Updated November 4, 2026 by the Tari Tours team, a local agency in Cusco since 2003. 9-minute read.
Quick answer
In 2026, a Machu Picchu ticket costs S/ 152 for a foreign adult and S/ 200 if your route climbs Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, or goes to the Great Cavern. Since May 1, 2026, there’s also a SERNANP conservation fee of S/ 11. Peruvians, foreign residents of Peru and citizens of Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia pay S/ 64 plus S/ 5.
You buy it on the official website of Peru’s Ministry of Culture, tuboleto.cultura.pe. Since late September 2026 you can no longer reserve without paying: if you haven’t paid, you don’t have a ticket.
Machu Picchu ticket prices for 2026
The price depends on three things: your nationality or residency, your age or student status, and the route you choose. Routes that climb a mountain or go to the Great Cavern cost more because they have fewer spots and take up more of your day.
Rates for foreign visitors
| Route | Adult | Student | Child 3 to 17 | Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit 1, Panoramic | ||||
| 1-AMachu Picchu Mountain | S/ 200 | S/ 125 | S/ 118 | Year-round |
| 1-BUpper terrace | S/ 152 | S/ 77 | S/ 70 | Year-round |
| 1-CIntipunku Sun Gate | S/ 152 | S/ 77 | S/ 70 | High season only |
| 1-DInca Bridge | S/ 152 | S/ 77 | S/ 70 | High season only |
| Circuit 2, Classic | ||||
| 2-AClassic designed route | S/ 152 | S/ 77 | S/ 70 | Year-round |
| 2-BLower terrace | S/ 152 | S/ 77 | S/ 70 | Year-round |
| Circuit 3, Royalty | ||||
| 3-AHuayna Picchu Mountain | S/ 200 | S/ 125 | S/ 118 | Year-round |
| 3-BRoyalty designed route | S/ 152 | S/ 77 | S/ 70 | Year-round |
| 3-CGreat Cavern | S/ 200 | S/ 125 | S/ 118 | High season only |
| 3-DHuchuy Picchu | S/ 152 | S/ 77 | S/ 70 | High season only |
Add the SERNANP conservation fee to these prices: S/ 11 per foreign adult, charged together with the ticket. Children under 3 don’t need a ticket; bring a document that proves their age.
Unless you’re a resident of Peru or a citizen of an Andean Community country, you pay these foreign visitor rates.
Peruvians, residents and Andean Community citizens
For 2026, the Ministry of Culture approved promotional rates for Peruvians, foreign residents of Peru and citizens of the Andean Community countries: Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador. If you hold one of these nationalities, you pay less than half of what other foreign visitors pay. We explain the details in our guide to Machu Picchu tickets for Colombians, Ecuadorians and Bolivians (in Spanish).
| Route type | General | Student or minor |
|---|---|---|
| Standard routes: 1-B 1-C 1-D 2-A 2-B 3-B 3-D | S/ 64 | S/ 32 |
| With a mountain or the Great Cavern: 1-A 3-A 3-C | S/ 112 | S/ 80 |
To pay the promotional rate, you have to prove your status with a DNI (Peruvian national ID), a foreign resident card or a valid passport, and bring that document on the day of your visit. Students must be enrolled at a university or a technical school. Also, people born in Cusco get in free on Sundays: they issue the ticket at no cost on the same platform, subject to that day’s capacity.
What changed in ticket sales in 2026
- Conservation fee. SERNANP began charging foreigners S/ 11 and Peruvians S/ 5 on top of the ticket.
- Earlier in-person sales. As an exception, in-person tickets in Machupicchu Pueblo can be bought up to three days in advance, not just for the next day.
- Direct sales, no reservations. Direct purchase on tuboleto.cultura.pe started in a trial phase: the ticket only exists once payment is confirmed. Before, you could hold tickets without paying, and thousands ended up blocked.
- Over 90,000 tickets released. With unpaid reservations gone, tickets opened up for October, November and December.
- Buying a year ahead (announced). The Minister of Culture announced that you’ll soon be able to buy tickets up to a year in advance. In mid-October, online sales covered dates through December 31, 2026. We’re tracking the opening in our guide to Machu Picchu tickets for 2027.
- Still selling out. In its first month, the new system sold every available ticket for each day, the minister told Congress. The portal also added controls against automated buying bots.
Circuits and routes: which ticket to buy
Machu Picchu is visited along three circuits, with ten routes in total. Each ticket is valid for a single route and a single entry time: if you want to do another route, you need another ticket.
Circuit 1, Panoramic: the postcard photo
It climbs to the upper area, where you take the classic photo with Huayna Picchu in the background. Its routes don’t enter the urban sector, so you won’t walk among the temples.
- 1-AMachu Picchu MountainYear-roundS/ 200
- 1-BUpper terraceYear-roundS/ 152
- 1-CIntipunku Sun GateHigh season onlyS/ 152
- 1-DInca BridgeHigh season onlyS/ 152
Circuit 2, Classic: the most complete for a first visit
It combines the panoramic view with a walk through the urban sector, among buildings, plazas and temples. Route 2-A is the most popular and the first to sell out; 2-B gets the view from the lower terrace.
- 2-AClassic designed routeYear-roundS/ 152
- 2-BLower terraceYear-roundS/ 152
Circuit 3, Royalty: the lower area and the mountains
It covers the lower area, with the royal compounds and the Temple of the Condor, without the view from above. This is where Huayna Picchu starts and, in high season, the Great Cavern and Huchuy Picchu.
- 3-AHuayna Picchu MountainYear-roundS/ 200
- 3-BRoyalty designed routeYear-roundS/ 152
- 3-CGreat CavernHigh season onlyS/ 200
- 3-DHuchuy PicchuHigh season onlyS/ 152
No ticket includes both mountains. Huayna Picchu is route 3-A, and Machu Picchu Mountain is 1-A. Our recommendation as an agency: if it’s your first time, look for 2-A and, if it’s sold out, 2-B; if you want to hike and get a different view, choose one of the mountains.
We explain each circuit in our guide to Machu Picchu circuits, compare the mountains in Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain and help you pick your time slot in the best time to visit Machu Picchu.
How to buy on tuboleto.cultura.pe, step by step
- Go to tuboleto.cultura.pe, the Ministry of Culture portal (the address ends in cultura.pe), and choose “Llaqta de Machupicchu”.
- Choose the circuit, route, date and entry time. Check availability before you buy your train.
- Enter each visitor’s origin and category: adult, student or minor. The price appears once you fill in these details. You can buy up to 5 tickets per purchase.
- Type the name and document number exactly as they appear on the passport or ID you’ll travel with: the ticket is issued in your name.
- Pay by card. The window to confirm payment is short, about 15 minutes, so have your card ready before you start.
- Download the ticket and keep one copy on your phone and a printed one, in case you lose signal.
In-person tickets in Machupicchu Pueblo
Every day, 1,000 tickets are sold in person at the Cultural Center in Machupicchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes), in cash and on presentation of your ID. Since May 2026, when the next day sells out, you can buy up to three days in advance. The official counter shows “Inicia: 06:00 AM” (sales start at 6:00 a.m., Peru time, GMT-5). This was the split by route on November 5, 2026:
| Route | Tickets per day |
|---|---|
| 1-AMachu Picchu Mountain | 50 |
| 1-BUpper terrace | 100 |
| 2-AClassic designed route | 600 |
| 2-BLower terrace | 100 |
| 3-AHuayna Picchu Mountain | 50 |
| 3-BRoyalty designed route | 100 |
It’s a plan B, not a plan A. The split changes: in January there were 300 tickets for 2-A, 300 for 2-B and 200 for 3-B; the Ministry publishes a live counter at tuboleto.cultura.pe/cusco/1000boletos. You need to be in Aguas Calientes, wait in line and take whatever route is left. From October 14 to 16, 2026, in-person tickets sold out and the Ministry did not add more spots. If you’re going to try, book at least one night there; we cover your options in where to stay in Aguas Calientes.
Visitor limits and high season in 2026
Machu Picchu admits a maximum of 4,500 visitors per day. In high season the limit rises to 5,600: on January 1, April 2 to 5, June 19 to November 2, and December 30 and 31, 2026. Of that total, 1,000 tickets are sold in person and the rest online.
For 2027, Ministerial Resolution 000408-2026-MC, published on October 31, 2026, keeps these limits, adds a cap of 800 visitors per hour and sets high season as January 1 to 3, March 25 to 28, June 19 to November 2, and December 29 to 31. We’re tracking everything in our guide to Machu Picchu tickets for 2027.
The routes 1-CIntipunku, 1-DInca Bridge, 3-CGreat Cavern and 3-DHuchuy Picchu only open in high season. If you travel between November 3 and December 29, 2026, they won’t show up on the portal.
Ticket rules on the day of your visit
- You enter at the time printed on your ticket, with a 30-minute grace period.
- At the checkpoint, staff compare your ID and entry time with the details on the ticket. Bring the original passport or ID you used to buy it.
- The ticket is only valid for the date shown. The rules don’t allow changes to the date or the ticket holder, and there are no refunds except in cases of force majeure.
- The visit takes 2 to 4 hours depending on the route; with a mountain, 6 to 7 hours. Choose your entry time with your return train in mind.
What the ticket doesn’t include
- The train to Aguas Calientes, with PeruRail or IncaRail. We compare them in PeruRail or IncaRail.
- The bus from Aguas Calientes up to the citadel, about 30 minutes (or a 90-minute walk uphill).
- An official guide.
- The Inca Trail, which has its own permit and can only be done with an authorized agency. We explain it in how Inca Trail permits are sold (in Spanish).
- The Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico), which is a separate ticket and doesn’t give access to Machu Picchu. More details in our Boleto Turístico guide.
To see what everything costs together, check how much a trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu costs in 2026 and the expenses that often get left out of the budget in Cusco and Machu Picchu.
Five mistakes we see every week in Cusco
- Buying Circuit 1 thinking it includes the temples. It gives you the best photo, but it doesn’t enter the urban sector.
- Choosing an entry time that doesn’t match your train. Between your train’s arrival in Aguas Calientes and your entry time, leave at least an hour for the bus and the line.
- Buying with one document and traveling with another. If you renew your passport after buying, check your ticket before you leave.
- Paying scalpers or websites that imitate the official one. If it’s not tuboleto.cultura.pe, buy only from a registered agency that gives you a ticket issued in your name.
- Buying the ticket and leaving the train for later. In high season the train fills up too: confirm both together.
If there are no tickets for your date
- Try other routes and times on the same day, such as 2-B, 3-B or 1-B.
- Look one or two days before or after your date.
- Use in-person sales in Machupicchu Pueblo as a last resort.
- Arrive on foot: the Inca Trail permit includes entry to Machu Picchu. The 2-day Short Inca Trail is the quickest option.
- Book a tour or package with the ticket included: the agency buys the ticket with your details and coordinates everything with the train.
We go into detail, with availability route by route, in Machu Picchu tickets sold out: what to do.
Machu Picchu with your ticket included
We’re a local agency in Cusco, registered with MINCETUR since 2003, with English-speaking guides. On our Machu Picchu tours the official ticket is already included, along with the train, the Consettur bus and the guide: we buy the ticket with your passport details as soon as you confirm, and we choose your entry time to match your train.
- Machu Picchu Full Day (one-day tour from Cusco): there and back on the same day.
- Sacred Valley with connection to Machu Picchu, 2 days: the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu without going back to Cusco.
- Machu Picchu by car, 2 days: the most budget-friendly option, via Hidroeléctrica.
- 2- to 6-day packages with Machu Picchu: hotel, tours and tickets for one price.
Already have a date? Send us your date and the number of travelers, and we’ll tell you which routes are still available.
Frequently asked questions about Machu Picchu tickets
How much is a Machu Picchu ticket in 2026?
For a foreign adult, S/ 152 on standard routes and S/ 200 on routes with Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain or the Great Cavern, plus the S/ 11 SERNANP fee. Foreign students pay S/ 77, and children ages 3 to 17 pay S/ 70. Peruvians, residents and Andean Community citizens pay S/ 64 plus S/ 5.
Where can I buy official Machu Picchu tickets?
Online, at tuboleto.cultura.pe, the portal of Peru’s Ministry of Culture. There are also 1,000 tickets a day sold in person at the Cultural Center in Machupicchu Pueblo, and registered agencies include the ticket in their tours.
How far in advance should I buy my ticket?
As soon as you have your dates and flights. For June, July, August, Holy Week and the year-end holidays, plan on three to four months. In its first month, the new sales system sold out the available tickets for each day.
Do Colombians, Ecuadorians and Bolivians pay less?
Yes. As Andean Community citizens, they pay the promotional rate: S/ 64 on standard routes and S/ 112 on routes with a mountain, plus the S/ 5 SERNANP fee. They have to prove it with a valid passport or ID. Visitors from other countries pay the foreign visitor rate.
Which ticket includes Huayna Picchu?
Only route 3-A on Circuit 3. Machu Picchu Mountain is a different route, 1-A on Circuit 1, and no ticket includes both.
Can I change the date or name on my ticket?
No. The visitor rules don’t allow changes to the date or the ticket holder, and money is only refunded in cases of force majeure. Double-check your details before you pay.
Are Machu Picchu tickets for 2027 on sale yet?
On October 14, 2026, the Ministry of Culture announced that you’ll soon be able to buy tickets up to a year in advance. In mid-October, online sales covered dates through December 31, 2026. We’ll update this guide when 2027 sales open.
What happens if I’m late for my entry time?
There’s a 30-minute grace period after the time printed on your ticket. After that, you may be refused entry, so leave plenty of margin for the train and the bus.
Sources
- Peru’s Ministry of Culture: Tu Boleto, Llaqta de Machupicchu availability
- Infobae: 2026 promotional rates, Ministerial Resolution 000284-2025-MC
- TV Perú: maximum daily visitor limit at Machu Picchu for 2026
- Infobae: SERNANP fee since May 1, 2026
- Infobae: new online sales system without reservations
- La República: over 90,000 tickets released
- TV Perú: buying a year in advance
- Radio Nacional: results of the new sales system
- La República: in-person tickets by route
- Infobae: in-person sales sold out, and sales up to three days in advance
- Andina: entry times and the 30-minute grace period
- PeruRail: in-person sales hours in Machupicchu Pueblo
Photos in this guide are from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses; the author and license appear below each image.