Machu Picchu Reservations
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Last Updated on December 22, 2023 by James Bustamante
Machu Picchu reservations are the most essential part of any Peru trip. Unfortunately, every year, many travelers miss out on the guided tour because they do not make their reservations for Machu Picchu ahead of schedule.
If you’re looking forward to hiking or photographing the Inca citadel, take advantage of early reservations and book your permits today.
Please fill out the form below to check available dates with our travel specialist. You’ll receive a tailored itinerary with a full program, including departure time, train ticket schedules, and Machu Picchu guided tour details in just a few minutes.
Can I Reserve My Machu Picchu Trip Today?
Yes. Your Machu Picchu trip can be booked today as long as there are available spots and permits. However, there are certain times of the year when securing your Machu Picchu reservation can be more of an issue. Choose your dates on the form below and secure your spots today.
Permits can be more difficult to acquire during the high tourist season ranging from March to August. Therefore, if you plan on traveling soon, your Hikes to Machu Picchu should be the first thing to secure.
After making your Machu Picchu reservations, you’ll have to move on to other essential items for your trip, including permits for day hikes, accommodations, flights, and booking good bilingual guides. Let’s go over what additional things need to be booked in addition to the Machu Picchu tour.
Flight Reservations Lima – Cusco
After reserving your Machu Picchu tour, the following essential item to secure should be your domestic flights. To get to Machu Picchu, travelers must first go to Cusco. The fastest way of achieving this is by taking a domestic flight. There are regularly scheduled flights throughout the day. We need to make sure they fit your programmed itinerary.
Travelers should book their flight to arrive in Cusco 24-48 hours before any programmed activities like day tours. Planning your flight to arrive a few days before will give you ample time to acclimate to the elevation.
Airline prices vary for roundtrip flights Lima – Cusco – Lima from $120 to $350. Pricing depends on the airline, the date of your trip, and availability. To get the best pricing, travelers should book flights a few months ahead of the itinerary.
Avoiding last-minute price increases by the airlines can save you an extra 20-30% on flights.
Travelers can also include domestic airfare and a Machu Picchu travel package to get a lower cost bundled into the trip.
For example, the 7-day Package outlined below includes flights Lima – Cusco – Lima.
7-Day Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu Package
The sample itinerary below includes domestic flights, accommodations, tours, Machu Picchu reservations, a guided tour of the complex, train tickets, meals, and land transportation. The only item you’ll need to manage is international flights.
- Day 1 Arrival to Lima
- Day 2 Lima City Tour
- Day 3 Flight to Cusco
- Day 4 Sacred Valley Tour
- Day 5 Train to Aguas Calientes
- Day 6 Machu Picchu Guided Tour and Return to Cusco
- Day 7 Transfer to Cusco airport for Domestic Flight to Lima
If you need international flights to Peru, you might be better off looking at pages like Kayak that help find good deals and compare each airline.
Reserving Machu Pichu Accommodations
Securing your accommodations is next on the reservation list. Travelers will find a wide range of hotels to choose from, both local and international chain hotels. It all just depends on what your budget for accommodation is.
Cusco Hotel Reservations
There are 2-3 places where travelers will have to find accommodations for the first few days. The first option is to stay in Cusco. There are hotels on every corner for all budgets, and it is easy to get around the city. You’ll find that hotels, museums, churches, and cathedrals are all within walking distance from the mains square.
Sacred Valley Hotel Reservations
The second option is to stay at the Sacred Valley, an hour and a half outside Cusco. The views are amazing, and hotel properties are much larger, each having its outside gardens to wander around. Sacred Valley hotels are usually pricier, and there is only a little to do outside of the hotel property unless you are willing to get transportation to the town.
Aguas Calientes Hotel Reservations
Lastly, you’ll need to look for accommodations in Machu Picchu Pueblo, which is also called Aguas Calientes town. This small town is located at the foothill of Machu Picchu. Travelers usually spend the night unless they plan on taking a full-day Machu Picchu tour that starts and ends back in Cusco on the same day. Otherwise, it is a good idea to spend the night. It’ll give you time to arrive in town, visit the hot springs and then spend the night in a hotel. The following morning the guide will take you on a guided tour.
Prices throughout the year can change depending on whether you travel during the high or low season. The biggest issue in the high season is hotel availability. Accommodations should also be reserved a few months or at least a few weeks ahead of scheduled arrivals.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our travel advisers for a list of available hotels for your dates, along with pricing and pictures.
Reserving Machu Picchu Train Tickets
There are two ways to reach Machu Picchu. First, you will take one of the multi-day hikes to Machu Picchu, like The Inca Trail or the Salkantay trek. Notice that both outings mentioned also need permits reserved ahead of time. In the case of the classic four-day Inca Trail, permits should be booked six months in advance, and in some cases, people will book their hike up to over a year in advance.
The second option is to head to Machu Picchu by train. You’ll arrive in Aguas Calientes and then take the shuttle up the winding mountain to reach the entrance the Machu Picchu main entrance.
Two train companies manage this service, Incarail, and PeruRail, with the second option being the better option in most cases. PeruRail has three main lines called the Expedition(most affordable), The Vistadome(bigger seats, better meals, and a show), and the Hiram Bingham train(Luxury oriented is the very definition of this line).
Reserving ahead of time also plays into pricing here. For example, Roundtrip Train tickets can cost as much and more than (yes, sometimes more than!) roundtrip domestic flights. As with other items on the reservation list, train tickets should be booked ahead of schedule. If you plan on taking the Hiram Bingham, you’ll need to reserve your tickets several months in advance. The line is very exclusive and has travelers anxiously waiting to book a spot for a once-in-a-lifetime train ride through the Andes mountains.
In most cases, if you wait until a few days before traveling, you might overpay for your trains. While doing so, a few months ahead might save you quite a bit. Train companies usually have special deals going on towards the end of the year, so keeping an eye out might save you money and allow you to get a better ticket.
The train ticket is included in all Journey Machu Picchu’s Peru tour packages. You can book a trip that comes with the Expedition base ticket and upgrade to the Vistadome if you like. Below is a link to the Machu Picchu day trip if you want to check out the Express Package.
Reserving Machu Picchu Guided Tours
On to the main attraction, in the last couple of years, the government has limited the number of visitors to Machu Picchu to just a few thousand people per day. As a result, tickets are no longer on sale at the entrance to Machu Picchu. To avoid disappointment, visitors must purchase their Machu Picchu entrance tickets in advance through the official government website or authorized travel agencies such as Journey Machu Picchu Travel.
The guided tour is a separate service from purchasing the ticket, and travelers can only enter Machu Picchu with a guide. So if you plan on making the trip on your own, remember that they will only let you enter the complex with an authorized guide, even if you have a ticket.
Not all tickets are the same. Some tickets only allow travelers to explore certain sections of the Machu Picchu citadel. For example, a circuit 2 ticket will let the guided tour head through most of the landmarks the stone city is known for, like the Watchman’s tower, The Temple of The Sun, and The Temple of The Three Windows, to name a few.
FAQs About Machu Picchu Reservations
Booking permits to Machu Picchu should be done at least a month in advance and, in some cases, several months in advance.
Booking last minute can sometimes work; however, you might require a circuit or shift to enter Machu Picchu to fit your schedule, so it is not advisable.
The best time to go to Machu Picchu will be from May to Late August during the dry season.
The guided tour takes around 1.5 hours to 2 hours to fully complete.
Yes. After the guided tour you are free to wander around the Inca city up until it is time to take the shuttle back down.
Yes. We handle most of our payments online unless the client would prefer to pay at the bank.
Yes of course. You can head to the Machu Picchu website and book a ticket online directly.
No. Huayna Picchu requires a separate reservation which has an additional cost. To secure Huayna Picchu you’ll need to book several months ahead of your arrival date.
