World wonder, named after Hiram Bingham as the lost Inca city. No one imagined that this site, made known to the world by this explorer in 1911, would have a strong effect on tourism in Cusco, Peru. They have already passed more than 100 years and now this Wonder is visited by millions of national and foreign tourists a year. What has caused that, for some dates, the income to Machu Picchu is exhausted and causes disappointment to many tourists who when arriving in Cusco are given the ungrateful surprise that there is no income available for the date they thought to visit Machu Picchu.
That is why it is best to book Machu Picchu hike in advance, to avoid mishaps and enjoy the amazing experience in this wonder of the world.
More than 1370 tourism guides and 196 agencies obtained the annual authorization to operate on the Inca trail of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, in Cusco, reported to the National Service of Natural Protected Areas by the State (Sernanp).
The evaluation process for tour operators was developed with the participation of the members of the technical committee of the Machupicchu management unit (UGM) and aims to regulate the work of official guides, graduates in tourism, travel agencies, operators of tourism and support staff such as porters and cooks to conserve the existing biodiversity in the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu.
Inca Trail Tour Operator
A few years ago, a tourist could visit all of Machu Picchu without any limits. Now some areas are fenced and can only be seen from a prudent distance. Even so, this limitation can be considered not so strict since you can travel Machu Picchu through all the access roads you have.
The quotas to enter Machu Picchu had no limit. Now, due to the growing demand, a daily limit of 3267 places has been set to enter Machu Picchu (1st round) and another 3267.
To enter Machu Picchu (2nd Round), 400 places to enter Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu are divided into two groups: 200 quotas for the first group (1G) where the income is from 7 to 8 am and 200 quotas for the second group (2G) where the income is from 10 to 11 am. 800 places to enter Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain, being divided into 400 for the first group (1G) of income from 7 to 8 am and another 400 for the second group (2G) from 9 to 10 am.
Additional to this are the quotas of the classic Inca Trail 4 days 500 spaces. 250 Quotas for the Inca Trail 2 days 1 night. That in total there would be 8484 places, in times of June-August, when tourism increases the most, all those spaces are exhausted, that is why it is better to take the precautions the case and enjoy Machu Picchu having everything already fixed.
The most exhausted quotas are Quotas for the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in any of its versions and the entrance to climb to Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu, so pay more attention if you want to visit these two places. (Many tourists buy their tickets for this income up to 10 months in advance)
Huayna Picchu: Climbing the mountain Huayna Picchu until a few years ago was free and without an income limit, later they limited it to 400 daily quotas with income in two groups. The first group (1G) with income from 7 am to 8 am and the second group (2G) from 10 am to 11 am. Due to the great demand that this mountain began to have, they began to charge for the income, and now the quotas are quickly depleted because these incomes to Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu are purchased online from the government website or through some Authorized Travel Agency (as it is our case). That is why if you especially want to climb the Huayna Picchu Mountain, we recommend you buy your entrance ticket up to 10 months in advance.
NOTE: Machu Picchu can be entered from 6:00 am using any ticket purchased, except for the Machu Picchu ticket. 2nd shift 12:00 pm.
Learn more about Huayna Picchu Tickets |
With the availability released earlier than usual, there is a risk that many people will be surprised and left without being able to reserve one of the permits for the Inca trail 2018. As operators of Machu Picchu, we recommend reserving permits 8 months before.
There is no way to enter the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu if it is not through an authorized travel agency. Keep in mind that of the 500 tickets available to enter the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, 300 belong to the trekking support team, as well that only 200 people will end up entering Machu Picchu by the Inca Trail every day. We have years of experience operating the fantastic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
To reserve a space, contact us. To reserve the Inca Trail:
The Inca Trail is the most popular option for those who want to trek and like to walk through nature. The Inca Trail is the ancient road that the people of Machu Picchu took to reach the citadel and begins at kilometer 82 near the town of Ollantaytambo. It lasts approximately 4 days and 3 nights, and the fourth day is the visit to Machu Picchu; that is, you will be walking through the mountains for 3 days from Ollantaytambo.
If you are a traveler who likes to walk in nature but is not in good shape, the idea is to take the Inca Trail for 5 days and 4 nights, in this way, the level of demand is not so rigorous because they will one step slower.
The Inca Trail can only be done through an agency authorized by the government of Peru since they control the number of people that can enter (500 a day including guides, cooks, and complementary people who help in the trekking). To book, you have to do it at least six months in advance and the cost of the Inca Trail ranges between 500 USD and 900 USD depending on how many people are in the group. An excellent price is 500 USD, I would not pay more than 650 USD