BellaClaire

Hello All,

We are taking the train to Aguas Calientes....and we are taking a pre-arranged tour the following day, because we wanted to take the 1st bus to Machu Picchu so that we could spend a few hours there before the day trippers arrive. My question is....if we get to Aguas Calientes and decide to go to MP, can we buy a ticket that same day?

Thanks

shutterbug85

From what I've read you can no longer buy tickets at the entrance. They limit the number of tickets sold each day, so it's possible they'll be sold out.

You can buy them online here > http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/
I believe it tells you how many are left on a particular day.

In my opinion, I would plan on going to Machu Picchu when you get there, provided you're arriving with a few hours to spend in the park. (It opens around 6AM and closes around 6PM. They start to herd you out around 5, though.) That way if the weather is good when you arrive but bad the next day, you'll have been able to see it in all its glory.

mlgb

You cannot buy tickets online with an overseas Visa card. The Visa branch in Peru won't allow it due to too much fraud on that particular website. There is a big AVISO in Spanish when you first log in. You can click the Ingles button to see the translation.

You may buy tickets in the offices Aguas Calientes for the general entry, provided they are not sold out.

You can check availability on line at that website, by closing the Aviso window. Even today they are showing 600 tickets that were unsold. So you will probably be alright. (Not for Huayna Picchu, though).

BellaClaire

Hi...Thank you so very much for the insight and the website to check availability! I really appreciate it!

trekperu

No you cannot buy a ticket that same day. Ask your travel agent that you would like another entry the following day so they can purchase it for you.

mlgb

Yes, you can, if they are available. I do not know where trekperu is getting his information. A lot of travel agencies are profiting by the failure of the online ticket purchase option for overseas visitors using Visa cards. Perhaps there is an incentive in panicking visitors (I know that you are assaulted the minute you step off the plane at the Cusco airport).

If you are already in Aguas Calientes you can get them at the ticket office in town (not up at the top of the hill at the site itself).

However if you are going at a busy time of year or if you want to climb Huayna Picchu it is best to buy them in advance. There are travel agencies that can do this for you, as well as some hotels, although they will add a fee.

Another option is to reserve them online when you first arrive in Lima or Cusco, and within 6 hours go to a Banco de la Nación del Perú. There are also places to pay in Cusco, including the Hotel Monasterio.

See the official website for more information, or use the Call Center.
http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/