At least 900 tourists were left stranded near Machu Picchu after protestors blocked the train tracks that lead to and from the ancient Inca city.
As a result of the chaos, the US Embassy has issued a travel warning, urging visitors to avoid the attraction until the conflict is resolved.
PeruRail, the Latin American country’s leading train operator, said service to and from the Word Wonder was suspended.
This service halt is a result of demonstrators covering the route in the mountainous Cusco region with rocks and logs.
The train company also stated ‘third parties’ had dug up part of its rail route, which slowed evacuation operations.
Locals have been in conflict with bus companies and authorities, arguing there is a lack of transparency in selecting bus operators for the popular tourist destination.
To visit Machu Picchu, people must take a 68-mile train ride from Cusco, which was the capital of the Inca Empire, to Aguas Calientes.
From Aguas Calientes, visitors typically take a bus to the entrance of the historic sanctuary.
A group of tourists waves while leaving on foot due to a protest by residents in Machu Picchu Pueblo, Peru, on September 16, 2025
The Tourism Minister, Desilu Leon, mentioned in a local radio interview that on Monday, 1,400 tourists were evacuated, while about 900 remained stuck in Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to the country’s top cultural site.
Tourists wait be evacuated from Ollantaytambo, Peru, due to a railway blockade, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025
To visit Machu Picchu (pictured), people must take a 68-mile train ride from Cusco, which was the capital of the Inca Empire, to Aguas Calientes
The protests began last week after the concession for Consettur, the bus company responsible for taking visitors from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu, expired.
Another company was granted permission to operate in its place, but protestors in Aguas Calientes hindered it from doing so, according to Reuters.
Protestors believe this was a disadvantage to local companies, which could have benefited from the tourism market.
Tourism Minister Desilu Leon revealed on a local radio broadcast that 1,400 stranded tourists at a train station were evacuated on Monday night.
This evacuation was possible when police momentarily cleared the tracks, though clashes with demonstrators led to injuries for 14 officers, reported AFP.
Approximately 900 people remain in Aguas Calientes, the closest town to the cultural site.
At least 900 tourists were left stranded in proximity to Machu Picchu as protestors obstructed the train tracks connecting to the ancient Inca city (pictured: police patrol along the tracks on Tuesday).
Tourism Minister Desilu Leon announced on a local radio station that 1,400 tourists, who were stranded at a train station, had been evacuated on Monday night (pictured: tourists stranded on Tuesday)
Those stuck in the town claimed authorities told them to trek several hours to catch a train or bus outside of the Machu Picchu region (pictured: tourists walking along the tracks on Tuesday)
Demonstrations erupted last week when the concession of Consettur, the bus company that ferries visitors from Aguas Calientes to the Machu Picchu entrance, ended (pictured: shuttle buses in Aquas Calientes)
Those stuck in the town claimed authorities told them to trek several hours to catch a train or bus outside of the Machu Picchu region.
‘In my case, I can’t do it because my wife is pregnant,’ Miguel Salas, from Chile, told AFP.
The US Embassy in Peru issued a travel advisory on Tuesday.
‘Local organizations are protesting changes regarding the bus service contract serving the route to the Machu Picchu site, including by placing objects on the rail line tracks connecting Ollantaytambo and Machupicchu Pueblo,’ the warning reads.
‘Demonstrations in Machu Picchu Pueblo are expected to continue. Rail and road traffic on routes leading to Machu Picchu may be disrupted without prior notice.’
The Embassy said tourists should seek reimbursement or reschedule their trips. They are also urged to consult with guides and ‘adjust plans accordingly.’
Leon said there is a meeting scheduled with local authorities and unions to address locals’ grievances.
About 1,200 Machu Picchu tourists had to be evacuated in January 2024 due to protests over a new ticket sales system (pictured: police on the tracks during a January 2024 protest)
This service halt is the result of demonstrators covering the route in the mountainous Cusco region with rocks and logs (pictured: a rock placed by rioters on the tracks in 2022)
About 1,200 Machu Picchu tourists had to be evacuated in January 2024 due to protests over a new ticket sales system.
Residents were worried the new system would benefit a single company over local businesses.
About year before that, the site was closed for a little less than a month during unrest over the impeachment of the president at the time, Pedro Castillo.
