What is the approximate elevation in meters of Machu Picchu?

Machu Picchu sits at an approximate elevation of 2,430 meters above sea level. The Inca citadel occupies a mountain ridge in Peru’s Eastern Cordillera, about 80 kilometers northwest of Cusco and above the Sacred Valley.

Its high setting helped create the dramatic landscape associated with the site, but Machu Picchu is lower than Cusco, which stands at roughly 3,400 meters. That difference gives the citadel a milder, more humid climate than the Inca capital. The surrounding region includes steep slopes, cloud forests, and the deep canyon of the Urubamba River.

The settlement was built during the fifteenth century, probably around 1450, and is often associated with the ruler Pachacuti. Archaeologists believe it may have served as a royal estate or sacred center, although no surviving Inca written record states its exact purpose. Modern research places its occupation roughly between 1420 and 1530.

A frequent mistake is confusing the elevation of the citadel with nearby mountain peaks or with Cusco. Machu Picchu Mountain rises above the ruins, while the broader Historic Sanctuary spans environments ranging from lower cloud forests to much higher Andean summits.