Visiting Machu Picchu is easy once you understand four things: the ticket is bought with a fixed date, time and circuit; you arrive by train and bus, never by car; the visit lasts about three hours and cannot be repeated on the same ticket; and the citadel sits at 2,430 metres, lower than Cusco, so altitude is not the problem. This guide puts all of that in order, with what has changed in the circuit system and what you should decide before booking anything.
The prices and quotas in this guide are those published by the Ministry of Culture at the time of writing. Check them on the official ticketing site before buying: they are adjusted every season.
First: the ticket
Tickets are sold on the Ministry of Culture’s official platform and at authorised ticket offices in Cusco and Aguas Calientes. Each ticket has a date, entry time and circuit. The daily capacity is limited, slightly higher in high season, and the morning slots sell out first. Two months ahead you can get almost any combination; between June and August, or for Huayna Picchu, allow three or four. Tours that include the ticket buy it in your name with your passport, which is the document shown at the gate.
How many tickets are left on each circuit and in the walk-in sale, on the Machu Picchu availability page.
The circuits: which to choose
Since 2024 the citadel is walked along three circuits with fixed routes, with no going back or switching between them. In short:
| Circuit | What it is | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Panoramic | The upper part, the guardhouse and the classic photo, without going down into the urban sector. Variants with Machu Picchu Mountain, Intipunku or the Inca Bridge. | Anyone who wants the view and a hike, or is climbing the Mountain. |
| 2 · Classic | The complete route: classic photo above, then temples, plazas and quarters below. The longest and the best seller. | First visit. If you go only once, this one. |
| 3 · Royalty | The lower zone, temples and royal sector, without climbing to the photo terrace. Variants with Huayna Picchu, the Great Cavern or Huchuy Picchu. | Anyone climbing Huayna Picchu or visiting for the second time. |
Each circuit has an indicative stay of two and a half to four hours depending on the route, and the mountains require a specific ticket with its own quota. We have a separate guide to the Machu Picchu circuits in detail.
How much it costs
The general ticket for a foreign adult is around 150 soles; those including Huayna Picchu or the Mountain, around 200. Students with an ISIC card and minors pay a reduced rate; Peruvian and Andean Community citizens have their own rate. Add the train, whose price varies by service, date and time (which train to choose), and the bus up from Aguas Calientes, about 24 dollars return.
How you get there
There is no road. The normal way is the train to Aguas Calientes, from Ollantaytambo (an hour and a half to two hours) or from the outskirts of Cusco (about three and a half hours, with a bimodal service in the rainy season), then a 25-minute bus to the gate. The alternatives are the Inca Trail, the Salkantay trek and the budget route via Hidroeléctrica. We explain them in how to get to Machu Picchu.
Opening hours and how long the visit takes
The citadel opens at six in the morning and entries are staggered by the hour until early afternoon. Your ticket shows a one-hour window to enter; once inside, the circuit takes two to four hours depending on the route and your pace. There is no re-entry: if you leave, you cannot come back in on the same ticket. The toilets are outside the gate, so go before.
Rules inside
- Original passport in hand, the same one used to buy the ticket.
- No tripods, drones, umbrellas or selfie sticks. Small backpacks only; large ones go to the storage room. What to bring and what not, in what to pack for Cusco and Machu Picchu.
- No food inside; water yes, in a reusable bottle.
- Walking poles are not allowed, under the official code of conduct.
- Follow the marked route of your circuit; no going back.
- Official guide: the regulations provide for it and it is included on all our tours.
When to go
The dry season, May to September, has clear skies and more people; the rainy season, November to March, has misty mornings that clear by mid-morning and far fewer visitors. April and October are the middle ground. The Inca Trail closes in February; Machu Picchu never closes. We detail it in the best time to visit Machu Picchu.
Altitude is not the problem
Machu Picchu sits at 2,430 metres, almost a thousand lower than Cusco and about 360 lower than Ollantaytambo (Cusco altitude and every destination). Anyone who has spent a day or two in Cusco goes down to Machu Picchu and breathes more easily. The only real effort is the citadel’s stairs and, if chosen, the mountains. How to arrange the first days so you arrive acclimatised is explained in the acclimatisation guide.
One day or two: how to organise it
- In one day from Cusco. Pre-dawn departure, vehicle to Ollantaytambo, train, bus, a three-hour visit and back the same way, arriving in Cusco at night. About sixteen hours, and it is what our Machu Picchu Full Day does. It works well for anyone short of time who does not want to change hotels.
- With a night in Aguas Calientes. You arrive the afternoon before, enter the citadel first thing, in low light and before the morning trains, and return to Cusco at midday. It is the most comfortable option and the one we recommend if the calendar allows.
- With a night in Ollantaytambo. The middle ground: you do the Sacred Valley the day before, sleep by the station and take an early train. Here we explain Ollantaytambo and its train connection.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy the ticket on the day in Aguas Calientes?
Sometimes last-minute tickets remain for afternoon slots, but it is not something to plan around. In high season, no.
Do I need a guide?
The regulations provide for it, and with a guide the visit changes completely: the citadel has no information panels. On our tours it is always included.
Can I visit Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu on the same ticket?
Yes, with the Circuit 3 ticket that includes Huayna Picchu. It has its own very limited quota and should be booked three or four months ahead.
Is it suitable for children and older people?
Yes. There are stairs and slopes, but Circuit 2 can be walked calmly in three hours. Children under three do not pay and under-eighteens have a reduced rate.
Before you go, read the 10 tips for visiting Machu Picchu and the history of the citadel, to understand what you will see.
Book
- Private Machu Picchu Full Day, by train from Ollantaytambo, with guide and transfers.
- Sacred Valley tours for the day before.
- All our Machu Picchu tours.
