Last Updated on December 22, 2021 by James Bustamante

Acquiring your Machu Picchu tickets is much easier than most people tend to think. The “tickets” are more like permits to access and to hike Machu Picchu. 

The permits don’t provide the actual Machu Picchu tour, for that you’ll either have to hire a guide on your own or have one assigned to you. 

Machu Picchu Tickets Cost

Pricing for the tickets on their own can vary from $27 for Peruvian nationals to $62 for foreign travelers.

Students have the option of receiving a discount provided they show some kind of student ID.

Travelers Tips: Children under 3 years of age may enter Machu Picchu at no cost.

Purchasing Machu Picchu Permits

Machu Picchu Tickets can of course be purchased on-site however it is advised to pre-purchase your tickets well in advance. 

The local Peruvian government has a set limit to how many people can access the stone city every day.

Limits were established a few years ago due to the high number of travelers traversing the city,  erosion surrounding Machu Picchu has also been a concern. 

Travelers Tips: The latest Covid-19 pandemic has lowered the Machu Picchu ticket count to 695 for each day so make sure to book in advance.

Most, if not all of the time it is a better value when you purchase Machu Picchu tickets along with a tour that begins in Cusco.

The reasoning behind that a packaged tour of at least 1 or 2 days will include train tickets ($65 – $1,200/ticket) and an overnight stat in the town of Aguas Calientes. 

Since you are going to do these anyway the Machu Picchu tickets are usually part of the package already.

This ensures you are all set up with transportation as well as a guided tour at the citadel.

Below we’ll go over two very common packages that include your Machu Picchu tickets along with transportation and accommodations services.

Machu Picchu 1 Day Express Tour

So the actual Machu Picchu ticket will simply allow you to enter the citadel of the Inca.

If does not include transportation to Machu Picchu or train tickets from Ollantaytambo.

If you are looking for a complete 1-day experience of Machu Picchu you will want to book a Machu Picchu one day express tour. 

The Machu Picchu Express tour will include several services that are needed to do the entire trip in one day.

The Itinerary Includes The Following:

• Pick up at Cusco hotel – Transportation to Ollantaytambo train station (2-hour drive)
• – Train ticket via PeruRail Expedition train, route: Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes town (2.5-hour train ride)
• Consettur shuttle service from Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – (20 – 30 minute drive)
• Machu Picchu tickets
• Machu Picchu guided tour
• Consettur shuttle service back to Aguas Calientes
• Train ticket via Perurail Expedition train, route Aguas Calientes  – Cusco

If you would like to book the Express Machu Picchu visit please check out the full itinerary below:

Machu Picchu 2 Day Tour

Machu Picchu in two days is very similar to the one-day express tour except for the fact that we include an overnight stay in the town of Aguas Calientes.

We usually prefer this route over the one day version for a few reasons.

The primary one being that an extra day will make the trip seem less rushed. 

In this version, we can take a mid-morning train to Aguas Calientes town to arrive in the early afternoon.

This will give you an extra day that you might want to spend exploring Aguas Calientes and visiting the natural hot springs this cloud forest town is named after.  “Aguas Calientes” literally means hot water.

The 2 Day Tour to Machu Picchu Includes The Following:

•  Pick up at Cusco hotel – Transportation to Ollantaytambo train station (2-hour drive)
• Train ticket via PeruRail Expedition train, route: Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes town (2.5-hour train ride)
• Consettur shuttle service from Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – (20 – 30 minute drive)
• Machu Picchu tickets
• Machu Picchu guided tour
• Overnight Stay in Aguas Calientes
• Consettur shuttle service back to Aguas Calientes
• Train ticket via Perurail Expedition train, route Aguas Calientes  – Cusco

Multi-Day Hike to Machu Picchu

Lastly, you might instead want to take a multi-day hike to the Inca fortress.

These would include The classic Inca trail, The Salkantay trek of the Ausangate trek.

All of these hikes include a Machu Picchu tour at the end of the trip through the Andes.

Your Machu Picchu ticket would be included within the package along with:

Multi-Day Hikes Include (Some Exceptions)

•  Pick up at Cusco hotel – Transportation to Ollantaytambo train station (2-hour drive)
• Camping equipment
• Porters for camping equipment 
• Meals along with a cook
• Train ticket via PeruRail Expedition train, route: Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes town (2.5-hour train ride)
• Consettur shuttle service from Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – (20 – 30 minute drive)
• Machu Picchu reservation
• Machu Picchu guided tour
• Overnight Stay in Aguas Calientes
• Consettur shuttle service back to Aguas Calientes
• Train ticket via Perurail Expedition train, route Aguas Calientes  – Cusco

In Conclusion

All of these different day trips, extended packages, and muti-day hikes include a Machu Picchu visit.

They also take care of all the logistics and land travel that come with getting all the way to the cloud forest and up to Machu Picchu.

It’s just the easiest way to get your tickets to Machu Picchu while ensuring all of your transportation.

Make sure to check out all of our Machu Picchu travel packages below to see which destinations you would like to include.

Frequently Asked Questions About Machu Picchu Tickets