The Train to Machu Picchu
Which train to choose for Machu Picchu?
PeruRail and IncaRail are the two companies that have trains to Machu Picchu.
So, you’re taking the train to Machu Picchu, but you aren’t sure which to choose?
This blog has everything you need to know about the trains to Machu Picchu!
Here are some of the most common questions people ask me about the train to Machu Picchu. Read through to the end for my honest assessment of if the Vistadome train is worth the extra cost.
An IncaRail train goes by the Salapunku Inca archeological site on the way to Machu Picchu.
Here’s what you need to know about the train to Machu Picchu.
Does the train go directly to Machu Picchu?
No. The train will take you to Aguas Calientes, the town directly below Machu Picchu. A few years ago, the hotels and other businesses in Aguas Calientes tried to rebrand the town as “Machu Picchu Pueblo” to make it sound like you’re right at Machu Picchu. From some spots in town, you can see Machu Picchu, but to actually get to Machu Picchu you have to take a shuttle bus from town 20 minutes up to the archeological site.
What is the llaqta de Machu Picchu?
When you’re buying Machu Picchu tickets, they are for the archeological site, called the citadel or llaqta de Machu Picchu. In Quechua, llaqta means town, but it doesn’t refer to the town of Aguas Calientes aka Machu Picchu Pueblo. Download my app for step-by-step instructions for buying Machu Picchu tickets.
Tourists are prohibited along the train tracks, unless you have authorization like I did.
Why take the train to Machu Picchu?
There is no road to Aguas Calientes because the river valley is so narrow. In many places there is barely room for one set of train tracks and there is no way to put something as wide as a road for cars along the river. There are only three ways to get to Aguas Calientes: take the train, hike the Inca Trail, or walk the train tracks from Santa Teresa. You are not allowed to walk the train tracks from Ollantaytambo for safety reasons and even walking from Santa Teresa is iffy (though I’ve done it).
Seriously, don’t walk the train tracks
Just because I’ve done it, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Walking on the train tracks really can be dangerous.
Where to take the train to Machu Picchu?
Most travelers take a van or bus from Cusco to the town of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, then take the train to Aguas Calientes. You can also take the train from Poroy, about 20 minutes from Cusco. The train to Ollantaytambo is almost always slower than driving, so only take the train from Cusco or Poroy if you really love riding on a train. Another reason to take the train is if driving in Peru makes you nervous, which I totally understand. Driving here is very different from driving in North America or Europe.
Landslides also impact the train tracks between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes.
Why does the train not depart from Cusco between January and April?
There are two reasons trains don’t depart from Cusco between January and April: more rain and less demand. The rainy season in Cusco starts in November but it’s January through March when the rains are the most intense and the region suffers a lot of landslides. Part of the train’s route between Cusco and Ollantaytambo is a very narrow canyon between the towns of Pachar and Huarocondo. The canyon is prone to landslides during heavy rains and nobody wants to risk people’s lives or the train itself by going through that canyon if landslides are possible.
During the rainy season, you can only take the train from Ollantaytambo.
Cars and busses can go between Huarocondo and Pachar if it’s not raining that day, or they can drive through the Sacred Valley and avoid the canyon altogether. The rainy season also brings fewer tourists and less demand for the train, so it’s less likely to fill enough to be financially viable.
On the ticket the time they want you at the station (3:18pm) is half an hour before the train departs (3:48pm).
Why are train tickets so expensive?
The two train companies, PeruRail and IncaRail, are owned by the same foreign company and so effectively function as a monopoly. They can fix prices as high as they want, and they do. Train tickets are priced like airplanes, with higher prices at times of day when there is more demand. They also do seasonal “discounts” during the rainy season, when there is less demand.
Which train company to choose for Machu Picchu?
PeruRail and IncaRail aren’t very different, so just choose whichever one has a schedule that best fits your itinerary. After you pick which company you want, you still have to choose which class of train you’re willing to pay for.
PeruRail’s Expedition Train has windows on the ceiling like the Vistadome Train.
Which PeruRail train class to choose for Machu Picchu?
PeruRail has the Expedition Train and the Vistadome Train, with the Vistadome being more expensive. Inside, the trains aren’t very different, so they try to make the Vistadome a better experience to justify the higher prices. The Vistadome staff put on costumes of one or more of the dances from Paucartambo and play recorded music for the dance.
Vistadome complementary snacks
Before the pandemic, Vistadome passengers got a soggy sandwich but now it’s just cookies with a lot of packaging.
Vistadome snacks for sale
Prices on the train are very high, so buy snacks and drinks before you board the train.
Vistadome clothes for sale
After the “fashion show” Vistadome staff wheel this cart through the aisle and try to entice people to buy stuff.
There is also a “fashion show” of alpaca sweaters, ponchos and scarves that you can buy. This can be interesting, if you have a tight schedule and no other opportunity to buy souvenirs, or if you’re genuinely interested in fashion. Otherwise, it’s just obnoxious.
The Vistadome Observatory does have more windows and better views, so if you’re traveling before 6:00pm and you love looking out the window, this could be a good option. Sunset this close to the equator is about 6:00pm year-round, so don’t expect to see anything out the windows after 6ish.
Why are the ads about how big the train’s windows are?
There are several Inca archeological sites along the train tracks between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes. If you’re watching, and know what to look for, you can catch glimpses of Salapunku, Ñustahispana (above), Wiñay Wayna and other Inca sites. If you’re shopping for a tour agency to organize your Machu Picchu trip, ask if your guide will be with you on the train to point these places out. The cheap companies hire a guide who’s already in Aguas Calientes and doesn’t travel with you on the train (because train tickets are so expensive).
The Vistadome is marketed as having more windows than the Expedition but the difference is minimal.
Is the Vistadome worth the extra cost?
During the rainy season, the Vistadome includes a “bimodal” service, which is a bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo and back. If you’re with a tour agency, they’ll probably have a more comfortable van pick you up in Ollantaytambo for the drive to Cusco. If you’re traveling on your own and don’t speak Spanish, it’s definitely worth the extra cost of the Vistadome to get the bus ride to Cusco. If you speak Spanish, you can get one of the vans or busses that Peruvians take from Ollantaytambo to Cusco, which cost around s/10 soles.
Many people are exhausted after Machu Picchu and sleep the whole way back. If you have a 6am Machu Picchu ticket, you might sleep on the train back and then the window size really doesn’t matter.
What is PeruRail’s Hiram Bingham train?
The Hiram Bingham Train is named after the American Yale University professor who led the first scientific explorations and archeological digs at Machu Picchu. (He was credited with “discovering” Machu Picchu, though the locals who led him there clearly knew it existed, and the Spanish had previously been there).
If you choose the Hiram Bingham, don’t buy separate tickets to Machu Picchu.
The Hiram Bingham is a Belmond train, one of the world’s most exclusive and expensive travel companies. The train ticket includes a tour of Machu Picchu and a bunch of other perks, but you do have to first be sure that Machu Picchu tickets are available. Belmond also owns the Hotel Monasterio and Palacio Nazarenas in Cusco. If you’re staying at either of these hotels, you will probably want to upgrade from the Vistadome to the Hiram Bingham.
Which IncaRail train class to choose for Machu Picchu?
IncaRail calls their train options The Voyager, The 360, and The First Class. The Voyager is equivalent to PeruRail’s Expedition Train and The 360 is similar to the Vistadome. IncaRail’s First Class is roughly equivalent to the Vistadome Observatory. IncaRail’s The Private is their attempt at matching the Hiram Bingham, though it’s not at all associated with Belmond.
I’m very critical of the train companies but I promise I don’t have any personal grudges against them. I was even in a PeruRail ad campaign. I just want my readers to have as much information as possible so you can make informed decisions when you come to Peru.
Questions?
Drop questions in the comments below or schedule a travel call with me for help planning your Peru trip!
