on Sunday.
The first foreign visitors of this season came from the United States, France, Italy, China, Japan, and Brazil, joining domestic tourists as this iconic ancestral route reopened.
More than 200 tourists took part in the reopening.
The visitors began their hike from the Piscacucho sector (Kilometer 82)—the traditional starting point to Machu Picchu—amid an atmosphere of enthusiasm and expectation as they set out to explore one of the world’s most important cultural circuits.
The resumption of travel along the Inca Road Network follows the completion of comprehensive conservation, maintenance, and rehabilitation works carried out last February.
These efforts ensure appropriate conditions of safety, accessibility, as well as preservation of the cultural and natural heritage contained within this pre-Hispanic road system.
As part of the reopening ceremony, representatives of the DDC Cusco, official tour guides, visitors, and support staff took part in a traditional offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth).
This Andean ritual symbolizes gratitude and good omens for the start of activities on the Inca Road Network this year.
DDC Cusco Director Diego Pajares welcomed all visitors and officially declared the reopening of access to the Inka Road Network.
The archaeologist in charge of coordinating the Inka Road Network, Francisco Huarcaya, asked visitors to maintain responsible behavior during their time on the route.
He called on them to respect tourism-use regulations and actively contribute to protecting the natural environment and cultural heritage.
Visitors expressed their satisfaction and joy at experiencing the historic route and highlighted the Peruvian Culture sector’s commitment to keeping these paths safe, accessible, and in optimal condition.
Thus, the Ministry of Culture reaffirms its commitment to the conservation and sustainable management of the Inka Road Network to Machu Picchu, promoting responsible and safe cultural tourism in harmony with the ancestral traditions that comprise our identity.
