The train is the standard way to Machu Picchu, and the segment doubles as the trip’s most scenic hour. Services run between Cusco (Poroy), Ollantaytambo, and Aguas Calientes along the Urubamba gorge.
Two operators share the route: PeruRail and Inca Rail. Both run multiple service tiers — from the backpacker-priced Expedition and Voyager up to the First Class and Belmond Hiram Bingham premium services. The Cusco-to-Aguas-Calientes run is roughly 3.5 to 4 hours; the Ollantaytambo-to-Aguas-Calientes leg is about 90 minutes and the more popular option.
In high season, book weeks ahead. All service tiers have oversized windows for the gorge views, but the panoramic Vistadome and Observatory services have glass roof panels — worth the upgrade if you’re going once.
At Aguas Calientes the train deposits you a few minutes’ walk from the bus stop, where the Consettur buses run the 25-minute switchback climb up to the citadel. Train and bus connect in sequence with no gap to speak of.
For bookings that pair train, bus, and entrance in one checkout, see Peruways — it handles both operators and both departure stations, so you can line the day up without juggling four websites.
The train isn’t just a transfer — it’s the only way into the Urubamba gorge, and it’s the part of the Machu Picchu day you’ll remember second after the citadel itself.
