Machu Picchu Opening Hours 2026: Opening, Closing, Circuit Time Slots, Mountains and Buses
What time does Machu Picchu open and close? According to the Ministry of Culture's regulations, entry to the llaqta is by hourly time slots from 6:00 to 15:00, and the site closes at 17:30. From your entry time you can stay 2 hours and 30 minutes, unless your ticket includes a mountain. In this guide we explain the hours for each circuit and route, the Huayna Picchu and Machupicchu Mountain slots, the grace period at the gate, the buses from Aguas Calientes and the site museum's opening hours.
The hours come from official sources in force in 2026 (Ministry of Culture resolutions and the official Machu Picchu and Peruvian museums websites). When a figure comes from the press or a private operator, or when we could not confirm it, we say so.
In short: Machu Picchu hours in 2026
| What | Hours | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Entry to the llaqta | Every hour, from 6:00 to 15:00 | RM 528-2023-MC |
| Closing of the llaqta | 17:30 | RM 528-2023-MC |
| Stay without a mountain | 2 h 30 min from your entry time | RM 528-2023-MC |
| Huayna Picchu (route 3-A) | 7:00 and 10:00 slots | RM 000285-2025-MC |
| Machupicchu Mountain (route 1-A) | 7:00 and 9:00 slots | RM 000285-2025-MC |
| Bus up from Aguas Calientes | From 5:30 to 15:30 | Consettur, according to PeruRail |
| Bus down from the llaqta | From 6:30 to 18:00 | Consettur, according to PeruRail |
| Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum | Monday to Sunday, from 9:00 to 16:00 | Ministry of Culture |
Opening and closing hours of the llaqta
Article 16 of the llaqta's regulations for use (RM 528-2023-MC), which RM 000334-2026-MC of September 2026 did not change on this point, sets these rules:
- Entry times: there is one slot every hour, from 6:00 to 15:00, which means ten time slots a day. The time on your ticket is your entry time at the llaqta's main gate, not the bus time.
- Length of stay: you can stay a maximum of 2 hours and 30 minutes from your entry time. If you enter at 14:00 or 15:00, you can stay until 17:30 at the latest.
- Closing: the llaqta closes at 17:30.
- No re-entry: once you leave, you cannot go back in, except in cases of force majeure. If you exceed the time allowed, staff can remove you immediately.
Some travel websites say Machu Picchu is open from 6:00 to 17:00. That is not an official schedule: according to the regulations, the last entry slot is at 15:00 and closing is at 17:30.
Grace period at the gate
According to the official entry-times document published by the Ministry of Culture in May 2024, you can reach the main gate up to 30 minutes after the time on your ticket in regular-demand months, and up to 45 minutes in peak-demand months (from 1 June to 15 October and on 30 and 31 December).
| Time on your ticket | Until (regular demand) | Until (peak demand) |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 | 6:30 | 6:45 |
| 7:00 | 7:30 | 7:45 |
| 8:00 | 8:30 | 8:45 |
| 9:00 | 9:30 | 9:45 |
| 10:00 | 10:30 | 10:45 |
| 11:00 | 11:30 | 11:45 |
| 12:00 | 12:30 | 12:45 |
| 13:00 | 13:30 | 13:45 |
| 14:00 | 14:30 | 14:45 |
| 15:00 | 15:30 | 15:45 |
There is no grace period at the Machupicchu, Waynapicchu and Huchuypicchu mountain checkpoints: if you arrive late for your slot, you cannot go up.
Time slots by circuit and route in 2026
RM 000285-2025-MC sets the time slots sold for each route in 2026. The current circuits have been in force since 1 June 2024.
| Route | Entry times | When it is sold |
|---|---|---|
| 1-A Machupicchu Mountain | 7:00 and 9:00 | All year |
| 1-B Upper Terrace | Every hour, from 6:00 to 15:00 | All year |
| 1-C Intipunku Gate | 7:00, 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00 | High season only |
| 1-D Inca Bridge | 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00 | High season only |
| 2-A Classic designed route | Every hour, from 6:00 to 15:00 | All year |
| 2-B Lower Terrace | Every hour, from 6:00 to 15:00 | All year |
| 3-A Waynapicchu Mountain | 7:00 and 10:00 | All year |
| 3-B Royalty designed route | Every hour, from 6:00 to 15:00 | All year |
| 3-C Great Cavern | 8:00 and 9:00 | High season only |
| 3-D Huchuypicchu | 9:00 and 11:00 | High season only |
In 2026, high season is 1 January, 2 to 5 April, 19 June to 2 November and 30 and 31 December, with a capacity of 5,600 visitors a day; the rest of the year, capacity is 4,500. According to the regulations, the Intipunku route takes about 2 hours round trip, and the Inca Bridge route about 1 hour.
Some routes close temporarily for conservation. In 2026, Huayna Picchu closed from 1 to 30 June and reopened on 1 July, and the Inca Bridge route closed from 20 to 25 September for emergency works, according to the press. Check the status of your route before you travel.
Huayna Picchu and Machupicchu Mountain: slots and time limits
- Huayna Picchu (route 3-A): the regulations set two entry slots for the mountain, from 7:00 to 7:30 and from 10:00 to 10:30, and in 2026 the 7:00 and 10:00 time slots are sold. Allow about 3 hours on the mountain; you must start down from the summit before 13:00, and your visit, including the llaqta, can last a maximum of 5 hours and 30 minutes.
- Machupicchu Mountain (route 1-A): two slots, from 7:00 to 7:30 and from 9:00 to 9:30. Allow about 4 hours of hiking; you must leave the summit before 13:00 and get back to the checkpoint by 14:00 at the latest. Your visit, including the llaqta, can last up to 6 hours and 30 minutes.
- No grace period: the main gate's grace period does not apply at the mountain checkpoints, so plan your time carefully from the entrance.
In 2024 a draft rule with 6:00 and 9:00 slots for Huayna Picchu circulated, but it was not approved: the slots in force are 7:00 and 10:00. We explain how to get a spot in our guide to Huayna Picchu tickets.
Consettur bus: schedule from Aguas Calientes
Consettur buses run up the Hiram Bingham road between Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) and the llaqta. According to the Consettur information published by PeruRail:
- Going up: from 5:30 to 15:30, from Aguas Calientes.
- Coming down: from 6:30 to 18:00, from the llaqta.
- Frequency and duration: a bus leaves every 5 to 15 minutes, and the ride takes 25 to 30 minutes.
- Tickets: at the ticket office on Hermanos Ayar Avenue in Aguas Calientes, open every day from 5:30 to 22:00; at the office at Avenida Pardo 827 in Cusco, Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:30; or online. A return ticket costs USD 24 for foreign adults.
We could not confirm these hours on the Consettur website, and there are contradictions: PeruRail's FAQ says the last bus down leaves at 17:30. In addition, the route concession is still unresolved: in September 2026 a committee was formed for a new tender, according to the press. Confirm the schedule at the ticket office when you arrive.
If you prefer to walk up, the trail starts at Puente Ruinas and the climb takes 1 to 2 hours, according to the train operators. We have not found an official schedule in force for the checkpoint at the bridge. We explain the bus and the hike in our guide from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.
Site museum and other hours
- Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum: it is next to the old Puente Ruinas, at km 112 of the railway, at the foot of the road to the llaqta. It is open Monday to Sunday, from 9:00 to 16:00, according to the Ministry of Culture. General admission costs S/22 for adults and S/11 for higher-education students, and schoolchildren go free. According to RM 000334-2026-MC, admission is free from 12:00 to 16:00, but the museum's official page does not mention it yet.
- Ticket office at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Cultural Center: it sells up to 1,000 tickets a day for the following day. The official website gives hours of 15:00 to 22:00, but the press has reported other hours in 2026, so we could not confirm them.
- Special programs: Cusco residents who enter free under the social tourism program and school groups must enter between 12:00 and 16:00, according to the regulations.
If you arrive without a ticket, read how to buy tickets in Machu Picchu Pueblo.
Which time slot to choose
This is our own advice, not official rules:
- If you arrive by train the same day: choose an entry time at least 2 hours after your train arrives, so you have time to buy the bus ticket, queue and go up.
- If you sleep in Aguas Calientes: you can take the first buses and enter at 6:00 or 7:00.
- If you are going to climb a mountain: book the first slot to have more margin before the descent time limits.
- If you are returning to Cusco by train in the afternoon: allow for the bus ride down and get to the station in good time.
The time slot also depends on the time of year: read our guide to the best time to visit Machu Picchu, and to plan your itinerary, the one on how many days you need for Machu Picchu.
Related guides
To choose when to go, read our guide to the best time to visit Machu Picchu; to decide how much time to spend, the one on how many days you need for Machu Picchu, and for your budget, the one on how much Machu Picchu costs. To save money, read how to get there on a budget and without the train. Every way to get there is in our guides to getting there from Cusco and from Lima, and the time for each leg is in our guide to the distance from Cusco to Machu Picchu. When you arrive, follow our guide from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. To choose a train, see our guides to trains to Machu Picchu, the Vistadome train and luxury trains, and if you are Peruvian, the difference between the local train and the tourist train.
To choose a route, see our guides to Machu Picchu circuits, circuit 2A vs 2B and circuit 3 (Machu Picchu Realeza), and if you want to climb a mountain, the one to Huayna Picchu tickets. First of all, get your Machu Picchu ticket and check the entry requirements. If you arrive without a ticket, read how to buy tickets in Machu Picchu Pueblo.
Frequently asked questions
- What time does Machu Picchu open?
- The first entry slot to the llaqta is at 6:00, and the last one at 15:00. There is one slot every hour.
- What time does Machu Picchu close?
- At 17:30. If you enter at 14:00 or 15:00, you can stay until that time at the latest.
- How long can I stay inside?
- 2 hours and 30 minutes from your entry time. With Huayna Picchu, up to 5 hours and 30 minutes, and with Machupicchu Mountain, up to 6 hours and 30 minutes.
- What happens if I am late for my time slot?
- There is a 30-minute grace period at the main gate, or 45 minutes in peak-demand months. There is no grace period at the mountain checkpoints.
- What time is the first bus from Aguas Calientes?
- According to the Consettur information published by PeruRail, at 5:30. The last bus up leaves at 15:30.
- What are the Huayna Picchu time slots?
- In 2026 it is sold with 7:00 and 10:00 slots, and you must start down from the summit before 13:00.
In summary
Machu Picchu is entered by hourly time slots, from 6:00 to 15:00, and the llaqta closes at 17:30. Without a mountain, you have 2 hours and 30 minutes from your entry time, with a 30- or 45-minute grace period at the gate. Huayna Picchu has 7:00 and 10:00 slots, and Machupicchu Mountain 7:00 and 9:00, with no grace period. Buses go up from 5:30, and the site museum is open from 9:00 to 16:00.
Sources
- Ministerial Resolution 528-2023-MC (llaqta regulations for use: hours, length of stay and mountains): https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/5627334/4985976-resolucion-ministerial-n-000528-2023-mc.pdf
- Ministerial Resolution 000334-2026-MC (amendment of the regulations, 11 September 2026): https://transparencia.cultura.gob.pe/sites/default/files/transparencia/2026/09/resoluciones-ministeriales/rm-334-2026-mc.pdf
- Ministry of Culture, entry times and grace periods: https://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/HORARIOS-DE-INGRESO.pdf
- Ministerial Resolution 000285-2025-MC (time slots, capacity and high season 2026): https://www.gob.pe/institucion/cultura/normas-legales/7355929-285-2025-mc
- Ministry of Culture, circuits and visiting routes: https://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/circuitos-y-rutas-de-visita/
- Ministerial Resolution 000317-2025-MC (Huayna Picchu closure in June 2026): https://transparencia.cultura.gob.pe/sites/default/files/transparencia/2025/11/resoluciones-ministeriales/rm000317-2025-mc.pdf
- Ministry of Culture, Waynapicchu reopening from 1 July: https://www.gob.pe/institucion/cultura/noticias/1412861-ministerio-de-cultura-anuncia-la-reapertura-de-la-montana-waynapicchu-desde-el-1-de-julio
- La República, Inca Bridge closure from 20 to 25 September (18 September 2026, press): https://larepublica.pe/sociedad/2026/09/18/machu-picchu-cerraran-ingreso-al-puente-inca-del-20-al-25-de-setiembre-por-obras-de-emergencia-424242
- PeruRail, how to plan your own trip to Machu Picchu (Consettur bus hours and tickets): https://www.perurail.com/es/como-armar-tu-viaje-a-machu-picchu-por-tu-cuenta/
- PeruRail, frequently asked questions: https://www.perurail.com/es/preguntas-frecuentes/
- Infobae, new tender for the Hiram Bingham route buses (23 September 2026, press): https://www.infobae.com/peru/2026/09/23/machu-picchu-relanzan-licitacion-de-buses-en-ruta-hiram-bingham-tras-quejas-de-mas-de-40-empresas-de-transporte/
- Museums of Peru, Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum: https://museos.cultura.pe/museos/museo-de-sitio-manuel-ch%C3%A1vez-ball%C3%B3n
- DDC Cusco, Machu Picchu Site Museum: https://www.culturacusco.gob.pe/post/museos/museo-de-sitio-machu-picchu/
- Ministry of Culture, contact and in-person sales in Machu Picchu Pueblo: https://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/contacto/
- Infobae, in-person ticket sales in high season (1 August 2026, press): https://www.infobae.com/peru/2026/08/01/boletos-para-machu-picchu-en-temporada-alta-como-adquirir-entradas-de-manera-presencial-y-con-cuanta-anticipacion/
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