Machu Picchu Tickets
Buying Machu Picchu Tickets In Person
When you check online, you’ll see how many tickets are available (disponible) and how many are sold (vendido). Aforo is the total number of tickets available each day.
Can you buy a Machu Picchu ticket in person?
Yes, sometimes. There are 1,000 tickets available every day for people who arrive in Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu) without a ticket.
Which routes are available in person?
Only six of the ten routes are available in person: 1A, 2A, 3A, 1B, 2B & 3B. Click on the maps above to enlarge them. That leaves out the four routes that are only available in high season: 1C Intipunku, 1D Inca Bridge, 3C Great Cave and 3D Huchuy Picchu. Read my blog about Huchuy Picchu here.
Sometimes there’s a huge crowd waiting to buy Machu Picchu tickets. Sometimes there’s nobody there.
How hard is it to buy a Machu Picchu ticket in person?
This really depends on the day, and I think it’s completely unpredictable. You just don’t know when a big group will decide to go last minute and buy all the tickets. It’s possible to show up and get the highly coveted 2A or 2B tickets.
It’s also possible to show up and for all 1,000 tickets to be sold out. You’d be stuck paying for the train to and from Aguas Calientes, plus food and hotel, without getting to see Machu Picchu. Check train and hotel prices before you consider that possibility because the town is only accessible by train or walking. There are no roads to Aguas Calientes, which is one of the reasons it’s such an expensive place. (The other reason is that it’s a bit of a tourist trap).
Where are Machu Picchu tickets sold in person?
The main square in Aguas Calientes is called Plaza Manco Capac, named after the first Incan ruler. The east corner of the plaza has a government office with signs for iPeru (national tourism board), Mincetur (Ministry of Tourism) and Gercetur (regional tourism management).
When can you buy Machu Picchu tickets in person?
The office is open every day 6am-10pm. Tickets sold are for the next day.
Machu Picchu is in the cloudforest, between the rainforest and high Andes. It can be foggy or rainy any time of year.
Should you buy a Machu Picchu ticket in advance?
Yes! When you know what dates you’ll be in Peru, and if you want to go to Machu Picchu, get on the website and buy your Machu Picchu tickets immediately.
If you really have your heart set on Inti Punku or Huayna Picchu and those are sold out, buy whatever is available. Then, when you get to Aguas Calientes go to the Mincetur office or look online to check if there’s a last minute ticket available for the route you really wanted. If not, at least you have a ticket.
Weather in the cloudforest around Machu Picchu is unpredictable. It can be foggy any time of year, so some days none of the routes have the classic postcard views that you get with the routes that visit the top terraces.
Which ticket to buy for Machu Picchu?
There are a confusing ten different tickets you can buy for Machu Picchu. Circuit 1 has four options, Circuit 2 has two options and Circuit 3 has another four options. Even more confusing, two of the Circuit 1 options and two of the Circuit 3 options say they’re only available in “high season” without specifying exactly when that is. (It’s June through September).
Every year routes are modified and sections are closed. The first ten or so times I visited Machu Picchu people were allowed to walk everywhere on these terraces. In 2026, visitors were limited to the small area where the grass is worn.
Why are there so many routes at Machu Picchu?
There are simply more people that want to visit Machu Picchu than the ruins can handle. The routes are designed to spread people out to lessen the impact of thousands of feet tromping around on the ruins. The citadel was designed to be used by a few hundred people a couple times a year, not 5,000-8,000 people every day. Since it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and New 7th Wonder of the World, international organizations have been advising the Peruvian government on how to care for the site long term. Before there were limits on how many people could visit, a lot of damage was done to the site.
What if you don’t get a ticket?
You can hang out in Aguas Calientes, but there’s not much to do in town. You can hike to the Alcamayo Waterfall, soak in the hot springs and get your photo taken with Paddington. If you’re staying somewhere like Inkaterra, you can walk in the orchid garden and see the tea plantation.
Can you visit Peru without going to Machu Picchu?
Yes! There are so many places to go in Peru besides Machu Picchu! The Cusco region is full of Inca cities like Choquequirao, Huchuy Qosqo, Pisac and temples like Tipón and Waqra Pukará. You can also see cities in other regions of Peru built by cultures that came before the Inca like Kuélap, Chan Chan and tombs like the Lord of Sipán. I designed itineraries for my friends Liz for 8 days and Day for one week to visit Cusco and the Sacred Valley without Machu Picchu and they both had a great time.
Plus, there are a lot of sustainability problems with Machu Picchu.
Check the maps of each route so you know what you get to see at each one. This is the view from Huchuy Picchu.
Questions?
Download my Peru travel guide app Peru’s Best! It has everything you need to plan a trip to Peru. You can also contact me to schedule a travel call for personalized advice.
