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Published Sep 9, 2026
The Cusco region, located in the Peruvian Andes, is one of South America's most prominent cultural and archaeological destinations. It is home to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and the historic city of Cusco. Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco continues to attract millions of visitors each year.
How many people visit Cusco each year?
Over 3 million tourists visit the Cusco region on average each year, excluding the pandemic period.
- Cusco recorded 3.74 million visitors in 2025, a 12% increase from the previous year.
- Cusco recorded 3.53 million visitor arrivals in 2019, marking the peak before the pandemic.
- Arrivals dropped to 1.02 million in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, a 71.1% decline from 2019.
- Visitation increased to 1.46 million in 2021, followed by a stronger recovery to 2.68 million in 2022.
- Tourist numbers declined slightly to 2.44 million in 2023 due to political unrest affecting travel early in the year.
- The region recorded 3.34 million visitors in 2024, reaching 94.6% of the 2019 level.
How many tourists visited Cusco in 2025?
- 3.74 million visited Cusco in 2025, representing a 12% increase from the previous year.
- This figure marked a 5.9% increase from the pre-pandemic year (2019).
How many tourists visited Cusco in 2024?
- Cusco welcomed 3.34 million visitors in 2024, marking a 36.9% surge from the previous year.
- The figure is still 5.4% below the pre-pandemic level of 2019.
Who visits Cusco the most?
- The United States is the leading source of international visitors to Cusco. 27% of total international visitors were from the USA in 2025.
- USA: 27% of total international visitors.
- Brazil: 8.0%.
- France: 5.1%.
- UK: 5.0%.
- Mexico: 4.6%.
International Visitors vs Domestic Visitors
- International visitors accounted for 69.4% of total visitors in 2025, while the remaining 30.6% were domestic.
- Before the pandemic, Peruvians made up 35.7% of visitors in 2019, while international tourists accounted for 64.3%.
- During the pandemic (2020-2021), the domestic share surpassed the international share.
When do tourists visit Cusco?
- July, August and September were the busiest months in Cusco in 2025, according to arrival data of Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco.
- July: 241,740 arrivals.
- August: 231,562 arrivals.
- September: 212,046 arrivals.
- October: 210,463 arrivals.
- May: 209,950 arrivals.
How popular is Cusco as a tourist destination?
- Travel + Leisure magazine's readers ranked Cusco as the #1 city in Central and South America in 2025, with a high score of 90.33 out of 100.
- Machu Picchu in Cusco was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
- Machu Picchu has won World's Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards multiple times (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025).
Where do people visit in the Cusco region?
- Machu Picchu: A stunning 15th-century Incan citadel nestled in the Andes Mountains. Approximately 1.54 million people visited Machu Picchu in 2025.
- Sacsayhuamán: A massive Incan fortress known for its impressive stone walls overlooking Cusco. The site recorded 944,008 visitors in 2025.
- Ollantaytambo: An ancient Incan town with well-preserved terraces and a fortress. The town welcomed 891,526 visitors in 2025.
- Moray: A unique Incan archaeological site featuring circular agricultural terraces. There were 773,916 visitors to this site in 2025.
- Pisac: A scenic Incan ruin with terraces and a vibrant artisan market. 560,578 visitors were recorded in the landmark in 2025.
Related Travel Statistics
How many people visit Machu Picchu?
- In 2025, Machu Picchu received 1.54 million visitors, a slight increase from the previous year.
- Machu Picchu welcomed 1.59 million visitors before the pandemic in 2019.
- However, the number of visitors dropped to 0.46 million in 2021 before rebounding to 1.04 million in 2022.
- The number of visitors again dropped by 8% to 0.96 million in 2023, due to political unrest in the country.
- The Incan citadel recorded 1.51 million visitors in 2024, a 57.3% increase from the previous year.
