Knowing how to visit Machu Picchu is mostly about planning in the right order: first your entrance ticket, then how you get to Aguas Calientes, then the bus or walk up to the citadel on the day of your visit. Machu Picchu, the Inca citadel at about 2,430 m and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, has limited daily entries, fixed entry times and set circuits. This step-by-step guide explains how to visit Machu Picchu: tickets, transport, the visit itself, the rules and the easiest tours from Cusco.
How to visit Machu Picchu in 6 steps
- Choose your dates and the way you want to arrive: train, car and train, or a trek.
- Buy your entrance ticket for a specific day, circuit and entry time, plus a mountain if you want one.
- Book the train to Aguas Calientes, or a trek such as the Inca Trail or Salkantay.
- Spend 1 to 2 days in Cusco or the Sacred Valley first to acclimatize.
- On the day: take the bus or walk up from Aguas Calientes and arrive 30 minutes before your entry time.
- Visit with an official guide, which is required, and follow your circuit.
Step 1: when to visit Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is open every day of the year. The dry season, from April to October, has the best weather; June to August is the busiest time. From November to March it rains more, but there are fewer people. Only the Inca Trail closes, in February. Read our full guide to the best time to visit Machu Picchu.
Step 2: Machu Picchu tickets
- Daily limit: in 2026, 5,600 visitors a day in high season and 4,500 the rest of the year.
- Prices: USD 45 for adults, USD 25 for children aged 3 to 17 (under 3 free) and USD 65 with a mountain: Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain or the Great Cavern.
- Where to buy: on the official site tuboleto.cultura.pe or through an authorized agency. Tickets are not sold at the entrance.
- Each ticket is for one circuit, one route and one entry time, with your name and passport number.
See how to buy Machu Picchu tickets, the Machu Picchu tickets 2027 and the Machu Picchu circuits.
Step 3: how to get to Machu Picchu
There is no road to Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu. You have three ways to get there:
By train
The fastest and most comfortable way. PeruRail and Inca Rail run trains mainly from Ollantaytambo, about 1.5 to 2 hours by road from Cusco, with a ride of about 1.5 to 2 hours. Some services leave from Poroy, near Cusco. On the train you can carry a small bag of about 5 kg; leave your big luggage at your hotel. Compare classes in our guide to the train to Machu Picchu.
By car to Hidroeléctrica
The budget option: about 6 to 7 hours by road from Cusco to Hidroeléctrica, then a flat walk of about 2.5 to 3 hours along the railway to Aguas Calientes. It takes more time and is less comfortable in the rainy season. Compare both in Machu Picchu by car or by train.
On foot: the Inca Trail and other treks
- Inca Trail: about 42 km in 4 days, or about 12 km on the 2-day short route, entering through the Sun Gate. Permits are limited to about 500 people a day, including guides and porters, so book 4 to 6 months ahead. Read our guide to hiking the Inca Trail.
- Salkantay Trek: about 74 km in 5 days, crossing a pass at about 4,600 m. No permit is needed. See the Salkantay Trek.
Step 4: from Aguas Calientes up to the citadel
- By bus: about 25 minutes, about USD 12 one way or USD 24 round trip for foreign visitors. The first buses leave at about 5:30 AM.
- On foot: about 1.5 hours up a steep path of stone steps, and about 1 hour down. It is free.
Details in how to get from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.
Step 5: the visit
- Arrive at the entrance at least 30 minutes before your entry time, with your original passport and ticket.
- The citadel must be visited with an official guide. A guided visit takes about 2 to 2.5 hours.
- Routes are one way: you cannot go back or change circuit.
- The only bathrooms are at the entrance, outside the citadel.
- The citadel visit is not physically hard, but there are many steps. The mountains are more demanding: Huayna Picchu (2,720 m) is steep and exposed; Machu Picchu Mountain (3,082 m) is higher and longer, but less exposed.
Machu Picchu rules
- Backpacks up to 40 × 35 × 20 cm; larger bags stay in storage at the entrance.
- No tripods, selfie sticks, umbrellas, drones, food, alcohol or single-use plastic.
- No baby strollers; walking sticks only with rubber tips.
- Professional filming needs a special permit.
See all the rules for visiting Machu Picchu.
The easiest way to visit Machu Picchu: a tour
A tour organizes the ticket, transport, bus and guide for you, which is the simplest way to visit Machu Picchu, especially in high season:
| Tour | Transport | From |
|---|---|---|
| Machu Picchu Full Day | Train, same day | USD 280 |
| Machu Picchu 2 Days by Train | Train, night in Aguas Calientes | USD 310 |
| Machu Picchu by Car and Train | Car one way, train the other | USD 220 |
| Machu Picchu by Car 2 Days | Car to Hidroeléctrica and walk | USD 130 |
| Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu | Car and train | USD 410 |
See all our Machu Picchu tours. For more quick answers, read our Machu Picchu FAQ guide.
FAQs: how to visit Machu Picchu
Is one day enough to visit Machu Picchu?
Yes. A full-day tour from Cusco is enough to see the citadel. With 2 days, you can sleep in Aguas Calientes, enter early or add a mountain.
Can I visit Machu Picchu without a guide?
No. The citadel must be visited with an official guide. The mountain trails do not require one.
Can I stay overnight at Machu Picchu?
No. You sleep in Aguas Calientes. Camping is only possible on treks such as the Inca Trail, outside the citadel.
Is there an age limit for Machu Picchu?
Not for the citadel: children under 3 enter free. Huayna Picchu and the mountains have their own age rules; ask us before booking.
How far in advance should I book?
For June to August, at least 2 to 3 months; for the Inca Trail or Huayna Picchu, 4 to 6 months.
Is Machu Picchu open in the rainy season?
Yes, every day. Only the Inca Trail closes, in February.
