Inca Rail is the second operator on the Machu Picchu route, running the same Ollantaytambo-to-Aguas Calientes line as PeruRail but with a different fleet and service tier structure.
The three classes are Voyager (budget, air-conditioned, snack service), 360 (open-air viewing balcony between carriages — the differentiator), and First Class (full gourmet lunch, premium wine list). All leave from Ollantaytambo, with trip time of 1h40 to Aguas Calientes.
The route is the Urubamba gorge: narrow cloud-forest canyon with the river never far from the track, Veronica (5,682 m) on the ridge opposite. Inca Rail’s 360 is the one most photographers end up on for the open balcony.
Onboard entertainment on the return leg includes a textile-fashion show and a Peruvian-dance set. Both operators do this; it’s slightly more polished on Inca Rail First Class.
Book Inca Rail through Peruways, which bundles the train with the Consettur bus from Aguas Calientes and the citadel entry ticket.
