Machu Picchu Circuits in 2026: Which is the best?

Last updated on December 12th, 2025

Struggling to decide between the Machu Picchu circuits? We’re sharing details about all 10 options, plus which we think is the best.

One of the toughest decisions to make when visiting Machu Picchu is which circuit to choose. As of June 2024, Machu Picchu has 3 total circuits, with 10 different route options. And each one offers a different experience! Some boast iconic views, while some take you deeper into the citadel, and others lead you high up to see the ruins from above.

After spending two days at Machu Picchu, we were able to experience most of the circuits offered. And in this guide we’re sharing about all of the NEW Machu Picchu Circuits, so you can choose which is best for you!

About the Machu Picchu Circuits

In order to reduce congestion and preserve the ruins, Machu Picchu is organized into 3 different circuits, with 10 total route options.

When buying your tickets, you will be required to choose a circuit and route. And once inside, you are ONLY allowed to follow your designated circuit. These circuits are all one-way and marked by ropes, which means you must stick to the path and go in the allowed direction. Backtracking is not allowed!

There is no circuit that visits everything in the ruins, so you will have to decide what areas are the most important for you to see. But the good news is, you can choose multiple Machu Picchu circuits. So if there isn’t one circuit that fits all of your needs, you can also do others. However, the downside is you have to exit and re-enter between your circuits AND it will cost extra to do it this way. And the tickets aren’t cheap!

While this circuit system may seem a bit frustrating, daunting, or confusing, after our visit to Machu Picchu in September 2024, we can see why it is needed. Machu Picchu is the most visited attraction in Peru and if everyone had freedom to explore, some areas would be extremely busy and the amount of traffic could do damage to the site.

So what are your choices for Machu Picchu Circuits? Let’s dive in!

Looking for more information about visiting Machu Picchu? In this detailed guide we share everything to know, including how to buy tickets, what you can and cannot bring, and helpful tips!

Circuit 1 (Panoramic Circuit)

Circuit 1, known as the Panoramic Circuit, is a popular choice because it includes a visit to the classic postcard spot of Machu Picchu from the Guardian’s House. This circuit does not take you into the ruins, it mostly only provides higher up views of the complex from near the Guardian’s House.

There are 4 options to choose from in this circuit, which take you to different popular sites on this side of the site. 

Route 1-A: Machu Picchu Mountain Route

Machu Picchu is home to three different mountain peaks you can hike. And this route not only takes you to the upper platforms for the classic photo, but also up Machu Picchu Mountain. This is the highest point of the Inca city and offers sweeping views of the ruins and surrounding area!

However, it’s pretty tough! The hike to the top of Machu Picchu Mountain is over 3.2 km (2 miles) round trip with almost 610 meters (2,000 feet) of elevation gain. 

Access to this hike is limited to 400 visitors per day and the hike entry windows are 7 AM and 9 AM, but you can enter Machu Picchu one hour before this to visit the upper platform and snap photos.

Machu Picchu Mountain vs. Wayna Picchu: After researching both options extensively, we opted to hike Wayna Picchu, which we will share more about in a bit. And this was because Circuit 3 offers more than Circuit 1, plus the view from Wayna Picchu (in our opinion) is more interesting, plus the steps and tunnel along the way make it extra fun.

Route 1-B: Upper Terrace Route

The Upper Terrace Route is the most basic route within Circuit 1. It only includes the upper terrace viewpoint, which is where the most iconic photos are taken from. From here you’ll be able to see popular landmarks, like the Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Plaza, and more, but you won’t be able to visit them.

Our thoughts? If getting the classic Machu Picchu photo is your top priority, this is a good choice. But only if you combine it with another circuit that takes you down into the ruins. Otherwise, you’re missing out on a lot. Plus, if like us, you get to the iconic viewpoint and it’s completely foggy, you will basically see nothing at Machu Picchu.

Route 1-C: Intipunku Gateway Route

The third option within Circuit 1 takes you to the Intipunku or Sun Gate, which was the original entrance to Machu Picchu in the Inca era. It’s a 3.5 km (2.2 mile) round trip hike and takes about 2 hours.

Note: This route is only available in the high season, from June 1 to October 15, plus December 30 and 31. And you can only enter at 8, 9, 10, or 11 AM.

Route 1-D: Inka Bridge Route

Lastly, Route 1-D takes you to a viewpoint of the Inka Bridge. This bridge was a defensive position for the Inca and from the viewpoint you have spectacular views of mountains in the distance. It’s important to know that you cannot walk on the bridge, you just view it from afar. We were able to visit this during our time in Machu Picchu and it’s a neat quick stop.

Note: This route is only available in the high season, from June 1 to October 15, plus December 30 and 31.

Circuit 2 (Classic Circuit)

Circuit 2 is referred to as the Classic Circuit. With this ticket, you’ll still get the classic postcard view, just from a little bit lower. But what makes this circuit even better than Circuit 1 is that you’ll actually get to walk through the ruins! While you don’t get to visit all areas of the ruins, you will get to visit the perimeter of the lower terrace.

There are two routes within this circuit and they are almost identical.

Route 2-A: Classic Designed Route

The Classic Designed Route takes you through the urban and religious areas of the ruins. Along the way you’ll see the Temple of the Sun, Main Temple, Temple of the Condor, and more. 

Route 2-B: Lower Terrace Route

The Lower Terrace Route is very similar to the Classic Route, but gives you an additional viewpoint slightly higher. And takes you through a few less buildings in the lower area.

Circuit 3 (Royalty Circuit)

The final circuit is known as the Royalty Circuit and walks you through the royal buildings of Machu Picchu. On this circuit, you will explore the bottom part of the lower region of Machu Picchu. It overlaps a tiny bit with Circuit 2, but takes you more within the lower ruins. 

And while it does not include the “iconic” view, after experiencing this circuit ourselves we can confirm that you still have an amazing view of Machu Picchu, just from lower down. The photo above shows what view you can expect to have along this circuit!

Route 3-A: Wayna Picchu Mountain Route

Another epic mountain to hike at Machu Picchu is Wayna Picchu, also spelled as Huayna Picchu. When looking at the site from the classic view of Machu Picchu, Wayna Picchu is the tall mountain in the background. 

Climbing Wayna Picchu is a challenging hike, with tons of steps. It basically feels like a giant stairmaster! Once at the top, there is a very small summit area, with a rock people like to lay on for photos. We suggest continuing on and going down a bit lower for a more open viewpoint. From here, you will have an incredible high up view of Machu Picchu.

On the way down, you will mostly follow the same trail you took up, minus a couple sections. Our favorite part of the hike down was a dark tunnel through the rocks!

Route 3-B: Designed Royal Route

The Designed Royal Route only includes the lower part of the complex which includes the Temple of the Sun, Sacred Rock, Condor Temple, and more. If you want to experience a lot of the history and architecture of Machu Picchu, this route is extremely interesting.

Our thoughts? If you had to choose between Circuit 2 and this route, we’d choose Circuit 2. The bottom part overlaps and Circuit 2 gives you access to the upper terraces as well.

Route 3-C: Great Cavern Route

Your third option for Circuit 3 is the Great Cavern Route, which is one of the least visited areas of Machu Picchu. This includes everything that Route 3-B offers, but with the addition of the Great Cavern or Temple of the Moon, which is a temple inside Wayna Picchu Mountain. 

However, it is important to know that you get to the Great Cavern on a different route than Wayna Picchu, so you will not summit Wayna Picchu on this route. There is someone checking tickets at the Great Cavern and Wayna Picchu junction to ensure people follow their ticketed route. 

Note: This route is only available in the high season, from June 1 to October 15, plus December 30 and 31. 

Route 3-D: Huchuy Picchu Route

The last option is the Huchuy Picchu Route. This includes everything that Route 3-B offers, plus a hike up Huchuy Picchu, which is the shortest of the 3 mountains at Machu Picchu. 

The trail is much shorter and doesn’t have nearly as much elevation. So if you want to get a higher up view of Machu Picchu without having to climb too much, then this is a great option. 

Note: This route is only available in the high season, from June 1 to October 15, plus December 30 and 31. There are limits on how many people can hike it and it’s only accessible at 10 AM and 12 PM, but you can enter Machu Picchu an hour before this.

Which Machu Picchu Circuit is the best?

Our experience was a bit unique, as we bought tickets before they switched to these new Machu Picchu circuits. The tickets for our first day included Circuit 1 or Circuit 2, plus Inka Bridge all in one. Despite this exact route no longer being offered, they still honored these tickets. Combine that with having Circuit 3-A (Wayna Picchu) tickets our second day and we essentially got to see all of Machu Picchu, minus some of the extra hikes.

Because of this, we have a pretty good idea of which circuits are the “best.” And in our opinion, if we could only pick two circuits we would pick Circuit 2 (either route is great!) AND Circuit 3-A (Wayna Picchu). 

These routes will give you access to almost all of the main citadel, plus high up views from Wayna Picchu!

But if you can only choose one, Circuit 2 (either route) is the best overall circuit at Machu Picchu. It takes you through the majority of the ruins and has the more iconic, higher up view, unlike Circuit 3.

Frequently Asked Questions about Machu Picchu Circuits

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