Peru’ed Again

I received this notice from the tour operator who took our $350 to visit Machu Picchu on Wednesday. 

Dear Guest,

My name is Rómulo, from the travel agency. We are reaching out to inform you that, unfortunately, there is no availability for Machu Picchu on your selected date. Tickets are completely sold out, and the next confirmed availability begins from June 25th onward.

Given this situation, you have three options:

Reschedule your tour for a later date, starting from June 25th.

Cancel your reservation. In this case, a full refund will be processed within 48 hours.

Choose the following on-site alternative:

On-Site Alternative – Daily Ticket Sales in Aguas Calientes

Currently, the only way to obtain tickets before June 15th is through the in-person daily ticket sales system established by the Peruvian government. Here’s how it works:

The government releases 1,000 tickets daily for the following day.

These tickets are sold only in person, upon presentation of a passport, at the official ticket office in Aguas Calientes.

This process requires a 2-day express trip from Cusco, following the itinerary below:

🗓 Day 1

Depart from Cusco between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., traveling to Aguas Calientes via a combination of land and train transport.

Upon arrival, go directly to the government office and line up to receive a numbered purchasing ticket.

The typical waiting time in line ranges from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on demand.

🗓 Day 2 – Machu Picchu Tour

On the second day, you will enter Machu Picchu at the time assigned by the government.

You will be accompanied by a professional guide who will show you the natural, cultural, and archaeological beauty of this extraordinary place.

Please keep in mind that many other travelers will be doing the same, so your chances will depend heavily on how early you arrive to queue.

P.S. The Peruvian government requires that all visitors be physically present during the process of obtaining the numbered purchasing ticket.

However, if you are traveling as a family, one representative may obtain tickets for the entire group. If you are not family, then each person must queue and be present individually.

We remain at your disposal and are happy to assist you with whichever option you choose.

Thank you very much for your understanding.

Best regards,

Rómulo

I think it’s a case of overbooking in case people drop out and at $350 each canceled reservations would cost money. Bear in mind 6500 people visit Machu Picchu daily so as tours go I had my own reluctance to be herded at the site like this.  Now I can’t go so I get a day of drinking coffee and people watching in Cusco. There are lots of sites to see pictures of the place and I’d recommend a biography of Hiram Bingham as well. 

At the back of the book the author traces the discovery of Machu Picchu and the likely history of the place. I enjoyed the whole book too.