r/Machupicchu

Unimaginable a couple of months ago and never in my worst nightmare could I have imagined this happening. A whole vacation I’ve paid thousands for, to basically see Machu Picchu, ruined. Worst part is I have no clue what to really do. All along the procedure was tickets are sold the day before. My plan was get on line super early. I tried to get tickets months in advance but they were gone. Figured going on the line was an undesirable backup plan but still a realistic backup plan. Now, without warning by the Ministry, everything has changed overnight and it seems I’m not alone in being screwed.

I get into AC Sunday May 31 at 7pm. My flight home is Wednesday morning. At this rate by the time my trip comes there might be a week wait for all I know. I was currently looking to finagle my trip to get in much earlier on that Sunday the 31st but now even that looks possibly pointless. Feeling terribly disappointed. Many people depended on the current system and seeing the Peru gov’t change it seemingly overnight when many tourists had hotels and flights all booked, well, that’s really wild. Anyway, that’s all. Not sure what to do now. The ticket system is broken, and I’m completely screwed

I've booked a tour in Peru with G-adventures that includes the 4 day/3 night Inca trail hike and I'm starting to have second thoughts. My 2 main concerns are sleeping and pooping...

Sleep: It's been 30 years since I've slept in a tent, and I don't get great sleep even under normal circumstances. I've reached the age where I wake up to pee 2 or 3 times a night. I remember having a padded "ridge" rest that helped a little with camping, but I'm guessing my sleep is going to be wrecked for 3 nights.

Pooping: I read a blog post about these toilets. Thinking I'll try and go low fiber just to minimize things, but I'm worried I'm going to be constipated for 3 days.

I'm actually in pretty good shape for someone my age... I do a 10k trail run once or twice a week, and lift out with weights. So I'm less worried about fitness related issues, though the altitude is a variable I have not had to deal with. I plan on taking a high altitude drug before arrival.

Anyway... the tour has another option where you take the train to Machu Picchu. I think with this option you just stay the 3 nights in Ollantaytambo. This obviously gives you more time to explore other locations in the sacred valley. This would obviously be a very different experience... less memorable and intense perhaps, but probably more restful, hee hee. Just wondering if the "experience" of hiking the trail is worth dealing with wrecked sleep and poop anxieties? I mean... what's the saying... you can always sleep when your dead. I'm mid fifties if anyone is wondering.

Would love to hear others thoughts, advice, and experiences.

Cheers

EDIT:

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! Sounds like this is something I need to do. 😄

Yo literally what is going on in AC with tickets. A week ago it sounded like tickets were being sold 2 days in advance; now it looks like 3 days in advance…? What is happening… It sounds like the govt of Peru has ZERO control over the situation and has little to no organization surrounding this process. How could anyone make plans to see this sight when online tickets seemingly sell out instantly when released; and then to change in person rules at whim.?

Coming all the way from New York in a few weeks. Solo trip. Everything booked. My one vacation for the year. Was very excited. I have a flight from Lima to Cusco that arrives early afternoon on Sunday May 31. Then I would start my journey to Aguas Clients and arrive there around 7pm. Plan was to relax in hotel that night and get on line early June 1 and get Circuit 2 tickets for the next day, June 2. Based on all I read this would be fine as long as I got on line very early (i.e. 4:30-5am). Now I'm obviously seeing that everything has changed seemingly overnight and everyone who has vacations booked is freaking out over these "pre tickets" and tickets sold out two days in advance, etc. A potential disaster, really, for me, and I'm sure many, many others. This has already been a very difficult trip to book with regard to being able to see Machu Picchu.

My flight home is June 3 so I have no chance at all but to do Machu Pichu on the day I planned. Would have loved to get tickets online but they were all sold out MONTHS in advance. Tried everything else including looking into tour guides but I realized they are all scams who would eventually switch me to Circuit 1.

Can anyone provide an update about what might be going on? Any chance that this goes back to the normal line up in the morning procedure soon? If not, if I arrive to the ticket office at 7pm on May 31 would I have a chance at Circuit 2 tickets for June 2?? Thank you

As you are all aware the ticket situation is all kinds of crazy and I’m really not a fan of being trapped in aquas calientes for 3 nights sitting around. I got offered the hike for $240 without the MP ticket or return train and was wondering if the hike alone is worth this? I was thinking of maybe going straight to the sacred valley from aquas calientes instead of joining the hoards of frustrated people queuing. Let me know your thoughts! Thank you :)

Detailed and for most, spicy take coming -

I went with my elderly divorced parents and fiancée last week. My partner and I have been traveling together for 7 years. My mom and dad have traveled in their lives (father less so; he is also Brazilian). As for me, I have been traveling and living in different countries for 24 years.

Never, and I mean Never, have I seen a more exploitative and poorly run system to see a world site in my entire life. Everything from Ollantaytambo onwards is designed to separate you from your money in order to see Machu Picchu. It starts with the extremely overpriced train ride, the only way to get there besides hiking.

If you cannot obtain next day tickets for MP, you are forced to wander Aguas endlessly looking at souvenirs and paying for overpriced food which vacillates between middling and poor. The accommodations, which are not expensive, are also quite poor and there is little in the way of anything decent. $24 round trip bus tickets up and back is not terrible but a bit pricey for two 30 minute rides.

That said, after a small medical issue with my father at the entrance, which delayed our 6:00 am entry time to 7:20, we were greeted with less dense crowds (the doc onsite recommended we try to go between hours), mist and clouds streaming over the site, and the llamas were out. We were able to find an incredible guide via my partner who had met another guide at the market. He was excellent and made the experience better, constantly making sure the family was ok, taking great photos and videos, and even performed a coca leaf ceremony where we released some of my brother’s ashes. He was also able to show us a few other things off our primary route.

Overall, Machu Picchu was incredible and something you should see if you are able. But, the confusion and exploitation with the ticket system as well as there being little to do in AC made it challenging. I checked every day for two weeks and there were tickets available into afternoon. Many people spoke of pre-tickets to come purchase tickets later in the day which is why we split our group by two different trains. When we arrived, after waiting in line for hours, tickets were sold out by 10:30 and they were being sold directly, not by queuing for a time to purchase tickets later. The next day, my parents were in line by 4:30 am, and there were about 370 people ahead of them by my estimates. We secured route 2A. Also, it should be noted that you can buy tickets for a different route on the same day if you get back in line but only IF you have a second passport.

Essentially, check the posts here as often as possible as well as the live ticket counter, as it seems the rules and systems change weekly. Get in line as early as possible.

As for Aguas, above the main market where people buy meat and produce, there is a food court that was 90% locals and the food was way better and cheaper than anywhere in town. Other off the beaten path things we did was hike down to a secret beach on the river for a few hours. If you leave the butterfly enclosure and head back to town, there’s a steep path down to the river through the brush just off the road. We also walked up the incline where people were finishing the trek just past the butterfly enclosure and walked along the train tracks back to town. While there are signs discouraging it, locals we met on it told us everyone does it and it’s fine, just be wary walking through the tunnels. I also got a shape up at a barbershop and watched locals play sports on the main field.

TLDR: AC sucks but there is stuff off the beaten path, MP is incredible but the cost and logistical nightmare almost makes it not worth it

Okay, so we did have plans, and they fell through, then we were planning to get to AC early to get one of the 1000s tickets, then we were planning to get there multiple days early, and now we are rescheduling the whole trip because MP was the highlight. I just can't guarantee that we will have tickets in the next couple of weeks, and we are blessed/planned well enough that we can reschedule. We are booking the MP tickets directly through the government site first this time.

If we want to see the classic route and do the panoramic view, can we do both in one day? I am thinking maybe 1A in the morning and 2A around 3 pm. We are two late twenty-year-olds who will now have more time to get in better hiking shape over the summer.

Also, would you get a hotel the night before or after in AC?

Editing to add - We plan to stay in Cusco for the majority of the trip. We also plan to do the hot springs in AC, and I really want to get the passport stamp.

This sub has done so much for my trip and I'm paying back. Got off the train at 1: 30pm and headed to the to the cultural center. They had plenty of tickets left. They just opened up the line and I was able to secure 2A tickets for May 16th. May 15 sold out Attaching the screenshot as I left the place at 10 minutes ago

Edit pic in comments

Ps if anyone is here and wants to run. I was thinking of doing the 10 km bus stop run early tomorrow and see how far I get.

I arrive in Aguas Calientes at 6:40 AM on May 21 and plan to go straight to the Ministerio de Cultura office for in-person Machu Picchu tickets. What do you think my chances are of getting tickets for May 22? Ideally I’d like Route 2A/2B, but I’m open to 3B if needed.

Right now I only have a one-way train ticket from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and one hotel night booked. I was planning to wait and see how the ticket situation goes before booking another hotel night, a return train, or possibly doing the Hydroelectrica route back.

Has anyone gone through this recently now that the ticket system seems to have changed?

Any input would be appreciated, thank you!

Edit: is there a chance to get tickets on the 23? I am aware the 22 is a hail mary.

Planning to go to AC on May 31, line up at 4am on June 1 to obtain one ticket for June 2. Given the current situation and crowds, how realistic is this plan? What do you recommend?

I’m leaving the Americas for another continent so unfortunately will not be able to visit for quite some time, hence the spontaneous trip.

I’m looking to just go to AC to buy the MP tickets then head back to Cuzco same day. Question is how long is the wait to buy a MP ticket b/c I’m looking to leave that same day. I won’t get to AG until 3pm. And should I buy the train ticket out of AC beforehand incase it’s sold out or just buy them when I finish getting my MP tickets?