What changed on 22 September
On 22 September 2026, Peru’s Ministry of Culture started a 30-day trial (‘marcha blanca’) of direct ticket sales on its Tu Boleto platform. The trial covers the Llaqta of Machu Picchu and the Red de Caminos Inka, the Inca Trail network.
The old system let buyers hold a slot for three hours without paying. That option is gone. Once a buyer picks a date and slot, they currently have 15 minutes to pay. If payment does not go through in time, the slot goes back on sale. The ticket is issued in the visitor’s name only after payment is confirmed.
The change comes from Resolución Ministerial 000333-2026-MC, published in El Peruano on 11 September 2026. It amends the Reglamento de Uso Turístico Sostenible de la Red de Caminos Inka del Santuario Histórico de Machupicchu, the rules for the Inca Trail network.
What it means for Inca Trail permits
Under the resolution, agencies registered with the DDC Cusco may buy permits for the trail network only through Tu Boleto, and can no longer block slots without paying for them. Travellers still cannot buy Inca Trail permits for themselves: a licensed operator buys the permit for its clients in each trekker’s name.
The resolution also tightens the rules on unused tickets. A ticket not used on its date loses its validity and is not refunded. Rescheduling is allowed only for documented force majeure, such as a medical certificate, and depends on available space. Anyone planning a 2027 trek should settle their dates before the permit is bought. Our Inca Trail permits guide explains how permits and booking windows work, and our Inca Trail guide covers the trek itself.
The resolution does not change how many people may use the trail each day. Those limits sit in article 14 of the same rules, last amended in November 2025: Routes 1 to 4, which include the classic four-day trek from Km 82, share 500 places a day; Route 5, the one-day trek from Km 104, has 250; and Route 6 has 100. Each place counts trekkers, guides, porters and cooks alike, so trekkers fill only part of the 500.
More than 90,000 Machu Picchu entries freed through December
In a radio interview reported on 6 October, Culture Minister Alberto Beingolea said ending the unpaid holds had released more than 90,000 Machu Picchu tickets for the next three months. By his count, that is more than 1,000 for October, about 29,000 for November and more than 60,000 for December. He blamed earlier shortages on bulk holds made for resale.
Daily capacity at the citadel is the same as before: 5,600 visitors on high-season dates and 4,500 on the rest. Travellers buying a Machu Picchu entry themselves, for example to add to a Salkantay or Lares trek, may now find November and December dates that looked sold out earlier. The 15-minute timer starts as soon as a slot is selected, so have passport details, the circuit and the route you want ready before you start.
What happens after the trial
The 30-day trial began on 22 September 2026, and the ministry says its conditions, including the 15-minute payment window, may be adjusted during it. Under the resolution, use of Tu Boleto becomes mandatory once the trial ends. Tickets should be bought only on the official Ministry of Culture portal. Our guide to Machu Picchu tickets covers prices and circuits.
Sources
- El Peruano: Empieza marcha blanca de venta directa de boletos para Machupicchu y la Red de Caminos Inka
- El Peruano (Normas Legales): RM 000294-2025-MC, article 14, daily capacity per route
- El Peruano (Normas Legales): RM 000333-2026-MC modifica el Reglamento de la Red de Caminos Inka
- Andina: Machu Picchu inicia marcha blanca del nuevo sistema de venta directa de boletos
- Infobae: Machu Picchu inicia marcha blanca de nuevo sistema de entradas
- Infobae: Machu Picchu: liberan más de 90.000 entradas para los próximos tres meses tras eliminar las reservas previas
- Infobae: Ministro de Cultura sobre entradas a Machu Picchu: ‘Se acabó el tema de las mafias’
- Tu Boleto – official Ministry of Culture ticket portal
