Machu Picchu, Peru, visitor limit raised to 5,600 per day, but fears of over-tourism

Machu Picchu is preparing to open its mountain trails to an additional 700 visitors a day from January as Cusco and Peru’s tourism industry rebounds from a challenging year.

The start of 2024 couldn’t have looked more different than 2023. Earlier this year, 5,000 tourists were trapped in the Inca tourist hub of Cusco after the country’s election descended into violent protests.

Another 800 wanderers were stranded at the start of the Inca Trail, the four-day trek that runs through the area.

The site of Peru’s top tourist attraction was closed for almost a month in early 2023 while tour operators negotiated to restart the trail.

Machu Picchu’s daily visitor limit is now being increased to 5,600 visitors per day to compensate for lost time and tourism revenue. But not all operators welcome the extra steps towards UNESCO’s fragile heritage.

“Tourism in Peru went through a difficult period and has recovered slowly this year, so I welcome all efforts by the authorities to attract more visitors to the country,” said Fernando Rodríguez, general manager in Peru for tour group Intrepid Travel.

“At the same time, overtourism has long been a problem at Machu Picchu and along the Inca Trail.”

The lifting of the visitor cap is seen as a slow lifting of conservation restrictions that were placed on the tourist attraction in 2019. Visitors were also restricted to four loop trails through the National Archaeological Park to protect the 600-year-old mountain kingdom.

Peru’s heritage authority has limited visitors to 3,200 online tickets per day and 1,000 visitors. Before this restriction, the UNESCO heritage site had more than 6,000 visitors a day, especially during peak hours.

Rodriguez says that while tourism has recovered in the tourist site, other parts of Peru have yet to see the crowds return.

“Tickets for the four runs at Machu Picchu are completely sold out for December,” says Rodriguez. “But there is still about 60 percent availability for the Inca Trail trek the other days of the year.”

Crowding is returning to pre-pandemic levels, especially during peak visitor hours at sunrise and sunset.

While efforts to revive the tourism industry are well-intentioned, Intrepid Country’s manager believes inbound tourism could be better spread across the Andes rather than focusing on the fragile UNESCO site.

Hikers can help the region and avoid the crowds by doing a little more research on alternative trails through the region — of which there are many, Rordiges says.

“Machu Picchu is beautiful, but there is so much more to explore in Peru,” he says.

“The Great Inca Route, which consists of ancient Inca trade routes crossing the Andes and each one as significant and special as its more famous counterpart, just doesn’t have the crowds.”

Off-peak visitors also help spread the load in the Andean tourism hub.

“Consider visiting during the off-seasons of March to April and September to November.”

These periods avoid the rainy season, but also the summer peak tourism levels.

“Not only does this offer a more enjoyable travel experience, but it also helps spread tourism revenue more evenly throughout the year, benefiting the local economy and combating over-tourism.”

Why is Machu Picchu famous?

Machu Picchu was included in the New 7 Wonders of the World as one of the most outstanding cultural monuments in the world to mark the millennium in 2000.

The “Lost City” of the Andes was abandoned in the 1600s during the Spanish conquest. The citadel was “rediscovered” by tourists only in 1911 and popularized the stories of the legend of “El Dorado” – a mythical forgotten city in the Andes.

Can you still walk Machu Picchu?

As of 2019, tourism to the Inca citadel at Machu Picchu is much more tightly regulated, meaning that tourists can no longer walk wherever they want. Instead, there are four circular paths that visitors must adhere to.

The site is still on the walking route of the Inca Trail and is a popular stop for hikers.

Why was Machu Picchu closed?

The site was closed on January 21 this year – stranding hundreds of tourists – amid ongoing civil unrest in Peru. President Pedro Castillo was ousted by Congress at the start of the year and jailed on conspiracy charges after a coup.

Is it safe to go to Peru right now?

Following violent protests in late 2022 and early 2023, foreign travel advisories were updated to avoid unnecessary travel to Peru. Sixty-six people were killed in clashes with the police. The strikes halted travel and tourism in early 2023.

While MFAT still advises visitors to avoid non-essential travel to Puno departments due to ongoing civil unrest, most of the protests have been resolved and tourism has returned to Cusco and Lima.

“Despite initial concerns about the first anniversary of the December 7th protest, there was only a minor turnout,” Rodriguez says.

MFAT’s general advice to New Zealanders traveling to Peru is to take out full travel insurance, including cover for adventure activities and air medical evacuation.

“The safety standards of some transport and tour operators may vary.”