What both routes have in common
Circuit 2 is the Ministry's "Llaqta circuit": the one that walks the Inka city itself. Both of its routes cost the same, both allow a maximum stay of 2 h 30, and both cover the same twelve numbered landmarks of the urban sector, in the same one-way order: the Dry Moat, the Temple of the Sun viewpoint, the Granitic Chaos, the Temples Plaza, the Intiwatana pyramid, the Sacred Rock, the Twelve Niches, the Eastern Qolqas, the Water Mirrors, the Temple of the Condor, Pisonay Square and the Archaeological Reserve on the way out.
So if you have read that 2B "skips the temples" or that 2A "is the long route", that is not what the maps show. Inside the city, they are the same walk. Read our stop-by-stop guides for Circuit 2A and Circuit 2B and you will see the same twelve names on both.
The one difference: the Lower Platform
On the official map, Route 2A ("Ruta diseñada") starts by climbing from the entrance up to landmark number 1, the Lower Platform: the viewpoint above the agricultural terraces where the whole citadel opens below you with Huayna Picchu behind it. That is the postcard. From there the route drops into the city and continues through the twelve landmarks.
Route 2B ("Ruta terraza inferior") enters along the lower agricultural terrace instead. It reaches the Dry Moat and the same twelve landmarks, but it never climbs to the platform. You still see the citadel from several angles inside the city; you do not get the elevated, all-in-one-frame view.
| Circuit 2A — Designed Route | Circuit 2B — Lower Terrace Route | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (adult / child 8–17) | $62 / $39 | $62 / $39 |
| Official maximum stay | 2 h 30 | 2 h 30 |
| Lower Platform (postcard viewpoint) | Yes — first stop | No |
| Landmarks inside the city | 12 (numbers 3 to 14) | 12 (numbers 3 to 14) |
| Total official stops | 13 | 12 |
| Climb at the start | Up to the platform, then down into the city | Gentle, along the lower terrace |
| Upper Platform / mountain trails | No | No |
Which one should you book?
- Book 2A: if this is your first visit, if the wide photo of the citadel is part of why you are going, or if you are traveling with someone who has been dreaming about that exact view. It is the route most first-time visitors expect when they say "Machu Picchu".
- Book 2B: if 2A has no times left for your date, if you already have the postcard view from another day, or if you would rather spend the first minutes inside the walls than on the climb up to the platform.
- Book neither: if what you actually want is the view alone in the least walking possible — that is Circuit 1B, the Upper Terrace Route, which visits both platforms and does not enter the city.
See it stop by stop
We rebuilt both routes from the Ministry's maps into walkable guides, with the official landmark numbers and traveler tips at each stop: Circuit 2A, 13 stops and Circuit 2B, 12 stops. Both link straight to live availability for the ticket.
サーキット2A クラシック
マチュピチュの象徴的な絵はがきの写真
サーキット2B 下段テラス
有名なパノラマ写真と、テラスへのフルアクセス
Is Circuit 2B shorter than 2A?
Not officially. Both have the same 2 h 30 maximum stay and walk the same twelve landmarks inside the city. 2B skips only the climb to the Lower Platform at the start, so the walk is slightly gentler, not meaningfully shorter.
Can I take the classic photo on Circuit 2B?
You can photograph the citadel from many points inside the city, but the elevated view of the whole site with Huayna Picchu behind it — the postcard — is taken from the Lower Platform, which only Circuit 2A (and the Circuit 1 routes) visit.
Do 2A or 2B include Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain?
No. The mountain trails belong to Circuit 3A (Huayna Picchu) and Circuit 1A (Machu Picchu Mountain), which are separate tickets with their own quotas.
Which one sells out first?
2A is the route most first-time visitors search for, so it is the one to check first. If 2A shows no times for your date, 2B is the same visit minus the platform and is worth checking before you change your day.
Decided? Check the date you want
Both routes show live availability by date and entry time. If 2A has no times left for your day, look at 2B before you change your plans.