Quick Summary: This is the step-by-step checklist for booking a Machu Picchu trip in 2026 — every reservation, in the specific order that avoids downstream failures, from passport check to travel insurance. Different from the booking order article, which is about strategy; this is the doing-it checklist. Roughly 45 minutes to work through if you have your documents ready.
Before You Start: Have These Ready
Have all of these open in browser tabs before you begin. Missing any of them will force you to pause mid-booking, and the entry-ticket portal doesn't hold slots.
- Your passport (physical, not a phone photo) — name-spelling matters
- Passport expiry date confirmed (must be valid 6+ months past your travel dates)
- Your traveling companions' passports (each entry ticket is per-passport)
- A credit card that accepts international transactions (Visa/Mastercard preferred, Amex less reliable on the Peruvian portal)
- An email you check regularly (all confirmations arrive here)
- Roughly your desired travel dates (±3 days flexibility helps)
- A note-taking doc or spreadsheet to log confirmation numbers
The 20-Step Checklist
Step 1: Confirm Passport Validity
Peru requires passports valid at least 6 months past the entry date. If your passport expires in the 6-month window after your planned travel, renew before doing anything else.
Step 2: Check Entry Ticket Availability
Go to tuboleto.cultura.pe. Search Circuit 2 availability for your target date + 3 days on either side. If nothing shows, widen to ±1 week. Note which dates and hours have availability before you commit.
Step 3: Buy the Entry Ticket
Circuit 2 at 06:00 or 07:00 for first-timers. Enter each traveler's passport data exactly as it appears on the passport (spaces, accents, hyphens). Save the confirmation PDF. Log the reference number.
Step 4: Book Mountain Permit (if desired)
Same portal, separate transaction. Huayna Picchu ($75), MP Mountain ($30), or Huchuy Picchu ($20). Book on the same day as your main entry to align time windows.
Step 5: Choose Train Operator and Class
PeruRail (older, more service tiers) vs Inca Rail (newer, more competitive on mid-tier). For most first-timers: PeruRail Vistadome. Check departure availability for the morning of your entry (arrive Aguas Calientes 90+ minutes before) AND the day before (afternoon train down for the overnight).
Step 6: Book Round-Trip Train
At perurail.com or incarail.com. Book Ollantaytambo → Aguas Calientes for the day before your entry (afternoon departure), and Aguas Calientes → Ollantaytambo for the afternoon of your entry day. Save both confirmations.
Step 7: Book Consettur Shuttle
At consettur.com. Round-trip. First shuttle from Aguas Calientes departs 05:30 — book that one to enable a 06:00 entry.
Step 8: Book Aguas Calientes Hotel
One night, the day before your entry. Search Booking.com or the hotel direct site. Mid-range: El Mapi by Inkaterra, Tierra Viva, or Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel. Budget: any of the smaller family-run hostales near the plaza.
Step 9: Plan Your Cusco Arrival
Decide: fly Lima–Cusco same day as your Sacred Valley transit, or arrive Cusco 2+ days early for altitude acclimatization? Standard recommendation: arrive Cusco 2 days before your Machu Picchu day.
Step 10: Book Cusco Hotel
Nights: 2 (or more) before Sacred Valley + Aguas Calientes overnight, and however many nights after Machu Picchu. Historic Center is the default; San Blas is quieter. See [best neighborhoods to stay in Cusco](/cusco-guides/best-neighborhoods-to-stay-in-cusco/) for the detailed choice.
Step 11: Arrange Ollantaytambo Transfer
Cusco → Ollantaytambo for the train pickup. Options: private taxi ($40–$60), shared van via your hotel ($20–$30), tour-operator transfer (bundled). Book directly or via your Cusco hotel front desk.
Step 12: Book a Guide (Optional but Recommended)
Licensed guide at the citadel — $30–$80 per person for a small-group visit. Reserve in advance via Yapa Explorers or a Cusco-based guide. Do not rely on gate-day availability.
Step 13: Decide on Sacred Valley Add-Ons
Pisac + Ollantaytambo day-trip? Maras + Moray? Sacred Valley half-day tours are widely available in Cusco. Book if you want to see the valley before the train.
Step 14: Book Domestic Flights (Lima–Cusco)
Now that your Cusco arrival date is fixed. LATAM, Sky, or JetSMART. Book morning Cusco arrivals (afternoon flights have higher cancellation rates due to Andean weather).
Step 15: Book International Flights
Fly into Lima the day before your Lima–Cusco departure (arrival day in Lima = rest day; next-day flight to Cusco). Return: fly out of Lima with at least 1 buffer day between your Machu Picchu day and international departure.
Step 16: Buy Travel Insurance
Coverage for medical, trip cancellation, and altitude sickness. Machu Picchu-specific: check whether your policy covers entry-ticket loss due to weather cancellations. Most don't.
Step 17: Arrange Airport Transfer in Lima
Jorge Chávez to your Lima hotel — Airport Express Lima ($7), Uber (~$15), or hotel pickup (~$25–$40).
Step 18: Book Rainbow Mountain / Extra Day Trips (Optional)
Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake, Maras salt pans as standalone day tours. Book via Rainbow Mountain Travels or similar. Do these after acclimatization.
Step 19: Confirm All Names Match Passports
Cross-check every booking's passenger name field against the passport as displayed. Entry ticket, train tickets, and flight tickets all check at the gate/border. A single mismatched letter can cause refused entry.
Step 20: Save Everything to One Folder
Create a single email folder or PDF document containing all confirmations. On the day, you'll need entry-ticket QR, train ticket QR, shuttle QR, hotel bookings, and flight bookings — often within 30 minutes of each other. Digital + printed backup is the standard.
Time to Complete
| Section | Time |
|---|---|
| Steps 1–3 (entry ticket) | 15 minutes |
| Steps 4–7 (trains, shuttle, mountain) | 15 minutes |
| Steps 8–13 (accommodation, guides, transfers) | 20 minutes |
| Steps 14–17 (flights, insurance, Lima) | 30 minutes |
| Steps 18–20 (extras, confirmation, filing) | 15 minutes |
| Total | ~1.5–2 hours |
FAQ
Can I do this in one session?
Yes, and you should. Splitting across days risks the entry-ticket slot vanishing between step 3 and step 6. Have everything ready, block 2 hours, and work through in order.
What if step 3 (entry ticket) is sold out?
Cascade options: (a) shift dates ±3 days and try again; (b) Circuit 1 instead of Circuit 2; (c) different entry hour; (d) reach out to an authorized operator for allocation not visible on the public portal. Only if all four fail does the trip need rescheduling.
Can I book through a bundled operator instead?
Yes. Steps 3–8 and 12 fold into a single operator booking. Yapa Explorers and similar handle these as one transaction, roughly 10–20% above DIY total.
What if I make a mistake on the passport name field?
For entry tickets: contact the Ministry of Culture through the portal's support channel; corrections are sometimes possible for a fee. For flights: contact the airline directly; some allow one free correction. For trains: PeruRail and Inca Rail have varying policies. Do not simply show up hoping the mismatch is ignored — it isn't.
How far ahead should I complete this checklist?
For peak season (June–August): 3–6 months before travel. Shoulder season: 6–10 weeks. Low season: 3–4 weeks. See [how far in advance to book Machu Picchu tickets](/machu-picchu-guides/how-far-in-advance-to-book-machu-picchu-tickets/) for month-specific lead times.
Limitations
Individual booking platforms occasionally have downtime; check tuboleto.cultura.pe status before starting a session. Work-around: begin the session in the morning Peru time (before the daily traffic peak) to reduce portal timeout risk, and have a backup card in case your primary is declined on the international transaction.