Your free audio walking tour of the Inca citadel, custom-built around your circuit, ticket type and pace. Tell us a story, theme, or vibe and your tour is ready in 30 seconds. Works offline at altitude, 9 voiced languages, 30 free minutes on signup.
Circuit 2: classic upper terraces, Sun Temple, Royal Tomb, Intihuatana, lower town.
Intipunku, the original Inca entrance. 1 hr up, 30 min back. First sun on the citadel.
The sharp peak. 400m up, narrow stone steps, 400 daily permits. Book 8 weeks ahead.
Terraces, drainage, ashlar masonry. How a stone city stands 600 years without mortar.
Sun Temple, Intihuatana stone, Temple of the Condor, Three Windows. Inca cosmology.
From Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate. The last 6 km of the 4-day classic trek.
The bigger, gentler peak opposite Huayna Picchu. 650m up, 3 hrs round-trip, fewer crowds.
The Inca Bridge, the lower town, the cemeteries. The corners tour groups miss.
Llamas on the terraces, sacred rocks, the easy Circuit 2 route. Skip the steep hikes.
July 1911. A Yale historian, a local farmer, a hidden city. Walk the rediscovery route.
Type a theme, an angle, a question - we'll build the walk in 30 seconds.
Local knowledge
The things you only learn after you've walked it.
01
Don't fly into Cusco (3,400m) and go straight to the citadel - you'll feel rough at altitude. Spend 2-3 nights in the Sacred Valley first (Urubamba or Ollantaytambo, 2,800m, much easier on the body). The citadel itself is lower (2,430m) but the bus to it leaves from Aguas Calientes pre-dawn.
02
Since 2024 the Park enforces strict one-way movement on numbered circuits. Pick the circuit when you book the ticket - you can't switch on arrival. Circuit 2 is the classic upper-town route most visitors want. Circuit 3 is shorter and lower. Circuit 4 is the longest with the most stops.
03
tuboleto.cultura.pe is the official Peruvian government site. Tickets are 152 PEN. Third-party resellers and "skip-the-line" agencies charge $60-100 for the same ticket. Book 4-6 weeks ahead for dry season, 2 weeks otherwise. Bring the passport you used to buy with - name must match.
04
The town is overpriced and uncharming but it puts you 25 minutes by bus from the gate. Catch the first bus at 05:30 and you're at the entrance for opening at 06:00 - the citadel is empty and the cloud forest is still misty. The day-trippers from Cusco arrive at 10:00.
05
The Park bans backpacks over 40×35×20cm, tripods, walking sticks (unless rubber-tipped for accessibility), drones, and food. Free luggage deposit at the entrance. Water bottle: yes. Sunscreen, hat, light layers: yes. A poncho or rain jacket year-round: yes - cloud forest is unpredictable.
06
There are no toilets inside the citadel. Last bathrooms are just outside the entrance gate - use them. Re-entry is allowed once with the same ticket within the validity hour. After that, you're done for the day.
How it works
Three things, in 30 seconds.
01
Any circuit, theme, or vibe. "Sun Gate hike", "Inca engineering", "Machu Picchu in 3 hours". iWander writes you the walk in 30 seconds.
02
Pachacuti, the cloud forest, the Inca masons, Hiram Bingham, the llamas on the terraces. Stories whispered as you cross the citadel.
03
What's this stone for? Why no mortar? How tall is Huayna Picchu? Point your camera, ask out loud, or type. Your guide answers in seconds.
Works offline at altitude · 9 voiced languages · 30 free minutes on signup
How to visit
Tickets, timings, transport - the practical stuff most pages bury.
TICKETS
Adult standard "Llaqta" entry is 152 PEN / ~$40 (2026). Huayna Picchu add-on +200 PEN; Machu Picchu Mountain +200 PEN. Buy on tuboleto.cultura.pe - the only official site. Third-party agencies charge $60-100 markups. Take the passport you booked with.
HOURS
Open daily including holidays. Entry is timed in 1-hour slots starting at 06:00. Re-entry once permitted within validity. The 06:00-07:00 slot is the quietest and coolest. Aim to arrive 20 minutes before your slot - the queue at the gate is real.
GETTING THERE
PeruRail and Inca Rail run from Cusco (Poroy) or Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (1.5-4 hrs, $80-200). From Aguas Calientes, the 25-minute bus to the gate costs $24 return; book the ticket the day before at the Consettur office. The walk from town to gate is 90 minutes, steep.
CIRCUITS
Six numbered circuits. Circuit 1 (upper terrace photo), Circuit 2 (classic upper + lower town - what most people mean by "Machu Picchu"), Circuit 3 (lower town only, shorter), Circuit 4 (full lower with Inca Bridge). You can't switch on the day - choose carefully.
GUIDES
Circuits 1 and 2 can be self-guided. Circuits 3 and 4, and the Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain hikes, officially require a licensed guide at the entrance. Group guides at the gate cost $25-35; iWander's audio walks complement rather than replace where guides are required.
SAVE MONEY
PeruRail Expedition and Inca Rail's Voyager are perfectly comfortable at half the price of the panoramic-window Vistadome or the Hiram Bingham luxury car. Book seats on the right side coming from Cusco (left going back) for the river view. Train tickets sell out 4-6 weeks ahead in dry season.
Questions
Practical info
Pair with
Download iWander to walk any circuit of the citadel, in your language, at your pace.
Get the iWander app30 free minutes on signup · Subscriptions from $10/mo · Cancel anytime
Updated 18 May 2026 by the iWander local team · Curated for accuracy