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The Machu Picchu citadel and its terraces below Huayna Picchu, under breaking storm cloud

How to visit Machu Picchu: the entry, the route, and the right time to go

A visit to Machu Picchu comes down to three pieces: a timed entry ticket for one circuit and route, a train or trek to get there, and, for the Inca Trail, a permit bought only through a licensed operator. Below is how each piece works, how to check your dates, and when to go.

Plan your visit, piece by piece

  • Machu Picchu tickets and circuits

    Every ticket is sold for one circuit, one route, one date and one entry time, across 3 circuits holding 10 routes. The citadel admits up to 5,600 visitors a day in high season and 4,500 in low season, so the popular routes sell out furthest ahead in the dry season. A citadel visit lasts up to 2 hours 30 minutes from your entry.

  • Getting to Machu Picchu from Cusco

    There is no road to Machu Picchu for regular vehicles: every visitor arrives through Machu Picchu Town (Aguas Calientes). Most drive from Cusco to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley and take the train from there, about 1.5 hours, then ride the shuttle bus or climb the footpath to the gate. Sleeping in town the night before lets you enter early, on the slot you want.

  • Best time to visit Machu Picchu

    The dry season, roughly May through September, is the most reliable time to visit, with clear mornings and firm trails, and also the busiest. April and October are the shoulder months: still green, with thinner crowds. The Inca Trail network closes every February for maintenance.

  • The Inca Trail and other treks

    The classic Inca Trail walks into Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate, and the network admits up to 750 people a day. Places are bought only by travel agencies registered with the Ministry of Culture's Cusco office, in each hiker's name. The Salkantay trek is the wilder, higher route, with far easier availability.

    On our Inca Trail trips, operated by Highland Adventures, the permit is arranged as part of the trip.

  • Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain

    Huayna Picchu is the steep peak behind the citadel in the classic photo: roughly 45 to 60 minutes up narrow stone staircases, comfortable for a fit climber with no fear of heights. Its routes sit on Circuit 3, and a mountain ticket allows up to 5 hours 30 minutes on Huayna Picchu or 6 hours 30 minutes on Machu Picchu Mountain, citadel included. Without a climb, Circuit 2 is the default for a first visit.

  • Cusco, the Sacred Valley and altitude

    Cusco sits at about 11,150 ft and most visitors feel it within hours of landing; Machu Picchu is much lower, at about 7,970 ft. The Sacred Valley lies between the two, lower and warmer than Cusco, and the most common train to Machu Picchu leaves from Ollantaytambo at its western end. Sleeping low before you sleep high is the easiest way to acclimatize.

The tools

Check Machu Picchu availability and Inca Trail permits

Availability, permit releases, and the route that fits, for your exact dates. Free to use, no email asked. If your dates are tight, set an alert and we will map the closest option that still works.

First, see how access works

Complete trips

Trips that take care of all of this

Entry, trains, guiding and hotels arranged as one trip, for your dates. Operated by Highland Adventures, planning complete Peru trips since 2006.

All Machu Picchu tours

Before you go

Machu Picchu questions, answered

Do you need to book Machu Picchu tickets in advance?

Yes. Every ticket is sold for one circuit, one route, one date and one entry time, and daily numbers are capped, so the popular routes sell out months ahead in the dry season and Inca Trail permits go faster still. On our trips, entry is arranged as part of the trip, so the route and dates are locked in when the trip is booked rather than left to chance.

How many days do you need for Machu Picchu?

Our packages run 4 to 10 days. 4 days is about the floor for Cusco, the Sacred Valley and a guided day at Machu Picchu without rushing the altitude, since the first days are spent getting used to the thin air. The longer trips make room for more of the valley and a slower pace.

How do you get to Machu Picchu from Cusco?

By train, for most visitors: a short drive from Cusco to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, then about 1.5 hours on the train to Machu Picchu Town, or roughly 3.5 to 4 hours on the rail leg from the Cusco area. There is no road for regular vehicles; the alternatives are a trek that ends at the site, or the road to Hidroelectrica and a walk of about 2.5 to 3 hours along the rail line. From Machu Picchu Town, the shuttle bus or the footpath climbs to the gate.

When is the best time to visit Machu Picchu?

May through September is the dry season, with the clearest views and the busiest trails. The shoulder months, April and October, trade a little more rain for thinner crowds. February is among the wettest months, and the Inca Trail network closes every February for maintenance.

Can you hike the Inca Trail without a tour?

No. Inca Trail places are bought only by travel agencies registered with the Cusco office of the Ministry of Culture, with the full name list of hikers, guides and support staff, and each ticket is issued in the hiker's name for one date and route. If permits are gone for your dates, the Salkantay trek reaches Machu Picchu with far easier availability. On our Inca Trail trips, the permit is arranged as part of the trip.

How long can you stay inside Machu Picchu?

A citadel visit lasts at most 2 hours 30 minutes from entry, with entries between 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The two mountain routes allow longer, citadel included: up to 5 hours 30 minutes for Huayna Picchu and 6 hours 30 minutes for Machu Picchu Mountain.

How much does a Machu Picchu trip cost?

For a complete week in Peru built around Machu Picchu, most travelers budget $1,500 to $3,000 per person before international flights. Our complete trips start at $795 per person, and that is the whole trip rather than a day rate: hotels, trains and transfers, guiding, and Machu Picchu entry arranged as part of it. Longer trips and private departures price higher, and every itinerary is quoted for your dates and group size.

Is my Machu Picchu entry secured when I book?

We check availability for your exact dates before anything is confirmed. Once your trip is confirmed, your entry is booked in your name and guaranteed as part of it. If your dates are already full, you hear that first, along with the closest option that still works.

The rules

Machu Picchu entry rules, circuits, and permits

The rules behind the tools above, each carrying the date we last checked it.

Open the Rules Center

Research

Machu Picchu planning guides

The research questions, answered by the team that operates the trips.

All planning guides

About this site

About MachuPicchu.com

MachuPicchu.com is an independent guide to visiting Machu Picchu, operated by Highland Adventures since 2006; official entry to the citadel is managed by Peru's Ministry of Culture. Every rule on the site names its official source and carries the date we last checked it, and every availability reading shows the date it was observed. Highland Adventures Inc. holds Florida Seller of Travel License ST37447.

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