The remote ridges and cloud forests of southern Peru are entering a new era. High above the Sacred Valley, bulldozers are carving out the plateau of Chinchero, where a long-promised international airport is taking shape. For future visitors, the Chinchero International Airport is billed as the missing link that will make journeys to Cusco and Machu Picchu faster and more convenient. For archaeologists, conservationists and many local communities, it is a project loaded with risk. As work advances, travelers planning a trip to Peru’s Andean heartland in the coming years will need to understand not only how the airport may reshape itineraries, but also what is at stake for one of the world’s most fragile cultural landscapes.
Where the Chinchero Airport Stands Today
Chinchero International Airport has been in discussion for decades, but it is only in recent years that work on the ground has accelerated. The project, located on a high plateau about 30 kilometers from Cusco and overlooking the Sacred Valley, is designed to become the main gateway for visitors heading to Cusco and onward to Machu Picchu. Peru’s government envisions it as a modern hub that will eventually replace the cramped Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport inside the city of Cusco, which is constrained by surrounding neighborhoods and mountain walls.
According to recent statements from Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications reported by national news agency Andina, construction at Chinchero passed the 30 percent mark in 2025, with the passenger terminal itself approaching one fifth completion. Officials currently project that the airport infrastructure will be finished around the end of 2026, though other reports suggest that full operations may not begin until 2027 or later, depending on testing, certifications and the pace of complementary road works. For travelers, this means that for at least the next couple of years, flights into the Cusco region will continue to use the existing airport within the city.
Even at this stage, however, the project is already influencing local dynamics. Perimeter fencing, access roads and utility works are reshaping the once-rural landscape around Chinchero. Cornfields and highland pastures have been partly replaced by construction sites and speculation about future hotels and services. While some locals welcome the prospect of jobs and new markets, others worry that the transformation is moving faster than any clear plan to manage its cultural and environmental impact.
How the New Airport Could Change Your Journey to Machu Picchu
For today’s visitor, reaching Machu Picchu typically involves a domestic flight to Cusco from Lima or another Peruvian city, followed by road and rail through the Sacred Valley. Chinchero International Airport is intended to streamline that process by handling more flights and, in time, more direct international arrivals from North and South America. The current design foresees a 25,000-square-meter terminal with dedicated areas for immigration, customs and baggage handling, which should significantly increase capacity compared to Cusco’s existing airport.
In practice, the changes for travelers will unfold gradually. In the early years after opening, the airport is expected to handle a mix of domestic and regional flights, easing congestion at both Cusco and Lima. Over time, if airlines commit, Chinchero could allow some visitors to fly directly from cities like Miami or Buenos Aires into the Cusco region, avoiding a separate domestic connection. That would reduce total travel time to the Sacred Valley and likely make short trips from North America more feasible.
On the ground, improved road links will be critical. Current plans include upgrades to the Pisaq–Calca–Urubamba–Ollantaytambo route and other regional infrastructure projects meant to connect the airport with the valley’s main towns. For visitors, that could mean faster transfers to Urubamba, Ollantaytambo and the train stations that feed Aguas Calientes, the base town below Machu Picchu. Tour operators are already sketching out future itineraries that route guests directly from Chinchero to valley lodges, reducing the time spent in Cusco itself.
Yet travelers should also prepare for a period of adjustment. In the first seasons after opening, construction works, changing traffic patterns and partial services could translate into delays and logistical confusion. Early adopters will need to build in extra buffer time, verify which airport their flights use, and be ready for an evolving ground-transport network between Chinchero, Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
Overtourism Fears and the Fragility of Machu Picchu
Behind the technical details of the new airport lies a larger question: how many visitors can Machu Picchu and its surrounding landscape reasonably handle. Before the pandemic, the Inca citadel was already receiving around 1.5 million visitors annually, with daily numbers far above the limits originally recommended by UNESCO experts. In recent years, Peru’s Ministry of Culture has formalized daily caps of roughly 4,500 visitors in low season and up to 5,600 in peak periods, using timed-entry tickets and one-way circuits through the ruins to try to reduce crowding.
Heritage specialists warn that the new airport could sharply increase demand. Some projections suggest that Chinchero, once fully operational, could accommodate up to eight million passengers a year, potentially driving a dramatic rise in arrivals to the region. Conservation groups and researchers interviewed by international media describe a scenario in which more flights and cheaper, faster connections bring a wave of new visitors to a site whose trails, terraces and drainage systems are already under strain from foot traffic and heavy seasonal rains.
The village of Aguas Calientes, officially Machu Picchu Pueblo, is another pressure point. Wedged into a narrow valley of the Urubamba River, the town has grown rapidly with hotels, hostels and restaurants clinging to every available ledge. Reports in recent years have highlighted complaints about high prices, waste management issues and overdevelopment. If the airport accelerates arrivals without parallel investment in basic services and planning, the most visible changes from a visitor’s perspective may be in this crowded gateway town long before anything is apparent in the sanctuary itself.
Peruvian authorities argue that they are tightening controls, updating regulations for visitor flows and investing more in site monitoring to handle increased numbers. A heritage impact assessment for the Chinchero project, requested by UNESCO, has identified dozens of potential impacts and proposed a suite of mitigation measures, from stricter land-use planning to improved water management. How effectively those measures are implemented will matter not only for the future of Machu Picchu, but also for the quality of experience that travelers encounter in the years ahead.
Cultural Landscape at Risk: Chinchero, the Sacred Valley and the Qhapaq Ñan
The debate around the new airport is not only about Machu Picchu itself, but also about the broader Andean cultural landscape. Chinchero is an ancient highland town with its own Inca terraces, colonial church and weaving traditions. The plateau being reshaped for the runway was once a patchwork of fields and wetlands that formed part of a living agricultural system. Anthropologists and environmental scientists have warned that earthmoving and construction could dry up springs and disrupt traditional irrigation networks that feed lakes and wetlands in the region.
The Sacred Valley below, stretching through towns like Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, is dense with archaeological sites, some well-known and others only partially studied. It is also traversed by sections of the Qhapaq Ñan, the vast Inca road system that is itself a World Heritage property. Conservation organizations point out that increased air traffic, road building and urban sprawl could erode or fragment this network of terraces, shrines, routes and agricultural plots, much of which still underpins local livelihoods and spiritual practices.
Urbanization is already visible in parts of the valley, where once-rural communities are dotted with new hotels, second homes and tourist services. Critics argue that the promise of airport-driven prosperity risks encouraging unregulated construction on steep slopes and flood-prone land, exposing residents to greater risks from landslides and extreme weather. Without clear zoning, enforcement and long-term planning, they say, the very scenery that draws travelers to the Sacred Valley could be altered beyond recognition.
For visitors, understanding this context adds depth to a trip. A walk among the terraces of Chinchero or the narrow alleys of Ollantaytambo is not only a prelude to Machu Picchu, but part of a continuous cultural and ecological system. As the airport advances, travelers can pay attention to how communities are negotiating these changes and choose experiences that respect the layered history of the region rather than reducing it to a photo stop on the way to a single iconic site.
Local Communities, Indigenous Rights and Who Benefits
One of the sharpest questions surrounding Chinchero International Airport is who will gain and who may lose as the project moves forward. Some local residents, particularly those who have sold land or secured work on construction crews, see the airport as a source of income and opportunity. Regional authorities emphasize the potential for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in hospitality, transport and services, and argue that better connectivity could open export markets for highland agricultural products and crafts.
At the same time, Indigenous organizations and community leaders have voiced concerns about land rights, consultation and long-term displacement. Critics say that compensation for expropriated farmland has not always reflected future land values, and that economic benefits may concentrate in larger businesses rather than small-scale farmers or artisan cooperatives. There are fears that rising property prices and speculation could push traditional families away from ancestral lands, altering the social fabric of Chinchero and neighboring communities.
Another concern is access to the region’s own heritage. As ticket prices rise and demand surges, there is a risk that Machu Picchu and other sites become increasingly inaccessible to local residents, who may find themselves hosting international visitors to places that they can no longer afford to visit. Advocacy groups are pressing for policies that ensure local access, representation in tourism decision-making and respect for spiritual practices connected to mountains, water sources and archaeological sites.
Travelers can play a role, however modest, in shaping outcomes. Choosing locally owned lodges and tour operators, supporting community-based tourism initiatives and learning about Indigenous perspectives on the landscape can help direct spending toward those most affected by change. Asking questions about who benefits from new infrastructure, and listening to a range of local voices, can turn a trip into an opportunity for more balanced exchange rather than a one-sided extraction of experiences.
What This Means for Your Future Trip Planning
For anyone planning to visit Cusco and Machu Picchu in the next few years, the key point is that, as of mid-2020s, Chinchero International Airport is still under construction. You will almost certainly fly into Cusco’s existing airport and continue overland into the Sacred Valley. That said, the ripple effects of the new project are already shaping how tourism in the region is discussed and designed, and that is likely to influence your experience even before the first commercial plane lands at Chinchero.
First, expect ongoing refinement of visitor regulations at Machu Picchu. Authorities are working on updated rules for circuits, time slots and daily capacity, and those may evolve as they attempt to balance preservation with revenue needs and growing demand. Booking far in advance, traveling in shoulder seasons and remaining flexible about exact visiting hours will become increasingly important strategies for securing entry while avoiding the heaviest crowds.
Second, consider broadening your itinerary. Peru’s cultural officials and many tour operators are actively encouraging visitors to explore alternative sites such as Choquequirao, lesser-known Inca ruins around Cusco, and nature reserves in the Amazonian foothills. Diversifying your route not only reduces pressure on Machu Picchu, but often leads to more tranquil, in-depth encounters with landscapes and communities that receive far fewer tour groups.
Finally, stay alert to changes on the ground. As Chinchero approaches completion, airlines, governments and local businesses will adjust schedules, routes and marketing. Travel media may advertise the new airport as a shortcut to Peru’s greatest hits. Before you book, verify which airport your flights use, how transfers to the Sacred Valley are organized, and what new rules may be in place at key sites. Building in extra time for acclimatization at altitude, and not rushing straight from a long-haul flight to a high-altitude trek, will remain essential regardless of how convenient the new connections become.
Traveling Responsibly in a Transforming Destination
As Peru writes this new chapter in its tourism story, visitors hold more responsibility than ever. The opening of Chinchero International Airport, whenever it comes, will mark a turning point for access to Cusco and Machu Picchu. It could enable more inclusive, better-distributed tourism that lifts rural economies and funds conservation, or it could amplify existing problems of overcrowding, inequality and environmental stress.
Responsible travel in this context starts with informed choices. Seek out up-to-date information about regulations at Machu Picchu, talk with guides about the changes they are seeing, and take seriously the rules designed to protect fragile stonework and steep, erosion-prone paths. Resist temptations to step off marked circuits for a better photograph or to pressure staff for access beyond what your ticket permits. Small actions add up, especially when repeated by thousands of visitors each day.
It also means looking beyond the postcard view of the citadel. Spend time in Chinchero’s weaving cooperatives, Ollantaytambo’s living Inca streets and smaller archaeological sites that rarely make headlines. Learn how water scarcity, climate change and rapid urban growth intersect with tourism to shape local futures. Supporting organizations and businesses that invest in community welfare and conservation, rather than simply exploiting a boom, contributes to a more resilient tourism model.
The allure of Machu Picchu and the Andean highlands is as strong as ever, and improved access will only increase its pull. As the runways at Chinchero lengthen and terminals rise, the question is not whether more travelers will come, but how they will move through this landscape and what they will leave behind. Approaching your journey with curiosity, patience and a sense of shared stewardship can help ensure that this new chapter for Peruvian tourism honors both the people who call the Sacred Valley home and the ancient stones that have watched centuries of change.