TORONTO — New admission rules for visiting Machu Picchu, thought to have been pushed back to January 2018, will in fact take effect on the original July 1, 2017 start date, according to the latest update from Goway.

“As of July 1, there will be new admission rules for visiting the citadel,” says Goway. Ticket sales will be divided into a morning ticket (6 a.m. to 12 p.m.) and an afternoon ticket (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.). Morning entrance will remain the same at US$55 per person, with afternoon visit ticket prices sold at a reduced rate of $35 per person. This afternoon reduced rate is expected to be changed in 2018 to match the morning entrance cost, says Goway.

Goway also says that the first four months of these new procedures “will also see some leniency in application of the new regulations” as all invested parties adjust.

With the two distinct entrance periods, visitors will be permitted to stay up to four hours within the ruins. How this will be monitored is undecided. The situation, while gaining some form of structure, is still fluid, and fine tuning of the new procedures will be ongoing.

Goway says it does not foresee any major interruptions to travellers who have already booked a visit to Machu Picchu from July 1.

“The change is an attempt to manage crowding, easing the stress on the fragile ruins. It means a little more red tape, but with the greater good in mind, keeping Machu Picchu in great shape and accessible for future travellers. Authorities in Peru have been considering the change for some years, seeing it as both logical and ecofriendly,” says the tour operator.

For reservations and information about Goway’s individual and group tour programs to Machu Picchu and South America, visit Goway.com or call 1-800-387-8850.