Quick Summary: The only official website is the Ministry of Culture's portal, tuboleto.cultura.pe. Since the rules changed on 11 September 2026 there is no reservation hold: you choose circuit, route, date and hour, enter each visitor's name and passport number, and pay by Visa or Mastercard within 15 minutes, up to five tickets per purchase. A foreign adult pays S/152 for a standard route plus an S/11 conservation charge (about US$47), plus a card fee. Tickets are issued in each visitor's name and cannot be renamed or moved, so this guide is for independent travellers who want the details right first time. If you still need to choose a circuit, start with Machu Picchu tickets explained.
Before You Start: What to Have Ready
The 15-minute clock starts once you press "Iniciar compra" (start purchase) and confirm, so do the slow parts first. The Ministry's visitor manual and the portal's terms and conditions, both from September 2026, set out what you need:
- An account: only registered users can buy. Registration asks for your full name, ID type and number and an email address, and the password is emailed to you. Log in before you start.
- Every visitor's passport: the regulation, as amended by Resolution 000334-2026-MC (Art. 15.2), requires the original ID document both to buy and to enter. Use the passport you will travel with.
- A Visa or Mastercard your bank allows for online purchases abroad. American Express and Diners are not accepted.
- Backup choices: another route, hour or date, in case your first pick goes while you type.
Step 1: Choose the Date, Circuit, Route and Hour
On the home page, select "Llaqta Machupicchu" and press "Agenda tu visita" (schedule your visit). The form on the right, "Adquiere tu boleto", only offers what is still available:
- Circuit: 1 (Panorámico), 2 (Clásico) or 3 (Realeza). Our circuit comparison covers what each one shows.
- Route: routes 1-C, 1-D, 3-C and 3-D run in high season only, which ended on 2 November 2026, so expect six routes on most dates (Ministry circuits page).
- Date and hour: entry slots run hourly from 06:00 to 15:00 (Ministry entry table).
- Number of tickets: minimum 1, maximum 5 per purchase, so a group of six needs two purchases.
- Start: tick "Confirma que eres humano", press "Iniciar compra", then "Continuar" on the 15-minute warning. A countdown stays at the top right.
From 3 November the daily cap is 4,500 visitors, and Andina reported that about 3,500 of those are sold online, with 1,000 kept for in-person sales (Andina, December 2025). If no 2027 dates appear, they may not be on sale yet: Andina reported 2026 sales opening from 17 November 2025, and we found no announced date for 2027 as of late October 2026.
Route Prices and What Each Covers
Official fares for foreign visitors, in soles, from the Ministry's tariff list (TUSNE, RM 000451-2024-MC, in force since 1 January 2025). Under-3s enter free.
| Route | What it covers | Adult | Undergraduate | Age 3–17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-A Machu Picchu Mountain | The mountain climb; up to 7 hours | S/200 | S/125 | S/118 |
| 1-B Upper Terrace | The high postcard view by the Guardian's House | S/152 | S/77 | S/70 |
| 1-C Intipunku | The Sun Gate, high season only; up to 4 hours | S/152 | S/77 | S/70 |
| 1-D Inca Bridge | The Inca Bridge, high season only; up to 3 hours | S/152 | S/77 | S/70 |
| 2-A Designed route | The classic city walk, with a lower-terrace photo stop and the Temple of the Sun viewpoint | S/152 | S/77 | S/70 |
| 2-B Lower Terrace | The lower platform by the Guardian's House, then the Main Temple, Three Windows and Sacred Rock | S/152 | S/77 | S/70 |
| 3-A Huayna Picchu | The Huayna Picchu climb; up to 6 hours | S/200 | S/125 | S/118 |
| 3-B Designed route | Temple of the Sun, House of the Inca, fountains, water mirrors | S/152 | S/77 | S/70 |
| 3-C Great Cavern | The "Temple of the Moon", high season only; up to 7 hours | S/200 | S/125 | S/118 |
| 3-D Huchuypicchu | The Huchuypicchu climb, high season only; up to 3 hours 30 | S/152 | S/77 | S/70 |
Since 1 May 2026, SERNANP (Peru's protected-areas service) adds S/11 for foreign visitors aged 18 and over and S/5 for ages 3 to 17 (El Tiempo, February 2026). That makes about S/163 (US$47) for an adult on a standard route, which allows up to 2 hours 30 minutes inside, and S/211 (US$61) on a mountain route. The bus up from Aguas Calientes is a separate ticket from a separate company; see our bus guide.
Step 2: Enter Each Visitor's Category and ID
For each ticket, pick origin ("Procedencia", such as Extranjero for foreign), country, fare ("Tarifa"), document type and number, then press the magnifying-glass icon. If the system knows the person it fills in the rest; if not, type first name, first surname, date of birth and sex (second surname and email are optional). The manual's key warning: what you enter appears on the ticket and is checked at the entry control. Press "Continuar" and repeat for each visitor.
- Foreign adult: the "General" fare.
- Undergraduate student: at the gate, foreign students show their original, current university or institute card plus passport (RM 334-2026-MC, Art. 17.1). Postgraduates pay the adult fare. Our discounts guide covers which cards work.
- Minor: ages 3 to 17 on the day of the visit, with a responsible adult.
- Peruvians, residents of Peru and Andean Community citizens (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador): promotional 2026 fares of S/64 on standard routes and S/32 for students and minors, or S/112 and S/80 on mountain routes (RM 000284-2025-MC, reported by Andina), with a DNI, carné de extranjería or passport showing that status.
Copy names and numbers from the passport's photo page, not from memory. Then accept the terms and press "Ir a pagar" (go to pay).
Step 3: Pay Within 15 Minutes
Choose "Tarjeta Nacional" (Peruvian card) or "Tarjeta Internacional", tick the box accepting the card fee, and press "Pagar". In the manual's example, an S/152 ticket becomes S/156.43 on a Peruvian card and S/159.48 on a foreign one, a charge of about 3% and 5%; on a foreign card that is about S/7.50 (US$2) per adult ticket. An Izipay payment window then asks for card number, expiry, security code, name and email. It also offers "Código Yape" for Yape, a Peruvian payment app, useful only if you already have it.
The terms say the portal takes Visa and Mastercard, credit or debit, and charges in soles; your bank may convert at its own rate and add fees. When a card fails, it is usually one of these:
- Internet purchases are off. The payment window itself reminds you to activate them, so do it in your bank's app first.
- The bank declines. Payment is subject to the issuer's approval, and the terms send complaints about refused payments to your bank.
- The wrong brand. American Express and Diners do not work, whatever logos the form shows.
- The clock ran out. The terms say an interrupted or timed-out purchase is cancelled with no charge, and the ticket returns to sale (Andina, 11 September 2026).
A processed payment cannot be reversed. If the page froze after you paid, check "Mis compras" (my purchases) and your bank app before trying again, so you do not pay twice.
Step 4: The Confirmation and What the Ticket Shows
After payment you see "¡Gracias por tu compra!" with a purchase code, a "Descargar boletos" button for the PDF tickets and "Ver mis compras" for your purchase history, where you can download them again. Payment receipts also go to your registered email.
The ticket shows the entry hour and its tolerance, the date, circuit and route, "Re-entry: NO", the entry point, the visitor's name, country, age, fare and document number, the price, fee and total, and a QR code. Its notes say it is personal and non-transferable, non-refundable and valid only for the date, route and time printed. Check every line against the passport as it downloads, and carry a printed copy too.
Fixing a Name or Passport Typo
RM 334-2026-MC (Art. 15.4) says a ticket is valid only for its date, hour, circuit and holder: the date cannot be changed and the holder's name cannot be modified. The one exception is that the passport number may be corrected once, for an evident material error. The terms allow a date change only for a fortuitous event or force majeure, and Art. 15.5 rules out refunds except in duly proven force majeure that stops visitors reaching the site.
- Wrong passport number: contact Tu Boleto at +51 (01) 714-0114 or tuboleto@cultura.gob.pe, the channels printed in the manual and on the ticket. We found no published form or deadline, so write early and keep the reply.
- Misspelled name: no rule allows a fix, and we could not find how gate staff treat a one-letter slip. Ask Tu Boleto in writing before you travel.
- Wrong person, date or route: treat it as lost and buy again.
When Your Date Shows Sold Out
Try every route and hour on that date, then check again later, because unpaid tickets return to sale after 15 minutes. In Cusco, the Ministry also sells for cash at Casa Garcilaso (Andina, 6 October 2026), though it has not said which dates that counter sells, so ask there. The main fallback is the DDC Cusco ticket office in Machu Picchu Pueblo, which sells up to 1,000 tickets a day, bought personally, for entry the next day (Ministry in-person page); its live count is at tuboleto.cultura.pe/disponibilidad/llaqta_machupicchu. Since May 2026 it may sell up to three days ahead when the next day is gone (Infobae). Bring your original passport. Hours are reported differently, 15:00–22:00 by PeruRail and windows from 06:00 in an August 2025 announcement (Infomercado), so ask locally. The office can sell out too, as it did for 14 to 16 October 2026 (Andina). Our sold-out guide ranks the other options.
RM 334-2026-MC bans issuing tickets through anything but the official platform, so anyone offering to put your name on another person's ticket is selling something the rules forbid. Buy only on tuboleto.cultura.pe, at the DDC Cusco office, or through an agency registered with DDC Cusco.
Our Pick: Buy It Yourself, in One Sitting
For most independent travellers, buying direct is the right call. The portal is simpler than its reputation, with no hold to lose and a short form. The problems the Ministry's own documents warn about are preparation, not the website: a card not enabled for internet purchases, data typed wrongly and a clock that runs out. Have the passports open, the card cleared with your bank and a backup hour chosen.
Buy the citadel ticket before trains and hotels, because it is the piece that cannot move. Use an agency only for the Inca Trail, which only registered agencies can buy, or if you would rather someone else carry the risk of a typo.
FAQ
What is the official website for Machu Picchu tickets?
It is tuboleto.cultura.pe, run by Peru's Ministry of Culture. The Ministry also sells in person, for cash, at Casa Garcilaso in Cusco (Andina, 6 October 2026) and at the municipal Cultural Center in Machu Picchu Pueblo (Andina, December 2025), and registered agencies buy through the same platform.
How long do I have to pay for a Machu Picchu ticket?
15 minutes. The three-hour reservation hold ended with the change announced on 11 September 2026, and an unpaid ticket goes straight back on sale.
How many Machu Picchu tickets can I buy at once?
One to five per purchase, according to the Ministry's visitor manual. Each ticket needs its own visitor's name and ID number.
Can I pay for Machu Picchu tickets with American Express?
No. The terms list Visa and Mastercard, credit or debit, and say American Express and Diners are not accepted.
Is there a fee for paying by card?
Yes. In the Ministry's example, an S/152 ticket costs S/156.43 on a Peruvian card and S/159.48 on a foreign card. Your bank may add its own foreign-transaction fee.
Can I change the name on my Machu Picchu ticket?
No. The regulation forbids changing the holder's name or the date. Only the passport number can be corrected, once, for an evident material error.
Can I get a refund if I cannot go?
Not normally. Unused tickets lose their value, and refunds apply only in duly proven force majeure that prevents visitors from reaching the site.
What ID do I need at the entrance?
The original passport whose number is on the ticket, or another listed document such as a carné de extranjería. If it is lost or stolen, the regulation accepts the police report.
Limitations
This walkthrough reflects the portal as of November 2026. RM 334-2026-MC set a 30-day trial period once the new system was running, and the terms say the Ministry may change them without notice, so screens, fees and limits can shift. We could not confirm whether the portal adds the S/11 conservation charge to the same payment, since the manual's sample checkout shows S/152 alone, and the promotional fares for Peruvians and Andean Community citizens are set for 2026 only. Work-around: before you pay, read the total on the payment screen and the current terms on tuboleto.cultura.pe, and if anything is unclear, write to tuboleto@cultura.gob.pe before you book trains.