Official ticket, booked in your name
Pick your Machu Picchu date, any day through September 2027
Choose the route, the day and the entry hour. We buy the Ministry ticket in your name and email it to you. From $62 per adult.
Travelling in the next 30 days and your date is sold out? The 2-Day Tour gets you in →
1. The route, from Lima to the gate
There is no road and no airport at Machu Picchu. Every trip ends the same way: a train to Machu Picchu Pueblo (also called Aguas Calientes), a bus 400 m up the switchbacks, and a timed entry through one gate. Before that, Lima → Cusco is a 1 h 20 flight (LATAM, Sky and JetSMART, from about $40 when booked early; the bus takes 21 to 23 hours), and Cusco → the train station in Ollantaytambo is two hours by road through the Sacred Valley. The chain, with the real times, is in Lima to Machu Picchu and Cusco to Machu Picchu.
2. How many days
- Four days from Lima: the comfortable minimum: Day 1 fly to Cusco and go straight down to the Sacred Valley (2,800 m) to sleep lower. Day 2 the valley, afternoon train to the Pueblo, night there. Day 3 Machu Picchu at 07:00, train back, Cusco. Day 4 Cusco itself. The altitude is why: Cusco is 3,400 m and the first two nights decide how you feel at the citadel.
- Three days: possible, tight: Fly in, sleep in Ollantaytambo, train and visit on day 2 with a night in the Pueblo, out on day 3. It skips Cusco and gives the altitude only one night.
- A day trip from Cusco: only with the first train: Leaving Cusco at 04:00 for the 05:00 bus and train, back near midnight. It works, and it is the day most people regret. The day-trip guide says which entry time makes it possible.
- Five days or more: Adds Rainbow Mountain, a second circuit (the Mountain or the Sun Gate) or the Salkantay trek. Day by day in the 3, 4 and 5-day itineraries.
3. When to go
May to September is the dry season: clear mornings, strong sun, cold nights in Cusco, and the biggest crowds, with June to August selling out first. November to March is the rainy season: showers most days, green terraces, far fewer people, and the Inca Trail closed in February (Machu Picchu stays open). April and October are the balance of light and space. The month pages give the real numbers: Machu Picchu weather by month.
4. The entrance ticket: buy it before anything else
The Ministry of Culture sells a fixed number of entrances per day, each named to a passport, for one of eleven one-way routes with a timed entry. Adults pay $62 and children 3 to 17 pay $39 on the standard routes; the Mountain and Huayna Picchu cost more and the peaks are adults only. In high season the popular routes are gone weeks ahead. Pick the route by what you want to see: Circuit 2A is the whole city with the postcard, 2 h 30 and many stairs; 1B is the postcard with one climb and no city; 3B is the flattest, the lower royal sector. The full comparison is in the 11 official circuits, and the buying steps in how to buy Machu Picchu tickets.
5. Train or the cheap road
- The train, from Ollantaytambo: PeruRail and Inca Rail, 1 h 20 to 1 h 45 along the Urubamba, all year; from Cusco's own stations only from May to December. Standard class starts at $62 one way, the panoramic cars and dining trains cost more, Belmond's Hiram Bingham from $400. Every class, a real timetable and the 8 kg luggage rule are in the train guide.
- Hidroeléctrica, the backpacker road: Six hours by road from Cusco over the Abra Málaga pass, then 10 km on foot along the tracks: $50 to $80 in shared vans, $60 round trip with hotel pickup with us. A full day each way, three days in all, and not in heavy rain. Hour by hour in the Hidroeléctrica route.
- The last 8 km: the bus: From the Pueblo to the gate, 25 minutes of switchbacks, $24 round trip at the Consettur counter or $34 booked online and already on your phone. The stairs take 1 h 30 up; most people walk down, if at all.
- On foot: the Inca Trail and Salkantay: The classic Inca Trail needs a permit months ahead and closes in February; Salkantay has no permit and ends at Hidroeléctrica. Both are compared in Salkantay vs Inca Trail.
6. Where to sleep, and the altitude
Cusco is 3,400 m, the Sacred Valley 2,800 m, Machu Picchu Pueblo 2,040 m and the citadel 2,430 m: the site is lower than the city you fly into. Sleep your first two nights as low as you can, which means the valley (Ollantaytambo or Urubamba) rather than Cusco if you react to altitude, drink more than you think, and keep the first day slow. The night before the visit belongs in the Pueblo: the entry at 07:00 then starts after breakfast at the bus stop, not at 04:00 in a Cusco hotel. The practical rules are in altitude sickness in Cusco and Machu Picchu; the town, its hotels and the bus queue in the Aguas Calientes guide; the valley town where the train leaves in the Ollantaytambo guide.
7. What it costs: a real budget per person
| Standard trip (train) | Budget trip (Hidroeléctrica) | |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance, Circuit 2A, with card fee | $65.10 | $65.10 |
| Cusco ↔ Pueblo | Train $124 round trip + $20 road to Ollantaytambo | Road + walk, $60 round trip |
| Bus up and down | $24 to $34 | $24, or the stairs |
| Guide (optional, recommended) | $40 private at checkout | Shared at the gate, ~$10 to $15 |
| Night in the Pueblo | $60 to $120 | $15 to $30 hostel |
| Total, from Cusco | about $330 to $400 | about $170 to $200 |
Hotel and meal prices are what we see in town, not a fixed tariff; the ticket, train, bus and transfer prices are ours. Flights Lima–Cusco and the Cusco hotel are on top of both columns. The 2-Day Tour, which bundles everything in the standard column plus the in-person entrance, is from $380 per person. All ticket prices, by route and age, are in Machu Picchu ticket prices 2026.
8. The day itself: rules, bag, what to bring
One small daypack under 40×35×20 cm, your original passport (the ticket is named and a photo is not accepted), water in a reusable bottle, shoes with grip, three thin layers and a rain jacket, because umbrellas are banned. No food inside, no toilets inside, no re-entry: the routes are one-way and you walk them once. The full list and what rangers check are in what to wear and pack and the 2026 rules. Travelling with children, with seniors or with limited mobility has its own route choices: Machu Picchu with kids and seniors and limited mobility.
Frequent questions about planning the trip
How many days do I need for Machu Picchu?
Four from Lima is the comfortable minimum: a day to reach Cusco and sleep low, a day for the Sacred Valley and the train, the visit on day three and Cusco on day four. Three is possible if you sleep in Ollantaytambo and skip Cusco; a day trip from Cusco means a 04:00 start.
How much does a trip to Machu Picchu cost?
Per person from Cusco: about $330 to $400 for a standard trip with train, bus, guide, entrance and a night in the Pueblo, or about $170 to $200 by the Hidroeléctrica road with a hostel. Flights Lima–Cusco from about $40 each way and the Cusco hotel are extra. The entrance itself is $62 per adult, $39 for ages 3 to 17.
When is the best time to visit Machu Picchu?
May to September for dry weather and the clearest views, with the biggest crowds and the earliest sell-outs; November to March for green terraces and space, with daily showers; April and October for the balance. Machu Picchu is open every day of the year; only the Inca Trail closes in February.
How far in advance should I buy Machu Picchu tickets?
For May to October, two to three months ahead for Circuit 2A and the peaks; the rest of the year a few weeks is usually enough. Book the entrance before the flights: it is the only part of the trip with a daily quota.
Can I visit Machu Picchu without a tour?
Yes. The entrance, the train and the bus are all sold separately and the guide has been recommended, not mandatory, since September 2026. A tour only adds value when your date is sold out online, which is what our 2-Day Tour is for.
Is Machu Picchu high altitude?
The citadel is 2,430 m, lower than Cusco (3,400 m) and the Sacred Valley (2,800 m). The altitude problem is the arrival in Cusco, not the visit: sleep the first nights in the valley if you can and keep the first day slow.
What should I book first?
In this order: the Machu Picchu entrance for the route and date you want, then the train that matches the entry time, then the night in the Pueblo, then the flights and the Cusco hotel. Our checkout sells the entrance and adds the train, bus and night in Mi Tour afterwards.