The admission regulations to Machu Picchu changed in 2017. Previously, visitors to the Inca citadel could enter at 6:00 am and stay until sunset at 5:00 pm. However, this resulted in large crowds in the morning and chaotic and crowded exits in the afternoon.
For this and other reasons, UNESCO threatened to place Machu Picchu on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2017, prompting an immediate response from the Peruvian government. New restrictions and measures were implemented to prevent further deterioration of this World Heritage site.
The Historical Sanctuary or Archaeological Park of Machu Picchu covers an area of about 37,000 hectares. It includes the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu Mountain, Machu Picchu Mountain, Putucusi Mountain, and boasts unparalleled flora and fauna.
There are essentially five types of tickets available:
The ticket for entrance to the citadel or Llaqta has 4 circuits to choose from:
Please note that entry to the Llaqta must be accompanied by an official tour guide.
Due to the new regulations, there are now a maximum of 5,940 entry tickets available per day, divided into nine groups. Each group is allowed to stay in the citadel for a maximum of four hours. Below are the details:
With this ticket, you are allowed to stay in the Inca citadel for 4 hours from the time of entry. If your entry time is at 3 pm, you will have only 2 hours to visit, until 5 pm.
| Type of circuit | Entry time |
| Circuit 1 Circuit 2 Circuit 3 Circuit 4 | Group 1 from 6 am - 7 am Group 2 from 7 am – 8 am Group 3 from 8 am – 9 am Group 4 from 9 am - 10 am Group 5 from 10 am – 11 am Group 6 from 11 am - 12 pm Group 7 from 12 pm - 1 pm Group 8 from 1 pm - 2 pm Group 9 from 2 pm - 3 pm Group 10 from 3 pm - 4 pm |
The new entry regulations to the Llaqta and Huayna Picchu Mountain establish 4 entry groups of 50 people each, with a maximum of 200 people per day. It is important to note that if you want to visit Huayna Picchu Mountain, you must do so in the morning hours. Below are the details:
This ticket allows you to stay 6 hours within the Inca citadel, considering that the ascent and descent of the mountain take about 2 hours and 30 minutes. If you visit the Temple of the Moon, the visiting time extends by 1 hour.
| Type of circuit | Entry time |
| Circuit 4 | Group 1 from 7 am – 8 am Group 2 from 8 am – 9 am Group 3 from 9 am - 10 am Group 4 from 10 am – 11 am |
The current regulations establish 2 entry groups to Machu Picchu Mountain, with a daily limit of 400 people. Below are the details:
With this ticket, you can stay up to 8 hours, the ascent and descent times are almost 3 hours and 30 minutes, allowing you to spend only 1 hour at the summit.
| Type of circuit | Entry time |
| Circuit 3 | Group 1 from 7 am – 8 am Group 2 from 9 am - 10 am |
Due to the new regulations, there are now a maximum of 4,044 entry tickets available per day, divided into 5 groups. Below are the details:
This ticket allows you to stay for 5 hours in the Inca citadel, with the ascent and descent of Huchuy Picchu Mountain taking approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.
| Type of circuit | Entry time |
| Circuit 4 | Group 1 from 7 am – 8 am Group 2 from 8 am – 9 am Group 3 from 9 am - 10 am Group 4 from 10 am – 11 am Group 5 from 11 am - 12 pm |
This ticket is quite rare as it allows you to visit the Inka Bridge, a construction of wood and stone. Below are the details:
With this ticket, you are allowed to stay for 5 hours in the Inca citadel, considering that the walk to the Inka Bridge takes about 30 minutes.
| Type of circuit | Entry time |
| Circuit 1 Circuit 2 | Group 1 from 7 am – 8 am Group 2 from 8 am – 9 am Group 3 from 9 am - 10 am Group 4 from 10 am – 11 am Group 5 from 11 am - 12 pm Group 6 from 12 pm - 1 pm Group 7 from 1 pm - 2 pm Group 8 from 2 pm - 3 pm Group 9 from 3 pm - 4 pm |
