Real Time - In Person Ticket Sales at Machu Picchu

Beginning Monday, July 28, 2025, the Peru government launched a new page to show "real time" in-person ticket availability at Machu Picchu Cultural Center in the village of Aguas Calientes. This is the only way to track availability online for last-minute in person tickets to Machu Picchu. The page only shows the tickets available on the date they are available. There is no archives for past sales.

Here's the link to the page that shows real-time ticket availability: https://tuboleto.cultura.pe/cusco/1000boletos

Or scan the QR code in the photo to access the page.

Disclaimer; I'm providing this information as a courtesy to travelers. Please reconfirm instructions with your local sources like hotels and tour guides when you get there in person. Everything is subject to change folks! The frst change occurred on August 1. See more below!

The new page will pop up when you land on the official Tu Boleto website. This page is desgined for travelers who are going in person to the village of Aguas Calientes, to view entrance tickets to Machu Picchu in person for the next day. The office opens daily at 6am when tickets are sold for entry the next day. Visitors in line or anyone with access to internet, can view real-time changes to ticket availability.

Change to the Real Time In-person Machu Picchu Ticket sales process

Since they started this new in-person viewing page on July 28, they've already made changes. Here's what happened on August 1. NEW plan began with the office opening at 6am to let people actually buy the ticket at that time. (what a brilliant idea! Don't you think? I feel like I'm watching a reality TV show and yelling at the TV!) They no longer gave people a number for their spot in line when they returned in the afternoon which was when they could actually select and pay for entry tickets the next day. All 1000 tickets sold out by around 12N which could be viewed on the new realtime page. Then an announcement was made to the people standing in line that they would start selling the tickets for entry on August 3. However, as of 2.30pm Peru time, I can't track any sales for entry on August 3. So. I found out later from our manager in Cusco who was in Aguas Calientes, that they decided to sell some of the entry tickets for August 3. From 1-3pm on August 1, they sold 500 tickets for entry on August 3. Then they closed and people had to wait in line all night. The next morning on August 2, the people in the front of the line were able to buy the remaining 500 tickets for entry on August 3.

But then!. Another big change occurred! On August 5 they sold out fo all tickets to enter on Aug 6 early in the day. So they started selliing Aug 7, and all those sold out. Now they're selling tickets for entry on Aug 8 at 1pm (Peru time). The tracking page which is linked above is rotating pages from Aug 6, to Aug 7 to Aug 8 about every minute. In case you want to see them.

This means that every member of your group who is getting a ticket needs to be in line. And this also means, that no matter what I, or anyone else tells you, it's important to be ready for last minute changes.

Here's the quick recep of the changes to the process of buying in-person tickets to Machu Picchu, so far:

office opens at 6am in the village of Aguas Calientes
the entry tickets are selected and sold at the time you enter. They no longer require people to get a number and return later in the day
everyone who wants to buy an entry ticket to Machu Picchu needs to be present at the time the purchase is made
they can "borrow" entry tickets from future entry dates (if they choose to)
note about the surge of visitors on Aug 1. This week experienced a surge in in-person ticket buyers because it happens to coincide with Peru National Independence Day which is July 28. Schools are closed for a couple of weeks and Peruvian families take vacations. No one can predict if and when the surge will subside. Aug 12 is the official last day of the Peruvian holidays. But no one can predict if that will affect the surge of visitors to Aguas Calientes.

I'll keep you updated as more details come in. It's kind of like following the stock market. Anything can happen!

There is a total of 1000 in-person tickets to Machu Picchu available each day, divided among 6 circuits:

Circuits 1A has 50 tickets and 1B has 100 tickets
Circuits 2A and 2B each have 300 tickets (total 600 for both)
Circuits 3A has 50 tickets and 3B has 200 tickets

This is a real time display of Machu Picchu tickets. Only visitors who go to the village can get in line to buy these tickets in person. it is not possible to buy in-person entry tickets through the page. The new page is for viewing ticket availability only.

Can visitors ask their tour guide or hotel to buy their in-person tickets to Machu Picchu?

No. The passport holders must buy their own tickets in person. They cannot ask a 3rd party to go for them. However, members of families and groups can take turns holding the place in line. No matter when you show up, you should get in the line with all the passports for each person in your group. When you buy your tickets all members of your group need to be present. Bring Peruvian soles in cash.. There are only a couple of ATM machines in the village. And you also need to buy bus tickets. In cash if you buy in person in the village of Aguas Calientes.

If you are in line in the evening and the office closes, some people may stay in line all night. Adios tour guides have been able to arrange for our groups to hire a local guide to stand in line overnight. So far, this has been permitted. You must return to the line before 6am when the office opens. The agents will do random haad counts so they need to know how many people are in your group so they can anticipate the number of tickets getting sold.

These agents are working on the fly. They're trying to adjust to the unpredictable flow of visitors. Be patient. And flexible.

What happens if there are more than 1000 people in line for Machu Picchu tickets on the same day?

Visitors can get in line early in the morning before the office opens at 6am the day before they want to enter Machu Picchu. As of August 1, they are no longer issuing a number to designate your place in line to return in the afternoon. All passport holders need to be present. There may be an advantage to getting in line in the evening when you arrive by train. The office has stayed open until 10pm. These tickets are sold on a first come basis. If you don't get tickets on the first day, you can try again the next day.

Can entry tickets to Machu Picchu be guaranteed for visitors who show up in person to buy them?

Technically no. However if you have the flexibility to stay more than 2 days, there's no reason why you wouldn't eventually get to the front of the line. And get a ticket. But officially no one can guarantee that anyone can get an in-person ticket.