Bucket list experience:
If you’re not hiking the Inca Trail, this is the way to reach the famous Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in comfort and style. Starting from the former Inca capital at Cusco, you’re whisked through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, past the towering Inca fortresses of Pisac and Ollantaytambo before entering the rainforest-shrouded Urubamba Valley.
Named after the man who rediscovered the ruins of Machu Picchu in 1911, this specially built narrow-gauge train has opulent carriages redolent of 1920s Pullman cars, with comfortable armchairs surrounded by varnished wood and brass fittings. Food is served in the dining car on fine white linen; dishes feature local ingredients in unfamiliar ways (with abundant Pisco Sours). A band plays Peruvian music with the cajón and tambourines in the bar car.
There are wonderful views en route – misty mountains, forgotten Quechua villages, distant ridges of serrated snow-capped peaks. The open observation car at the back of the train is the perfect place to soak in the views.
Transfers, guides and tea at the exclusive Sanctuary Lodge are included in the price.
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Destination Guide >The Belmond Hiram Bingham train departs from two stations: Poroy, 18km from Cusco, and Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, 62km from Cusco, hugging the Urubamba River until Aguas Calientes station (down the mountain from Machu Picchu). It’s a three-hour ride (from Cusco) or 2 hours (from Ollantaytambo).
There are dining carriages, a lounge-bar and an observation area. A coach (included in the price) takes passengers from the train to the ruins on arrival at the station. Tour guides are provided. Entrance is included in the price. Meals comprise brunch on the way out, dinner on the way back and afternoon tea at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge.
Peru Rail runs cheaper daily services using Vista Dome trains with clear glass roofs. These run daily from Urubamba and Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley and Cusco – some of them from the city’s central San Pedro station.
The Hiram Bingham service runs every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
June to August is dry but peak season for visitors. March to May & October to early November is shoulder season with fewer tourists and generally good weather. Avoid December to early March when rain and clouds obscure the views.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Cusco
$1,110 | Rating 4.55 / 5 [113 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Cusco
$1,180 | Rating 4.76 / 5 [26 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru[6.9 miles]
Good-value, centrally located hotel with modern rooms fitted into the cloisters of the Spanish-colonial market.
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Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru[7.2 miles]
A tranquil, family-run guesthouse sits in up-and-coming, arty San Blas neighbourhood, with views of central Cusco at every street corner.
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Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru[7.4 miles]
Luxurious rooms in a beautifully-restored 16th Century Spanish-colonial mansion where Simon Bolivar once stayed.
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Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru[7.4 miles]
A luxuriously-restored convent with a glittering baroque chapel, filled with Cusqueno artworks and home to one of Cusco’s top restaurants.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Peru
A land of spectacular deserts, high mountains and rainforests that teem with wildlife, Peru is also home to an array of dramatically situated pre-Colombian ruins, including Machu Picchu.
Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru[7.8 miles]
The Inca empire’s most elaborate sun temple, covered in gold and silver, is now a colonial church housing stunning Inca stonework.
Best for ages: 18+ | £2
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru[8.6 miles]
The heart of the old Inca empire has a wealth of Inca ruins, Spanish treasures and historic architecture to explore.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 1 day
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru[47.8 miles]
A once-in-a-lifetime, 4- to 5-day hike through the Andes, retracing ancient trails, combines mountain vistas, cloud forest and subtropical jungle. The finale is incredible – the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu, rising from the misty mountains.
Best for ages: 18+ | £377 | 4-5 days
Aguas Calientes, Cusco Region, Peru[64.2 miles]
The Incas’ magnificent 15th-century mountaintop citadel sprawls across ten hectares of Peruvian cloud forest. Its elaborate architecture comprises ceremonial centres, residential areas and agricultural terraces. Wayna Picchu, the cone-shaped mountain, rises imperiously behind.
Best for ages: 8+ | £28
Round-ups that include this experience
Multiple countries
Be it jaw-dropping scenery, a rich historical significance, the tradition and atmosphere of the train itself – or a combination of all three – here’s our round-up of the world’s best.
