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Machu Picchu Access Guide

Machu Picchu tickets, circuits, routes and availability

Entry to Machu Picchu is rationed by the Peruvian government and sold as timed, circuit-specific tickets. This page is the map: how the ticket system works, the circuits and routes you choose between, the mountain add-ons, the separate Inca Trail permit, and how to check availability - each current and dated when we last checked.

Highland Adventures plans and operates the complete trip around your entry; we alert you the moment access for your dates opens.

How Machu Picchu entry works

Timed, circuit-specific, capacity-capped entry tickets sold only by Peru's Ministry of Culture.

Machu Picchu entry is rationed by a daily visitor cap: up to 5,600 visitors a day in high season and 4,500 in low season (Ministry of Culture, September 2026). Every ticket is sold for one circuit, one route, one date and one entry time (Ministerial Resolution 528-2023-MC), and a standard visit lasts at most 2 hours 30 minutes from entry.

Tickets are sold only by Peru's Ministry of Culture, through its official platform, by direct sale: a ticket is issued in the visitor's name only once payment is confirmed, within a 15-minute purchase window, and an unpaid place goes back on sale. Direct sale began on September 22, 2026, and on October 14, 2026 the Minister of Culture said tickets will be sold this way from now on.

For 2027, Ministerial Resolution 408-2026-MC keeps the cap at up to 5,600 visitors a day on 147 high-season dates (January 1 to 3, March 25 to 28, June 19 to November 2, and December 29 to 31) and 4,500 a day on every other date. From January 1, 2027, Ministerial Resolution 407-2026-MC sets entry to Machu Picchu Mountain, Huayna Picchu and the Great Cavern until 10:00 a.m., and visitors start back from the summits and the Great Cavern by 12:00 noon. Visits dated through December 31, 2026 keep the earlier timetable.

Last verified Nov 2, 2026 (verified)how we check

Read the full rule with its change history

Entry times, changes, ID and guides

  • Entry tickets are sold by hour of entry, on the hour from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A standard visit lasts at most 2 hours 30 minutes from entry; for the 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. entries the limit is 5:30 p.m., when the citadel closes. (RM 528-2023-MC, verified )
  • A Machu Picchu entry ticket is valid only for the date and entry time it was bought for. Neither the date nor the ticket holder's name can be changed; only a passport or national ID number entered in error can be corrected. There are no refunds except for force majeure that prevents the visitor from reaching and entering the citadel, and once you leave, re-entry is not allowed except for force majeure. (RM 528-2023-MC, verified )
  • To enter, each visitor shows the entry ticket and an official identity document. Foreign visitors use a passport, a foreigner's identity card (carné de extranjería) or a diplomatic card; citizens of Andean Community (CAN) and MERCOSUR countries may use their national ID card. Staff may ask for the ticket or the document again inside the citadel. (RM 528-2023-MC, verified )
  • The visitor regulation recommends that visitors go with a tourism guide, to help conserve the site and keep the visit orderly. (RM 528-2023-MC, verified )
Last verified Oct 19, 2026how we check

What changes in 2027

  • For 2027, Ministerial Resolution 408-2026-MC keeps the citadel at up to 5,600 visitors a day on 147 high-season dates (January 1 to 3, March 25 to 28, June 19 to November 2, and December 29 to 31) and 4,500 a day on every other date. (RM 408-2026-MC, verified )
  • From January 1, 2027, Ministerial Resolution 407-2026-MC sets entry to Machu Picchu Mountain (route 1-A), Huayna Picchu (route 3-A) and the Great Cavern (route 3-C) until 10:00 a.m., and visitors start back from the summits and the Great Cavern by 12:00 noon; climbers sign in at the control point from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. or from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. The total time allowed stays at 6 hours 30 minutes for Machu Picchu Mountain and 5 hours 30 minutes for Huayna Picchu, citadel included. Visits dated through December 31, 2026 keep the earlier timetable. (RM 407-2026-MC; RM 408-2026-MC, verified )

How to buy an entry ticket, step by step

  1. Through the Ministry of Culture's official platform, choose the circuit and the route.
  2. Choose the date and the entry time.
  3. Enter each visitor's name and passport or ID number exactly as on the document they will carry, since the name cannot be changed later.
  4. Pay within the 15-minute purchase window. The ticket is issued in the visitor's name once payment is confirmed; an unpaid place goes back on sale.

Sources for these steps (Ministry of Culture notice, Sep 22, 2026; RM 528-2023-MC, verified )

The circuits and routes

Since June 2024 the citadel is visited on 3 circuits with 10 designated routes; your ticket locks your route.

Since June 1, 2024, the Ministry of Culture (Ministerial Resolution 528-2023-MC) has visitors tour Machu Picchu on three circuits containing ten designated routes. Every entry ticket is sold for one specific circuit and route.

Circuit 1 (Panoramic) covers the upper terraces and the classic photo viewpoint without entering the urban core. It holds the Machu Picchu Mountain, Sun Gate, and Inca Bridge routes.

Circuit 2 (Classic) combines the postcard viewpoint with the full urban core of the citadel. It is the circuit most first-time visitors want.

Circuit 3 (Royalty) covers the lower citadel and royalty sector. It holds the Huayna Picchu and Huchuy Picchu climbs and the Great Cavern route.

Four of the ten routes run in high season only: the Sun Gate and Inca Bridge on Circuit 1, and the Great Cavern and Huchuy Picchu on Circuit 3.

Your ticket fixes the circuit and route at purchase and cannot be changed at the gate. Choosing the right circuit before hunting tickets is the highest-leverage planning decision a Machu Picchu visitor makes.

Last verified Sep 4, 2026 (verified)how we check

Read the full rule with its change history

Which route should you pick?

The routes are not interchangeable. Here is where to start before the full detail below:

  • Most first-time visitors: Route 2-A (Classic). The postcard view plus the urban core, the best-rounded single ticket. Start here unless you have a reason not to.
  • Just the classic photo, minimal walking: Route 1-B. The upper-terrace viewpoint by the gentlest path.
  • You want a summit climb: Machu Picchu Mountain (1-A, taller and less exposed) or Huayna Picchu (3-A, steep and iconic); Huchuy Picchu (3-D) is the gentler option.
  • The ruins over the postcard: Circuit 3, the royalty sector and lower citadel.

Several routes run in high season only, and your ticket locks the circuit and route at purchase, so choose before you buy. Full detail for every route is below, or let the Recommender turn your answers into a best-fit pick.

Prefer to see it? The interactive circuit map draws all three circuits and where every route branches off.

Circuit 1 (Panoramic)

Upper-terrace panoramic views of the citadel; includes the mountain and viewpoint routes. Does not walk the urban core.

Route 1-A: Machupicchu Mountain

The panoramic circuit paired with the climb up Machu Picchu Mountain, the taller of the two summits above the citadel. The trail is a long but steady set of stone switchbacks on a wider, less exposed path than Huayna Picchu, and it opens the broadest aerial view over the whole site and the ring of surrounding peaks. It runs year-round and suits walkers who want a serious ascent without severe exposure. Plan on most of a day for the climb and descent.

  • Machupicchu Mountain summit
  • Panoramic terraces

Route 1-B: Upper Terrace

The pure panoramic route along the upper agricultural terraces to the classic guardhouse viewpoint, the angle behind almost every Machu Picchu postcard. There is no mountain climb and little steep ground, so it is the gentlest way to reach the iconic photo. Available year-round, it is the natural choice for a first visit focused on the view rather than a hike.

  • Classic postcard photo
  • Upper terraces

Route 1-C: Inti Punku (Sun Gate)

High season only

The panoramic circuit extended out to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, the pass where Inca Trail trekkers get their first sight of the citadel. The walk out and back adds a stretch of gentle uphill on an open Inca road with wide valley views. This route is offered in high season only, so confirm it is running for your dates.

  • Inti Punku (Sun Gate)
  • Inca Trail arrival view

Route 1-D: Inca Bridge

High season only

The panoramic circuit plus the short spur to the Inca Bridge, a log drawbridge set into a sheer cliff that once guarded the western approach to the site. The path is level and quick but skirts an exposed drop, and you view the bridge from a gated overlook rather than crossing it. It is a high-season-only add-on to the panoramic route.

  • Inca Bridge
  • Cliffside path

Circuit 2 (Classic)

The classic visit: the famous postcard viewpoint plus the urban core of the citadel. The circuit most first-time visitors want.

Route 2-A: Classic Designed

The full classic visit and the route most first-time travelers picture: the postcard viewpoint by the Guardhouse followed by a descent through the city gate into the urban core, past the quarries and the Temple of the Sun lookout, the Main Temple, the Temple of the Three Windows and the Sacred Rock. It combines the iconic photo with the buildings that made the site famous, all on a designed one-way path. Available year-round, it is the best-rounded single ticket for a first visit.

  • Postcard viewpoint
  • Temple of the Three Windows
  • Urban core

Route 2-B: Lower Terrace

A classic-circuit variant that reaches the urban core by way of the lower terraces rather than the high guardhouse angle. You still walk the heart of the citadel and its temples, with photo angles from a lower vantage. It runs year-round and works well when the upper classic route is full for your time slot.

  • Lower terrace viewpoint
  • Urban core

Circuit 3 (Royalty)

Lower citadel and royalty sector; includes the Huayna Picchu mountain routes. Less climbing in the core, mountain add-ons carry the effort.

Route 3-A: Waynapicchu Mountain

The royalty circuit through the lower citadel paired with the climb of Huayna Picchu, the steep, iconic peak that rises directly behind the classic photo. The ascent is short but genuinely steep and narrow, with exposed stone steps and cables in places, and it is not for anyone uneasy with heights. Below the climb you tour the royalty and residential sectors. The Huayna Picchu place is a capacity-limited add-on chosen when you book.

  • Huayna Picchu summit
  • Royalty sector

Route 3-B: Designed Royalty

The core royalty route through the lower citadel with no mountain add-on: the residential and royal quarters, finely fitted walls, fountains and stone stairways. It stays on the citadel floor, so it does not take in the high classic postcard angle. Available year-round, it suits travelers who want to walk among the buildings without a summit climb or exposure.

  • Royalty sector
  • Lower citadel

Route 3-C: Great Cavern

High season only

The royalty circuit extended to the Great Cavern and the Temple of the Moon, a carved ceremonial shrine tucked on the far side of Huayna Picchu. Reaching it is a long, remote up-and-down walk well beyond the main site, rewarding but time-consuming. It is offered in high season only and asks for good fitness and a full time allowance.

  • Great Cavern
  • Temple of the Moon

Route 3-D: Huchuypicchu

High season only

The royalty circuit plus Huchuy Picchu, the small hill between the citadel and Huayna Picchu. The climb is short and far gentler than Huayna Picchu, giving an elevated view over the site without the severe exposure, which makes it a good family-friendly alternative. It is a high-season-only add-on to the royalty route.

  • Huchuy Picchu summit
  • Royalty sector

Not sure which circuit fits you?

Our Circuit and Route Recommender turns fitness, mobility, heights, photography and interests into a best-fit route and a backup - no email required.

Open the Circuit and Route Recommender

Mountain add-ons: Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain

The summit climbs are not standalone tickets. Each is a capacity-limited add-on built into one of the routes above and chosen when you book your entry; picking that route is how you get the climb, and there is no separate mountain ticket to add later.

The three mountain climbs and the route each one is built into
ClimbRouteCharacter
Machu Picchu MountainRoute 1-AThe taller climb on a wider, less exposed path, with the broadest aerial view
Huayna PicchuRoute 3-AThe steep, iconic peak directly behind the citadel; exposed in places
Huchuy PicchuRoute 3-DThe short, gentle climb; the family-friendly alternative

Add-on places are limited and the mountain routes are among the first to sell out, so lock the route in early if a summit matters to you. Unsure whether a climb suits you? The Recommender weighs your comfort with heights and your fitness and steers you toward, or away from, a mountain route.

What the Route 3-A climb is actually like, and who should pick something else, is in our Huayna Picchu climbing guide; if you are weighing the classic view against the royalty sector, Circuit 2 vs Circuit 3 compares the two circuits.

Find your route in the Recommender

Inca Trail and alternative treks

Operator-only, passport-bound permits with a hard daily quota; following-year permits release roughly a year ahead; since 2026, trail arrivals enter the citadel on route 3-B, and since September 2026 places are sold only with full payment at purchase.

The Inca Trail network admits up to 750 visitors a day (Ministry of Culture, September 2026), and the regulation caps routes 1 to 4, which include the classic four-day trail, at 500 users a day (Ministerial Resolution 294-2025-MC). Classic Inca Trail permits can only be purchased by licensed operators, are bound to your passport, and are non-transferable and non-refundable. Permits for the following year are released roughly a year ahead (recently around October or November, and announced each year by the Ministry), and high-season dates are gone within hours to days. The trail closes every February for maintenance. If your dates lack permits, the Short Inca Trail and alternative treks are the standard fallbacks.

Since the 2026 season, arriving on the trail and entering the citadel are two separately rationed things. Article 15-B of the Machu Picchu visitor regulation (Ministerial Resolution 306-2025-MC, November 2025) gives visitors who arrive on the Inca Trail network their own limited daily allocation of citadel entries, reserved and paid in advance through the licensed operator that holds the trail permit, and admits them on route 3-B, the lower citadel. The trail itself still ends at the Sun Gate; what the resolution fixes is the ticketed circuit inside the citadel afterwards. A visit on Circuit 2, the classic viewpoint and urban core, is a separate entry on a separate day, and the size of the 3-B allocation is set by the Cusco cultural authority within the citadel's daily capacity.

Since September 2026, Inca Trail places are sold only by direct sale on the official platform, paid in full at the moment of purchase and issued in each hiker's name (Ministerial Resolution 333-2026-MC, September 11, 2026). A place is not held while payment is pending, a ticket is valid only for its date, its route and its holder, and an unused ticket is neither refunded nor moved to a new date except for documented force majeure. Licensed operators still make the purchase. Direct sale on the platform began on September 22, 2026.

Last verified Oct 22, 2026 (verified)how we check

Read the full rule with its change history

Track the permit release

The classic Inca Trail is an operator-only permit that is separate from a Machu Picchu entry ticket. Set an alert for your trek and month, and see the standard alternatives when permits are gone.

Open the Inca Trail permit tracker

Checking availability

Our Availability Checker shows what we have actually observed for a given circuit or exact route across the season, with the date and time we checked it. Where we have not checked, it says so rather than guessing - we never invent an open date. When a date is gone, it puts you on an alert for the next opening, and Highland Adventures builds the full trip around whatever opens.

Open the Availability Checker

Machu Picchu history in brief

Machu Picchu was built by the Incas in the fifteenth century on a steep ridge 2,430 m (about 7,970 ft) above sea level, and was abandoned when the Spanish conquered the Inca Empire in the sixteenth century (UNESCO World Heritage Centre).

Radiocarbon dates from burials in the caves around the site show it was occupied from about AD 1420 to 1532, some two decades earlier than the written sources that tie it to the emperor Pachacuti's rise to power in AD 1438 (Burger et al. 2021, Antiquity).

It was not until 1911 that the site was made known to the outside world. Its roughly 200 structures, religious, ceremonial, astronomical and agricultural, follow a rigorous plan that divides the city into an upper and a lower part, set among stone terraces. UNESCO inscribed the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu on the World Heritage List in 1983, for both its cultural and its natural value (UNESCO World Heritage Centre).

Sources read October 20, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How does Machu Picchu entry work?

Entry is rationed and released as timed, circuit-specific tickets, and it sells out. We track the current rules and stamp every one with the date we last checked it; Highland Adventures then plans and operates the complete trip around the entry your dates allow.

How do I choose the right circuit and route?

Use our free Circuit and Route Recommender. Answer a few questions about fitness, mobility, heights, photography and interests, and it suggests a best-fit route and a backup, with no email required. For the full circuit structure and what each ticket includes, see the circuits and routes section on this page.

What is the difference between Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain?

Both are optional climbs built into a specific route, not standalone tickets. Machu Picchu Mountain, on Route 1-A, is the taller climb on a wider, less exposed path with a broader aerial view; Huayna Picchu, on Route 3-A, is the steep, iconic peak directly behind the citadel. Both are capacity-limited and are chosen when you book your entry, by choosing that route.

How far in advance should I plan?

High-season entries, mountain add-ons and Inca Trail permits are the first to sell out, so planning months ahead is normal. Set an alert for your dates and we will tell you the moment access opens; Highland Adventures then builds the trip around it.

Can you help if my dates are already sold out?

No one can legitimately conjure a sold-out ticket or permit. What we can do is set you an alert for the next release and cancellations; Highland Adventures can also design an alternative that still reaches Machu Picchu - a different circuit, the Short Inca Trail, or an alternative trek.

What are the Machu Picchu entry times?

Entry tickets are sold by hour of entry, on the hour from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A standard visit lasts at most 2 hours 30 minutes from entry; for the 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. entries the limit is 5:30 p.m., when the citadel closes. (RM 528-2023-MC, verified )

Can I change the date or name on my ticket, or get a refund?

A Machu Picchu entry ticket is valid only for the date and entry time it was bought for. Neither the date nor the ticket holder's name can be changed; only a passport or national ID number entered in error can be corrected. There are no refunds except for force majeure that prevents the visitor from reaching and entering the citadel, and once you leave, re-entry is not allowed except for force majeure. (RM 528-2023-MC, verified )

What ID do I need at the Machu Picchu gate?

To enter, each visitor shows the entry ticket and an official identity document. Foreign visitors use a passport, a foreigner's identity card (carné de extranjería) or a diplomatic card; citizens of Andean Community (CAN) and MERCOSUR countries may use their national ID card. Staff may ask for the ticket or the document again inside the citadel. (RM 528-2023-MC, verified )

Do I need a guide to enter Machu Picchu?

The visitor regulation recommends that visitors go with a tourism guide, to help conserve the site and keep the visit orderly. (RM 528-2023-MC, verified )

How do I check my Machu Picchu ticket is genuine?

Since November 4, 2026, the Ministry of Culture's official ticket system offers an online check that confirms a Machu Picchu entry ticket is valid and registered. You enter the visitor's identity document number and either the ticket code or the visit date, so it works even without the ticket in hand, and it covers tickets bought through tour agencies. Entry-control staff can use the same tool to help visitors recover or download their tickets. (Ministry of Culture notice, Nov 4, 2026, verified )

Dates already gone? The sold-out guide lists the moves that still get you in, in the order they work.

Train suspended before your visit? What happens to your entry ticket is in when the train to Machu Picchu is cancelled.

Highland Adventures trips built around this system

Every package is planned around the entry, circuit, and timing your dates allow, with the trains, hotels, guiding, and transfers handled end to end.

Compare every trip

Plan your Machu Picchu trip

Entering Machu Picchu takes an official, government-issued ticket, sold only by Peru's Ministry of Culture. Each one is timed to a single date, entry time, circuit and route, issued in the visitor's name, cannot be changed or refunded except for force majeure, and can sell out. So the ticket has to line up with your train, the bus up, your hotel and your guide. Lining all of that up is what we do as part of a complete trip, operated by Highland Adventures.

Tell us your dates and group and Highland Adventures will build a complete trip around the right entry, with your official Machu Picchu ticket (and Inca Trail permit, on trek trips) arranged as part of it.

Start planningSee every current access rule

We design your whole Peru trip and arrange every part of it around the right Machu Picchu access, with every entry confirmed as part of it.