If a one-day trip to Machu Picchu seems like it's over too quickly for you, there's nothing wrong with extending your visit for another day. Here's my perspective on why I think 2 days are better than one. It's a long way to go to get to the middle of the Andes Mountains, only to turn around and go back the same day. Unless you're on a short 3-day cruise excursion, there are several ways to optimize your time and enhance your experience on the way to and from Machu Picchu.

One of the best free tools for independent travelers going to Machu Picchu are the circuit maps found on the old Machu Picchu website. Here's a link to that website. CLICK HERE. As of June 1, 2024, there are now 3 routes divided into 10 circuits for visitors to choose from  

There's a map for each new color-coded route; circuit 1 (red), circuit 2 (blue) and circuit 3 (yellow.)  And then there's another 10 maps. one for each of the 10 circuits divided among the 3 routes in the national park. Gone are the days of roaming willy nilly around the Inca city like you own the place. Those were the good ole days! But in spite of the stricter rules and changes to tickets, various revisions over the course of several years have resulted in a reduction in congestion by spreading people out over the course of the day, fewer bottlenecks by moving people in one direction, and better descriptions of the various sections of the park that provide people with details to help them select the circuit that best meets their needs and interests. It's not as bad as some stories make it sound. 

Strategies for visitors to extend their visits to Machu Picchu:

• Buy two entry tickets to two different routes and two different entry times. This means you may need to stay overnight in the village of Aguas Calientes. The benefit of staying overnight is that visiting twice over the course of two days can enhance your experience when exploring Machu Picchu in different light and weather conditions.
• Hike the 1-day Inca Trail hike right into the upper terrace at Machu Picchu, stay overnight in the village, then visit the lower circuit #3 of the ancient city the next morning. (each hiking permits comes with 1 entry ticket to lower circuit #3.)
• Tour the Sacred Valley by van ending in the village of Ollantaytambo and take the late afternoon train to the village of Aguas Calientes where you spend the night.  Enter Machu Picchu the next morning at 6-7 or 7-8 before the majority of train travelers on one-day trips arrive. 

What are the latest trends for buying tickets to Machu Picchu:

• the majority of visitors are opting to do 1 day trips to Machu Picchu. It wasn't that long ago that it was quite normal for people to spend 2 days on their trips to Machu Picchu. The reason is that it's a minimum of 5 hours travel time each way from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Everyone would spend the night in the village of Aguas Calientes so they could try to enter Machu Picchu first thing the next morning. The lines for buses and entry through the main gate were serious choke points for people entering the majestic ancient city in the mornings. Now that entry times are spread out by the hour, it's interesting to see that the late morning and midday entry tickets tend to sell out first since most people take the train on the same morning they plan to visit Machu Picchu, then return to Cusco (or Sacred Valley) later that evening.
• the new favorite circuit at Machu Picchu is circuit 2 that includes the classic view of the the ancient Inca city, and the only circuit that goes through the entire city. There was a time when tickets for the hike to Huayna Picchu always sold out first. But now that all the hikes in the park are paired with either upper circuit 1 or lower circuit 3, visitors either have to accept the limitations of the ticket they want or buy two tickets to explore different parts of the park.

Can visitors buy two entry tickets to Machu Picchu for the same day?

Technically you can. However logistics are tricky to do 2 entries on a 1-day trip because of the 5 hour travel time each way. But if you depart from the Ollantaytambo station very early, it's possible. Just remember that the 2 tickets for entry on the same day can't be on the same route. 

Another thing to consider for multiple entries on the same day is that there is limited infrastructure for hanging out at Machu Picchu main gate between your visits. The bus stop takes up most of the space. The one and only restroom is there and above the restrooms is a small cafe serving limited sandwiches and drinks. There's outside tables and seating next to the cafe. 

If you have questions, just contact our US office in Virginia. My assistant Heather and I are around most weekdays and by appointment in the evenings and weekends. We've been to Machu Picchu many times and we communciate daily with our team in Cusco. We're up to date on most of the issues affecting travlers heading off to Peru, as well as the solutions.