Machu Picchu Tickets
On this page you find the complete guide for buying Machu Picchu Tickets online, in Cusco or Aguas Calientes, or with a reliable travel agent in Cusco. Below you find information about different Machu Picchu Tickets with or without Huayna Picchu
Tourism in Machu Picchu
According to an investigation of UNESCO, the daily weight of the tourists visiting Machu Picchu can damage the ground of the archaeological site. It could even cause the site to sink, or worse, even to slide ‘off the hill’… To slow down the damage by tourism, a new system has been implemented in 2017 with a two-shift entry.
According to Peru’s Ministry of Culture, those new rules are implemented to control how visitors and guides access the site, to maintain the integrity of the site and its legacy for future visitors.
If you hike the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, the entrance fee to Machu Picchu is always included, and you do not have to worry about all the new ticket regulations as described below.
However, the Huayna Picchu Hike ticket is NOT included, and since this can only be purchased in combination with a Machu Picchu ticket, you have to pay an extra $ 60 if you want to do the Huayna Picchu hike.
Machu Picchu Tickets
Machu Picchu Tickets: where to buy
*since October 2022 there are 1000 tickets per day for sale in Aguas Calientes, the day before your visit to the ruins. Depending on how busy it is, for some it has been easy to buy a ticket here, while others had to wait in a line for many hours with the insecurity the tickets would be sold out before you made it to the counter. The tickets could only be paid in cash and only by the person who would use it.
When buying your Machu Picchu ticket you need to know that there are different circuits (different tickets) through Machu Picchu and that you need to know what ticket you want.
*Travelers comment that the website is not very easy to navigate and often offline. Also, the only accepted payment method is Visa. If you do to manage to buy your ticket online, make sure you remember the reservation number. If not, we recommend you consider buying your Machu Picchu ticket through a travel agency in Cusco.
In Cusco, you can buy the Machu Picchu tickets at the ‘Ministerio de Cultura’.
Address: Casa Garcilaso on Calle Garcilaso
(just before the Plaza Regocijo and near the Museo de Chocolate)
Opening hours: Mon-Sat, 7 am-8 am.
Payment method: credit card or cash
In Aguas Calientes, head to the Machu Picchu Cultural Centre
Address: Direccion Regional de Cultura Aguas Calientes Office, Av. Pachacutec (just off the main square)
Opening hours: Mon-Sun, 5 am-10 pm.
Payment method: cash only *
*there are ATM’s in Aguas Calientes but they charge a higher fee as the ones in Cusco or elsewhere in Peru
New Ticket system
In 2017 a new Machu Picchu ticket system was implemented with two shifts for visiting Machu Picchu: a morning shift from 6 am to 12.00 and an afternoon shift from 12 pm to 5.30 pm. There are 2500 tickets available for each shift. They also implemented set circuits; you now have to follow a set route while exploring the Inca city.
As of 2018, you are required to have a guide* to show you around the site. You have the option to take a guided tour in shared service (each guide can bring up to 15 persons per tour) or a private guided tour. The tour will last around two hours. You can find guides at the entrance of the site.
*If you book a Machu Picchu tour with a travel agent, the guided tour is always included. This saves you the hassle of finding and hiring a (good) guide at the Machu Picchu entrance. However, some travellers report that they got into the site without a guide (while others didn’t).
Time slots
From the first of January 2019 on, there are time slots for visiting the Inca citadel. When you buy your Machu Picchu Ticket online, with a travel agency ór in Cusco (not in Aguas Calientes), you already have to know at what time you want to visit Machu Picchu: at 6:00 am, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 13:00 or 14:00 (the last time to enter). With a Machu Picchu-only ticket (read more below), you can stay a maximum of 4 hours on the archaeological site.
However, if you climb the Huayna Picchu Mountain, you’re allowed to stay two hours longer. And when you climb the Machu Picchu Mountain, you’re allowed to stay a total of seven hours on the archaeological site.
Machu Picchu Tickets: different tickets
Once you have decided where and how you will buy the Machu Picchu tickets, you need to decide what kind of ticket is best for you. There are different tickets, and every option offers different time slots, giving you the possibility to chose from more than 15 different options.
1) Machu Picchu ruins only:
- Hourly slots (6 am, 7 am, 8 am etc.; the final entry is at 2 pm).
- Price: Adults $45 / €40), Children $21 / €18), Students $23 / €20
2) Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu Mountain*
- There are three different time slots:
- Entrance to Machu Picchu from 6 am, followed by entry to Huayna Picchu between 7 am, and 8 am.
- Entrance to Machu Picchu from 7 am, followed by entry to Huayna Picchu between 7 am, and 8 am.
- Entrance to Machu Picchu from 8 am., followed by entry to Huayna Picchu between 10.30 am and 11.30 am.
- Price: Adults $60 / €52, Children $37 / €33), Students $35 / €30)
* only a limited number of people (400 per day) are admitted and Huayna Picchu is very popular. These tickets are often sold out well in advance, and we recommend you book between 5 – 8 months ahead. Children under 12 are not allowed to do the Huayna Picchu climb.
3) Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain
- There are three different time slots:
- Entrance to Machu Picchu from 6 am, followed by entry to Machu Picchu Mountain between 7 am, and 8 am.
- Entrance to Machu Picchu from 7 a.m., followed by entry to Machu Picchu Mountain between 7 am. and 8 am.
- Entrance to Machu Picchu from 8 am, followed by entry to Machu Picchu Mountain between 9 am, and 10 am.
- Price: Adults $60 / €52), Children $37 / €33), Students $35 / €30)
Although Machu Picchu Mountain is a less popular option than Huayna Picchu, you still need to book this in advance. There are 400 tickets per day.
Ticket Museo Manuel Chávez Ballon
For $ 7 you can buy the separate entrance ticket to the museum Manuel Chávez Ballon. It’s a small, interactive museum with interesting information. The museum is located near Aguas Calientes (it is nót located at Machu Picchu itself) at km 112). The opening hours are from 8.00- 12.00; however from 12.00 – 4.00 pm the museum is for free. Next to the museum is a botanic garden.
- Children: require a passport in-person for proof of age on arrival at Machu Picchu. Children under 7 do not pay. From 8 – 17, children pay the student rate.
- Students: foreign undergraduate students must have a valid student ID card issued by the university that is valid within a year of the date of visit (not more than a year). Make sure your student card meets the requirements (not every student card is accepted). Student tickets cannot be bought online (but in Cusco or through a travel agency ); many requests are rejected.
- Everyone: always bring your passport; otherwise, you cannot enter Machu Picchu.
- Cancellations: are not allowed, no refunds are possible
- Changes: you can make one change, but it has an additional cost.