The National Institute of Culture’s (INC) office in Cuzco is planning to begin selling entrance tickets to Machu Picchu and other archeological sites on its website in an effort to improve services for tourists, state news agency Andina reported.
Tickets to Machu Picchu are currently available at three spots: the entrance to the Inca citadel; in the town of Aguas Calientes, which sites below the UNESCO World Heritage Site; and at INCs office in Cuzco.
INC previously said it was rationing entrance tickets to Machu Picchu to ensure the Inca citadel isn’t inundated by visitors after the site was reopened on April 1. Access to the site was closed in late January after heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides that damaged the railway into Aguas Calientes.
Repairs to parts of the railway between Aguas Calientes and Cuzco continue. Railway concessionaire Ferrocarril Transandino said Wednesday it expects to have finish the repairs by June 30, Andina reported.
Ferrocarril said it has now repaired the track between the Poroy station at Km 18 and the station in Ollantaytambo, located at Km 69. Nine teams are working on four points between Km 77 in Chilca and Piscacucho’s Km 82. The most severe damage to the line is located at Km 79.
Machu Picchu is Peru’s top tourist site, attracting more than 850,000 visitors in 2008.
