The full city route: 13 official stops through the Inka llaqta in 2 h 30.
Circuit 2A ("Ruta diseñada") is the one-way route through the Inka city of Machu Picchu. The official Ministry of Culture map gives it a maximum stay of 2 h 30 and takes it past 13 of the 14 numbered landmarks of the llaqta — every one except the Upper Platform. This guide walks you through each stop, in order, with tips from travelers who already did it.
The facts you need before you book, from the Ministry of Culture's official route map and its 2026 rules.
| Official name | Circuit 2 (Classic) · Route 2A, "Ruta diseñada" |
|---|---|
| Maximum stay | 2 h 30, one-way, no re-entry |
| Entry times | Every hour from 6:00 to 15:00 (Peru time); your ticket fixes one |
| What you see | The Lower Platform (the postcard view) and 12 landmarks of the city: Temple of the Sun viewpoint, Sacred Plaza, Intiwatana, Sacred Rock, Temple of the Condor and more |
| Effort | One climb at the start, up to the platform; the rest goes downhill through the city |
| Price | $65.10 adult · $40.95 child 3–17 · under 3 free (card fee included) |
| Huayna Picchu? | Not included — that is Circuit 3A, a separate ticket |
| Daily limit | 4,500 visitors a day across all circuits, 5,600 on high-demand dates |
Sources: Ministry of Culture route map 2-A; R.M. 000285-2025-MC (daily capacity 2026).
Share of 2A entry slots already sold out, by month. We recount every official slot every hour.
All routes on the live availability board → · If 2A is gone, 2B walks the same city for the same price.
Follow the trail — tips by travelers who were just there
Photo viewpointThe first stop after the entrance climb and the only viewpoint on this route: the whole citadel opens below you with Huayna Picchu behind — the frame on every postcard of Machu Picchu.
Good to know: Route 2A stays on the lower platform; the Upper Platform (landmark 2) belongs to the Circuit 1 routes.
No tips here yet — be the first to leave one.
The great trench that separates the agricultural terraces from the urban sector. Crossing it is the moment you enter the Inka city itself.
The route does not enter the Temple of the Sun: it passes at the official viewpoint that looks down on the only curved building in Machu Picchu, raised over a natural cave.
The quarry of the city: half-carved granite blocks abandoned mid-work, as if the stonemasons had just stepped away.
The main religious sector, home to the Temple of the Three Windows — its openings face the sunrise over the Vilcanota range.
The famous "hitching post of the sun", a carved ritual stone at the highest point of the urban sector. Access is often limited to the morning hours.
No tips here yet — be the first to leave one.
A monolith carved to mirror the silhouette of the mountain behind it. This is the northern end of the route, where the path turns back down the eastern side of the city.
Good to know: The Huayna Picchu trailhead starts by this rock, but it belongs to Circuit 3 tickets — not to 2A.
No tips here yet — be the first to leave one.
An enclosure of twelve trapezoidal niches — one of the clearest examples of Inka niche architecture in the city.
The granite storehouses — qolqas — that kept the food supply of the city, built along the eastern slope.
Two carved stone basins believed to have reflected the night sky for observation — also known as the "mortar room".
No tips here yet — be the first to leave one.
A natural rock formation completed with Inka stonework into the shape of a condor in flight — head carved on the floor, wings rising behind.
Good to know: Fountains in this sector still run on the original Inka spring channels.
No tips here yet — be the first to leave one.
The small plaza named after its native pisonay tree, on the way out of the urban sector.
Roofless rooms and corridors on the way to the exit — your last look back at the citadel. There is no re-entry once you leave.
No tips here yet — be the first to leave one.
Both routes walk the same city. The only real difference is the climb to the Lower Platform.
| 2A · Designed route | 2B · Lower terrace | |
|---|---|---|
| Postcard platform | Yes — first stop | No |
| Landmarks in the city | 12, the full urban sector | The same 12 |
| Start | Climb to the platform, then down | Gentle, along the lower terrace |
| Max stay · price | 2 h 30 · $65.10 | 2 h 30 · $65.10 |
| Sells out | First | Usually later |
About 25 minutes up the Hiram Bingham road; buses leave from the town from early morning. Your entry ticket does not include it.
Or have us book it with your ticket →A steep stone stairway from the Aguas Calientes bridge, about 1 h 30 up. Leave earlier than your entry time: you still have to queue at the gate.
At stop 1, the Lower Platform, right after you climb from the entrance. It is the only elevated viewpoint on 2A and the route is one-way, so take your photos there before you go down into the city.
The official maximum is 2 h 30. The route is designed around its 13 stops: groups with a guide use most of it, and on your own you will finish with time to spare.
Check Route 2B first: it walks the same 12 landmarks of the city for the same price and only skips the climb to the platform. If the whole of Circuit 2 is gone and your dates cannot move, our 2-Day Tour takes you from Cusco to Machupicchu Pueblo, registers you at the Ministry's in-person sale and hands you a Circuit 2 entrance; the entry day is set by the Ministry, not by us.
See the 2-Day Tour →Yes. The only climb is the short one up to the platform at the start; the rest of the route goes downhill. Children under 3 enter free, and 3 to 17 pay the child fare.
Since the September 2026 rule update a licensed guide is recommended, not mandatory: the route is signposted and one-way. A guide explains what you are seeing at each stop; you can add one when you book.
No. There is no re-entry once you pass the exit, and the restrooms are outside the gate.
Official Ministry ticket · real-time availability