Ollantaytambo station is the main embarkation point for Machu Picchu trains. The station sits at 2,792 metres in the Sacred Valley, 10 minutes’ walk from the Inca fortress above the town.
Architecturally, the station is modest — a long stone platform, a small ticket hall, a cafe. What makes it work is the siting: the Urubamba River runs behind it, the Veronica glacier (5,682 m) fills the sky, and the Inca ruins climb the hillside above the town. Even the wait is scenic.
Trains to Aguas Calientes leave 4-6 times a day in each direction, operated by PeruRail (Expedition, Vistadome, Hiram Bingham) and Inca Rail (Voyager, 360, First Class). Trip time is 1h40 — short enough that most travellers prefer Ollantaytambo to the longer Poroy departure outside Cusco.
The town itself is worth a half-day before you catch the train. The fortress above was Pachacuti’s royal estate, the site of Manco Inca’s 1537 victory against the Spanish cavalry. Below, the original Inca street grid is still in daily use.
To streamline the full chain — Cusco transfer, train, Consettur bus, citadel entry — book through Peruways.
Ollantaytambo station is the practical start of the Machu Picchu trip. Travel in, overnight here, take the morning train down the gorge.
