Machu Picchu Adopts New, Stricter Ticket Policy

In an effort to limit tourists and control crowds, authorities at Machu Picchu, the fifteenth-century Inca citadel in southern Peru, have adopted new ticket rules for 2019.

The rules, which started on Jan. 1, require visits to choose among three daily time slots for their visit: early morning between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., morning between 9 a.m. and noon, and afternoon from noon to 3 p.m.

Entrance will be restricted to every full hour, according to the Peru Telegraph, meaning that early morning ticket holders will only be able to enter at 6 a.m., 7 a.m., and 8 a.m., per the time specified on their ticket. If someone bought a ticket for the 6 a.m. slot and they arrive after 8 a.m., it will no longer be valid.

To drive more people to visit during off-peak times — the morning and the afternoon — Machu Picchu will give those access to its on-site museum, with the afternoon guests also getting access to the Raqch’i archaeological site for free.

For years, Machu Picchu has suffered from a lack of infrastructure around it. UNESCO placed the site on its list of “World Heritage in Danger” in 2016, the year it first started its time entry system.