New Machu Picchu Entry Regulations
New Machu Picchu Entry Regulations
The Peruvian Ministry of Culture has decided to change how guests can visit Machu Picchu that will impact all upcoming trips. These new rules also change how companies like VIP Journeys operate our tours and have installed many new regulations. These new laws will affect all visitors to Machu Picchu that are visiting the Inca citadel. It defines rules how guides must operate within the site, the circuits which tourist must follow though the site and reconfirmation general entrance rules. We hope to break down all the important details below.
Why New Rules?
Since Machu Picchu was first given the UNESCO World Heritage status back on Dec 09, 1983, tourism has grown every single year making the historical site so crowded that it is difficult to visit. And there are concerns of how this is affecting the preservation of the site. Before this new law, general entrance tickets were limited to 2,500 per day, and on some peak days of the year, this number actually sold out. The reality however, is that the amount of people visiting Machu Picchu per day is much more than 2,500, when you consider the various combinations of ticket types available (actually around 3,800 entrances). The new rules have been implemented to control how visitors and guides access the site, in order to maintain the integrity of the site and its legacy for future visitors. Bizarrely, these new rules actually allow more people in each day – almost double.
Highlights of the New Rules
Split Entrance Times – From July 01, 2017, and for a period of 2 years, entrance tickets to Machu Picchu will be split into 2 entrance times:
AM Entrance, from 6 am – 12 pm.
PM Entrance, from 12 pm – 5.30 pm.
Visitors must leave the site within the time frame stated, and cannot re-enter once visitors have left the site. Visitors and guides who don’t enter and leave within the time frame stated, will be assisted to the exit by the competent authorities! You have been warned.
New Machu Picchu Entry Regulations include “Entry with Official Guide Only”
This is probably the most significant rule. From July 01, 2017 , all visitors entering Machu Picchu must be accompanied by a guide. Guides must be official Machu Picchu guides or licensed tourist guides. They must present an up-to-date and valid guide identification before entering Machu Picchu. Guides are only permitted to take maximum group size of 16 people. Guides need to sign in and sign out all visitors. The guides will also be responsible for informing visitors of the regulations of the park. Guides will accompany all visitors hiking Machu Picchu Mountain and Huayna Picchu Mountain. The regulations are still fairly unclear.
Please call your Trip Designers at (800) 772-9188 to understand how your current or future clients’ trip to Peru are affected by these changes.
