If Machu Picchu is on your bucket list then take note, you can now only enter the ancient Inca citadel at a pre-booked time.
In a bid to help conserve the Andes-perched site, officials have introduced set entry timings, following the success of similar timed ticket trials last July.
Visitor numbers to the landmark in Peru’s sacred valley – one of the world’s most visited destinations – have been steadily growing in recent years with over four million visitors recorded in 2018, according to data from the country’s Tourism Ministry.
Last year, under pressure from Unesco, Peruvian authorities brought in measures to control the crowds of tourists by only allowing visitors access at set times – either a morning (6am-noon) or afternoon (noon-5.30pm) slot.
From January 1, the Cusco Office of the Ministry of Culture is limiting the number of visitors allowed to enter the Citadel each day by allocating an hourly slot on all tickets sold.
Tickets are now only available for specific entrance times starting from 6am. Each ticket will have a timestamp printed on it and no visitors will be permitted to enter the area earlier than assigned. Visitors can access the attraction for one hour from the allocated entry time.
The price of tickets remain unchanged at 152 Peruvian Sol (Dh167) for adults.
As well as conservation benefits, the changes are expected to help overcrowding at the entrance gates and to relieve pressure on public transport services where waiting periods during peak times can currently be over two hours long.
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