Machu Picchu tickets cost about 44 US dollars (152 soles) for foreign adults in 2026, or about 58 dollars (200 soles) with Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. Each ticket is valid for one fixed date, one route and one entry time. You can buy online on the official website, through an agency or, as a last resort, in person in Aguas Calientes.
We are a local tour operator in Cusco and we book these tickets every week for our travelers. This guide explains which ticket fits you, how many spots each route really has and when the most popular ones sell out.
What Machu Picchu tickets are there?
Since June 1, 2024 there is no general admission ticket anymore. Peruâs Ministry of Culture sells entry for three circuits with ten routes in total. Each route is its own ticket type, and once you are inside you cannot switch.
Two words are enough to understand the system. The circuit is the area of the site you walk through. The route is the specific ticket you buy. Every circuit has several routes, and you always book exactly one of them.
For most travelers this overview is all you need:
| If you want this | Buy |
|---|---|
| The classic photo and the walk through the city (first visit) | Route 2-A |
| Just the classic photo, by the shortest path | Route 1-B |
| An easy walk through the temples, without the photo from above | Route 3-B |
| To climb a mountain | Route 3-A (Huayna Picchu) or 1-A (Machu Picchu Mountain) |
The site admits 4,500 visitors a day, and 5,600 in high season. Under Ministerial Resolution 285-2025-MC, the higher capacity applies on these dates in 2026:
- January 1
- April 2 to 5 (Easter week)
- June 19 to November 2
- December 30 and 31
Four of the ten routes only open on those days: Sun Gate, Inca Bridge, Great Cavern and Huchuy Picchu.
Machu Picchu circuits: which one is right for you?
The three circuits show different parts of the site. Buy the wrong ticket and you may end up without the famous postcard photo, or seeing the temples only from a distance.
Circuit 1: Panoramic
Circuit 1 goes to the upper part of the site and has the widest views. Route 1-B to the upper terrace is the shortest at about 1 mile (1.6 km) and works for the classic photo. The viewpoint is part of the citadel, so you are inside the site. What this circuit does not include is the walk through the temples and plazas of the urban sector.
Circuit 2: Classic
Circuit 2 combines both: the view from the terraces and the walk through the Inca city, with the main gate, the main plaza, the Sacred Rock and the water mirrors. Route 2-A is about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) long and is our clear recommendation for a first visit. That is exactly why it sells out first.
Circuit 3: Machu Picchu Royalty
Circuit 3 runs through the lower part, with the Temple of the Sun, the House of the Inca and the Temple of the Condor. The Ministry describes it as the circuit with the least physical effort, which makes it a good fit for older travelers and families. There is no photo from above here, only a view from lower down.
Individual maps for all ten routes are on the official Machu Picchu website.
Tickets with Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain and Huchuy Picchu
The mountain hikes are not an add-on to any ticket. They are separate routes with their own ticket. If you book a mountain, you walk the circuit it belongs to, not the classic one.
- Huayna Picchu (Route 3-A): the steep peak behind the city. 400 spots a day, entry only at 7 and 10 a.m., high physical effort.
- Machu Picchu Mountain (Route 1-A, Montaña Machu Picchu in Spanish): the higher, less exposed mountain on the opposite side. 350 spots a day, entry at 7 and 9 a.m., about 2.4 miles (3.8 km) round trip.
- Huchuy Picchu (Route 3-D): Huayna Picchuâs small neighbor. Only 40 spots a day, and only in high season.
- Great Cavern with the Temple of the Moon (Route 3-C): 50 spots a day, also high season only.
One thing to know for planning: Huayna Picchu was officially closed from June 1 to 30, 2026 for maintenance work. The Ministry has not said whether that closure will repeat every year. Check the status before you book flights for June.
Machu Picchu ticket prices in 2026
These are the 2026 rates for foreign visitors, in US dollars:
| Ticket | Adults | Students | Children and teens (3 to 17) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routes without a mountain | about $44 (152 soles) | about $22 (77 soles) | about $20 (70 soles) |
| Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain | about $58 (200 soles) | discounted; the amount shows at checkout | |
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The Ministry of Culture sets and charges prices in Peruvian soles, so the dollar amounts are approximate, converted at the October 2026 exchange rate.
The official website adds an administrative fee for card payments. In a test purchase on October 4, 2026, a ticket of about $44 (152 soles) came to about $46 (159.48 soles) with an international card. International cards carry a higher surcharge than Peruvian ones.
The student rate is where we see the most mistakes. Only a physical plastic student ID from your own university is accepted, valid on the day of the visit, and only until the day before your 26th birthday. The ISIC card is not accepted, and neither are paper letters, digital IDs or IDs that double as a bank card. The expiry date cannot be more than two years after your travel date.
For what the whole trip costs with train, bus and guide, see our breakdown of the cost to go to Machu Picchu.
Where to buy Machu Picchu tickets: official website, agency or in person
There are three ways to get a ticket. Nothing is sold at the gate of the citadel itself.
Official website
The only official sales site is tuboleto.cultura.pe. There you pay the government price plus the card fee. Individuals can buy a maximum of five tickets per purchase.
Agency or tour operator
Authorized agencies work with their own access to the system and can book larger groups in one transaction. That matters most on the days when sales open for a new season. With us the ticket is normally part of our Machu Picchu tour packages, together with the train, the bus and the guide.
Resellers
Platforms and ticket sites with official-sounding names sell the same entries at a markup. That is not illegal, but you should know it is not the government site, even when the web address looks like it.
How to buy Machu Picchu tickets online, step by step
The process changed in September 2026. The old reservation that you paid for hours later no longer exists: now you choose, enter your details and pay in one session. We ran a test purchase on October 4, 2026 and captured every screen. The site is in Spanish, so we translate the labels you need.
Step 1: create your account and log in
Before you choose anything, create your account on tuboleto.cultura.pe with âRegistrarseâ (sign up) and log in with your email and password; the site asks for a quick check. If you start without being logged in, it will ask you to log in halfway through the purchase, after the 15-minute notice.
Step 2: choose circuit, route, date and entry time
Go to tuboleto.cultura.pe. In the box titled âAdquiere tu boletoâ you pick the circuit first, then the route, then the date. When you open the entry times, the site shows how many tickets are left for each hour, or âAGOTADOâ (sold out). You can request one to five tickets.
Step 3: tick âNo soy un robotâ and click âIniciar compraâ
Once everything is selected, the check âConfirma que eres humanoâ (confirm you are human) appears. Tick it and the âIniciar compraâ (start purchase) button becomes active.
Step 4: the 15-minute notice
The site warns you that you have 15 minutes to finish. Before you click âContinuarâ, have every visitorâs passport and your card at hand.
Step 5: enter each visitorâs details
The timer is now running. For each ticket you choose origin (âExtranjeroâ for foreigners), country, rate and document type, and type the passport number. The fields for first name, surnames and date of birth unlock after you enter the document. Type everything exactly as it appears in the passport, because those details are checked at the gate.
Step 6: accept the terms and pay
Tick âAceptar tĂ©rminos y condicionesâ and click âIr a pagarâ (go to payment). You pay by Visa or Mastercard, and the site shows the total with the administrative fee depending on whether your card is Peruvian or international. Enable online and international purchases on your card beforehand, because declined payments are the most common reason a purchase fails.
When the payment goes through, you receive the ticket as a PDF with its QR code. Save it on your phone and print a copy if you can.
How far in advance should you book Machu Picchu tickets?
For the classic Route 2-A we recommend three to four months ahead in high season and at least two in low season. The same goes for Huayna Picchu, if anything a little earlier.
The official annex to the resolution shows how limited the spots are. We added up the daily totals from the capacity per entry time.
| Route | Spots per day, regular season | Spots per day, high season | Entry times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-A Machu Picchu Mountain | 350 | 350 | 7 and 9 a.m. |
| 1-B Upper Terrace | 950 | 950 | hourly, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| 1-C Sun Gate (Intipunku) | closed | 130 | 7 to 10 a.m. |
| 1-D Inca Bridge | closed | 80 | 8 to 11 a.m. |
| 2-A Classic Route | 1,400 | 1,600 | hourly, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| 2-B Lower Terrace | 500 | 800 | hourly, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| 3-A Huayna Picchu | 400 | 400 | 7 and 10 a.m. |
| 3-B Royalty Route | 900 | 1,200 | hourly, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| 3-C Great Cavern | closed | 50 | 8 and 9 a.m. |
| 3-D Huchuy Picchu | closed | 40 | 9 and 11 a.m. |
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Sales for a new year open in stages. The first days of January 2026 went on sale back in November, and the remaining months were released one by one between January 12 and 19. On those days agencies buy for their whole season.
What we see on those days: Route 2-A for April and May is often almost fully gone on the day it is released. June starts filling up in February, followed by July and August. Huayna Picchu lasts a little longer for April and May, but it is usually sold out within two weeks.
A look at the website shows how tight it gets even outside the peak months: on October 4, 2026, only the 30th and 31st were still bookable for Route 1-B in all of October. Route 2-A was sold out for all of October and November; the first open day was December 3. To see which months are worth it for the weather, read our guide to the best time to visit Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu tickets sold out? Your remaining options
If the website shows nothing for your date, the trip is not lost yet. Realistically there are four ways out.
Choose another route or time
Routes 1-B and 3-B have a lot of capacity and are often still open when 2-A is long gone. Afternoon times tend to last a little longer, although the difference is small.
Buying in person in Aguas Calientes
Every day 1,000 tickets are sold at the Cultural Center in Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes), normally for the following day. When demand is very high, the Ministry allows purchases up to three days ahead as an exception. Of those tickets, 600 are for Route 2-A and only 50 each for Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain.
Queue numbers are handed out from 6 a.m., lines often form from 5 a.m. and last for hours. Every visitor has to show up in person with a passport. In high season you will often only get a ticket for the day after tomorrow, which means one or two extra hotel nights.
The Ministry publishes in real time how many in-person tickets are left for each route on its official availability page. Check it before you travel to Aguas Calientes.
Our honest take: do not plan your trip around this. In-person sales are a last resort and cost you exactly the time you would rather spend differently in Peru.
Short Inca Trail
On the Inca Trail, entry is included in the permit and comes from a separate quota. That is why the 2-day Inca Trail is sometimes still available when regular tickets are gone. Our guide to the Inca Trail permit explains how that system works.
A tour with a secured ticket
Operators have often already bought tickets for their fixed departures. Ask specifically about the route and entry time before you pay.
On our Machu Picchu private tour we buy Route 2-A as soon as you confirm, together with the Vistadome Observatory train.
Entry times, late-arrival tolerance and rules on site
Entry is hourly between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. Your time is printed on the ticket, and it is valid only for that date, that route and that hour. The ticket itself states the late-arrival tolerance: 30 minutes in regular season and 45 in high season.
The routes are one-way: turning back or doing a second lap is not allowed. At the gate you show the ticket and the same passport you booked with. The PDF on your phone is usually enough, because the QR code gets scanned. A printed copy as a backup does not hurt.
The visit is done with a guide. The rule is eight people per guide, and in practice groups of up to ten are admitted.
There are no restrooms inside the site; the last ones are at the entrance. You can also leave your backpack at the paid luggage storage there. Among other things, these are not allowed:
- large backpacks
- food
- drones, tripods and selfie sticks
- umbrellas and trekking poles
- high heels
- smoking, loud music and open flames
What the ticket does not include: train, bus and guide
The ticket is entry only. Everything that gets you to the gate is booked and paid for separately.
- Train to Aguas Calientes: with PeruRail or Inca Rail, usually from Ollantaytambo. The train is the biggest cost of the trip.
- Bus from Aguas Calientes to the citadel: 12 US dollars each way for foreign adults. The alternative is walking up.
- Guide: hired separately if you are not on a tour.
Match your train times and entry time first, then buy. A 6 a.m. ticket is no use if your train arrives at 9. We compare every way of getting there in our guide to the routes to Machu Picchu.
If you would rather not coordinate each piece yourself, our Machu Picchu day trip and our 2-day Machu Picchu tour by train put ticket, train, bus and guide in a single booking.
Machu Picchu tickets FAQ
Can I change the date or get a refund?
No. The ticket is personal, non-transferable and non-refundable. It is valid only for the printed date, route and time.
Can I buy tickets at the entrance to Machu Picchu?
No. In-person tickets are only sold at the Cultural Center in Aguas Calientes, not up at the citadel.
Is the ISIC card valid for the student rate?
No. Only the physical ID from your university is accepted, and only up to age 25.
Is Machu Picchu included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket?
No. The Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto TurĂstico) covers sites in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Machu Picchu always has its own ticket.
Which route has the classic photo?
Routes 1-B, 2-A and 2-B. On Circuit 3 you only see the city from lower down.
How many tickets can I buy at once?
Five per purchase as an individual. Larger groups book in several transactions or through an agency.
Need help getting your tickets?
If you can no longer find your date on the website or the payment will not go through, we are happy to help. We also buy tickets on their own for travelers who organize the rest themselves, for a handling fee. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel date, the number of people and the route you want, and we will check availability for you.
