Ticket Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon (Route 3C) – Availability
View Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon availability calendar
LAST UPDATE 2025!
- MACHU PICCHU IS OPEN. There are now 10 types of ticket available. Visit the Inca city and live the best experience of your life. The ‘Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)’ ticket is open from June 19 to November 2.
- Admission tickets have limited availability. Make your purchase two to three months in advance. Otherwise you run the risk of not finding available tickets.
The ‘Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)’ ticket offers one of the lesser-known, yet most breathtaking, hiking routes to the Inca city. This ticket allows you to hike more than two kilometers along the slopes of Huayna Picchu Mountain to reach the mysterious Temple of the Moon (the Great Cave). It also includes a visit to Machu Picchu via Circuit 3, which explores the Inca structures in the lower part of the archaeological site. The ticket offers 200 spaces per day, divided into two admission groups (100 each).
How to check availability?
- First, choose the ticket type ‘Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)’ and the group of your preference.
- Choose the month and locate the day you want to visit Machu Picchu.
- Check the free spaces. For example, the number ’60’ means that there are still sixty tickets available. The ‘O’ means that all tickets are sold out.
- Found availability? Now just click and fill out the reservation form.
Live Availability ─ Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)
Note: The availability is shown in real-time and corresponds to the number of spaces available on the selected date. “0” means that there is no more space available.
- What is the experience like with the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) ticket?
- What are the entry groups and times for the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) ticket?
- Map of the route with the Machu Picchu Ticket + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)
- Ticket restrictions for Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)
- How to find ticket availability for Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)?
- Frequently asked questions about the availability of the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) ticket
What is the experience like with the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) ticket?
- The ‘Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)’ ticket is one of the new experiences offered by Machu Picchu, along with other hiking routes in the Inca city.
- The ticket allows you to visit Machu Picchu through Circuit 3, called the ‘Circuit of Royalty’ because it includes visits to important Inca temples and enclosures, such as the Temple of the Sun, the House of the Inca, the Sacred Rock, the Temple of the Condor, the Water Mirrors and the Sacred Fountains.
- Also, this ticket allows you to get a beautiful picture of Machu Picchu from the agricultural sector. This photo is similar to the photo you get from the sector of the Guardian’s House (the classic photo). The photo obtained from the agricultural sector has a flatter perspective and is closer to the beautiful landscape of Machupicchu.
- The most characteristic of this entrance is that it includes a visit to the Temple of the Moon, also called the Great Cavern of Machu Picchu. This little-known Inca temple is located on one of the back slopes of the Huayna Picchu mountain. Your hiking route there from Machupicchu is a little over 2 kilometers on trails close to the abundant flora and fauna of the Inca site.
- In the Temple of the Moon, the visitor will be next to a structure carved in stone in a natural cavern. For the Incas, the caverns communicated the world of the living (kai pacha) with the world of the dead (uku pacha).
- This ticket does not allow you to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu mountain. Only a route to one of its slopes (detour halfway) where the little-known Temple of the Moon (Great Cavern) is located. The entrance is allowed only for visitors over 18 years old.
- The ticket is only available during peak tourist season, from June 19th to November 2nd. Reservations can be made year-round, but only for one visit during those dates.
- The Temple of the Moon of Huayna Picchu used to be part of a route included in the ‘Machupicchu with Huayna Picchu’ ticket. However, today, the route is reopened as a route of its own. It is one of the best adventure experiences in Machu Picchu.
What are the entry groups and times for the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) ticket?
From 2024 this type of ticket will be opened. The new entrance hours to Machu Picchu and the route to the Temple of the Moon are divided into only two groups. All of them allow a time limit that must be respected by the tourist:
| Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cavern ticket groups (Route 3C) | Machu Picchu entrance time | Temple of the Moon entrance time | Approximate departure time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | From 6 a.m. to 6.30 a.m. | Until 8 a.m. | Until 12 am approx |
| Group 2 | From 9 am to 9.30 a.m. | Until 11 a.m. | Until 3 p.m. approx |
Machu Picchu Ticket + Temple of the Moon or Great Cavern (Route 3C) Group 1
- The first group allows you to enter the Inca City of Machu Picchu between 6 am to 6.30 am.
- The entrance to the checkpoint of the Temple of the Moon is maximum until 8 am.
Machu Picchu Ticket + Temple of the Moon or Great Cavern (Route 3C) Group 2
- The first group allows you to enter the Inca City of Machu Picchu between 9 am to 9.30 am.
- The entrance to the checkpoint of the Temple of the Moon is until 11 am at the latest.
Visit time for the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cavern (Route 3C) ticket!
With the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cavern (Route 3C) ticket, visitors can take a tour of the Machu Picchu archaeological site along Circuit 3 in approximately 1 hour. This time is sufficient to explore its main Inca structures: the Temple of the Sun, the House of the Inca, the Sacred Rock, the Temple of the Condor, etc. However, you must first hike to the Temple of the Moon, which allows a maximum of 4 hours. This is more than enough time to enjoy the best of this little-explored hike. This means visitors will have a little over five hours to enjoy the experience offered by this type of ticket to Machu Picchu.
Map of the route with the Machu Picchu Ticket + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)
Circuit 3 (Machupicchu Royalty) – Route 3-C: Great Cavern Route (available only in High Season)
Ticket restrictions for Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)
- Huayna Picchu is the most famous mountain in Machu Picchu. Its summit is located on the north side of the archaeological site. Almost at its base, but on the opposite side, there is a mysterious Inca construction made inside a cavern, so archaeologists named it ‘Great Cavern’ or simply ‘Temple of the Moon’.
- For many years the entrance to the Temple of the Moon was included in the ‘Machupicchu with Huayna Picchu’ ticket. However, due to the difficult access to this Inca construction from the top of the ‘Huayna’, the route was closed in about 2020.
- In 2024, after reorganizing the tourist routes in Machu Picchu, the new ticket ‘Temple of the Moon in Machu Picchu’ was created, which offers a safer hiking route to this Inca temple. The route does not access the top of Huayna Picchu, but a path through the lower part of approximately 2 hours one way and another 2 hours return.
- Only 200 people can enter daily to the route to the Temple of the Moon of Machu Picchu. One hundred visitors in the first schedule (from 6 am to 6.30 am) and another hundred people in the second schedule (from 9 am to 9.30 am).
- Visits to the Temple of the Moon are only available during peak tourist season, from June 19th to November 2nd each year. This Inca temple is not open outside of these periods.
- Admission is only allowed for visitors over 18 years old. At the Huayna Picchu checkpoint (the same for the route to Huchuy Picchu, Huayna Picchu, and the Temple of the Moon), visitors must show their identity card or passport proving their age.
- In case you add the service of a professional guide, the guide will only guide you through the Inca citadel. The maximum time of this service is one hour.
Does the ticket allow me to visit Huayna Picchu mountain?
The Temple of the Moon or Great Cave is located at the foot of Huayna Picchu Mountain. However, the ‘Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)’ ticket does not allow access to the summit of this mountain, which is accessed via a different route. The ticket allows access to the lower part of Huayna Picchu. The outward and return routes are the same. Similarly, visitors who chose the ‘Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu Mountain or Wayna Picchu (Route 3A)’ ticket will not be able to access the Temple of the Moon, as the route follows a different path.
Route map Temple of the Moon
How to find ticket availability for Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)?
The only way to find availability for this type of ticket is to reserve your entrance ticket online in advance. Remember that this temple is open only during the peak tourist season (June 19 to November 2). These are the approximate times for purchasing tickets online:
- During the low tourist season (November to March), reservations must be made 1 or 2 months in advance.
- During the peak tourist season (June to November) you should book 3 or 4 months in advance.
Can I hike to the Temple of the Moon?
To hike to Machu Picchu’s Temple of the Moon, you only need to be over 18 years old and purchase the ticket “Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cavern (Route 3C).” The hiking route is a little over 2 kilometers along uphill and downhill paths surrounded by beautiful vegetation. In some sections, there are frightening trails near ravines, but they are not a real danger if you walk carefully and with concentration. The outward section is the same as the return section. It is a little-explored route that takes 4 hours to complete round trip.
Photos Huayna Picchu
Frequently asked questions about the availability of the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) ticket
1) What to do if the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) ticket is not available?
If you do not find ticket availability you can wait for a space to become available (unlikely). The other option is to look for another date of visit that is available (or another entrance time).
2) Is the availability shown for the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) ticket the same as on all websites?
Yes, the availability shown on this website is the same as the availability on the Peruvian Ministry of Culture and all Machu Picchu ticket websites.
3) Is this type of ticket available 365 days a year?
This ticket can be purchased any day of the year, as it is purchased online. However, the hiking route to Machu Picchu’s Temple of the Moon is only available from June 19 to November 2.
4) Can I get this type of ticket if I purchase in Cusco?
The only way to get availability is to book online in advance. If you travel to Cusco a few days before visiting Machu Picchu, you will not find availability for the Temple of the Moon.
5) Can I buy the ticket Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) for next year?
In ‘Boleto Machu Picchu’ you can secure any type of ticket from one year to the next. It is recommended to purchase in advance because availability is limited.
6) What other adventure to choose if there is no availability for the Temple of the Moon?
If there is no availability for the Temple of the Moon ticket, you can choose other tourist options such as trekking to Machu Picchu Mountain, Huchuy Picchu, Inca Bridge, or Intipunku.
7) How to pay for this ticket online?
To book your Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) ticket, you must complete your tour information, fill out your personal details, and make the payment online with any Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, or PayPal credit or debit card.
8) What to do if this ticket is sold out?
If there is no availability for the date of your visit, it is recommended to look for another date or another type of ticket. The purchase is made in advance and online.
9) How many tickets are available for the Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C) entrance?
This type of ticket offers two hundred spaces per day divided into two entrance groups (one hundred people per shift).
10) How much time in advance to purchase this ticket to find availability?
It is recommended to purchase the ticket ‘Machu Picchu + Temple of the Moon or Great Cave (Route 3C)’ online through our website two to three months in advance.