MACHU PICCHU TICKETS

"Machu Picchu Tickets" is an independent guide to help you buy your entrance tickets to Machu Picchu. This is an independent non-commercial site set up with the intention of helping visitors to Peru. We are not a travel agent and do not sell entrance tickets to Machu Picchu. The entrance tickets to Machu Picchu can either be bought directly online from the government's own website or purchased as part of a tour package from a travel agent or tour operator. We have tried to clarify the rather complicated process of purchasing the tickets and the various options on offer. The government have only recently introduced this new online reservation system and there are still a few initial problems. Hopefully the system will be improved in the near future. The information given on this website is given in good faith and based on information available at the time. We will try to keep it as up-to-date as possible. The editor cannot accept liability for any incorrect information and visitors are advised to visit the official government website www.machupicchu.gob.pe (which can often be very slow and has a habit of crashing!). If you can't open the website maybe try again a bit later.

Update: If your web browser cannot find the page www.machupicchu.gob.pe , you are most likely having a DNS lookup issue (not your fault). Navigating directly to the IP address http://200.37.108.103  will get you there. I have checked the web page and it is authentic. For security reasons navigating directly to the DNS number is not good practice but there doesn't seem to be an alternative at the moment. My recommendation would be to check the www.machupicchu.gob.pe first before using the alternative link. Hopefully the authorities will get their house in order in the next few days and sort out their problems. (information updated thanks to comments posted on our Facebook page)

A quick history of why visitor numbers to Machu Picchu need to be limited and enforced.

Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site  in 1983. In 2007 Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Its popularity has given a much needed boost to the Peruvian economy and given employment opportunities to local people. However in the past Machu Picchu has been poorly managed without giving enough consideration to the protection of this historic Inca city. Easy revenues made from charging expensive entrance fees to both Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail have gone unchecked and, in the past, local authorities have become greedy and failed to invest enough in conservation projects and tourism management. In April 2007 UNESCO, concerned at the lack of a long term strategy, sent a Mission to Assess the State of Conservation of Machu Picchu. The Committee voiced grave concern over governance of the property and noted urgent problems with deforestation, the risk of landslides, uncontrolled urban development and illegal access to the sanctuary (see full article) and further monitoring of the site was recommended. Pressure was also put on the Peruvian authorities to limit visitor numbers to Machu Picchu and produce a long term tourism management strategy. A plan was successfully implemented for the Inca Trail with maximum visitor numbers capped to 400 per day (about 200 tourists and 300 porters, of which the porters are not permitted to enter Machu Picchu). However no such plan was agreed for Machu Picchu. Scientific studies apparently suggested that a maximum number of 2500 visitors per day to Machu Picchu would be a suitable compromise between allowing access to tourism and conservation of the site. This figure of 2500 visitors per day has widely be agreed upon although up until now it has never been enforced. During the peak months in 2010 it was estimated that daily visitor number of up to 4000 visitors were not uncommon. Visitor numbers in July 2011 were also well above the 2500 limit especially on the 24 July 2011 when Machu Picchu celebrated the 100th year anniversary of its "re-discovery". Following this the rather "crowded" day the authorities decided to take drastic actions to limit the total visitor numbers.

Recent dramatic events to limit visitor numbers to Machu Picchu

"Peru's extravagant celebrations of the centenary of the rediscovery of Machu Picchu descended into farce this week, after a bureaucratic wrangle that saw hundreds of tourists from around the world barred from entering the Inca ruins." - 29 July 2011, Simeon Tegel,  The Independent (see full article)

On 25 July 2011 the Peruvian authorities decided to limit the number of visitors to Machu Picchu to 2500 per day. This would normally be considered a good thing apart from the fact that the authorities forgot to tell anyone about their intentions. When the 2500th entrance ticket was sold for that date the authorities shut up shop and wouldn't allow anyone else in. The fact that most visitors had flown half way across the world just to see Machu Picchu and had spent more than 5 hours  travelling on a combination of bus and train from Cusco to purchase their entrance tickets at the official ticket sales office in Aguas Calientes didn't manage to persuade the authorities to change their minds. Hundreds of tourists were not happy to say the least! Hundreds of tourists blocked the entry to Machu Picchu and the following day began to picket the "new" official ticket office in Cusco. The authorities did backtrack and raise the maximum limit to 3300 visitors per day but only on a temporary basis which of course drew criticism from archeologists and tourism experts who said this level was unsustainable.

Juan Julio Garcia, regional tourism director in Cusco, wouldn't take responsibility for the mess. He explained that "some travel agencies have failed to inform visitors that they should get tickets in advance because of the daily load limit of 2,500 people." - Associated Press. Maybe someone forgot to inform the travel agencies.

So now we all know

BUY YOUR MACHU PICCHU TICKETS IN ADVANCE.

AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT & BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE.

Don't wait until you arrive at Machu Picchu because you may be in for a nasty surprise.

Official website www.machupicchu.gob.pe
 

We'll tell you how you can buy your entrance tickets below, but first we'll start by telling you how much it's going to cost you.

Prices are given in Peruvian Soles (S/.).    US$1 = S/.2.75 (rate of exchange to be used only as an approximate guide)

The wording below may sound a bit strange but I've taken it directly from the official government website

This is the standard entrance ticket to Machu Picchu. If you just want to visit Machu Picchu without climbing any nearby mountains or visiting the Machu Picchu museum (which most people don't have time for anyway) then this is the ticket for you.

Ciudad Inka MAPI translates as  Inca City Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is commonly abbreviated as MAPI

Foreign Category (price for every one except from Peru, Bolivia, Columbia & Ecuador)

ADULTO (adult) S/.126

National Category (includes visitors from Peru, Bolivia, Colombia & Ecuador)

ADULTO (adult) S/.64

Tickets are half price for Students with an ISIC card and children under 18 years old. Children under 7 years old don't pay at all.

Updated: The website doesn't give you the option of buying student entrance tickets. I contacted the Call Centre by email http://www.drc-cusco.gob.pe/callcenteresp1/ (very quick response in English) and they informed me that "students can only purchase tickets at our offices in Cusco or through an authorized travel agency." This isn't very helpful if you decide to wait until you arrive in Cusco to buy your tickets and the tickets are sold out!

 - Machu Picchu plus the Machu Picchu museum

Foreign Category (price for every one except from Peru, Bolivia, Columbia & Ecuador)

ADULTO (adult) S/.148

National Category (includes visitors from Peru, Bolivia, Colombia & Ecuador)

ADULTO (adult) S/.86

 - Machu Picchu plus climbing Huayna Picchu, first group starting between 7-8am

Foreign Category (price for every one except from Peru, Bolivia, Columbia & Ecuador)

ADULTO (adult) S/.150

National Category (includes visitors from Peru, Bolivia, Colombia & Ecuador)

ADULTO (adult) S/.90

 - Machu Picchu plus climbing Huayna Picchu, second group starting between 10-11am

Foreign Category (price for every one except from Peru, Bolivia, Columbia & Ecuador)

ADULTO (adult) S/.150

National Category (includes visitors from Peru, Bolivia, Colombia & Ecuador)

ADULTO (adult) S/.90

This is something new, no details available at the moment, suspiciously sound like a fiddle to allow more visitors to Machu Picchu. We'll keep you informed.

Foreign Category (price for every one except from Peru, Bolivia, Columbia & Ecuador)

ADULTO (adult) S/.140

National Category (includes visitors from Peru, Bolivia, Colombia & Ecuador)

ADULTO (adult) S/.80

There are basically 3 options for buying your Machu Picchu Entrance Ticket

(1) Buy your tour to Machu Picchu with a travel agent.

You can book a tour to Machu Picchu with a travel agent / tour operator in your own country or directly with a travel agent / tour operator in Peru. Tours may be part of a package including flights and accommodation or just a traditional day tour to Machu Picchu by train. Tour companies that sell entrance tickets to Machu Picchu must be authorized by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture. A list of authorized companies can be found on their website www.drc-cusco.gob.pe/callcenteresp1/dmdocuments/call/agenciasmapi.pdf

(2) Independent visitors can buy their entrance tickets online

Independent visitors are visitors who book all the parts of their tour themselves. i.e they buy their own flights and book their accommodation on line. They may buy a day tour from a local travel agent (see above) or they may make all the arrangements themselves i.e buy train tickets, bus tickets and the entrance ticket to Machu Picchu. This can often work out cheaper and allows for more flexibility in planning an itinerary. Machu Picchu entrance tickets are best bought as far in advance as possible but remember that the departure date cannot be changed once you have bought the tickets. Details how to buy the tickets online can be found below.

Another thing to consider is the availability of train tickets to Machu Picchu. Train tickets can be bought online at www.perurail.com There's no point buying your Machu Picchu entrance ticket only to find all of the train tickets have sold out!! Its probably best to check availability of both train tickets and Machu Picchu entrance tickets before buying either of them. Minor details like buying the bus ticket from Cusco to Ollantaytambo and the bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu can easily be organized once in Cusco.

(3) Buy you entrance tickets at a ticket office in Cusco.  (not recommended)

The third option is not really an official option but if you are already in Cusco you could just go to the Ticket Office in Cusco and try to buy a ticket directly. Take your passport and be prepared to wait around for a while. Most visitors, even when already in Cusco, are encouraged to buy their tickets online and either pay by VISA card or take their booking number to an official agent in Cusco to pay (see below)

Official Machu Picchu Ticket Office in Cusco:

Oficinas de la Dirección Regional de Cultura Cusco
Av. de la Cultura 238 Condominio Huáscar

Cusco

There is also a ticket office in the town of Aguas Calientes near to Machu Picchu but, for obvious reasons, this seems like a rather stupid place to buy your ticket as it's a long journey back if they have sold out.

Visit the official government website

www.machupicchu.gob.pe

This is the ONLY official website offering online tickets to Machu Picchu. Expect to see hundreds of unofficial sites soon designed to scam you of your money.

Step 1: Visit www.machupicchu.gob.pe

Click on the above link or, for the sensibly cautious amongst you, type in the above web address into your web browser. As you can see it is a website registered to the Peru government (gob.pe) which should inspire at least some confidence as to its authenticity!

Click the Union Jack flag to see the webpage in English (not that it makes much difference!)

Make sure that you have clicked the RESERVATIONS tab

Drop down menu: Lugar a Visitar (Place to Visit), select MACHUPICCHU

Drop down menu: Seleccione la Ruta (Select the Route),  you will be shown the following options:

Ciudad Inka MAPI - this is the standard entrance ticket to Machu Picchu

Machupicchu y Museo - Machu Picchu plus the Machu Picchu museum

MAPI - Huayna Picchu 1G 07:00 - 08:00am - Machu Picchu plus climbing Huayna Picchu, first group starting between 7-8am

MAPI - Huayna Picchu 1G 10:00 - 11:00am - Machu Picchu plus climbing Huayna Picchu, second group starting between 10-11am

MAPI - Montaña - this is something new, no details available at the moment

Select the type of entrance ticket that you want. For this example I will select a standard entrance ticket to Machu Picchu.

From the calendar shown then select the date that you want to enter.  For this example I will select the 03 August 2011. Towards the top of the page is a grey box with white numbers inside with the word Disponibilidad written over the top. This tells you how many entrance tickets are available for the date that you have selected. Obviously if it is zero then all the tickets have sold out and you will have to select another date. At the time of writing entrance tickets were already sold out for the next 3 days so this highlights the importance of making a booking as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment.

Select how many tickets you want. This can be done by placing your pointer over the number in the quantity row and selecting the quantity from the options box. The total price will then be calculated. When you are happy click on the Step 2 button.

Step 2:  Fill in your personal details

Fill in your personal details as they appear in your passport. Details required are name, last name, sex, country, age, type of travel document (PAS - PASAPORTE), Document number (fill in your passport number).

When selecting a country from the drop down menu you will note that the country names are in Spanish and pretty poor Spanish at that.

Inglaterra = England. Since there wasn't an option for Scotland or Wales or United Kingdom then the Scots and Welsh will have to call themselves English (could there be no bigger insult!!)

Estados Unidos = United States

Holanda - Netherlands

Irlanda = Ireland

Suecia = Sweden

Suiza = Switzerland

The other countries should be fairly obvious.

Once complete double check the details and proceed to next stage by clicking the Step 3 button

Step 3 Fill in Contact information.

Select the person who will be responsible for the booking and fill in your address. Tick the Accept Terms & Conditions box (Acepto las Condiciones). Basically the conditions state that if you cancel you won't get your money back and you can't change the departure date or change the names on the tickets. Non-refundable and non-transferable. If you understand Spanish you can click on the terms and conditions page.

Now that you have signed your life away and exonerated the Peruvian government from any liabilities just click the "Reserve Generating" button and you will receive confirmation of your booking.

Pressing the "Reserve Generating" button displays 2 pop-ups:

FORMATO DE RESERVA (Pop Up)

This has all your booking details and a reservation code (Reserva). The status of the booking is also shown as INICIADO. Print this document out. If you can't print it out at least make sure all the details are correct and make a note of your reservation code.

INFORMACION RESERVA CHEK-IN (Pop Up)

Just information telling you to make a note of your reservation number. Once you have paid for the booking (see below) you can print out copies of your entrance tickets by entering this reservation code in the CHECK-IN section of the website.

Now close all pop ups. Your reservation code is also shown on the bookings webpage. You can copy this code and then proceed to the next stage PAGOS (payments)

Stage 4: PAGOS (Payments)

Select the PAGOS tab.

There are 3 options available to you for paying for your reservation. It is important to note that you have a maximum of six hours to pay for your booking after generating your booking code. After this time your booking will be cancelled and you will have to start again.

(1) Payment online using VISA. Just enter your reservation code into the box marked Codigo de Reserva and press the "Pagar" (Pay) button

This opens a new window which allows you to pay by VISA. If the details and price are correct press ENVIAR button. This will then take you to a webpage on the VISA Merchant website. The root of the website address should read www.multimerchantvisanet.com This is the official VISA payment portal in Peru although it doesn't exactly inspire you with confidence. You can only pay using VISA and NOT MasterCard or American Express. It's not even a secure webpage  (secure sites should begin with https://).

Just enter your card details and click on Pay. That's as far as I got because I didn't actually want to buy a ticket, I was just trying to see how the process works. As far as I can tell after clicking on the Pay button it will take you through a card verification process known as Verified by VISA. You are probably already familiar this verification process as this process is used worldwide. You will be asked to enter your Verified by Visa password to complete the transaction.

(2) Payment at an agent in Peru.

You can pay for the booking at any one of the following authorized agents. Take a print out of your booking form (FORMATO DE RESERVA) or at the very least your reservation code.

Oficinas de la Dirección Regional de Cultura Cusco (Recommended)
Av. de la Cultura 238 Condominio Huáscar,Cusco

These are the offices of the government authorities in charge of access to Machu Picchu so if there are any problems they should also be able to help. The staff should speak a little English so no need to practice your Spanish unless you know what you are doing. Try to be patient and polite to the staff. Remember the people working at the desks are not in charge of policy decisions so refrain from any abuse.

Banco de la Nación del Perú (a nivel nacional).

You can pay at any Banco de la Nacion del Peru bank throughout the country. There is a branch in Miraflores in Lima and one down Avenida Sol in Cusco. Expect long queues.

Asociación de Agencias de Turismo del Cusco AATC - not particularly recommended

Calle Nueva Baja Nº 424, Cusco - Perú).

Dirección Regional de Comercio Exterior y Turismo DIRCETUR. - not particularly recommended

 

Stage 5: Check In

Once you have paid for your entrance tickets either using VISA online or by visiting one of the authorized agents listed above then you can now print your entrance ticket out.

Return to the website www.machupicchu.gob.pe and click on the CHECK-IN tab. Enter you reservation code into the box and click Buscar (search). The system should have recognized that you have paid for your  tickets and an updated copy of your Machu Picchu Entrance Tickets will be available to print out. If the system doesn't recognize that you have paid then wait a few hours and try again. I assume that this is an automated system but there is always the chance that it isn't so you may have to wait a while between paying and printing your tickets out. If there are any problems visit the call centre http://www.drc-cusco.gob.pe/callcenteresp1

You should now be the proud owner of a Machu Picchu Entrance Ticket. Hooray!

When you visit Machu Picchu remember to take a copy of the Entrance Ticket and a copy of your original passport (the number on the passport must match the passport number written on the Entrance Ticket). If you were successful in somehow getting a student entrance ticket then you must also take your original ISIC card with you as well as your passport).

Enjoy Machu Picchu

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Information updated 31 July 2011

Copyright Information. The material provided above is subjected to international copyright and cannot be reproduced without permission. When permission is given to use the material the following link must be cut and pasted into the page www.machupicchutickets.com Information provided on this website is likely to change without notice. Visitors should check back regularly to inform themselves of any changes or follow us on Facebook. The owners / editor of this website has provided the information in good faith but cannot be liable for direct or indirect consequences if the information is incorrect. Visitors should always visit the official website www.machupicchu.gob.pe for the latest information and terms and conditions of entry.