How to book a ticket for Machu Picchu?

Your trip to Lima is approaching and you wonder how to visit the unmissable Peru? Here's how to book a ticket for the Machu Picchu!

Ancient Inca city of the 15th century jawed on a rocky piton of the Peruvian Andes Cordillera, the archaeological site of Machu Picchu is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1983, the site has been one of the most important sites in the world since 2007. seven new wonders of the world . Perched at 2,438 meters above sea level, the ruins of the inca city are on horseback on the crest between the Huayna Picchu meaning “young mountain” – the mountain that we see behind all the photos memories of the site – and the Machu Picchu, meaning “old mountain” in Quechua.

Getting a ticket for Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu can be difficult: "only" 400 tickets are sold online per day. 2500 visitors are allowed on the Machu Picchu site every day. That is why you are going to book several months in advance to be one of the lucky ones who can visit the Machu Picchu . Here's how to get this Machu Picchu ticket.

Tickets for Machu Picchu

How to buy tickets for Machu Picchu online?

Although you can buy entry tickets to Machu Picchu in person in Cusco, Aguas Calientes, or in any big city with a Banco de Nacíon , it is highly recommended to buy your ticket in advance in high season (from June to September), as tickets can be out of stock. If your program is tight or if you travel in high season, it is wise to book in advance. To do this, here’s how to buy your online tickets in advance!

Online, it can be read that many travelers have had problems buying tickets on the Machu Picchu government website. It seems that the site only accepts Visa cards. While buying your ticket yourself is the cheapest approach, a cheaper alternative is to buy it from a reseller among many offers visible here . This allows instant confirmation and is more user-friendly than if you encounter problems on the government website. You can also consider one guided tour from Aguas Calientes , which includes your bus and ticket.

Book on the Peruvian Ministry of Culture website

1. Choose your visit On the official website (activate Flash Player ) – Hispanophone but translated into English, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese - you must start by choosing the places you want to visit ( Lugar a visitar ), in the left tree (above the calendar):

• Machu Picchu,
• Museo Manuel Chávez Ballon, on the site_Aguas Calientes_.

2. Choose your visit route

Then choose your tour route: it’s about choosing if you want to visit only the Machu Picchu in itself, or if you also plan to see Huayna Picchu (400 places maximum per day) and the Machu Picchu mountain (800 tickets per day). Huayna Picchu Mountain is the highest point of the site (2,720 metres) and is the most frequented, while Machu Picchu Mountain peaks at 2,438 metres above sea level.

3. Choose a date

As tickets are limited, you have to place yourself on a time slot. A calendar is displayed as soon as you click on the day you want to visit the archaeological ruins. The infographic shows you the availability and the price according to your status: if you are non-resident Péruvien, Ecuadorian, Bolivian or Colombian, select the box "extranjeros" relating to foreigners.

Note that tickets are only available on this site for major adults. Tickets for minors between 8 and 17 years old must be purchased on site (in a travel agency, at your hotel in Cusco, at the culture centre of Aguas Calientes or at points of sale in the city of Cusco).

4. Instructing his civil status, paying, printing

You must then mention your passport data (name, first name, sex, age, country of origin, passport number) and your e-mail address. Check the two boxes « La informacíon proporcionada es correcta » and "he leido y acepto los términos y condiciones" “The information is correct” and “I have read and accept the terms and conditions”) and complete the reservation: a booking form opens on the screen, copy the booking number and proceed to the online payment of the ticket by copying the previous code. Keep a copy of the ticket for the Machu Picchu on your e-mail box – as well as the primary passport when you leave abroad – and print it.

Buy your ticket for Machu Picchu in Cusco or Aguas Calientes

If you were unable to book your ticket online, it is possible to get one on site in Cusco. Where? In the offices of the Ministry of Culture, open Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. ( Casa Garcilaso Let's go. Calle Garcilaso ).

Alternatively, Aguas Calientes’ regional culture office will also sell your Machu Picchu ticket ( "Direccion Regional de Cultura Aguas Calientes Office" ) Monday to Saturday, from 5 am to 10 pm. You'll have to have your passport and pay in cash.

If you can’t pay online or buy your Machu Picchu ticket in Cusco or Aguas Calientes, it is also possible to pay your reservation in a national bank (Banco de la Nacíon) in any city of Peru, Lima for example.

Prices of tickets Machu Picchu

On the budget, it’s often the time to pay that it’s grinding.

The price obviously varies – you expected – depending on the visit formulas. Here is an indicative list of ticket prices:

• Manuel Chavez Ballon Museum: 22 Soles, or 5.5 €
• Machu Picchu Ticket only: 152 S, or €37.9
• Machu Picchu Ticket + Machu Picchu Mountain: 200 S, or 49,9 €
• Billet Machu Picchu + Wuayna Picchu : 200 S, or 49,9 €
• Free for children under 8 years of age
• Student Machu Picchu tickets and children aged 8-17: an ISIC card (international student card) and a passport are required to buy the student ticket (50% discount)

Practical information on tickets

Tickets for the ruins of Machu Picchu are obligatory for guided tours since July 1, 2017. However, the Wayna Picchu and the Machu Picchu Mountain can be explored as a free visitor.

In any case, you have to go through Cusco or Aguas Calientes: you will not miss the points of sale to buy a Machu Picchu ticket!

Main photo credit: Flickr – Marina & Enrique