Peru’s Ministry of Culture has abolished advance ticket reservations for Machu Picchu, introducing a system that gives purchasers 15 minutes to complete payment through the official ticketing website, Tu Boleto. Any reservation left unpaid when that window expires is canceled, returning the tickets to sale. Purchases are also restricted to named tickets, with admission dependent on the name matching the visitor’s identification. According to the ministry, the objective is to ensure that the availability displayed online reflects tickets the public can actually purchase. Introduced on a trial basis, the system may eventually allow either more or less time for payment.
The changes leave existing daily visitor caps intact. The citadel admits up to 5,600 people during the high season and 4,500 during the low season, while the Inca Trail network is limited to 750 visitors daily. An additional purchasing option remains the DDC-Cusco ticket office in Machu Picchu Town, which offers 1,000 tickets each day for admission the following day.
Dating from the 15th century, the Inca site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. For travelers departing from Europe, the journey involves flying to Lima and connecting to a domestic flight to Cusco. A train or bus then takes visitors to Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Town, before a hike or further bus ride up to the citadel. Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, and Amsterdam all have direct flights to Lima.
