There’s no road to Machu Picchu — you take a train. That constraint turns out to be a feature: the three-and-a-half hour ride from Cusco (or ninety minutes from Ollantaytambo) down the Urubamba gorge is one of the best scenic rail journeys in the Americas.
Two routes feed into Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of the ruins. From Cusco (Poroy station, when it’s running) you cross the altiplano before dropping into the Sacred Valley. From Ollantaytambo — the more common option these days — you skip the altiplano and follow the river straight down, saving around two hours.
Service levels on PeruRail and Inca Rail range from the budget Expedition and Voyager up to the Vistadome and 360° panoramic cars with glass roofs, and at the top the Belmond Hiram Bingham with dining car, bar and brunch service. The scenery is the same from all of them.
Book early for the dry season (May to September). Trains sell out, especially around the Inti Raymi festival in late June. Sit on the left going down and the right coming back for the better river views.
Peruways handles the whole chain — train, Consettur bus and Machu Picchu entry ticket — so you don’t juggle three bookings.
