Strict ticket policy introduced at Machu Picchu

It’s the spectacular Incan citadel in the Andes Mountain range that’s on everyone’s travel bucket list, but access to Machu Picchu is becoming more strictly regulated.

New ticket rules were put in place starting January 1, 2019, limiting tourists to visiting at specifically scheduled times. Tickets are valid for up to four hours and re-entry is not usually allowed. Before, you booked for either a “morning” or “afternoon” slot.

It’s no great surprise – the Peruvian landmark regularly has hordes of visitors lining up to explore the Inca ruins and officials are trying their best to control the crowds.

Infrastructure issues

Machu Picchu and beyond: A pilgrimage to the Machu Picchu citadel is still a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but there are other Inca ruins around the Sacred Valley that are less crowded but as breathtaking.

Highlights: Some of the must-see sites include a sun temple, the sacred plaza and the "prison group," a labyrinth of narrow corridors and cells.

Temple of the Sun: It's believed that the Temple of the Sun, located at the highest point, was where important ceremonies and events were held.

Pisac: This colonial village is famous for its pre-Colombian agricultural terracing and a hilltop Inca fortress -- believed to have been an Inca bathhouse. (Ryan Somma/flickr/CC by 2.0)

Sunday market: Pisac is also known for its expansive weekend markets -- a great place to buy knitted alpaca wool clothing, ceramics and finely wrought silver.

Chinchero: Known locally as the "birthplace of the rainbow," Chinchero is another picturesque village in the Sacred Valley. (Ricardo Sanchez/flickr/CC by 2.0)

Chinchero's traditional textile: In the village center, guests can see how locals -- in traditional Andean dress -- use natural dyes to create stunning alpaca woolen items including shawls, blankets and tablecloths. (putneymark/Flickr/CC by SA 2.0)

Moray: Arguable the most fascinating Inca site, Moray's hilltop amphitheater is made of a series of descending concentric rings. Each level, experts believe, simulated a different altitude, allowing the Incas to experiment with different crops for their vast empire. (Bill Damon/Flickr/CC by 2.0)

Ollantaytambo: Ollantaytambo is home to two stunning Inca ruins, including a terraced fort.

Machu Picchu: Ollantaytambo is where most travelers from Cusco to Machu Picchu jump off the bus and on to the train. Its grid of cobbled streets is also the finest surviving example of Inca urban planning.

Sacred Valley's oldest hotel: Opened in 1925 and abutting the rail station, El Albergue remains an atmospheric place to stay, with its simple, traditional rooms and leafy grounds.

Pachamanca: The hotel's restaurant serves pachamanca, a pre-Colombian classic of Andean gastronomy, involving slowcooking various types of meat with potatoes, yams, broad beans and local herbs by burying them with stones heated in a fire.

Machu Picchu: It's a tourist magnet but this hauntingly beautiful Inca citadel fully lives up to the hype. Anyone with an appropriate ticket ahead of time, can hike up one of the two peaks -- Huayna Picchu and Mount Machu Picchu -- where classic shots of Machu Picchu are typically taken.

The Main Plaza: The terrace next to the Main Plaza in Machu Picchu offers great views of the site and Huayna Picchu.

An architectural wonder: The quality of the stonework has to be seen up close to be believed. Huge granite rocks with irregular natural edges and multiple corners lock together so snugly -- without mortar -- that not so much as a cigarette paper will fit between them.

Plan ahead: There are daily limits on visitors to the site, as well as some associated walks. Advance booking is crucial.

Getting lost: Many visitors hire a guide, but simply getting lost amid the buildings is also a great option, and an unpressured way to visit the main sights.

Still a mystery: Many, including Hiram Bingham, the American adventurer who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911, once believed it was a fortress. Today, the expert consensus is that it was a seasonal residence for the Inca rulers. But no one really knows.

200 stone structures: Machu Picchu is made up of roughly 200 stone structures, whose granite walls remain in good shape although the thatched roofs are long gone.

Not much has changed: Many locals still speak Quechua -- the language of the Incas. They grow corn, raise alpacas and weave brightly colored textiles much as their ancestors did before the violent arrival of the Spaniards five centuries ago.

Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas

Prev Next

In 2018, CNN Travel talked to Sarah Miginiac, general manager for South America at adventure company G Adventures – Miginiac spoke at last year’s World Tourism Day about overtourism at Machu Picchu.

Miginiac stressed that the main issue at the Incan landmark was too many people trying to gain access.

“There isn’t the infrastructure around it,” she said.

Travelers line up to visit Machu Picchu.

Officials hope the new ticketing system will control tourism at the ancient city, alleviate transport pressures and also encourage visitors to head to other Peruvian spots.

The price of tickets remains the same: for one adult, it’s 152 Peruvian Sol ($45).

Miginiac stressed that a lasting solution needed to be found to control tourism at Machu Picchu:

“[The government] definitely need to make sure that whatever solution is going to be found to access Machu Picchu is actually a solution that will enable growth for the future as well, and not only for the current amount of passengers,” said Miginiac.