2019 Regulations for Machu Picchu

Includes 4-hour Time Limit and One-Way Tracks

New rules for visitors to Machu Picchu include a four-hour time limit along with one-way tracks for visitors to walk on during their tour of the city. Gone are the days when visitors could wonder anywhere for as long as they wanted. These regulations are a long time coming and are deemed as a a necessary step to "preserve on the Wonders of the World and ensure a quality experience for visitors from around the world". - Peru’s Ministry of Tourism and External Commerce (Mincetur)

While this may seem like a large charge to and an welcome restrictions for people considering a visit to Machu Picchu, the truth is that the majority of people rarely spend more than 4 hours touring Machu Picchu. These moves will also reduce congestion of the site and aid in preserving the incredible site for future generations of visitors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can I stay Machu Picchu?

The regulations released on Dec. 31, 2018 dictate that tourists will be strictly limited to a four-hour stay.

This is a shift from the rules in the past, which had a loosely defined limitation of a six-hour stay, but was not heavily enforced. The new regulations will be strictly enforced.

If you have a permit to hike Huyana Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain you will have a total of six-hours inside Machu Picchu park, which includes 2 hours for you to make the round trip climb of either site.

The Peruvian Government has stressed that Machu Picchu officials will exercise more control over the amount foot traffic at any given time to preserve the Inca sanctuary

What time of day can I visit Machu Picchu?

There will now be three daily shifts:
1. Early morning: 6AM to 9AM
2. Late morning: 9AM to 12PM
3. Early afternoon: 12PM to 3PM

Within these three shifts, tourists must sign up to enter at a certain hour, for example, if you choose to go during the early morning shift, you will have declare which hour you would like to enter, from 6-7AM, 7-8AM or 8-9AM. There is a limited number of tickets allotted for each hour (see graphic below).

This new schedule will regulate the number of daily visitors to Machu Picchu and it will also standardize the schedule, which will reduce crowd sizes inside the park and minimize wait times outside the ruins.

Again, the number of people allowed to enter the park per shift will be limited, so that no more than 2,400 people will be in the ruins at any given time. Aside from preventing overcrowding, officials say, this will help mitigate the impact that foot traffic causes on the sacred paths and stone stairs of Machu Picchu.

Will these changes impact the cost of entrance tickets?

There are price changes coming, but likely not until 2020. The price changes that will take effect will be with the goal to even out the number of visitors between the morning and the afternoon.

Currently, most people choose to visit Machu Picchu in the morning leaving the park empty in the afternoon. As a result, government officials are rumored to be raising the price of the morning tickets to 197 Soles ($60USD), while tickets for the afternoon will remaining at 131 soles ($40 USD).