There is One Simple Solution to Improve Conditions at Machu Picchu

All the Peruvian tour guides, tour operators, and even I, know how to fix the situation with buying Machu Picchu entry tickets in person in the village of Aguas Calientes. In the month of May (2026) an unprecedented situation occurred. Thousands of people showed up in person to stand in line each day to try to buy one of the coveted 1000 tickets that are sold in person. So many people showed up to buy those in-person tickets, that the Peruvian authorities resorted to selling tickets in person for entry on future dates that were sometimes 3-4 days later. That was the problem right there. Those last-minute ticket holders had to wait around in the small village for more than 2 days. This only occurs when all the tickets online sell out weeks or months in advance. It happened last August 2025 and there have been other occasions when it happened. The extent of the demand for in person tickets is unpredictable and other factors like changing the routes to 10 circuits, (June 2024), four of which do not include access to the actual ancient Inca city, have affected how the visitor experiences Machu Picchu.

What's the problem with the conditions at Machu Picchu?

The problem isn't exactly AT Machu Picchu. The problems are all in the gateway village of Aguas Calientes, located at the foot of Machu Picchu. Let me splain you. I've discussed in previous posts that we don't believe there is an overcrowding problem at Machu Picchu. How do we know this? Because we've been counting the available daily entry tickets for years. No one gets in to Machu Picchu without a ticket. Even Inca Trail hikers need tickets, which are included with their permits. The number of entry tickets to Machu Picchu in 2026 is actually less than some of the previous years. (I include the 1000 in-person tickets in my counts) So Peruvian authorities require that visitors who want to buy one of the 1000 in-person tickets must not only stand in line in the small village of Aguas Calientes to buy their tickets for circuits that are available on a first-come basis, but they may need to wait sometimes up to 2-3 extra days before they can enter the ancient citadel. How do visitors know how many nights to reserve their hotel? How do they know when to book their return train? They don't. Until they have their entry tickets in hand.

Why does the Peru government sell in-person tickets to Machu Picchu in Aguas Calientes?

The business community in the small town of Aguas Calientes complained fiercely that after the pandemic, the majority of visitors to Machu Picchu trended to one-day trips. Back in the day about 6 years ago, it was customary to always spend 2 days/1 night on a trip from Cusco to Machu Picchu. So, with a travel time of at least 5 hours each way from Cusco, this meant that visitors doing 1-day trips were not sleeping in the hotels in Aguas Calientes, and barely had time to buy a bottle of water let alone dine and explore the tiny town. The Peruvian government authorized the village to sell up to 1000 entry tickets per day in-person. This created another problem when demand for in person tickets exceeded 1000 people per day. No one knew how many days they would actually be in the village until they had their entry tickets in their hands. This affected hotel and return train availability.

What's the solution to the problems with buying in-person tickets at Machu Picchu?

There's one very simple solution to selling in-person tickets to Machu Picchu. Sell those tickets at the office in Cusco. Cusco is the hub for the majority of visitors coming to Machu Picchu. There's an office equipped to sell tickets and accept payments with credit cards. (in Aguas Calientes, payments are in cash only.) And there's an abundance of hotels, banks, ATMs, dining and day tours to explore the region after you buy your Machu Picchu tickets. This would enhance the visitor experience and travelers would be spreading the bounty that comes with tourists spending money, all over the region.

Why won't Peru's Ministry of Culture sell in-person tickets to Machu Picchu in Cusco?

There is a simple reason they are reluctant to sell in-person tickets to Machu Picchu in Cusco. There's no doubt it would enhance the visitor experience to Peru. But the issue is that the money, including buckets of cash, that is flowing into the town of Aguas Calientes would come to a halt or at the very least, a trickle. Hotels and restaurants would see a drop in their cash flow. The business community would suffer. So there you have it. Follow the money.