The Train to Machu Picchu

There is no road to Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of Machu Picchu, so for almost every visitor the journey there is by train, and it is a highlight in its own right. The line follows the Urubamba River down from the high Sacred Valley into a deep granite gorge, the landscape shifting from eucalyptus and farmland to cloud forest, with glimpses of snow peaks and Inca terraces along the way. Two companies run tourist trains. PeruRail offers the Expedition, its entry-level service with large windows; the Vistadome, with panoramic windows, a snack and some onboard entertainment; the Vistadome Observatory, which adds an open observation car; and the Belmond Hiram Bingham, a luxury Pullman-style train with dining cars, a bar, live music and an observation car, with fares to match. Inca Rail runs The Voyager, The 360 with an open-air observatory and First Class with a lounge, balcony and a three-course meal. Most trains run between Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley, and Aguas Calientes, a journey of roughly an hour and a half; services from the Cusco area take longer. In practice, Cusco departures are often bimodal: PeruRail runs a bus from its Wanchaq station, five minutes from the center, to a transfer point such as Ollantaytambo or Pachar, where you board the train, and from January to April this applies to all its Cusco frequencies; the Hiram Bingham bus goes to the Hotel Rio Sagrado. Inca Rail also runs bimodal options on selected services. Fares vary widely by class, time of day and season, from tens of US dollars each way for the basic services to many hundreds for the Hiram Bingham, and the best-timed trains sell out in high season, so book once you have your Machu Picchu ticket.

Planning the route: the easiest plan for most visitors is to go down from Cusco to the Sacred Valley, spend a night or two there to acclimatize, then take the train from Ollantaytambo, which has the most frequencies. Aim to arrive in Aguas Calientes the afternoon before your Machu Picchu entry, or at least ninety minutes to two hours before your slot if you are visiting on the day. The return can go back to Ollantaytambo for a valley night or straight through to Cusco by train and bus. Both companies limit luggage on the Machu Picchu route, typically to one bag of around eight kilograms per person, so leave your main suitcase at your Cusco or valley hotel; Inca Rail and PeruRail offer luggage storage in their stations.

Choosing a class: the Expedition and The Voyager are perfectly comfortable and the most affordable; the Vistadome and The 360 are worth the upgrade for the panoramic windows and observation cars, especially on the morning run down the gorge; the Hiram Bingham is a celebration in itself, with lunch on the way out and dinner on the way back, and includes the bus, entry and a guided visit in its package. Sit on the left side going down toward Aguas Calientes for the best river views, though both sides are scenic. A cheaper alternative that adventurous travelers use is the long road journey to Hidroelectrica followed by a walk of around ten kilometers along the tracks, but it adds many hours and is more exposed to landslides in the rainy season.

Disruptions: the single track through the gorge is vulnerable. Protests and strikes have stopped trains several times in recent years, landslides can close the line in the rainy season, and on 4 August 2026 a forest fire near kilometer 107 sent rocks onto the tracks and forced cancellations until it was safe. The companies run emergency trains when service resumes, and they usually rebook affected passengers. Buy travel insurance, keep a buffer day in your plans, follow the operators' service alerts, and consider booking trains and Machu Picchu tickets through the same agency if you want someone else to handle changes.