PeruRail is the largest of the Machu Picchu train companies that ferry tourists from Cusco, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu. They carry over one million passengers on their Belmond Hiram Bingham, and PeruRail Vistadome, Expedition and Sacred Valley services each year.
The PeruRail Expedition service is the lower cost option between Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu. Trains are clean and comfortable with spacious seats and a light snack service on-board. This service is perfectly adequate for a one and a half hour train journey which was spiced up by a group of Brazilians happily singing Bossa Nova. We were particularly impressed by the spacious and spotlessly clean toilets.
The PeruRail Vistadome service is the second PeruRail service between Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu is slightly more expensive than the Expedition. The higher price point means more comfortable seats, more substantial on-board snacks and above all, a better view of the surrounding countryside thanks to the panoramic roof made of glass panels. The Vistadome service also provides on-board entertainment (which you will either love or hate!) on the return journey from Machu Picchu back to Ollantaytambo and Cusco, with a performance of the traditional saqra dance from the Paucartambo region given by the Kusikay theatre group.
The performance is then followed by an on-board fashion show. Passengers thoroughly enjoyed when our attendant James changed out of his uniform and started walking up and down the aisle modeling their range of alpaca clothing. With a cheeky grin he stopped in front of female passengers letting them feel the garment as he passed by. An unexpected and novel form of entertainment!
PeruRail have also introduced in July 2017 the new PeruRail Sacred Valley service, which is a higher category of service that sits between the PeruRail Vistadome and Belmond Hiram Bingham services. This service operates daily from Urubamba to Machu Picchu and offers a more luxurious service with an elegant 1920’s Pullman style train complete with dining car and observatory carriage for great views during the journey. Journey time is approximately 2h 30 minutes hours each way.
Staff on all services are friendly, helpful and impeccably dressed. Due to the many PeruRail departures each day you also have more flexibility to organize your trip to Machu Picchu in line with your own schedule as well as make changes to your train ticket for a small fee.
Peru Rail train routes to Machu Picchu:
Cusco – Machu Picchu Pueblo: 3 hours 30 minutes – 112 kilometres.
Urubamba – Machu Picchu Pueblo: 2 hours 30 minutes hours – 37km
Ollantaytambo – Machu Picchu Pueblo: 1 hour 30 minutes – 43 kilometres.
Best of Peru Travel Recommends:
- Do book you train tickets in advance as it gets very busy in high season. PeruRail have a great, easy to use website where you can buy tickets online in both Spanish and English. Buy PeruRail tickets here
Read our full review of the luxury Belmond Hiram Bingham train service to Machu Picchu
Click here for more information on how to get to Machu Picchu
Click here for information on how to buy your tickets to Machu Picchu
