Machu Picchu is one of the most popular destinations in Latin America boasting the arrival of thousands of daily visitors each day. One of the most recurring questions we seem to get from potential travelers is regarding how to acquire “Machu Picchu tickets”.
For starters the tickets are more like passes, since they give you access to the citadel; you don’t have to take a guided tour if you don’t want to (however it is suggested) but it is not included with the passes. Pricing for the tickets on their own come vary from $27 for nationals to $62 for foreign travelers; they can of course be purchased on site but it is advised to pre-purchase your tickets since the Peruvian government has not set a limit to how many people can access the stone city every day.
Once you are in Machu Picchu you can either be part of a guided tour assuming you arranged for one with a reputable operator. There are guides right outside the entrance which you are welcome to hire, however many of them aren’t bilingual so it can be on the “sketchy” side. A proper guided tour should be reserved ahead of time; this ensures that a guide will go and meet you at your aguas calientes hotel, in case you took the inca trail the guided tour of Machu Picchu should be included FYI.
If you are not looking for a guided tour it is perfectly viable to go on your own, the guided tour last about 45 minutes and then people go off on their own to check out the ruins (again a guided tour is probably best to get the ball rolling). You are welcome to go around Machu Picchu and even hike up the adjacent peaks such as Huayna Picchu or Mount Machu Picchu.
Both of these will take a couple of hours to climb up to and come back down but they are well worth it for the views. Huayna picchu also needs to be booked ahead of time (about 30 days before travel) but Mount Machu Picchu is readily available in case you didn’t plan ahead. Both options will be a great additional route to your Machu Picchu experience and the views they both offer are postcard material
More info: journeymachupicchu.com
Machu Picchu Ruins
