Machu Picchu: You can no longer travel through ruins without a tour guide
Also, since this month the Inca citadel and wonder of the modern world can only be visited in two schedules and for four hours.
As of July 1 2017, visits to the citadel of Machu Picchu that take place in groups of up to 20 people will have to count with the service of a tourist guide, according to a resolution of the Ministry of Culture that came into effect on Saturday the first of July.
“To enter the City of Machupicchu, visitors must carry the entrance ticket, their official identity document and must be accompanied by a tourist guide for the protection of their physical integrity, especially in places of risk,” indicates the document.
However, how much does Machu Picchu Guide cost?
Prices vary according to the company that provides the service. According to travel agents, currently group guided prices for the Citadel range from $10 to $15 by groups of more than six people.
You can also use private services ranging from $25 to $50 per person for groups of up to four people. In all cases, these prices are for one hour and a half to two hours. However, the standard requires that the guiding time should not be less than three hours.
“If a family of four wants to enter alone, it would have to pay for a guide,” Jorge Arrunátegui, Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Industries. He added that this new regulation seeks to improve the flow of tourists and information received by people who visit the wonder of the modern world.
Machu Picchu in double schedule
As well as the enforceability of the tour guide, the resolution establishes that the visits to the ruins can have a duration of four hours in the schedules of 06:00 a.m. to 12:00 PM and between 12:00 p.m. until 05:30 p.m. The price of tickets is as follows:
| Option | Foreign Adult (Soles) | National Adutl (Soles) |
| Machu Picchu City | 152 | 64 |
| Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu | 200 | 112 |
| Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain | 200 | 112 |
| Machu Picchu City Afternoon Schedule | 100 |
*Afternoon entrance is valid for all adults, regardless of whether they are foreign or national.
Also, people who want to enter the two schedules of the visit of the Citadel will have to buy two tickets to the Inca shrine. All these provisions will be evaluated in November, according to the Ministry of Culture.
Re-entry to Machu Picchu
Although the Decentralized Department of Culture of Cusco recently recalled that during the tour of the City of Machu Picchu is not allowed to re-enter the Inca citadel, Deputy Minister Arrunategui indicated that people who want to go to the toilets, which are outside the ruins, they can re-enter without any problem.
OPTIONAL GUIDES
The rule states that if a person enters both schedules during a day, having a guide is optional in the second entry. Also, if a person visits the ruins two days in a row, the second day will not need guidance.
