Are Circuits Changing at Machu Picchu?

Yes. It's true. It was officially announced less than two weeks from the date that it took effect on June 1, 2024. The Machu Picchu national park has been divided into 10 new routes, or circuits. Tickets for all 10 routes can be purchased on the new TuBoleto ticketing website which I linked below. The old Joinnus website was shut down on August 3 and the new Peru government website launched on August 4.. So stay with me. Follow us on Instagram (@AdiosBasecamp) or Facebook

Space available to join one of our small group trips in 2025 - Machu Picchu, Galapagos and Chile/Patagonia! CLICK HERE to check them out.

Peru Launched a New Website for Buying Machu Picchu Tickets

Yep! A new website was launched in August, 2024 to buy Machu Picchu entry tickets. Here is the link to read more details where I will provide the correct URL for the new booking website.

New Circuits at Machu Picchu are Color Coded (Red, Blue and Yellow)

Machu Picchu national park has color coded the 3 main routes to assist visitors with visual cues for the path they're on. Circuits 1 are RED, Circuits 2 are BLUE and Circuits 3 are YELLOW. All circuit 3 ticket holders have a separate entry to the right side of Machu Picchu main entry gate if you're facing the restrooms and ooncession area. Circuits 1 and 2 will enter at what is known as the main gate. At this time visitors do not receive color coded tickets and are expected to remember their color as they follow the designated paths. Signs at intersections in the park include circuit numbers and color coding. Expect more rangers on hand to help you stay on course.

Here's what we know about changes to Machu Picchu circuits

all tickets for entry to Machu Picchu 10 new circuits are now showing on the new website launched in August 4, 2024. And the same website is being used for tickets in 2025. I'm showing the entire URL so you can get the correct website. https://tuboleto.cultura.pe/llaqta_machupicchu (Not to be confused with a private company called BOLETO PERU who are not the official government ticketing website)
MAPS for each NEW circuit are now available on the new website where tickets are sold as of August 4.
all existing circuits at Machu Picchu will be affected by the new changes. .
the changes to the circuits began June 1, 2024 and are currently in effect in 2025.
although they announced an increase to 5600 visitors per day in June 2024, it's a mystery to me how they calculate their numbers. In February after Joinnus website was launched, I added up all the tickets for foreigners and citizens of South American countries and got over 10,000 people per day. That's right. Every year when they release the new tickets in early January, I tally up all the tickets available for every circuit and it's been over 7000+ visitors per day for several years. So.
there are 4 new routes for circuit #1 NONE OF THESE ROUTES INCLUDE ACCESS TO THE ANCIENT CITY. These are routes only for panoramic views of Machu Picchu city from the upper terraces and access to hikes to Machu Picchu Mountain, Inca Bridge as well as the hike up to the Sungate.
there are 2 new routes for circuit #2 named - "Classic Designed Route" and "Lower Terrace Route." Both A and B of these routes include access to the full upper and lower circuits of the actual city. Both routes now show access to the Inferior platform for the classic view. In the beginning stages, route 2B did not include that. But since they updated the tickets, I see both routes look the same on the maps with a couple of small differences.
the "Great Cavern Route" is what used to be the "Temple of the Moon." This was an extension of the Wayna Picchu hike but it has been closed off for a while. They are "monetizing" this hike as a separate route. It does not include hike to Wayna Picchu
At this time, the following hikes, Great Cavern, Huchuypicchu, Inti Punku and Inca Bridge,will only be enabled for the high season period. June 1-Oct 15 and Dec 30,31 in 2024 and June 19-Nov 2, 2025
if you have the ability to get the assistance needed to get your wheelchair up to Machu Picchu, there is now a designated path for wheelchairs on Circuit 3 - Designed route (if you need help with this, let me know. We have assisted people with wheelchairs in the past.)
In 2025, they made changes to circuit 1 that affect all visitors on circuit 1. CLICK HERE to see the details.

What if all tickets for Machu Picchu Circuits 2A and 2B are sold out?

These two tickets are the only tickets with access to the full (upper and lower) circuits inside the city. If they're sold out, here's what I would do as an alternative plan. Check for tickets on any circuit 3 and circuit 1. Then set up a 2-day trip to Machu Picchu. Buy one ticket for afternoon of the first day. IMO, I would go with circuit 1 for the afternoon because that's when the skies are most likely to be clear. And circuit 1 is all about the view. Buy the other ticket to circuit #3, on the morning of 2nd day. This will be in the lower segment of the ancient Inca city, up close and personal. It won't matter as much if it's misty and cloudy. The two tickets on two different days and two different time of day, will give you access to the upper terrace for panoramic view of Machu Picchu on any circuit #1. And circuit #3 will give you access to the lower circuit of the ancient city. And you can get a ticket with a hike if you like. Huchuy Picchu (on circuit 3) and Inka Bridge (on circuit 1) are the easiest.

Which new circuit is the best for exploring Machu Picchu?

My initial analysis based on what we have experienced, and from the maps that are now posted for anyone to see (on the old Machu Picchu website), is that all the four circuits with #1 are mainly for the views of Machu Picchu from the upper terraces and do not include entry to the actual ancient city. The good news is that one of the four new circuits #1 now includes the option to hike up to the IntiPunku, which has been closed to park visitors since the pandemic and was only available to hikers, I have to say I've hiked the Inca Trail to the Sungate a couple of times without the crowds and it was well worth the suffering! If you're up for hiking even the short 1-day Inca Trail, (8m/12k), it includes the view of Machu Picchu, plus entry to lower circuit #3 in the city. Visitors from inside the park can hike to the Sungate about 1.5 hours up and 45 minutes back down to return to the upper terraces. Another of the four circuits #1 includes a short easy 30 minute hike to view the Inca Bridge. (visitors do not get close enough to touch it let alone walk on it). I believe the overall "best," or longest circuits, especially if you have one entry only, are circuit #2A named "Classic Designed Route." and circuit #2B "Lower Terrace Route." These are the only 2 entry tickets that allow access to the upper and lower circuts of the ancient city and the Plaza of the Temples. Both include the classic view of Machu Picchu from one of the lower platforms in the upper terraces.

What is the difference between upper terrace and upper circuit?

If you don't know, here's a link to our blog post where we explain it.

What is the policy for arriving late to enter Machu Picchu?

Don't be late for your date with "the wonder" unless you have a pretty good story! Like a mudslide (see my story about narrowly missing a direct hit by a mudslide on the way to Machu Picchu!) prevented you from getting to Aguas Calientes, or trains were suspended. What time is used to determine when the tardiness clock begins? Since the new final website was launched on August 4, entry times are now on the hour. There is no 1 hour window for entry for tickets purchased after August 4.. CLICK HERE to read more. Here's the official word: “The entry time to each circuit is the one stated on your entry ticket. There is a tolerance of thirty (30) minutes for entry to the Llaqta de Machupicchu in low season and forty-five (45) minutes in high season. After this period, the visitor cannot enter the Machupicchu llaqta, except for reasons of force majeure or duly proven fortuitous event,”

When is the high season at Machu Picchu?

High season at Machu Picchu is now defined as June 1 through October 15 and Dec 30 and 31. But only in 2024! In 2025 the high season dates are June 19-Nov 2! That doesn't mean it won't be crowded at other times of the year. By defining the dates for the high season, this will determine whether or not you have an extra 15 minutes tolerance for entering late. And tickets for the extra seasonal hikes are only available during the high season. If you're planning ahead for next year thinking you'll travel to Peru in mid June, you may not have access to all the hikes inside the park. Aside from that, I don't see any other benefits or advantage for traveling in one season or the other, except for things like weather and certain hotels which may have reduced availability at certain times of the year. The cost of Machu Picchu entry tickets is the same year round.