What is happening with the hikes inside Machu Picchu National Park? Did all the hikes reopen after the pandemic? Not exactly! Here's what you need to know. There are changes in how tickets are being sold and visitor preferences that can affect the availability of Machu Picchu tickets. Next year is full of golden opportunities to explore the land of the Inca. If you're looking for signs of what's to come, pull up your nearest throne and let me tell you the news about the hikes reopening in Machu Picchu. You're going to love it.  

Machu Picchu is open at 100% capacity and in September 2023 discussions have begun to determine if capacity can be increased.

The Peru government website displays all tickets for the Machu Picchu hikes, You can buy these tickets yourself online. Each hike is paired with at least 1 of 4 circuits inside the city.
Click here to find out how to avoid making mistakes when booking your Machu Picchu tickets online. .

Here's a list of the hikes inside Machu Picchu in the same order you will see them on the government website: (does not include the Inca Trail)

1. (Lower) Circuit 4 + Montana WaynaPicchu  (Wayna and Huayna are the same word.just spelled differently)
2. Montana Machu Picchu + (Lower) Circuit 3 (includes access to the classic view of Machu Picchu from the upper terrace but no access to upper circuit)
3. (Lower) Circuit 4 + Montana HuchuyPicchu 
4. (Upper) Circuit 1 or 2 + Inca Puente (includes access to the classic view of Machu Picchu from the upper terrace and access to one of the two upper circuits
What is the different between "Upper Terrace" and "Upper Circuit?" CLICK HERE to read more.

Are all trails and hikes at Machu Picchu open?

No. The only trail that did not fully reopen after the pandemic is the Sungate (Inti punku). Visitors who entered from the Machu Picchu main gate used to be able to hike up to the Sungate if they wanted to. Now the trail is open one way coming down from the Sungate. That means only Inca Trail hikers have access the view of Machu Picchu from the Sungate. This is where hikers get their first dramatic glimpse of Machu Picchu. Visitors coming from inside the park can no longer go up there. 

Are there changes to the Machu Picchu Entry Tickets Included with the Inca Trail Permits?

Yes. Ever since UNESCO called out Peru (was it 2016?) for allowing Machu Picchu to get hammered by excessive tourism, the Peruvian government has been chipping away at all the willy-nilly roving that visitors were once able to do at Machu Picchu. With just one entry ticket, you could enter and exit as much as you wanted in the same day. You could go to the bathroom as many times as you liked. You could walk in any direction and on any path. It was glorious! Of course the downside was the gridlock of humans trying to pass each other on steep narrow paths. I kind of miss the bottlenecks of people standing behind someone creeping slowly up the steep steps that led to the guard shack. All the people at the back of the line would watch the slow person lift a foot into the air, pause, breath, and in slow motion, move the foot forward then drop to the ground and rest for about 5 minutes before they could lift the next foot. But it wasn't all bad. On my visits to Machu Picchu in the early years (after 2007), we could stand close enought to the Sacred Rock with outstretched arms, we thought we could feel the vibration of the voices of the ancient Inca who once lived there. But alas, those days are over. 

Up to now all the whittling has been for visitors arriving by train. Now the Inca Trail hikers take a hit. Hike permits come with 1 Machu Picchu entry ticket for the lower circuit 5. This is a severe cutback from the unfettered access to any circuit anytime. This one hurts. But as a consolation prize, hikers are the only mammals (except for the spectacled bears) allowed access to the famous Guard Shack on the upper terrace overlooking the citadel. When you hike down from the Sungate, you will have access to the solitary guard outpost for magnificent views of the ancient city. There's that. But after that, it's all downhill, so to speak. Whether you enter the citadel right after your hike or after an overnight in Aguas Calientes, you will have access to the upper terrace for the view.  There is one other tiny benefit. Your entry ticket to Machu Picchu is for any time. Then the guided tour is on the lower circuit only. 

However, people are welcome to buy additional entry tickets. That's what I would do. If you have the stamina to tour circuit 3 on the same day you hike in, do it. Then buy (in advance of course) additional general entry tickets to use after a night of rest in the village of Aguas Calientes. Go back and tour circuit 2 (the most thorough IMHO) or 1,3,4. It's your choice. The tickets are around $50 USD per person. When compared to the thousands of dollars you're spending to get there, it seems trivial to quibble about 50 bucks. 

Are Tour Guides Required For Entry to Machu Picchu?

Officially, no. Although I see that the Machu Picchu website now has a message on the home page recommending that visitors hire a tour guide. It's probably because of the people who are emailing them asking questions, indicating they are confused about the circuits. The hikes. The Inca Trail permits. I believe that having a reputable and knowledgeable tour guide is more important now more than ever. The best tour guides will come from Cusco and you will need to book them in advance. These guides are devoted to your trip. They will take their time and if you want to explore the dusty corners of Machu Picchu, these guides are the best. The next best tour guides can be "picked up" in the village of Aguas Calientes in the bus line on the day of your visit to Machu Picchu. Keep in mind that these tour guides are not inclined to take their time. Their income is determined by how many groups they can wrangle up, get in, and get out to wrangle more groups.

Want more info? I could go on, but I won't. Send an email through our contact page on this website. It will come to me and Heather in Virginia. Or you can try texting me at 757-714-6649 and I'm on What's App. Here's a link to read more about the topic of Machu Picchu Tour guides for 1 day.

 What if you want to do one of the hikes in Machu Picchu and tour the long circuit 2 in the citadel?

Here's what you do. Set up a 2-day trip. Trust me. you'll be thrilled with your experience. Buy your tickets in advance: Day 1 buy Llaqta de Machu Picchu 1300-1400. Day 2 buy Huayna Picchu + circuit 4. (or the easy Huchuy Picchu + circuit 4) in the morning. On Day 1, you depart Cusco or whereever you're staying in the Sacred Valley, in the morning, and take the train so that you arrive in Aguas Calientes by mid-day. Just in time for a nice lunch and a cup of coffee to get you jacked up for the afternoon. (I always go to HOT SPRINGS restaurant in "downtown" Aguas Calientes. Right where the rainroad tracks meet the main street.) Take the shuttle bus up to the main entry and enter with 1300 or1400 tickets. (you do realize you have to buy these in advance don't you? Have I not taught you anything?) Take the upper circuit 2 which means you have to suffer just a little to get up to a landing right below the guard shack for "the famous shot." You know the one I'm talking about. Take your shots then keep going. Enter the main gate of the city and follow the circuit to the end. It could take you at least 2 hours and even longer, if you linger appropriately. And if Pachamama is in a good mood that day, you might catch an amazing sunset. You exit and take the bus to the village to spend the night in the hotel of your choice. The next morning you take the bus back up to Machu Picchu and enter to do the hike of your choice. These hikes allow you to enter the Machu Picchu main gate 1 hour earlier than the start time for the hike.  There is a 1 hour window to checkin. You don't have to checkin right away. As long as you checkin within that 1 hour window, you spend the same amount of time on the hike. After the hike, you will be directed to the path to the exit. There's some great spots to explore on the way. Return to the village and you should have plenty of time to grab lunch before you board an afternoon train and return to your hotel wherever it is.

This should help you choose from the many options. A trip to Machu Picchu is much more than you think it is. There are so many ways to do it. 

Qechua Word and Peruvian Place Name Tutorial:

• Machu Picchu - old mountain
• Huayna Picchu - little mountain
• Wayna Picchu - gringo abomination for little mountain
• Huchuy Picchu - 
• Winay Wayna

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