Bots Blocked 210,000 Machu Picchu Tickets: What It Means for Your Trip
Bots Blocked 210,000 Machu Picchu Tickets: What It Means for Your Trip
On September 17, 2026, Peru's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism confirmed what many local guides had suspected for a while: eight agencies used bots to hoard 210,000 Machu Picchu tickets, leaving thousands of real travelers without a spot. If you're planning your trip, here's what happened — and more importantly, what changes for your own purchase.
What the Ministry found
According to an announcement by Minister Rogers Valencia, eight companies used automated systems to reserve tickets in bulk:
- Enjoy Machupicchu Travel E.I.R.L.
- Treppid S.A.C.
- Agencia de Viajes y Turismo Inca Path Peru E.I.R.L.
- Enjoy Cusco E.I.R.L.
- Tripscape Travel E.I.R.L.
- Quimbaya Tours
- South American Tours
- Cóndor Travel
Of those 210,000 blocked tickets, 62.9% (about 132,000) ended up canceled or left to expire unused — meaning they took up a spot no one else could claim, and were never actually used either. This isn't new: a March 2026 investigation had already found that five of these agencies averaged over 1,200 daily cancellations throughout 2025; Enjoy Machupicchu Travel alone racked up more than 202,000 canceled tickets that year, and Treppid topped 147,000.
How they did it
Machu Picchu's booking system allowed a ticket to sit "on hold" for up to 3 hours without completing the purchase. A bot can cycle through that system dozens of times a minute, holding entire dates and time slots — while a real traveler trying to buy manually simply found everything "sold out," even though those spots were never actually confirmed.
What changes now
The government has already scrapped temporary holds. The new system requires you to complete the purchase — user ID, date and time slot, and payment — within a maximum of 15 minutes, with no way to "hold" a spot while you decide. That makes it much harder for a bot to block tickets at scale, but it also means a real buyer needs to show up ready: date, circuit, and time slot decided before starting the purchase, because the system no longer forgives hesitation.
At the time of the announcement, the classic route had no availability until December — September, October and November 2026 were already fully booked.
What this means for your trip
If you're planning a Machu Picchu trip for the coming months, two things really change:
- The buying window is shorter and less forgiving. Even if your ideal date is available, you can't "think it over" for half an hour — everything needs to be decided before you enter the system.
- Real availability should now better reflect real demand. With less artificial blocking, spots that used to look "sold out" without actually being taken should start showing up — but on peak-season dates, competition for those spots is still real.
How to avoid missing out on a ticket
- Buy ahead of time — ideally 2 to 3 months in advance if you're traveling in high season (May through September).
- Decide your circuit before you buy (see our guide to circuits and prices) — don't leave it for the moment of purchase, since the system no longer gives you room to hesitate.
- Keep your passport or ID handy: the system now asks for the visitor's direct identification, not just a reservation number.
- Be wary of anyone offering "guaranteed" tickets outside the official channel — check our note on common scams in Cusco first.
Our commitment
Danfer Tours is not among the agencies named in this investigation. We buy our travelers' tickets through the official channel, for the exact date and circuit we've confirmed with you, and without holding spots we won't use — so you get your ticket without having to navigate the 15-minute window yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Which companies were named for using bots?
Eight: Enjoy Machupicchu Travel, Treppid, Inca Path Peru, Enjoy Cusco, Tripscape Travel, Quimbaya Tours, South American Tours, and Cóndor Travel.
How much time do I have now to buy my ticket?
A maximum of 15 minutes from starting the purchase to completing payment; the old up-to-3-hour temporary holds no longer exist.
Are there tickets available if I want to travel soon?
At the time of this report, September through November 2026 was fully booked on the classic route, with availability only starting in December. This can change, so it's worth checking the exact date when you buy.
How do I know my ticket won't get blocked again?
The new system no longer allows holding a spot without paying, which lowers the risk of artificial blocking — but booking ahead during high season is still important.
