuit 2 sell out first.
- On tuboleto.cultura.pe choose Llaqta Machupicchu, the circuit, route, date, hour and your category (Extranjero for foreign visitors). You can buy up to five tickets per purchase. After a captcha, the site asks you to sign in or register an account before it shows the category, the price or any fees.
- Enter each visitor's name and passport number exactly as in the passport you will carry. Under the sales reform announced on 11 September 2026 the ticket is held for only 15 minutes while you pay, and it is issued only once payment is confirmed. The new system then ran on a 30-day trial, so expect details to shift in October–November 2026. Check the total before paying: a card fee of about 3% has been reported, and a SERNANP sanctuary fee for foreign visitors (reported as S/ 11) was due to start on 1 May 2026, but it is not confirmed whether it is added to the TuBoleto price.
- Download the ticket and check it shows your name, route and hour. Then book trains with enough margin and the bus up (about US$24 return as reported in 2026).
- If everything is sold out, go to the Ministry office in Aguas Calientes for one of the 1,000 next-day tickets, or join a tour whose operator already holds tickets.
Look-alike sites
Searching for Machu Picchu tickets brings up many sites with Machu Picchu in the name, official-looking logos and prices in dollars. The only official online seller is tuboleto.cultura.pe (Ministry of Culture, a cultura.pe domain; machupicchu.gob.pe is the Ministry's information site and links to it). Official prices are in soles: guides reported S/ 152 or S/ 200 for a foreign adult in 2026. A site that charges a dollar price for the ticket alone, promises a sold-out date, or asks you to change your date or name later is a reseller. Rules announced in September 2026 ban resale outside official channels and agencies registered with the Ministry's Cusco office, and tickets cannot be transferred. The bus up has look-alike sites too, charging well above the roughly US$12 one way and US$24 return reported at the Aguas Calientes office.
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Guided tours of Machu Picchu
Independent visitors could enter without a guide in 2026: the Ministry said in 2024 it was considering making a guide compulsory, but the official visitor rules (checked October 2026) do not require one for the citadel circuits, even though some tour sellers still say so. The site has almost no signs, so a guide adds a lot on a first visit. The cheapest option is a licensed guide hired at the gate or booked in Aguas Calientes. A full-day tour from Cusco is worth it mainly when online tickets are sold out or you want trains, buses and entry handled for you.
Private or shared guided walk
Licensed guide hired at the entrance
Independent licensed guidesGuides wait at the main gate. Agree the price and language before you start, and ask to see the guide's licence card. Larger groups pay less per person. You still need your own entry ticket and bus.
Day trip with train, entry and guide
From Cusco: Full-Day Group Tour of Machu Picchu
Peru Andes Top (via GetYourGuide)Pickup in Cusco's historic centre from 4:00, depending on the train. Guide in Spanish, English or Portuguese. You cannot choose the circuit: Circuit 2 if available, otherwise 3 or 1. Non-refundable. Lunch not included.
from €295
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Small-group day trip, maximum 8
Machu Picchu Full Day from Cusco
Minkas Travel (via Viator)Train from Poroy or Ollantaytambo, private transfer back to your hotel, 2-hour guided visit. Circuit 2 when booked well ahead; a guaranteed Circuit 3 option for late bookings. Non-refundable and cannot be changed.
from €422.20 (Expedition train); from €517.54 with Vistadome and Circuit 3
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Multi-day trek with camping
4-Day Inca Trail Hike and Panoramic Train
TreXperience (via GetYourGuide)Cusco-based operator. Groups of up to 16, porters carry 7 kg of your kit, entry via the Sun Gate plus a guided Circuit 3 visit, and the Vistadome train back. Passport details are needed at booking. Non-refundable. Inca Trail permits are sold only through licensed operators like this one.
from €711
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Machu Picchu deals and discounts
There are no discounts for foreign adults: the official ticket (S/ 152 as reported in 2026) is the best buy, and tours cost more because they bundle trains, buses and a guide. The only real savings are for children, students and Peruvian or Andean Community residents.
Children under 3 free; ages 3–17 pay about half
Foreign visitors aged 3–17 pay S/ 70 on standard routes and S/ 118 on mountain routes, against S/ 152 and S/ 200 for adults (guides' figures, July 2026; the official site shows prices at checkout). Under-3s need no ticket. Minors must be with an adult and carry their passport.
Student rate
Foreign students pay S/ 77 (S/ 125 on mountain routes), as reported by guides in July 2026. You must show an original student card issued by your university at the gate, as well as your passport. Without it you may be refused entry.
Peruvians, residents and Andean Community citizens
Peruvians, foreign residents of Peru and citizens of Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador pay S/ 64 (S/ 32 for students and ages 3–17), or S/ 112 (S/ 80) on mountain routes, according to the 2026 rates published by the state news agency Andina. Show your DNI, residence card or national ID.
Free Sundays for Cusco residents only
Free entry on Sundays applies only to people born in or living in the Cusco region, and they still need to book within the daily cap. There is no free day for visitors from elsewhere.
Best time to visit Machu Picchu
Time of day: the 6:00 and 7:00 slots are cooler and quieter, and the morning cloud often clears during the visit. But they mean queueing for the bus in the dark, or staying in Aguas Calientes the night before. Day-trippers from Cusco arrive from late morning, so 10:00–13:00 is the busiest. The last slots (14:00–15:00) thin out again.
Season: the dry season runs May–September, with clear skies and the biggest crowds in July and August. Peru's 2026 high season, with a daily cap of 5,600, runs 19 June–2 November plus 1 January, 2–5 April and 30–31 December. The rest of the year the cap is 4,500. The rainy season (November–March) brings heavy showers and landslide risk on the Hidroeléctrica road. The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance.
What to avoid: Peruvian holidays and Easter week. Late June around Cusco's Inti Raymi festival (24 June) and the 28–29 July national holidays sell out first. Also avoid arriving on the first train for a first-slot ticket, because the bus queue can take more than an hour.
Tips and tricks
Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.
Buy the entry ticket before anything else
Trains and hotels are easy to change; your Machu Picchu ticket is not. Lock in the route and hour first, then build the train times around it.
From TripAdvisor Machu Picchu forum, 2026
Allow two hours from train to gate
In high season the bus queue in Aguas Calientes can run over an hour by mid-morning. The line is split by entry hour, with a sign at the front: join the line for your own slot, not just the longest one. There is a queue for the bus back down too.
From TripAdvisor Machu Picchu forum, September 2026
Buy bus tickets ahead or at the office
Bus tickets are not for a set departure, just a ride up or down. The online seller may not sell for the next day or two, but the office in Aguas Calientes (take a numbered ticket inside) is quick. Bring US dollars or soles in cash.
From TripAdvisor Machu Picchu forum, September 2026
For in-person tickets, check the live counter and go early
The Ministry publishes how many of the 1,000 in-person tickets are left. In 2026 people queued from before dawn, Circuit 2 and morning slots went first, and the next day's stock sometimes started selling the previous evening. Cash avoids a card surcharge of about 5%. The procedure has changed several times this year, so ask at your hotel the night you arrive.
From TripAdvisor Machu Picchu forum, May and September 2026
Two routes means two tickets
Each ticket is one route, one way. To see both the high viewpoint and the city, some visitors buy Circuit 1-B early and Circuit 2 a couple of hours later. Having an online ticket did not stop one visitor buying a second, in-person ticket for another route on the same day.
From TripAdvisor Machu Picchu forum, October 2026
Pack light and to the rules
Bags over 40 x 35 x 20 cm, food, umbrellas, tripods, selfie sticks, walking sticks, drones, hard-soled shoes and prams are banned, and the rangers can expel you without refund.
From Ministerio de Cultura, Normas de conducta, 2026
Use the toilet before you go in
The only toilets are at the main entrance (S/ 2). There are none along the routes, and you cannot leave and re-enter.
From TreXperience ticket guide, July 2026
Be on time for the mountains
The main gate gives you 30 minutes' grace (45 minutes in peak months), but the Huayna Picchu, Huchuy Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain control huts have none. Miss your slot there and you lose the climb.
From Ministerio de Cultura, Horarios de ingreso
Carry the same passport
Your ticket is linked to the passport number you entered. Since September 2026 the number can be corrected only once, for an obvious typo, and the name and date cannot be changed at all.
From Meganoticias / Latina Noticias on the September 2026 rules
How to get to Machu Picchu
- No road reaches Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) from Cusco. Most visitors take the train from Ollantaytambo (about 1.5 hours) with PeruRail or Inca Rail. Both also sell bus-and-train services from Cusco (Wanchaq, or Poroy and San Pedro stations, about 3.5–4.5 hours). Fares vary with time and class (Expedition or Voyager are the basic classes, Vistadome or 360° are panoramic); check both companies' sites.
- From Aguas Calientes to the gate: the bus on the Hiram Bingham road takes 25–30 minutes and costs about US$12 one way or US$24 return (as reported by guides in 2026), with departures from about 5:30. You can also walk up a steep stepped path from the Puente Ruinas bridge. The bus service has been disputed: when the long-time operator Consettur stopped in September 2025, the Urubamba provincial council brought in San Antonio de Torontoy as a temporary operator and blockades stranded tourists that month; since an agreement in February 2026 both companies run the route. Check for strike news before you travel.
- Budget route: van or bus from Cusco via Santa María and Santa Teresa to Hidroeléctrica, then a 10 km, 2–3 hour walk along the railway to Aguas Calientes, or a short PeruRail train. Expect 10–12 hours from Cusco, and landslide delays in the rainy season.
- On foot: the classic 4-day Inca Trail and the 1–2 day short Inca Trail end at the Sun Gate. Permits are sold only through licensed agencies, 2026 permits went on sale in November 2025, dry-season dates go first, and the trail closes every February. Heavy rain closed it again 18–22 August 2026.
Scams and problems to watch for
Look-alike ticket sites
Sites with Machu Picchu in the name sell the entry ticket in dollars at a mark-up, or take payment for a sold-out date and cancel later. The tell-tale signs: a domain that is not tuboleto.cultura.pe, prices not in soles, or a promise of a ticket the official site shows as sold out.
Overpriced bus tickets online
Some sites resell the Aguas Calientes bus for around US$23 one way or US$35 return, against the roughly US$12 or US$24 charged at the office (2026). Buy at the bus ticket office in Aguas Calientes, not from a search ad or a site that is not run by one of the two bus companies.
Tours that cannot deliver the circuit
Many tours assign whatever circuit is available when they buy, and some cancel late when the date is sold out. Read the small print for wording like subject to availability or priority Circuit 2, then 3, then 1, and expect no refund on most non-refundable listings.
Unlicensed guides at the gate
Plenty of people offer tours at the entrance, and knowledge and language skills vary. Ask to see the licence card, agree the total price and length before you start, and do not take the first person who approaches.
Buying a ticket in someone else's name
Tickets are named and linked to a passport, and since September 2026 they cannot be transferred or renamed. A second-hand ticket, or one bought for you under another person's details, will be refused at the gate.
Accessibility
Machu Picchu is a mountain site with uneven Inca steps, steep terraces and narrow passages, and most routes involve medium to high effort. The Ministry says part of route 3-B (Circuit 3, royalty route, 1.3 km, the gentlest) can be visited by wheelchair users or visitors who need help moving around. Prams and baby strollers are banned. Walking sticks are on the banned list, so contact the Ministry in advance if you need one for mobility. The bus from Aguas Calientes is the only motorised access to the gate. There are toilets only at the main entrance. Reduced ticket rates for disability apply to Peruvian visitors with the national disability card. Ask TuBoleto (+51 1 714 0114) before booking.
Combine it with
Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo)
The town at the foot of the site, with the station, the bus to the gate, the in-person ticket office and the hot springs. Staying a night lets you take an early slot without a 4:00 start from Cusco.
Ollantaytambo
A living Inca town with a great terraced fortress, and the main train station for Machu Picchu. Spend the night before or after here and you cut hours off the trip.
Sacred Valley
Pisac's market and ruins, the Moray terraces and the Maras salt pans lie between Cusco and Ollantaytambo. Many visitors stay in the valley, which is lower than Cusco.
Cusco
The former Inca capital, 3,399 m up, with Qorikancha, Sacsayhuamán and the cathedral. Most trips start here, and its height makes a day or two before the Inca Trail sensible.
Questions people ask about visiting Machu Picchu
How do I buy Machu Picchu tickets?
Online at tuboleto.cultura.pe, the Ministry of Culture's only official site. Choose a circuit, route, date and entry hour, enter each visitor's passport details, and pay within 15 minutes (the rule since the September 2026 reform). If online tickets are sold out, the Ministry sells up to 1,000 next-day tickets a day in person in Aguas Calientes (as of October 2026).
How much does Machu Picchu cost?
The official site shows the price only at checkout. Guides reported these 2026 prices for foreign adults: S/ 152 for the standard routes and S/ 200 for routes with Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain or the Great Cavern; ages 3–17 S/ 70 (S/ 118), students S/ 77 (S/ 125), under-3s free. A sanctuary fee for foreigners (reported as S/ 11) was due from 1 May 2026, so check the total before paying. Add about US$24 for the return bus and your train fare.
Which Machu Picchu circuit is best?
For a first visit, Circuit 2 (route 2-A or 2-B), which gives the classic view and the walk through the city. Circuit 1 has the highest photo viewpoints but stays above the city. Circuit 3 covers the royal temples with the least climbing and includes Huayna Picchu as route 3-A.
How far in advance should I book Machu Picchu?
For June–October, and for Circuit 2 or Huayna Picchu at any time, book as soon as you know your dates: weeks to months ahead. On 11 September 2026 the Minister of Culture said online availability was blocked until December by unpaid reservations, so pre-reservations were scrapped in favour of pay-to-hold, with a 30-day trial of the new system after that. On 6 October 2026 Circuit 2 route 2-A showed no online dates at all for October and November; the first were 9–22 December, and on 9 December only the 15:00 entry was left. Low-season dates (November–April, outside holidays) are easier.
Do I need a guide to enter Machu Picchu?
Not as of October 2026: the official visitor rules do not require a guide for the citadel circuits, although the Ministry said in 2024 it was considering it and some tour sellers still claim it is compulsory. A licensed guide costs about S/ 140 for one or two people for 2.5 hours at the gate (April 2026) and is worth it on a first visit, because there are few signs on site.
Do I need my passport for Machu Picchu?
Yes. Foreign visitors buy the ticket with their passport number and must show the original passport at the gate; students also need their university card. The ticket is named, and since September 2026 the name and date cannot be changed.
How long do you need at Machu Picchu?
A standard circuit takes 2.5–4 hours. Huayna Picchu (2.4 km round trip) or Machu Picchu Mountain (3.8 km) adds a steep climb on top. A day trip from Cusco takes 12–16 hours door to door, which is why many visitors sleep in Aguas Calientes or Ollantaytambo.
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