Updated November 4, 2026 by the Tari Tours team, a local agency in Cusco since 2003. 8-minute read.
Quick answer
If Tu Boleto shows no availability for your date, you still have options. Try another route or time on the same day; buy in person in Machupicchu Pueblo, where 1,000 tickets a day are sold, 600 of them for the classic 2-A route; or go in via the Short Inca Trail, which has its own quota and includes entry.
As of November 4, 2026, Circuit 2 (routes 2-A and 2-B) is sold out online through the end of the year, but the mountains have almost all of December open, and in-person sales keep releasing tickets for the next day.
Why Machu Picchu tickets sell out
Machu Picchu has a fixed visitor limit: 4,500 per day, and 5,600 in high season. Of that total, 1,000 tickets are sold in person in Machupicchu Pueblo and the rest online, at tuboleto.cultura.pe. When demand goes over that limit, the Ministry of Culture doesn’t issue more tickets: that’s what it said again when in-person sales sold out on May 5 and from October 14 to 16, 2026.
On top of that, until September 2026 unpaid reservations blocked thousands of spots. According to the sub-prefect of Machu Picchu, a single agency could reserve up to 11,200 tickets without paying, which were later resold for up to S/ 900. Since September 22 there are no more reservations: the ticket only exists once it’s paid for, and in its first month the new system sold every available ticket for each day.
Real availability, route by route
We checked the Tu Boleto calendar on the morning of November 4, 2026, route by route. We counted a day as “available” if at least one entry time had tickets.
| Route | November 2026 | December 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1-AMachu Picchu Mountain | 14th to 30th (17 days) | The whole month (31 days) |
| 1-BUpper terrace | 27th to 30th (4 days) | The whole month (31 days) |
| 2-AClassic designed route | Sold out | Sold out |
| 2-BLower terrace | Sold out | Sold out |
| 3-AHuayna Picchu Mountain | 30th only (1 day) | 1st to 26th (26 days) |
| 3-BRoyalty designed route | 4th to 6th (3 days) | 3rd, 8th to 25th and 31st (20 days) |
Three takeaways. The classic walk through the citadel can no longer be booked online through the end of 2026. The postcard view from the upper terrace and both mountains still have December. And sales for January and February 2027 haven’t opened yet. The high-season routes (1-C 1-D 3-C 3-D) closed on November 2.
This snapshot changes every day. To check your date, go to tuboleto.cultura.pe. For in-person sales, the Ministry of Culture publishes a live counter at tuboleto.cultura.pe/cusco/1000boletos.
What to do if there are no tickets for your date
These are the alternatives, in the order worth trying them.
1. Switch route or time on the same day
Each route and each entry time has its own quota. Before changing your date, check every route and every time slot on the day you want.
| If you wanted | Try | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| 2-AClassic | 2-B or 3-B | 2-B is on the same circuit, with the view from the lower terrace. 3-B covers the lower area, without the postcard view. |
| 1-BUpper terrace | 2-A or 2-B | The classic circuit also has the postcard view, from a slightly lower spot, and it goes into the citadel. |
| 3-AHuayna Picchu | 1-AMachu Picchu Mountain | A different mountain with a separate quota: higher and longer, with fewer exposed sections. |
| 1-AMachu Picchu Mountain | 3-AHuayna Picchu | Shorter and steeper, with fewer tickets per day. |
Keep in mind that Circuit 1 routes (1-A 1-B) don’t enter the urban sector. We compare the two mountains in Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain.
2. Move your date by one or two days
If you’re spending several days in Cusco, change the order of your trip: do the Sacred Valley, Maras and Moray or Rainbow Mountain first, and save Machu Picchu for the day that has availability. That way you don’t lose hotel nights or travel days.
3. Buy in person in Machupicchu Pueblo
The Ministry of Culture sells 1,000 tickets per day at the Cultural Center in Machupicchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes). They’re sold for the next day and, since May 2026, as an exception, for up to three days ahead when the next day sells out. Payment is in cash, and you need to bring the ID you’ll enter with.
| Route | Tickets for the day | Sold by 10:43 a.m. |
|---|---|---|
| 1-AMachu Picchu Mountain | 50 | 0 |
| 1-BUpper terrace | 100 | 0 |
| 2-AClassic designed route | 600 | 227 |
| 2-BLower terrace | 100 | 8 |
| 3-AHuayna Picchu Mountain | 50 | 8 |
| 3-BRoyalty designed route | 100 | 3 |
Route 2-A accounts for 600 of the 1,000 in-person tickets. That’s why, on the day we checked, in-person sales were the only way to get the classic circuit, which was sold out online through the end of 2026. The split can change: in January 2026 there were 300 for 2-A, 300 for 2-B and 200 for 3-B.
Arrive early, with a night already booked. The official counter shows “Inicia: 06:00 AM” (sales start at 6:00 a.m., Peru time, GMT-5), and by mid-morning 250 queue numbers had already been handed out for the next day. From October 14 to 16, in-person tickets sold out and the Ministry didn’t add more spots. We cover where to stay in Aguas Calientes.
In the city of Cusco, tickets are also sold in person, in cash, at Casa Garcilaso; it’s an option if you don’t have a card to pay online.
4. Arrive on foot via the Short Inca Trail
Inca Trail permits are sold separately, only through authorized agencies, and include entry to Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail Network has its own limit of 750 people per day, separate from the citadel’s limit, and visitors who enter this way don’t pay the SERNANP fee.
The 2-day Short Inca Trail is the quickest option: our tour includes the permit, entry to Machu Picchu with a guided visit, the train, the bus, one night in Aguas Calientes and the guide. The 4-day Classic Inca Trail sells out further in advance and closes every February for maintenance.
5. Book a tour with the ticket included, and ask how it works
A registered agency buys the official ticket with your details, in the same system you would use. Since reservations ended, no agency can hold tickets without a name: if a date is sold out for everyone, it’s sold out for agencies too. The real advantage of a tour is that it coordinates route, entry time, train and bus, and that you have an agency that knows the alternatives in this guide. Always ask for the ticket as a PDF, in your name and with your document number.
6. If there’s no way in, visit another Inca site
When in-person tickets sold out in May, the Ministry of Culture itself recommended visiting other archaeological sites and museums in the region. You can visit these without buying months in advance:
- Pisac and Ollantaytambo, on the Sacred Valley tour.
- Sacsayhuamán, Q’enqo, Pukapukara and Tambomachay, on the Cusco City Tour.
- Moray and the Maras salt mines, on a half-day trip from Cusco.
- Waqrapukara, an Inca sanctuary in a canyon, with few visitors.
Most of them are covered by the Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico); we explain how it works in our Boleto Turístico guide.
How to avoid scams when everything is sold out
- The only official sales website is tuboleto.cultura.pe. Some companies have presented themselves as an “official supplier” and even took over Machu Picchu’s Google profile to sell tickets.
- The ticket is issued in your name. It carries your name and document number, and at the checkpoint they’re compared with the ID you show. A ticket in someone else’s name won’t work.
- There’s no legal resale. The official price for a foreign adult is S/ 152 (S/ 200 with a mountain), plus S/ 11 for SERNANP. If someone asks for much more just for the ticket, be suspicious.
- There are no official “pre-reservations.” Until payment is made on Tu Boleto, there’s no ticket. If someone offers you one, ask what happens if they can’t get a spot and whether you get your money back.
- Check the agency. Ask for its RUC (Peru’s tax ID number) and its MINCETUR registration before you pay.
How to secure your ticket next time
Buy your ticket as soon as you have dates and flights, and your train the same day. As of November 4, 2026, sales for 2027 still hadn’t opened, and the Ministry announced you’ll be able to buy up to a year in advance. The 2027 high season runs January 1 to 3, March 25 to 28, June 19 to November 2, and December 29 to 31; on those dates, the most popular routes sell out first.
We’re tracking everything in our guide to Machu Picchu tickets for 2027. Prices and routes are in our Machu Picchu tickets guide, and if someone in your group is from Colombia, Ecuador or Bolivia, see the Andean Community rate (in Spanish).
Your date sold out? We’ll help you find another way
We’re a local agency in Cusco, registered with MINCETUR since 2003, with English-speaking guides. Send us your date and the number of travelers: we’ll go over routes, times and nearby days with you and, if needed, suggest the Short Inca Trail or an itinerary with a night in Aguas Calientes so you can try in-person sales. If there’s no way, we’ll tell you.
- Short Inca Trail, 2 days: permit and Machu Picchu entry included.
- Sacred Valley with connection to Machu Picchu, 2 days.
- 2- to 6-day packages with Machu Picchu.
- Machu Picchu Full Day (one-day tour from Cusco), when there’s availability for your date.
Frequently asked questions
What can I do if there are no Machu Picchu tickets for my date?
Try other routes and times on the same day, and look one or two days before or after. If there’s no availability online, buy in person in Machupicchu Pueblo, where 1,000 tickets a day are sold, or go in via the Short Inca Trail, which has its own quota and includes entry.
How long is the classic Machu Picchu circuit sold out?
As of November 4, 2026, routes 2-A and 2-B had no days with online availability in November or December. At the in-person sales point in Machupicchu Pueblo, however, route 2-A has 600 tickets per day.
Can I buy a Machu Picchu ticket for the same day?
Online, only if Tu Boleto still has availability. In person, in Machupicchu Pueblo, tickets are sold for the next day and, when those sell out, for up to three days ahead.
Where can I buy in-person Machu Picchu tickets?
At the Cultural Center in Machupicchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes), in cash and with your ID. The Ministry of Culture publishes a live counter for these sales at tuboleto.cultura.pe/cusco/1000boletos.
Does the Inca Trail include entry to Machu Picchu?
Yes. The Inca Trail permit, booked through an authorized agency, includes entry to the citadel, and the Inca Trail Network has its own limit of 750 people per day.
Do agencies have tickets set aside when a date sells out?
No. Since September 22, 2026, there are no reservations: the ticket is only issued with payment and in the visitor’s name. If a date is sold out, it’s sold out for everyone.
Which route should I buy if 2-A is sold out?
Try 2-B, which is also on the classic circuit, or 3-B, which covers the lower area. If you only want the postcard view, 1-B; if you want to hike, Machu Picchu Mountain (1-A) or Huayna Picchu (3-A).
When is it easiest to get Machu Picchu tickets?
Outside high season and when you buy in advance. In 2027, high season runs January 1 to 3, March 25 to 28, June 19 to November 2, and December 29 to 31: the limit rises to 5,600 visitors per day, but so does demand.
Sources
- Peru’s Ministry of Culture, Tu Boleto: online sales calendar (checked November 4, 2026)
- Peru’s Ministry of Culture, Tu Boleto: in-person sales counter (checked November 4, 2026)
- Infobae: in-person tickets sold out October 14 to 16, 2026
- La República: the Ministry recommends other sites when tickets sell out
- Infobae: in-person sales up to three days in advance
- Infobae: in-person cash sales and the new online system
- La República: bulk buying and ticket resale
- Infobae: new system without reservations and the Inca Trail limit
- Andina: the new system sold 100% of tickets
- Andina: ID and entry time checks at the entrance
- Turiweb: fake Machu Picchu profile on Google
- El Comercio: SERNANP fee and the exemption for visitors entering via the Inca Trail Network
- La República: visitor limit and 2027 high season
- La República: in-person split by route in January 2026
Photos in this guide are from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses; the author and license appear below each image.