Machu Picchu Tours & Tickets: Plan Your Visit to the Lost City
Machu Picchu is a bucket-list wonder — and there are many ways to reach it. Trek an ancient Inca route on foot, take the scenic train for a comfortable day trip, combine the citadel with Cusco and the Sacred Valley, or add a spectacular high-altitude peak. Below you’ll find featured tours across the most popular ways to visit, plus links to every category and a full guide to Machu Picchu tickets. Entry is timed and strictly limited, so wherever you start, booking early is the most important step.
Trek to Machu Picchu
Reaching the citadel on foot is unforgettable. The Inca Trail is the classic route, following original Inca paths to the Sun Gate, but its permits are strictly limited and sell out months ahead. The Salkantay Trek is a wilder, higher and more scenic alternative that needs no permit, while the Lares and Inca Jungle treks offer cultural and adventure routes respectively.
Featured Inca Trail treks
Featured Salkantay treks
Visit by Train — No Trekking Required
Most visitors reach Machu Picchu by scenic train, the comfortable, classic way in. A day tour is the efficient single-day option, while a 2-day tour adds an overnight in Aguas Calientes for a calmer, earlier and less-rushed visit. Neither involves any hiking, and both suit families, older travellers and anyone short on time.
Featured day tours
Featured train tours
See the Whole Region
First-time visitors often want more than the citadel alone. Multi-day itineraries build in the historic city of Cusco and the Sacred Valley for a fuller picture of the Inca world — and for the gradual altitude acclimatisation that makes the trip more comfortable and safe. Choose the classic 4-day tour, the in-depth 5-day tour, or a comprehensive extended tour of 6+ days that pairs Machu Picchu with wider Peru.
Spectacular Add-Ons
Pair the citadel with the region’s greatest natural sights. Rainbow Mountain is the famous striped peak of Vinicunca, and Humantay Lake a stunning turquoise glacial lake — both are high-altitude day trips that reward proper acclimatisation. Above the citadel itself, the iconic Huayna Picchu peak offers a steep, permit-limited climb with breathtaking views.
Featured Rainbow Mountain tours
Featured Sacred Valley tours
Choose Your Style
However you like to travel, there is a way that suits you. A private tour gives you your own guide and a tailored itinerary, ideal for families and couples; a small group tour is sociable and better value, ideal for solo travellers; and a luxury tour delivers five-star hotels, the finest trains and seamless service. Prefer to sleep out under the Andean stars? See camping & glamping, from trek camping to luxury cliffside pods.
Before You Book: Machu Picchu Tickets
Entry to Machu Picchu is by timed ticket with strictly limited daily numbers, and popular dates — especially the Huayna Picchu climb — sell out well in advance. Our guide to Machu Picchu tickets explains the entry types, circuits and timed-entry system, and how to buy. Whichever tour you choose, secure your entry first and build the rest of your trip around it — booking early is the single most important part of planning a visit to the lost city.