The train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes is the last leg of most Machu Picchu trips. It covers about 1h30 along the Urubamba through a deepening gorge, with the Andes closing overhead and cloud forest replacing the altiplano scrub as the elevation drops.
PeruRail and Inca Rail run multiple daily departures. Service levels range from the budget Expedition and Voyager to the Vistadome (panoramic windows), the 360° observation car (open-air platform) and the Belmond Hiram Bingham (dining car, bar, brunch). The scenery is identical across all tiers — the premium is for seat width, meals and the glass roof.
Sit on the left on the way down and on the right coming back for the river views. Along the route you’ll pass small Quechua settlements, the hydroelectric plant at Km 104 (also the trailhead for the one-day Inca Trail), and the final approach into Aguas Calientes where the gorge narrows.
Peruways books the train, Consettur bus up from Aguas Calientes and timed Machu Picchu entry together, in a single booking reference. See Peruways for the current timetable.
Lock dates in six to eight weeks ahead for the dry season (May–September), especially around Inti Raymi in late June.
