The lower Inka city on its own: 6 official stops in 2 h 30, no mountain trail.
Circuit 3B ("Ruta diseñada") is the shortest way to walk the lower, royal sector of the Inka city: Temple of the Sun viewpoint, Pisonay Square, Temple of the Condor, Water Mirrors, Eastern Qolqas and Twelve Niches, with a maximum stay of 2 h 30 and no mountain trail attached.
The facts you need before you book, from the Ministry of Culture's official route map and its 2026 rules.
| Official name | Circuit 3 (Royalty) · Route 3B, "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 royal sector, 6 stops: Temple of the Sun viewpoint, Pisonay Square, Temple of the Condor, Water Mirrors, Eastern Qolqas and Twelve Niches |
| What you don't see | The panoramic platforms (the postcard view), the Temples Plaza and the Intiwatana |
| Effort | Easy: no mountain and the least walking of any city route |
| Price | $65.10 adult · $40.95 child 3–17 · under 3 free (card fee included) |
| Daily limit | 4,500 visitors a day across all circuits, 5,600 on high-demand dates |
Sources: Ministry of Culture route map 3-B; R.M. 000285-2025-MC (daily capacity 2026).
Share of 3B entry slots already sold out, by month. We recount every official slot every hour.
All routes on the live availability board → · If your date is gone, 3B Premium walks the same route with a guide and flexible entry.
Follow the trail — tips by travelers who were just there
The official viewpoint over the only curved building in Machu Picchu, raised on top of a natural cave. The routes look down on it — nobody walks inside the temple.
No tips here yet — be the first to leave one.
The small plaza named after its native pisonay tree, in the lower urban sector.
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.
Two carved stone basins believed to have reflected the night sky for observation — also known as the "mortar room".
The granite storehouses — qolqas — that kept the food supply of the city, built along the eastern slope.
An enclosure of twelve trapezoidal niches — one of the clearest examples of Inka niche architecture in the city.
No tips here yet — be the first to leave one.
Same price and the same 2 h 30, but Circuit 2 walks twice as much of the city.
| 3B · Royalty | Circuit 2 (2A / 2B) | |
|---|---|---|
| Landmarks inside the city | 6, the lower royal sector | 12, the full urban sector |
| Temples Plaza and Intiwatana | Not visited | Yes |
| Postcard platform | No | Yes on 2A, no on 2B |
| Walking | The least of any city route | More, one climb on 2A |
| Max stay · price | 2 h 30 · $65.10 | 2 h 30 · $65.10 |
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.
Only if the royal sector and the Temple of the Condor are what you came for. For the postcard view and the whole city in one ticket, Circuit 2A covers twice the landmarks for the same price.
No. 3B does not go up to the panoramic platforms where the postcard photo is taken. That view is on Circuit 2A (Lower Platform) and Circuit 1 (both platforms).
It is the gentlest of the city routes: no mountain and the least walking. The sanctuary is still built on stone steps, so expect stairs. Children under 3 enter free, and 3 to 17 pay the child fare.
Look at 3B Premium: the same route with a licensed guide and entry at any time between 6:00 and 15:00, for $257.25. Or take Circuit 2, which walks more of the city at the same $65.10. If everything is gone and your dates cannot move, our 2-Day Tour takes you to the Ministry's in-person sale in Machupicchu Pueblo and hands you a Circuit 2 entrance; the entry day is set by the Ministry.
See the 2-Day Tour →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