The train from Cusco to Machu Picchu is the practical option and one of the great short rides in South America. You trade a long bus-and-trek route for about 3.5 hours of track along the Urubamba.
Trains leave either from Poroy (just outside Cusco) or Ollantaytambo further down the valley; most peak-season services run from Ollantaytambo. The route drops out of the Andean plateau through the Sacred Valley and finishes in the cloud forest at Aguas Calientes, below the citadel itself.
Service tiers run from the standard Expedition at the budget end, up through the panoramic Vistadome, to the Hiram Bingham dining car with gourmet meals, live music and vintage Pullman interiors.
Book early. Through Peruways you get live schedules, every available service and bundling with Machu Picchu entry and the Consettur shuttle up to the gate. Trains sell out in high season; the Peruways checkout saves running between three operator sites.
