About MachuPicchu.com
An independent guide to visiting Machu Picchu
MachuPicchu.com is an independent guide to visiting Machu Picchu, operated by Highland Adventures since 2006; official entry to the citadel is managed by Peru's Ministry of Culture. This site explains how that system works and how to plan a visit around it, with every rule tied to its official source and dated.
What the site covers
- Tickets and circuits
How timed entry works, what each circuit and route shows you, and which ticket buys which route.
- Getting there
Every way from Cusco to the citadel compared: the train, the treks, and the last leg everyone shares.
- When to go
How the dry and wet seasons feel, month by month, and how far ahead each season sells out.
- The Inca Trail and other treks
How Inca Trail permits are released and sell out, and how the trail compares with Salkantay.
Inca Trail permit trackerHow permits workSalkantay vs Inca Trail
- Huayna Picchu
What the climb behind the citadel is really like, and how a place on it is booked.
- Cusco and the Sacred Valley
Where you adjust to the altitude, how long to stay, and why the valley makes a good base.
Two tools sit beside the guides: the availability checker for entry and Inca Trail dates, and the Rules Center, which holds every current rule and a dated record of each change.
How facts are checked
The rules come from official sources, and each rule names its own: Peru’s Ministry of Culture and its resolutions, and SERNANP for the Inca Trail network. Every rule carries the date we last checked it and a label saying how firm it is. Availability is shown as an observation, stamped with its source and the date we observed it, and a date we have not checked shows as unknown rather than as a guess.
Who runs it
MachuPicchu.com is operated by Highland Adventures Inc., which has planned complete Peru trips since 2006 and holds Florida Seller of Travel License ST37447. The trips advertised here are operated by Highland Adventures, and their itineraries, prices and booking are on highlandadventures.com. Questions about the site, or about a trip, reach our team through the contact page.