The Cusco-to-Machu Picchu rail journey remains one of the great scenic routes in South America. Peruways can put the whole chain together — Poroy or Ollantaytambo departures, PeruRail or Inca Rail, Vistadome or Hiram Bingham — so you board with the entry ticket already in hand.
From Cusco the track climbs the altiplano before dropping into the Sacred Valley; most travellers now join at Ollantaytambo (around 1h40 by road from Cusco) and skip the slower first leg. Either way you follow the Urubamba downstream through a deepening gorge, with Andean peaks closing in overhead.
Service levels vary: the Expedition and Voyager are the budget tier, the Vistadome adds panoramic windows, the 360° car has an open-air observation platform, and the Belmond Hiram Bingham tops the list with a dining car, bar and brunch service — the scenery, though, is identical.
Sit on the left heading down to Aguas Calientes and on the right coming back for the better river views. In the dry season (May to September) book several weeks ahead.
Peruways reserves train, Consettur bus and timed Machu Picchu entry together, so you don’t have to juggle three operators across two Peruvian websites.
