Machu Picchu is located in the Andes Mountains in Cusco, Peru. This tourist destination is in the heart of South America. Visitors from the continent can get there by road or by flight with a stopover in the city of Lima. However, before making the trip, the first thing to do is to purchase the entrance ticket online. It is recommended to do it two or three months in advance because availability is limited. Are you planning to visit Machu Picchu? Find out prices, discounts, and more useful information for travelers coming from South America.

• Visiting Cusco in South America
• Buying a ticket to Machu Picchu for visitors from South America
• Machu Picchu ticket price for South Americans
• Machu Picchu ticket discounts for South Americans
• Machu Picchu ticket documents for South American visitors
• Interesting Machu Picchu ticket information for South American tourists
• Questions and answers

Latin tourists visiting Machu Picchu

How to get to Machu Picchu by road from other South American countries?
Machu Picchu is located in the Andes Mountains in the Cusco region of southern Peru. Although most visitors arrive by plane with a previous stop in the city of Lima, arriving by road is also an option. If you are coming from the south (countries such as Argentina or Chile), you can enter Peru through the Tacna region and travel 813 kilometers to the city of Cusco. If you are coming from the north (countries such as Ecuador or Colombia), you can enter Peru through the Tumbes region and travel 2,369 kilometers to Cusco. If you are coming from the east (countries such as Brazil or Bolivia), you can enter Peru through the Madre de Dios region and travel 477 kilometers to Cusco. Finally, the trip from the city of Lima to the city of Cusco is 1,102 kilometers. This interprovincial public bus trip takes 21 hours on average. The cost of the bus ticket is approximately 100 soles. Once in Cusco, the visitor must board a train to Machupicchu village (Aguas Calientes) and then take the final bus that will take him to the gate of Machu Picchu. From Cusco to the Inca city is a 4-hour trip.

Visiting Cusco in South America

• Cusco is located in the Andes Mountains of South America. Because of this, the neighboring countries are the ones that bring the largest number of tourists to Cusco and Machu Picchu.
• It is estimated that in 2019, 1,196,234 visitors arrived in Peru from Chile alone, which means the country that attracts the most tourists. The second place was occupied by the United States (656,991). Third place went to visitors from Colombia (223,943). Fourth place went to Spain (158,118), while fifth and sixth place went to Argentina (214,608) and Brazil (193,898), respectively.
• Most of the visitors to Peru come from South America. In turn, the largest number of travelers arrive in the Andean country to visit Cusco and Machu Picchu. It is estimated that the Inca citadel receives around 1.5 million visitors each year. The other most popular tourist destinations in Cusco are the archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and the Mountain of the 7 Colors.

View of a part of the city of Cusco

Buying a ticket to Machu Picchu for visitors from South America

• As well as the rest of the world’s visitors, South American tourists can purchase their entrance tickets to Machu Picchu online or in the official establishments in the city of Cusco, Peru.
• The safest and most recommended way to buy the entrance to Machu Picchu is online through the official website (machupicchu.gob.pe). This option offers the official prices. The other option, also valid, is to purchase on the website of an authorized tourist agency (boletomachupicchu.com). This last option offers prices that include a commission in their prices. However, it allows better communication and advice to choose the best circuit or schedule for the visit to the Inca citadel.
• It is also possible to purchase in person, although it is not recommended since the availability of tickets is limited. Many tourists are left without visiting the Inca citadel because they wait until the last moment to buy tickets. The official sales points are in Cusco at 340 Maruri Street and Garcilaso Street. Both establishments belong to the Ministry of Culture of Peru and are located in the historic center of Cusco.
• There is also a third option to buy the entrance ticket to Machu Picchu. This is to travel to the town of Aguas Calientes, also called Machupicchu village because it is located just 10 kilometers from the Inca archaeological site. In this town, a thousand tickets to Machu Picchu are sold daily. However, the tickets are usually sold out quickly so most visitors have to spend a night before in the village to make their purchase the next day from the early hours of the morning.
• Unfortunately, tourists from South America do not have a preference over other visitors from around the world. Internet purchase is the most recommended option. Visitors from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia have a special discount on the ticket price by showing their passport or identity card.

Machu Picchu ticket price for South Americans

These are the ticket prices to Machu Picchu for visitors from South America, including special discounts for the Andean Community of Nations: Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia.

Machu Picchu ticket discounts for South Americans

• The ticket to Machu Picchu for visitors from South America offers a special discount for visitors from the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), according to an agreement established in 2007. This agreement is renewed every year benefiting visitors from Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia. Of course, visitors from Peru also benefit from a special discount for the purchase of the entrance ticket.
• The rest of South American countries, unfortunately, do not have this discount agreed upon by the Andean Community of Nations. That is to say, visitors coming from Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Venezuela, and Brazil do not obtain this CAN benefit. However, these visitors, as well as tourists from the rest of the world, can access the other discounts: for visitors under 18 years of age and university students. Children under 3 years of age do not pay.

Student visiting the Wonder of the World – Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu ticket documents for South American visitors

• Visitors from South America can purchase their ticket to Machu Picchu with three types of documents: passport, identity card or residence card. These three documents must be valid at the time of the visit to the Inca citadel. Remember that the document you registered at the time of your entrance ticket purchase must be the same one you will show when you enter the archaeological site.
• In addition, visitors who purchased their ticket with a university student discount must show their valid undergraduate university ID with the following characteristics: PVC card, legible photo, complete student information, and current valid date. Students with a library card, proof of enrollment, or ISIC card (International Student Identity Card) are not allowed to purchase a ticket. Remember that university students must be undergraduate students and under 25 years old at the time of the visit to Machu Picchu.

Interesting Machu Picchu ticket information for South American tourists

• South America is the continent that brings the largest number of tourists to Machu Picchu. According to official figures from Peru’s National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), 2,866,499,000 visitors to Peru came from South America. In turn, 565,486 visitors came to Peru from North America. 299,293 visitors came from Europe. 453 visitors came from Asia. Finally, 132 visitors came from Oceania and 63 from Africa.
• The Lima airport is the main route by which tourists arrive in Cusco. This airport is currently the only one that receives international flights. However, in the next few years, the international airport of Chinchero, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, will be completed. This means that international flights will arrive directly to Cusco from all over the world. Of course, South American countries will be the main beneficiaries.

View of Machu Picchu from another angle

Questions and answers

• 1) How much does admission to Machu Picchu cost for visitors from South America?

  The price of admission to Machu Picchu varies depending on the type of ticket, but most cost 64 soles for residents of the CAN and 152 soles for other countries.

• 2) Which South American countries offer discounts on admission to Machu Picchu?

  Visitors from the Andean Community of Nations receive a special discount on the regular price of admission to Machu Picchu. The Andean Community of Nations is made up of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia.

• 3) How can I access the Andean Community of Nations discount on admission to Machu Picchu?

  To qualify for the discount on admission to Machu Picchu for CAN membership, you must show one of three types of documents: a passport, an ID card (or national identity card), or a foreigner’s identification card. All must be valid.

• 4) How do I purchase my ticket to Machu Picchu online if I’m coming from South America?

  You can enter the official website (machupicchu.gob.pe) or an authorized tourism agency (boletomachupicchu.com).

• 5) How do I purchase my ticket to Machu Picchu in person if I’m coming from South America?

  You can visit the authorized offices in Cusco: at 304 Maruri Street or Garcilaso Street s/n. Alternatively, you can purchase tickets at the main office in the town of Aguas Calientes.

• 6) How do I get to Machu Picchu if I come from Chile?

  You can take a flight from Santiago to Lima and then another flight to Cusco. Another option is to enter Peru through the Tacna region and then travel by bus 813 kilometers to Cusco.

• 7) How do I get to Machu Picchu if I come from Colombia?

  You can take a flight from Bogotá to Lima and then another flight to Cusco. Another option is to enter Peru through the Tumbes region and then travel by bus 2,369 kilometers to Cusco.

• 8) Which South American country most visits Machu Picchu in Cusco, Peru?

  Chile is the country with the most visits to Cusco and Machu Picchu, surpassing other countries such as the United States and Colombia.

• 9) What document do I need to purchase the ticket to Machu Picchu if I come from South America?

  Visitors from South America can purchase their ticket to Machu Picchu with their passport, ID card, or foreigner’s identification card.

• 10) What discounts on entry to Machu Picchu do I get if I come from Brazil?

  Visitors from Brazil are only eligible for general discounts for university students and those under 18. Visitors under 3 years old are admitted free.

Advice from people who have been there

Machu Picchu

By: José P.

“The dream trip“

“Thanks to my friends for recommending me to visit Machu Picchu. We paisas have discounts on the ticket so we should take advantage of it. It was a wonderful six days in Cusco. The best destination I have ever visited, without a doubt.“

By Ticket Machu Picchu – Last updated, May 16, 2025