Machu Picchu: the ticket according to the season of the year
Machu Picchu admission tickets are available every day of the year. However, in some months, they sell out more quickly. This is peak tourist season, which runs from approximately June 19th to November 2nd. If you want to visit the Inca city on one of those days, you must purchase your ticket online and two to three months in advance. This applies to the ten types of tickets available across the three circuits. Learn more about Machu Picchu admission tickets by season!
- Ticket sales to Machu Picchu during the year
- Tickets during the high tourist season in Machu Picchu
- Tickets for the low tourist season in Machu Picchu
- Buy your Machu Picchu ticket online
- Buy tickets to Machu Picchu in Cusco
- Questions and answers about the ticket to Machu Picchu according to the season of the year
Tourists looking at the Inca citadel
Holidays in Cusco
Cusco is the region where Machu Picchu is located. Throughout the year Cusco celebrates various holidays. The most important of all is the Inti Raymi, the famous Festival of the Sun. This celebration with multitudinous staging takes place every year on June 24. In addition, on August 1, the day of the Pachamama or Mother Earth is celebrated, with offerings to the earth as a source of food. Also, on the Thursday after the Sunday of the Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi is celebrated with a great demonstration of faith in the city of Cusco. During these dates, the Cusco region is full of people from all over the world. It is necessary to buy the entrance to Machu Picchu online and in advance.
Ticket sales to Machu Picchu during the year
Machu Picchu is located at 2600 meters above sea level on the natural border between the Andes and the jungle. It is incredible to see the Inca Apus (snow-capped mountains) so close to the mountain brow of what was once the Antisuyo. This unique location gives Machu Picchu a very special aura, but also makes it present two marked periods in its climate and which in turn coincide with the tourist seasons.
Purchasing a Machu Picchu ticket is the first step to fulfilling your dream of visiting Machu Picchu. The sacred city of the Incas can be visited throughout the year, but depending on the season in which you want to go, you will have to make arrangements to reserve your tickets.
Ticket sales to Machu Picchu are available year-round, but only for six types of tickets: a) Machu Picchu with Mountain ticket (Route 1A), b) Machu Picchu Upper Terrace ticket (Route 1B), c) Machu Picchu Classic Designed ticket (Route 2A), d) Machu Picchu Classic Lower Terrace ticket (Route 2B), e) Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu Mountain ticket (Route 3A) and f) Machu Picchu Royalty Designed ticket (Route 3B).
The other four types of tickets are only available from June 19th to November 2nd of each year: a) Entrance Machu Picchu with Inti Punku (Route 1C), b) Entrance Machu Picchu with Inka Bridge (Route 1D), c) Entrance Machu Picchu with Great Cave (Route 3C) and d) Entrance Machu Picchu with Huchuy Picchu (Route 3D).
Visiting the citadel of Machu Picchu
Tickets during the high tourist season in Machu Picchu
The peak tourist season runs from June 19th to November 2nd, coinciding with the dry season in the Andean climate. During this time, rainfall is very scarce, with mostly clear days and bright sunshine, but with quite cold nights. It is the typical winter of the Peruvian highlands. In contrast, in the northern hemisphere, it is the height of summer and corresponds to the holiday period in many countries. In addition, this season is considered the best time to visit the Inca city.
All these factors make the Machu Picchu Ticket for these months have a very high demand, so if you want to reserve an entrance ticket for this season and for the date you want you must do it well in advance, and the time will depend on the ticket you want to purchase.
| Machu Picchu in high season | Buy online | Foreign adult prices |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance Machu Picchu with Mountain (circuit 1) | 2 or 3 months before | 200 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu Classic Photo or Upper Terrace (circuit 1) | 1 or 2 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu with Inti Punku* (circuit 1) | 2 or 3 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu with Inka Bridge* (circuit 1) | 1 or 2 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu Classic Circuit or Classic Designed (circuit 2) | 3 or 4 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu Classic or Lower Terrace (circuit 2) | 3 or 4 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu Mountain (circuit 3) | 3 or 4 months before | 200 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu Temples Lower Part or Designed Royalty (circuit 3) | 2 or 3 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu with Temple of the Moon or Great Cavern* (circuit 3) | 2 or 3 months before | 200 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu with Huchuy Picchu* (circuit 3) | 2 or 3 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
*Tickets available only from June 19th to November 2nd each year.
Tickets for the low tourist season in Machu Picchu
The low tourist season runs from November 3 to June 18 and is accompanied by the rainy season. During this time, rainfall is abundant and constant, with days often cloudy, but with clear periods.
The number of tourists that Cusco and its wonders receive is no longer as intense, so the Machu Picchu Ticket can be purchased with less time in advance, but always keeping in mind that during the season there are times when demand increases, such as during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The prudent advance times to make the reservation of the Machu Picchu Ticket during the low season are the following.
| Machu Picchu in low season | Buy online | Foreign adult prices |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance Machu Picchu with Mountain (circuit 1) | 2 or 3 months before | 200 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu Classic Photo or Upper Terrace (circuit 1) | 1 or 2 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu Classic Circuit or Classic Designed (circuit 2) | 3 or 4 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu Classic or Lower Terrace (circuit 2) | 3 or 4 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu Mountain (circuit 3) | 3 or 4 months before | 200 Peruvian soles |
| Entrance Machu Picchu Temples Lower Part or Designed Royalty (circuit 3) | 2 or 3 months before | 152 Peruvian soles |
*Tickets available only from November 3rd to June 18th of each year.
Buy your Machu Picchu ticket online
Buying your Machu Picchu ticket online is definitely the safest option. Each ticket has a limited availability. Due to the high demand for tickets, especially during the peak tourist season (April to October), tickets often sell out two or three months in advance.
To buy tickets to Machu Picchu online, visitors can go to a ticket sales website, either on the official website or through a travel agency. In any case, tourists must register their names, ID (or passport), email address, as well as date of birth and nationality.
Payment can be made with any credit or debit card. Tourists will receive their ticket in PDF format via the registered email address. Tickets are non-refundable once purchased. The date registered for the visit to Machu Picchu cannot be changed either.
Buy your tickets on the official website
Buy tickets to Machu Picchu in Cusco
Buying tickets to Machu Picchu once in Cusco is not the most recommended option. Almost all tickets are sold out when purchased online. Thus, visitors who want a ticket in person, at the offices in the city of Cusco, will not be able to find availability even weeks in advance.
This is especially true during the high tourist season (April to October). If the in-person purchase is made during the low tourist season (November to March), there is a chance that tickets may be available. In any case, the authorized sales offices in the city of Cusco are located at:
- Maruri Street 324, downtown Cusco.
- Garcilaso Street S/N, downtown Cusco.
An important option is to buy tickets to Machu Picchu in person in the town of Aguas Calientes.
In this town, located just 10 kilometers from the Inca site of Machu Picchu, there are a thousand tickets available every day. During the high tourist season, these tickets sell out quickly, so tourists need to spend a night there and get a ticket very early for the next day. During the low tourist season, there is a chance that tourists can find tickets for the same day.
However, in any case, whether it is high or low tourist season, the most advisable option is to buy the ticket to Machu Picchu in advance and online.
Buy Machu Picchu ticket in Cusco
Questions and answers about the ticket to Machu Picchu according to the season of the year
1) When is the peak tourist season in Machu Picchu?
The peak tourist season in Machu Picchu runs from June 19th to November 2nd each year.
2) And when is the low tourist season in Machu Picchu?
The low tourist season in Machu Picchu runs from November 3rd to June 18th each year.
3) How many months in advance should I buy the ticket to Machu Picchu online during the high tourist season?
It is recommended to purchase your ticket to Machu Picchu 2 or 3 months in advance during the peak tourist season.
4) How many months in advance should I buy the ticket to Machu Picchu online during the low tourist season?
It is recommended to purchase your ticket to Machu Picchu 1 month in advance during the low tourist season.
5) How many days in advance should I buy the ticket to Machu Picchu in person during the high tourist season?
During the high tourist season, it is not recommended to buy tickets to Machu Picchu in person as tickets usually sell out long in advance.
6) How many days in advance should I buy the ticket to Machu Picchu in person during the low tourist season?
During the low tourist season, you may be able to find tickets to Machu Picchu available by purchasing in Cusco (1 week in advance) or in the town of Aguas Calientes (for the same day to visit Machu Picchu the next day).
7) What is the month with the most tourists in Machu Picchu?
June is considered the month with the most visitors to Machu Picchu. On June 24th, the Festival of the Sun, Inti Raymi, is celebrated, a date when many visitors come to Cusco, Peru.
8) Which is the month with the fewest tourists in Machu Picchu?
February is considered the month with the fewest visitors to Machu Picchu. This is because it rains more frequently during this month, which makes outdoor excursions such as the Machu Picchu route more difficult.
9) What month does Machu Picchu close?
Machu Picchu is open every day of the year, whether in high or low tourist season.
10)What month does the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu close?
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, whether in its 4-day or 2-day version, closes every year in the month of February due to heavy rains.
Advice from people who have been there
By: Sofi T.“The wonder among the clouds“
“Machu Picchu always surprises you. This is the second time I have been there, and even though I had to visit it in a bit of rain, it was spectacular. Seeing how the clouds cover the entire landscape is unique, as if you were travelling back in time. Machu Picchu is beautiful with the sun or with the dew after a rain.“
By Ticket Machu Picchu – Last updated, May 24, 2025