The Lost City of Machu Picchu, one of the Wonders of the World, has long been a popular tourist destination. But visitor numbers have risen exponentially in recent years. In July 2016, more than five thousand tourists descended on Machu Picchu every day. This caused incredibly long queues of 2-3 hours, both at the entrance gate and at the shuttle bus stop in Aguas Calientes.
In order to tackle this problem, the park administration of Machu Picchu and the Peruvian government have announced a new set of rules, the ‘Regulations of Sustainable Use and Touristic Visits for the Conservation of the Inca City of Machu Picchu’. These new rules, due to be implemented on 1st July 2017, should better control the flow of visitors to the site and avoid over-crowding.
What do these changes mean?
The most significant change will be the introduction of scheduled tickets. This means that when you purchase your entrance ticket you will need to choose an allocated time slot. The time slots are:
AM Entrance: Between 6am and 12 noon
PM Entrance: Between 12 noon and 5:30pm
Once you leave the site you will not be permitted to re-enter, so you must ensure you book the most suitable time slot for your visit.
Can I still purchase tickets for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain?
The only exceptions to the time limits are for visitors with tickets to climb either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, though the exact implications are yet to be confirmed.
There will now be only 250 tickets available daily for Huayna Picchu. The time slots for Huayna Picchu are:
1st Entrance: Between 7am and 8am
2nd Entrance: Between 10am and 11am
Visitors need to select their allocated time when purchasing their ticket. Entrance will only be permitted between these times, and visitors need to vacate by 1pm.
There will be 400 tickets available daily for Machu Picchu Mountain. The time slots for Machu Picchu Mountain are:
1st Entrance: Between 7am and 8am
2nd Entrance: Between 9am and 10am
Similarly to Huayna Picchu, visitors need to select their allocated time when purchasing their ticket. Entrance will only be permitted between these times, and visitors need to vacate by 3pm.
What if I’ve already purchased my ticket?
Unfortunately we don’t yet know if these new changes will apply to those with tickets purchased before 1st June for visits to Machu Picchu after 1st July. Though there are rumours that in this instance the visitor will still be allowed full day access, this hasn’t been confirmed by the park administration.
How will this affect train schedules?
Again, we don’t yet know what implications these changes will have on train schedules to and from Aguas Calientes. Both Peru rail and Inca Rail are yet to release information on any changes to their services, but it is thought that there will be an increase in early afternoon services arriving in Aguas Calientes.
How can I find out more information?
We will update this page as and when we receive new information, but for any questions or enquiries in the meantime click here.
