Machu Picchu sits high in the Peruvian Andes, the historic heart of the Inca world — so here you’ll hear two languages with deep roots: Spanish, the national language, and Quechua, the tongue of the Inca, still spoken throughout the highlands around Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
Spanish is what you’ll hear most, but Quechua is very much alive in the villages and markets of the region (Aymara, too, is spoken farther south in Peru). And because thousands of travelers from around the world pass through every day, English is widely spoken at Machu Picchu, in nearby Aguas Calientes and in Cusco — more so than almost anywhere else in the country. Every one of our guides is English-speaking.
For more on Peru’s languages, see our Languages of Peru guide.
A little Spanish is always welcome — and in the highlands, a word of Quechua will truly delight the locals:
Ready to walk in the footsteps of the Inca? Browse our Machu Picchu tours — with expert English-speaking guides every step of the way.
