On Monday, 15 September 2025, some 900 tourists found themselves stuck on the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru, while 1,400 had to be evacuated. The incident occurred as the passenger train service was suspended following a protest.
According to rail service PeruRail, residents blocked the railway route leading to Aguas Calientes, the town closest to Machu Picchu, with rocks of various sizes and “third parties” excavated part of the rails, leaving the route temporarily unstable and thus inoperable.
Peru evacuated some 1,400 tourists overnight from the train station that serves the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, while about 900 others remained stranded Tuesday as protesters blocked the railway tracks, officials sayhttps://t.co/xTklS6JG5A pic.twitter.com/lim7hdyLlS
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 17, 2025
During a radio interview, Peru’s tourism minister, Desilu Leon, said 1,400 tourists had been evacuated on Monday evening, while 900 still remained in Aguas Calientes. In a statement, police said 14 agents were injured during a clash with local residents while temporarily unblocking the tracks in order to evacuate tourists.
On Tuesday evening, Oscar Luque, representative of the Ombudsman in Cusco, said in an interview with AFP that evacuations had resumed. Protests had been put on pause until Wednesday, 17 September, leaving all remaining tourists the opportunity to leave Aguas Calientes.
1,400 tourists evacuated as protests in #Peru blocking train to #MachuPicchu, one of the world's most iconic archaeological sites and a #UNESCO #WorldHeritageSite since 1983. pic.twitter.com/WzQnulJbtC
— ShanghaiEye🚀official (@ShanghaiEye) September 17, 2025
Protest by locals
The residents’ actions were inspired by a conflict with the authorities and bus companies in charge of the tourist buses carrying between Aguas Calientes and the citadel. Locals say there is a lack of transparency in the process of replacing tourist bus operator Consettur, whose concession expired a week earlier, thus leaving an opportunity for local businesses to step in. The so-called Machu Picchu Defence Front said in a statement on Sunday that they would continue to protest until a new local transport company started operations.
According to New7Wonders, a group highlighting global sites of major cultural heritage, an escalation of the conflict between the authorities and the local residents could harm Machu Picchu’s reputation. They have sent a letter to the Peruvian government addressing the matter.
Peru: Thousands of Tourists Stranded in Machu Picchu Amid Bus Drivers’ Protests
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 17, 2025
Around 1,300 people were trapped in the ancient city after 150 protesters blocked the railway line.
The demonstrators accuse the railway company of unfair competition and demand that buses be… pic.twitter.com/xXicUYkAvT
In recent years, the Peruvian authorities have been known to take a particular stance regarding the management of (over)tourism on Machu Picchu. While many tourist attractions and sites of cultural importance across the globe have been taking action to limit the harm done by overtourism, the daily visitor cap for the citadel has been increased since 2024 in order to boost tourism. Instead of the previous 3,600 and 3,800 visitors per day, the new daily visitor cap at Machu Picchu allows for up to 4,500 to 5,600 visitors per day.
