If you're planning a trip to Machu Picchu in 2026, you can stop searching for entry tickets and maybe go for a hike instead. Here's why. Machu Picchu entry tickets are not usually available until Janaury 2026. However! This year, after announcing that hiking permits would be released starting on Oct 27, (which didn't happen BTW,) on November 17 they did release 2026 hiking permits.  AND as a bonus, they released 2026 entry tickets to Machu Picchu for entry on January 1-5, 2026.

Before you get all excited, you can't buy entry tickets for the rest of 2026 until after January 3, 2026.. So. Be ready to buy your entry tickets, but also be ready to not buy your entry tickets. Hahaha. This will prepare you for travel in Peru. 

Don't say I didn't tell you. They got us all jacked up to buy 2026 Machu Picchu tickets on November 17. However. this is what they did:

The only ticket dates released on November 17, 2025 were for entry on January 1-5, 2026. The next batch of tickets for entry from Januaary 6-31, 2026, will be released on January 3, 2026. And then from January 12-19, 2026, they plan to release entry tickets in batches for the rest of the year. So there you have it.

After you're done with your hike come back and finish reading. I'm going to share everything you need to know about selecting, buying and using your tickets to Machu Picchu in 2026, as well as permits for Inca Trail hikes. The first thing to understand is that 2026 entry tickets to Machu Picchu are not available online, or in person, until November 17, 2025, and then again in January 2026. That's how the authorities for the most famous world-class destination roll. Off the golden cuff, and by the seat of their woolie pants,

Here's a direct link to the official Peru government website where anyone can buy Machu Picchu entry tickets.(click this link if you want to leave Adios website)

Link to Interview of Machu Picchu Experts on The Informed Traveler Podcast in November 2025.

Vidal and I talked about insider tips for travel to Machu Picchu and hiking the Inca Trail. We discuss the most recent trends for arranging trips to Machu Picchu in 2026.. CLICK HERE to go to The Informed Traveler Podcast website to hear the podcast (audio only). Our interview starts at 9 min / 45 sec. 

When are hiking permits for the Inca Trail available for 2026?

Every year, so far, they released permits in batches over the course of several days in October for the following year. For 2026, Inca Trail hiking permits were supposed to be released from Oct 27 to Nov 4, 2025. But that didn't happen. They finally released 2026 Inca Trail hiking permits on November 17, 2026.

On the plus side, in 2026 they are now including 1 entry to Machu Picchu circuit #3 with each hiking permit. If you recall they took away the entry to circuit 3 last June 2025. The bad news is that they are now charging extra for the c3 entry tickets. The good news is that iavailability of c3 entry tickets are confirmed as long as availability of Inca Trail hiking permits are available. See what they did? When they took away c3 entry tickets last June, some hikers did not have entry to the ancient city on any circuit (except #1, which doesn't count! ok?) Tour operators were stunned and hikers were disappointed because online tickets were sold out! Now they're "giving" us back the c3 entry tickets and we're so happy right? But everyone has to pay more. Bastards. (pardon my French!)

In 2024, park authorities made one of the biggest changes I've seen affecting all the routes through the Machu Picchu national park. They created 10 new one-way circuits that began on June 1, 2024. When did they announce this monumental change? Around May 15, 2024. That's right. Two weeks notice. Thousands of people had carefully selected and purchased their entry tickets on the old routes starting in January 2024. The only way to make the transition to the 10 new circuits was to be very lenient with the desires of the travelers holding the old entry tickets. So even though the Machu Picchu park rangers and gate angents were instructed to show leniency when visitors with the old tickets showed up at the gate, visitors were not informed in advance that they could pretty much (within reason) ask for anything and it would be granted. Many travelers worried about something they didn't need to worry about, while others went into what I call a condor tailspin. The launch of the new circuits at Machu Picchu was another public relations setback.. 

Then! On June 1, 2025 they suddenly stopped including entry tickets to Machu Picchu with the Inca Trail permits. There was no notice, no announcement, no details. We figured it out when our manager bought some permits for hikers in December 2025 and noticed that it did not mention entry to circuit #3 at the ancient city of Machu Picchu. That's how tour operators found out about the change. It was utter confusion and disbelief. This policy is being challenged legally by a group of tour operators who are fed up. But for now? Be prepared to pay extra for entry to the place you're spending a heap of dinero, not to mention a wee bit of suffering, to get to.

I won't mention all the other things happening around the country that you may not even know about! But this story seems kind of important.

Can you buy Machu Picchu entry tickets online before they are released on the official Peru government website?

Please read my lips. No. No one, not even the new President of Peru can buy a ticket to Machu Picchu online before they are released on the official government website. Not the Pope, not Jesus, and certainly not you and I. Why are you seeing tour companies offering entry tickets to Machu Picchu before they're released? Click and buy now! Those companies are taking a reservation or what I would call a pre-registration for your tickets. You pay and send them your passport and then when tickets are released, the company will attempt to buy the actual Machu Picchu entry ticket you requested. Taking advance reservations for tickets when they're not yet available is an acceptable pracitce as long as the company is transparent about the fact that no one can guarantee ticket availability. DO NOT CLICK AND BUY MACHU PICCHU ENTRY TICKETS FROM AN ONLINE 3RD PARTY UNLESS YOU KNOW THEIR POLICIES BEFORE YOU BUY! Clicking and buying is not a guarantee that you have a ticket! If you choose to click and buy a ticket from a 3rd party website, you have no guarantee that you will actually get that ticket. So. Do not tick the box on your checklist - "Machu Picchu entry tickets confirmed." When you receive the ticket confirmation code is when you have a ticket. Unfortunately there's no longer any way to double check the authenticity of the ticket confirm code. However, they could send you a PDF image of your ticket with the scannable QR code, your name, passport info and circuit number. 

When is the high season at Machu Picchu?

That's a good question. This is important to know if you want to do one of the 4 seasonal hikes.  Circuit are: 1D / Inka Bridge, 1C / Sungate, 3C / Gran Caverna and 3D / Huchuy Picchu (do not confuse that last hike with Huayna Picchu aka Wayna) Ministry of tourism officials can't seem to grasp that many, if not most foreign travelers going to Peru, actually plan their trips months, if not a year or more, in advance. But for some reason that no one seems to understand, Machu Picchu high season dates change year to year. Four of the 6 hikes at Machu Picchu are only open during high season. This was a new thing that started in June 2024. The dates for high season are not the same every year. So if you want to hike one of the hikes only open in high season, keep that in mind. And in 2025, there were times when the hikes to the Inka Bridge and Gran Caverna were closed for days at a time, for no apparent reason. Even if you have tickets, it's not a guarantee that the hike will be open. We've never seen them close down Huayna Picchu hike without actual cause. For instance, the rainy season in 2025 blew in a little later than usual and with 2 days notice, they closed down the Inca Trail, Salkantay Trail, and the 2 hikes at Machu Picchu that would normally be open in March and April. I've never seen them do this on such a wide scale before. There have been other years where mudslides and flooding affected certain places and they might close a trail for a day or two. But in 2025 it was different. So. There are no guarantees. Welcome to Peru Folks! If you really, really, really want to hike one of the 4 seasonal hikes, best to wait for the actual tickets to be released on the official government website before you choose your travel dates. The last 2 years the high season dates have been from around mid to late June, to late October, early November. 

Strategies to Prepare for Travel to Machu Picchu in 2026

• Plan a 2-day / 1-night trip to Machu Picchu. Squeezing 5h travel time each way with time to wait in line for buses, and ride up to the main gate, then have time to enjoy the visit in the ancient Inca city, has many moving parts. 
• Consider hiking the short 2-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu which is 1 day of hiking and then next day exploring the ancient city. Including an overnight in a hotel in the village of Aguas Calientes. 
• Arrive in Cusco at least 1-2 days before you go to Machu Picchu. It's convenient to do a full day Sacred Valley van tour of the historical sites on the day before you take the train. (get train tickets to Machu Picchu that begin from Ollantaytambo) The Sacred Valley tour ends in the village of Ollantaytambo where the main train station is located. Take the late afternoon or evening train to Aguas Calientes. Or stay overnight in Ollantaytambo and do the 1 day Inca Trail hike the next morning. On the return train you can get bi-modal train service all the way back to Cusco.
• At this time, tour guides are not required to enter Machu Picchu, but there can be an advantage to working with a licensed tour operator to help you outline your activities before you book or buy anything. Once you buy your Machu Picchu tickets, you can't change them, or your Inca Trail hiking permits. Nor can they be banked for future use, or transferred to another person. This is one trip where you want to get it right the first time!
• No matter what you read now from me or anyone else, things could change by the time you actually step onto the Land of the Inca. The Peru government has established a pattern of changing the rules for buying Machu Picchu tickets and Inca Trail permits anytime they choose to. So. Where does that leave you? Plan accordingly. And. It's OK to advocate for yourself if circumstances dictate.

If you need a support team, give us a call in the US. Our manager in Cusco bends over backwarnds to make things work when our groups run into situations beyond anyone's control. Try to avoid calling at the last minute. If you're not sure about what to do, call us before you do something you'll regret later. We've managed to pull a few folks back from the brink of disaster on a few occasions. We'll do our best to get you back on track to planning your dream vacation to the middle of nowhere!