The train to Machu Picchu is a central part of the trip, not just the connection. The run through the Peruvian Andes is one of the better rail journeys in South America.
Services run from Cusco’s Poroy Station (seasonal, usually dry season) and from Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. The Ollantaytambo departure is roughly 1.5 hours; Poroy adds another two. Expect panoramic windows, the Urubamba river out one side and the valley walls out the other.
Rolling stock splits three ways. For a splurge, the Belmond Hiram Bingham runs 1920s-styled Pullman carriages with brunch, dinner and live music. Mid-range travellers pick PeruRail’s Vistadome or Inca Rail’s 360° for the panoramic ceilings. Budget travellers take the PeruRail Expedition or Inca Rail Voyager, which are perfectly comfortable for the price.
Keep the camera handy. The valley narrows as you descend, the vegetation shifts from Andean grass to cloud forest, and small Andean villages appear and disappear around each bend.
At Aguas Calientes you transfer to the Consettur bus for the 25-minute climb to the citadel. The first glimpse of the walls above the trees is a moment.
Lock the train in through Peruways — our page compares Vistadome, Expedition, 360° and Voyager side by side so you can match price and schedule in one go. The spectacular bit of the trip starts in Ollantaytambo.
