Machu Picchu Tickets: Circuits, Entry Times and How to Buy

A Machu Picchu ticket is sold for a specific date, entry time and route within one of the 3 official circuits. Official sales go through Tu Boleto, the Ministry of Culture’s platform, as well as travel agencies and a limited number of in-person tickets in Machu Picchu Pueblo. Since daily capacity is limited, buy your ticket first and then your train and hotel.

How the Ticket System Works

Since June 1, 2024, Machu Picchu has been visited through 3 circuits and 10 one-way routes. There’s no general admission that lets you see everything: each ticket opens a single route, and inside the sanctuary you can’t switch routes or turn back. Before you pay, be clear on these five things:

• Date: the ticket is valid for a single day. If you want to see two circuits, you need two tickets.
• Entry time: there are hourly time slots from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is the time you need to be at the main entrance.
• Circuit: Panoramic (1), Classic (2) or Royalty (3). It determines which part of the Inca city you’ll see.
• Route: the specific variant within the circuit. Some climb a mountain and others only open in peak season.
• Capacity: the number of visitors per day is set by Peru’s Ministry of Culture. Between June 19 and November 2, 2026, as well as on January 1, April 2 to 5 and December 30 to 31, the maximum is 5,600 people a day; the rest of the year it’s lower.

The ticket is also issued in your name and non-transferable. When you buy it, you enter each visitor’s name, nationality, date of birth and document number, and these are checked against the physical document at the entrance.

The 3 Circuits and 10 Routes

This table sums up what each route covers and who we recommend it for. The full explanation, with distances and effort levels, is in our guide to the Machu Picchu circuits: all 10 routes explained.

Circuit	Route	What you see	Maximum time allowed	Best for
1 Panoramic	1-A Machu Picchu Mountain	Mountain summit, upper terraces, the Vilcanota Valley and snowcapped peaks	7 h	Fit hikers looking for the widest view
1 Panoramic	1-B Upper Terrace	High viewpoint and the classic photo from above	2 h 30 min	Anyone who wants the classic postcard shot without much effort
1 Panoramic	1-C Intipunku Gate	The Sun Gate and the last stretch of the Inca Trail	4 h	Walking a stretch of the Inca Trail without a trekking permit (peak season only)
1 Panoramic	1-D Inca Bridge	Inca bridge of stone and wood seen from a viewpoint	3 h	A short, easy walk with no vertigo (peak season only)
2 Classic	2-A Designed Classic	Agricultural sector, main plaza, Sacred Rock, water mirrors	2 h 30 min	A first visit with a guide
2 Classic	2-B Lower Terrace	Lower terrace, quarries and main plaza	2 h 30 min	Seeing most of the urban sector
3 Royalty	3-A Huayna Picchu Mountain	Temple of the Sun, House of the Inca and the summit of Huayna Picchu	6 h	Anyone without a fear of heights who books ahead
3 Royalty	3-B Designed Royalty	Temple of the Sun, House of the Inca, Three Doorways, Temple of the Condor	2 h 30 min	Limited mobility and short visits
3 Royalty	3-C Great Cavern	Royal sector and the Great Cavern, on the slopes of Huayna Picchu	7 h	A less crowded forest route (peak season only)
3 Royalty	3-D Huchuy Picchu	Royal sector and the summit of Huchuy Picchu	3 h 30 min	Families who want a summit with little effort (peak season only)

These are the official maximum times allowed inside, set on the Ministry of Culture’s map of each route: when your time is up, you need to be on your way out of the sanctuary.

Which Circuit to Choose for a First Visit

If it’s your first time and you’re going with a guide, Circuit 2 covers the most of the urban sector. Circuit 1 is for photos from above, but it doesn’t go deep into the buildings. Circuit 3 focuses on the temples of the Inca elite and is the gateway to Huayna Picchu, Huchuy Picchu and the Great Cavern.

The peak-season routes each have their own guide: Intipunku, the Sun Gate (Route 1-C), the Inca Bridge (Route 1-D) and the Great Cavern (Route 3-C). Outside that season, they aren’t offered for sale.

Tickets with a Mountain

Mountains aren’t sold separately: they’re routes of their own, with a much smaller daily quota than the circuits without a mountain. In the official 2026 fare table, Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain and the Great Cavern make up the highest price tier; Huchuy Picchu costs the same as a route without a mountain. You also can’t combine two mountains on the same ticket.

Huayna Picchu (Route 3-A)

This is the mountain that rises behind the citadel in the classic photo. The route is about 2.4 km round trip, high effort, with very steep sections fitted with support cables. It includes the royal sector. It’s the ticket that sells out first. More details in our Huayna Picchu guide.

Machu Picchu Mountain (Route 1-A)

This is the summit on the opposite side, higher and with a longer climb, about 3.8 km round trip, but on wide stone stairways with less sense of exposure. From the top you can see the valley and the snowcapped Salkantay and Pumasillo peaks. It doesn’t cover the urban sector. Read our guide to Machu Picchu Mountain: Route 1-A.

Huchuy Picchu (Route 3-D)

This is the gentle option: about 1.7 km round trip and moderate effort, with an elevated view of the Inca city. It’s only sold in peak season. It’s a good alternative when Huayna Picchu is sold out. Details in Huchuy Picchu, the easiest mountain.

If you can’t decide between the two big ones, compare distance, exposure and views in Huayna Picchu vs. Machu Picchu Mountain: which to choose.

Important: there’s no grace period at the Machu Picchu Mountain, Huayna Picchu and Huchuy Picchu checkpoints. If your ticket shows a climbing time, get to that checkpoint with time to spare: if you’re late, you may not be allowed to climb.

Ticket Types: Who Pays What

The price depends on your visitor category and your route. For Peruvians, foreign residents and Andean Community citizens, Ministerial Resolution 000284-2025-MC sets the 2026 fares: S/64 for routes without a mountain and for Huchuy Picchu, and S/112 for Machu Picchu Mountain, Huayna Picchu and the Great Cavern (S/32 and S/80 for students and minors). For foreign visitors, the Ministry refers you to its platform, which shows the exact price once you choose a date, route and time slot: go by that figure, not the prices floating around on blogs, which are often out of date. These are the categories:

• Foreign adult: general rate, with a passport.
• Minors ages 3 to 17: reduced rate; children under 3 get in free.
• Andean Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador): the same promotional rate as Peruvians, with a passport or national ID card.
• Foreign residents in Peru: the same promotional rate, with a valid foreign resident card (carné de extranjería).
• Peruvians: national rate, only with a valid physical DNI.
• Adults 60 and over: a specific rate.
• Cusco residents: people born in Cusco and Peruvians who live there get free entry on Sundays, subject to capacity.

Every case, along with the document you’ll be asked for at the entrance, is covered in our guide to Machu Picchu ticket types: foreigners, kids, Peruvians and CAN.

Where to Buy Your Ticket

The Official Tu Boleto Platform

Online sales go through tuboleto.cultura.pe, the government platform developed by the Ministry of Culture. It’s the channel with the most tickets available and the only one where you can see real availability. It allows up to 5 tickets per purchase. When we checked on October 31, 2026, the site showed “Iniciar compra” (start purchase) rather than an advance booking; PeruRail explains that since September 2026 tickets are bought directly and you have 15 minutes to pay. We haven’t found an official announcement of the change, so if your screen offers payment at Banco de la Nación or at the office at Calle Heladeros 165 in Cusco, follow what the site says.

Travel Agencies

Licensed agencies buy the ticket through the same official system, with your details, and coordinate it with your train, bus and guide. It’s the most convenient option if you don’t want to juggle schedules on your own. Always ask for the ticket to be issued in your name, and check the route and time before you travel.

In-Person Sales in Machu Picchu Pueblo

The ticket office of the Dirección Desconcentrada de Cultura de Cusco (the Ministry of Culture’s Cusco office) in Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes) sells up to 1,000 tickets a day, in person only, for entry the following day. They can’t be used to enter the same day. In peak season, long lines form very early, so treat it as an emergency plan, not your main plan.

How to Spot Scam Websites

• The only official sales website is tuboleto.cultura.pe. Check the domain carefully: copycat sites use similar names with words like “tickets,” “oficial” or “machupicchu.”
• Be wary of anyone selling dates that show as sold out on the official platform.
• A real ticket shows the date, circuit, route, time and each visitor’s details. If you’re offered “general admission” with no route or time, it isn’t valid.
• Don’t pay by bank transfer to personal accounts, and don’t buy from resellers on the street or on social media.
• Before paying an agency, make sure it has a registered business name, a RUC (Peruvian tax ID) and a physical address in Cusco.

How to Buy on the Official Website, Step by Step

1. Go to tuboleto.cultura.pe and choose the Llaqta de Machupicchu.
2. Select your visit date and check availability.
3. Choose the circuit, route and entry time. If you want a mountain, choose the route that includes it.
4. Register each visitor: full name, nationality, document type and number, and date of birth. Use the document you’ll be traveling with.
5. Check each person’s category (adult, minor, CAN, Peruvian…) and the purchase summary.
6. Pay online or, if the platform offers it, at Banco de la Nación or at the Heladeros 165 office. Keep your ID and card handy: PeruRail mentions a 15-minute time limit.
7. Download the ticket and save it on your phone and on paper. Your bus ticket is bought separately.

Tip: before you pay, compare your passport number character by character with the physical document. A mistake in the number or the date of birth can keep you from getting in, and tickets can’t be transferred to someone else.

How Far in Advance to Buy

• Peak season (May to October): we recommend buying one to three months in advance. The first morning time slots go first.
• Huayna Picchu: in peak season, the sooner the better. It has very few spots and usually sells out before any other route.
• Busiest dates: Inti Raymi week (June 24), Holy Week, Peru’s national holidays (Fiestas Patrias) in late July, Christmas and New Year’s fill up fast.
• Rainy season (November to April): there’s more availability, but demand rises in January and during Holy Week. Check the platform several weeks ahead.

To pick your months based on the weather, check our guide to Cusco weather by month.

When Each Year’s Tickets Go on Sale

Tickets don’t all go on sale at once: Cusco’s Decentralized Culture Office publishes a schedule by visit period. The 2026 schedule, announced on November 12, 2025, opened on these dates, at 8:00 a.m. except for the first batch, which opened at noon:

2026 visits	Sale opened
January 1–5, 2026	November 17, 2025
January 6–31	January 3, 2026
February	January 12
March	January 13
April	January 14
May	January 15
June	January 16
July	January 17
August to December	January 19

As of October 31, 2026, we haven’t found the official 2027 schedule. If it follows the 2026 pattern, it would arrive in November and most sales would open in January, but that’s our inference, not an official date. If you’re traveling in 2027, check the official site before you commit to a train and hotel.

For questions, the Ministry of Culture’s notice lists the phone numbers (084) 582030 and (084) 321 5555, +51 1 321 5555 from abroad, and the email addresses tuboleto@cultura.gob.pe and callcenter@culturacusco.gob.pe.

Requirements and Documents

• Original physical document, the same one you registered when buying: a passport for foreigners, a DNI for Peruvians, a foreign resident card for residents and a passport or national ID card for Andean Community citizens. Photos and copies aren’t accepted.
• Your ticket, printed or on your phone.
• Proof of your category if you bought a reduced rate: the minor’s age, your nationality or your residency.
• Your bus ticket if you’re going up from Aguas Calientes by bus; you also show it with your passport.
• A small backpack, no larger than 40 × 35 × 20 cm.

Entry Times and Grace Periods

Time slots start at 6:00 a.m. and the last one is at 3:00 p.m., one per hour. The time on your ticket is your entry time at the main entrance of the Inca city, and there’s a grace period that depends on the time of year:

Period	Grace period at the main entrance	Example with an 8:00 a.m. ticket
Regular-demand months	30 minutes	You can enter until 8:30 a.m.
Highest-demand months (June 1 to October 15, plus December 30 and 31)	45 minutes	You can enter until 8:45 a.m.
Mountain checkpoints (Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu, Huchuy Picchu)	No grace period	Arrive before the time shown

Source: the official entry-time table from the Dirección Desconcentrada de Cultura de Cusco. Keep in mind that it’s a 25- to 30-minute bus ride from Aguas Calientes to the entrance, plus the line. That’s why you choose your bus and train based on your entry time; you’ll find schedules and fares in our guide to the bus to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes.

Tip: the first time slots have better light and cooler temperatures for climbing a mountain; Huayna Picchu, for example, only has entry times at 7:00 and 10:00 a.m. To make them without an extremely early start, spend the night before in Aguas Calientes.

Rules Inside the Sanctuary

The Ministry of Culture publishes the code of conduct, and park rangers enforce it. Breaking the rules can mean immediate removal with no refund. The essentials:

• Stick to the route on your ticket: it’s one-way and you can’t turn back.
• Respect your route’s maximum time limit, which ranges from 2 h 30 min to 7 h.
• Don’t bring in food, trekking poles, umbrellas, tripods, drones, alcoholic beverages, aerosols or baby strollers.
• Don’t smoke or vape, and don’t climb on or lean against the Inca walls.
• Use the restrooms before you go in: they’re next to the entrance, outside the circuit.

The full list of banned items and what’s worth bringing is in what not to bring to Machu Picchu.

What to Do If Tickets Sell Out (Plan B)

1. Switch your route or time slot. If Circuit 2 is sold out, look at 1-B or 3-B. In peak season we usually see more availability in the afternoon.
2. Move your date by a day or two. If you haven’t bought your train or hotel yet, this is the easiest fix.
3. Try another mountain. With no spots left for Huayna Picchu, try Machu Picchu Mountain or, in peak season, Huchuy Picchu.
4. Check official availability daily. The official platform shows the spots left by route and time slot, and the situation changes from one day to the next.
5. Use the in-person sales in Machu Picchu Pueblo. Arrive a day early, get in line early and buy for the following day. You’ll need at least one extra night in town.
6. Ask a local agency. A licensed agency doesn’t have “secret” tickets, but it can help you rearrange your train, hotel and date if you change days.

Important: no one can legally sell you a ticket that the official platform shows as sold out. If someone offers you one, be suspicious: counterfeit tickets or tickets with someone else’s details are caught at the entrance, and you lose your money.

The Right Order: Ticket, Train and Hotel

The ticket is what sells out first and what sets your time. Everything else fits around it:

1. Entry ticket: choose your date, route and time. If you want a mountain, buy it here.
2. Train: pick one that arrives in Aguas Calientes at least one hour before your entry time, and a return train that allows for how long your route takes. Classes and schedules are in our guide to the train to Machu Picchu.
3. Hotel: in Aguas Calientes if you’re entering in the first time slots or climbing a mountain; in Cusco or Ollantaytambo if you’re doing it as a day trip.
4. Bus and guide: last, once all your times are locked in.

If you still don’t know how you’ll get there, compare the train, treks and the Hidroeléctrica route in how to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco.

Bottom Line: What to Do Based on Your Trip

• First visit and short on time: Circuit 2 with a guide, in a morning time slot. It works well on a day trip from Cusco.
• You want to climb a mountain: buy Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain as soon as you have your dates, and stay in Aguas Calientes. Two days with a night in town is the most comfortable format.
• You’re traveling as a family or don’t feel like walking much: Route 3-B or, in peak season, Huchuy Picchu.
• You want to see Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu in one trip: lock in your ticket first, then the train and hotels, and allow at least five days.
• There are no tickets left for your date: switch your route or time slot, move the day or use the in-person sales with an extra night in town.

Whatever your situation, the first step is the same: check availability on the official platform and lock in your ticket before anything else.