Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO. Machu Picchu ( Quechua : Machu Pikchu , "Old Peak", pronounced [ˈmɑtʃu ˈpiktʃu] ) is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 metres (8,000 ft) above sea level. [ 1 ] It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru , which