UPDATE (February 2019): Latest changes in Machu Picchu admission

The popularity of Machu Picchu in the whole world is generating a very high and ever-increasing demand for daily visits that endanger the integrity and conservation of the archaeological site.

The Peruvian government, through the ministries of culture and tourism, as well as other organizations involved in the management and administration of Machu Picchu, are putting to the test different strategies that allow optimal access of visitors while preserving the heritage that Machu Picchu represents for humanity.

It is so, likewise, we see ourselves in the need to present the information each time changes are generated to have our travelers updated in regards to entry schedules and restrictions; and consequently, the advantages and limitations that the different options present.

The following information is applicable only to our future customers who book a travel itinerary as of February 2019.

Coming up, we outline the best options to achieve the highest satisfaction in your visit to Machu Picchu:

Recommended: Visit Machu Picchu at 7 or 8 AM, don’t climb one of its mountains. You will have a full tour of about 2 to 2,5 hours throughout the citadel. In terms of a quality experience, this is now the best option.
Second recommendation: Visit Machu Picchu at 6 AM, don’t climb one of its mountains. You will have a full tour of about 2 to 2,5 hours throughout the citadel and be one of the first visitors witnessing the sunrise. Tickets might sell out quickly with the new rules, but it’s a very good option.
Third option: If you’d like to climb Machu Picchu Mountain (which is pretty cool!), you will have to enter the site at 6 AM (you have to be on time!) or 8 AM for a very short guided tour of less than two hours, after which you can climb the mountain by yourself.

Note to the third option: Machu Picchu Mountain can be visited either from 7AM to 8AM. But if you got tickets with admission from 8AM, then you have to access the mountain from 9AM to 10AM.

Fourth option: Have a longer guided tour starting at 8AM and include the climb to Huayna Picchu Mountain after that. This busier and more popular peak tends to sell out very quickly and is always busy. We are not fans of Huayna Picchu for that reason.
Fifth option: Have a full guided tour of about 2 to 2,5 hours throughout the citadel after any climb. This way you can enter Machu Picchu at either 6AM, 7AM or 8AM. This has an additional cost, since guides would ask for a higher salary. And we do not necessarily recommend this option as a favorite because a tour through the citadel after any of the climbs is simply exhausting.

However, as always, at RESPONS you are free to choose whichever option you prefer, to make sure your trip is exactly how you wish it.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact your travel designer who will be happy to assist you and clarify.

We will be attentive to new changes to inform you as soon as possible, because they are occurring very frequently and new strategies are required to achieve the greatest satisfaction at the time the archaeological site conservation is ensured.

Banner by Martin St-Amant – Own work, CC BY 3.0