Peru: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu reopens to tourism amid festive atmosphere

11:12 | Cusco (Cusco region), Mar. 3.

More than 200 tourists, most of them foreigners from the United States, France, Italy, China, Japan, and Brazil, as well as Peruvians, were among the privileged visitors who experienced in a festive atmosphere the reopening to tourism of the Inca Trail Network leading to the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, in Cusco region.

The ancestral route reopened to visitors on Sunday, March 1, after maintenance and conservation work carried out by staff from the Decentralized Directorate of Culture in Cusco (DDC Cusco) was completed.

The visitors, who were welcomed with traditional dances and took part in an offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth), began their hike from the Piscacucho sector, at kilometer 82 of the Ollantaytambo–Machu Picchu railway line.

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is regarded as one of the eight best routes in the world for hiking enthusiasts from across the globe.

This distinction has been highlighted by the prestigious international travel and tourism publication Travel + Leisure, which ranks the trek as one of the eight best backpacking trips around the world.

In the article titled "The 8 Best Backpacking Trips Around the World," published in June 2023, Travel + Leisure places the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu at the top of its select list of the most beautiful and iconic backpacking routes worldwide.

Safety guaranteed

The cultural authority guarantees safety, accessibility, as well as cultural and natural heritage preservation.

However, visitors were urged to maintain responsible behavior during their stay along the route, respect tourism regulations, as well as actively contribute to the protection of the natural and cultural heritage.