Of the four daily services into Machu Picchu, three are worth comparing: PeruRail Vistadome, Inca Rail’s 360, and the Belmond Hiram Bingham. All three run the same 110 km of track down the Urubamba gorge; they differ in windows, menu and whether there’s an open observation car.
Peruways books all of them. Vistadome is the standard upgrade — panoramic windows on the sides and roof, Peruvian snack service and a textile show on the return leg. Inca Rail’s 360 adds an open-air viewing balcony between carriages, which earns its fee in the gorge.
At the top end, the Hiram Bingham is a four-course-lunch, blue-and-gold Pullman-style train that includes the citadel entry and the Consettur bus up. It’s a day-trip-in-one, and it’s priced accordingly.
Trains depart from either Poroy (3h20 to Aguas Calientes) or Ollantaytambo (1h40). Most travellers overnight in the valley and take the shorter Ollantaytambo leg.
Visit Peruways to compare schedules and book the train that fits the trip.
