Buying Your Entrance Ticket for Machu Picchu

Buying Your Entrance Ticket for Machu Picchu

Ruins of Machu Picchu Citadel in PeruTickets for Machu Picchu Citadel are limited to 2,500 visitors daily. Like the limits imposed on the Inca Trail, it´s meant to protect an irreplaceable world heritage site in danger of degrading due to excessive tourist traffic. Outside of the June-July-August high season, it usually isn’t difficult to get a ticket for your desired date during the same week. If your desired date is inflexible, however, or if you’d like your ticket to include a hike up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, it’s wise to arrange your trip to Machu Picchu in advance. After the jump, we explain how to buy your entry tickets to Machu Picchu Citadel, and what add-on hikes are available:

Buying a Ticket

To purchase your entrance ticket for Machu Ruins of Machu Picchu Citadel in PeruPicchu, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain, Huayna Picchu, and other archeological sites under INC jurisdiction, you must make an online reservation at machupicchu.gob.pe, either independently or through a travel agency. Inputting your personal information and selecting the site, entry route, dates, etc, will generate the reservation code you´ll use to pay for the entry ticket, either online, in the Cusco municipal offices of the INC, at DIRCETUR (Dirección Regional e Comercio Exterior y Turismo), or the national bank, Banco de la Nación del Perú. After making your reservation, either you or the agency or person acting on your behalf have a certain number of hours in which to pay at the bank or online. Once the payment has been made, you’ll be able to printyou’re your ticket using the reservation code. If your payment isn’t completed within the window (2.5 hours for the Inca Trail, 6 hours for Machu Picchu, 5 hours for other archeological sites), the system annuls the reservation.

Ruins of Machu Picchu Citadel in PeruOnline payments are only an option when you use MULTIRED or Verified by Visa. Unfortunately, the majority of cardholders located outside of Peru find that their cards are rejected by the system. In these cases, the INC requests that these travelers contact their Cusco hotel or find a local travel agency for assistance. At Pirwa Hostels, we forward email requests for Machu Picchu entrance tickets to our travel agency. Pirwa Travel Service doesn’t only offer all inclusive travel packages for Machu Picchu, it can also assist with individual elements of your trip, such as train tickets, transport, buses from Aguas Calientes to the ruins, entrance tickets, and guided visits.

Add-Ons: Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (Montaña)

Ruins of Machu Picchu Citadel in PeruMany of the photos you see of Machu Picchu Citadel are taken from above the actual site- they’re taken from the summit of either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, often referred to simply as Montaña. You can hike either of these trails, both of which begin with the site and both of which are considered moderate, for a great view of the ruins. However, you need to request and pay for a pass at the same time you purchase your entrance ticket. It can’t be added on later unless you’re willing to buy a whole new ticket.

Tickets for these trails are more limited than Ruins of Machu Picchu Citadel in Perugeneral entrance tickets for Machu Picchu Citadel, so you do need to buy well in advance of your projected arrival if you’re interested. In the case of Huayna Picchu, 200 climbers are permitted to enter the trail between between 7-8am, and 200 more between 10-11am. For Machu Picchu Mountain, the daily limit is 800 people, and one can begin the hike anytime from 7am-11am.

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