Machu Picchu Pueblo station — in the town of Aguas Calientes at 2,040 metres in the Urubamba gorge — is the terminal for both train operators to Machu Picchu. It is the drop-off for every traveller who isn’t walking the Inca Trail.
The train journey in is one of the great scenic rail rides in South America, running from the Sacred Valley down the Urubamba gorge with cloud forest climbing both walls. From Ollantaytambo (most travellers board here) the ride is 90 minutes; from Cusco three and a half hours. PeruRail and Inca Rail both run the same corridor; classes range from budget Expedition and Voyager up to the panoramic Vistadome and 360, and the top-end Hiram Bingham.
From the station, the Consettur bus takes 25 minutes to the citadel gate — a continuous rotation from 5:30am to 15:30pm, no reserved seats. The Hiram Bingham Highway on foot is the alternative, 90 minutes up through cloud forest.
Book both legs — train and bus — at Peruways. We bundle them with the timed-entry citadel ticket.
