Tourist Transport Dispute Strands 1,400 at Machu Picchu

Fri Dec 05 2025 10:48:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A conflict over the bus services to Machu Picchu, Peru's iconic site, leaves many tourists stranded as a legal battle unfolds between local transport companies.

The recent turmoil surrounding bus services to Machu Picchu has led to over 1,400 tourists being stranded. The ongoing dispute involves the bus company Consettur, which has faced competition from a new rival, raising concerns about transport access to the famous Inca site. Local authorities are under pressure to ensure that tourist transportation remains efficient amid the bidding controversies that threaten travel plans.

Machu Picchu, the remains of a 15th Century Inca city, is Peru's most popular tourist destination, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Yet a continuing dispute over the buses that take visitors up to the mountain-top site recently saw some 1,400 stranded tourists needing to be evacuated.

Cristian Alberto Caballero Chacón is head of operations for bus company Consettur, which for the past 30 years has transported some 4,500 people every day to Machu Picchu from the local town of Aguas Calientes.

It is a 20-minute journey, and the only alternative is an arduous, steep, two-hour walk. He admits that in the past few months, there have been some conflicts between people from different communities here. This conflict revolves around Consettur losing its licence to a rival bus firm in this remote part of Peru, where, unless you want to hike over Andes mountains, the only access is by public transport.

To get to Machu Picchu without walking, tourists must first take a train to Aguas Calientes, which takes from two to three and a half hours. And then transfer to a bus for the final leg.

Back in September, local protestors angry that Consettur was being replaced following what they saw as an insufficiently open bidding process, blocked the railway line to Aguas Calientes with rocks. This resulted in Peruvian authorities having to clear the tracks and evacuate tourists on special train services.

Although Consettur's licence ran out in September, it is continuing to run its buses. And due to legal challenges, San Antonio de Torontoy has yet to start. It's a complex situation, involving people from different local communities wanting a slice of the bus income, but Mr. Caballero is adamant that Consettur is not a monopoly.

The mayor of Aguas Calientes, Elvis La Torre, is also unhappy about the entry tickets, because he says that most of the revenues do not stay locally. He wants more money to go to his community and the surrounding region to help improve tourism and fund more projects to help the locals.

As the row and legal dispute over the buses rumbles on, tourists voice concerns over the cost not only of getting to Aguas Calientes by train, but also for entry to the iconic site. A complex backdrop of local ambitions, ticket sales, and public transport struggles highlight the ongoing challenges at this world-renowned destination.