How the train fits in the journey
Machu Picchu has no road. The town at its foot, Machupicchu Pueblo (most people still say Aguas Calientes), is reached by rail from Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley, or on foot from the Hidroeléctrica power station. From the Pueblo a 25-minute bus climbs to the entrance. So a visit from Cusco is three legs: Cusco to Ollantaytambo by road (about 1 h 30 to 2 h), Ollantaytambo to the Pueblo by train (1 h 20 to 1 h 45), and the bus up. The train is the leg this guide is about; the rest is in how to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco.
PeruRail or Inca Rail
Two companies run the line, on the same track, into the same station. For most travelers the honest answer is: whichever has the departure that fits your entry hour. The differences that do matter are below. One of them is ours: we sell Inca Rail, inside Mi Tour, once you have your entrance; PeruRail is bought on its own website.
| PeruRail | Inca Rail | |
|---|---|---|
| Classes | Expedition, Vistadome, Vistadome Observatory; Hiram Bingham (Belmond) | The Voyager, The 360°, The Prime, The First Class |
| Standard fare, Ollantaytambo, one way | Published on perurail.com for your date | $62 to $79 on a real date (The Voyager) |
| From Cusco | Bus + train all year; trains from Poroy or San Pedro only May to December | Bus + train all year, sold as one ticket |
| Open-air car | Vistadome Observatory | The 360° |
| Meal on board | Hiram Bingham | The Prime (dining car), The First Class (three courses with wine) |
| Luggage included | 1 backpack (8 kg) or 1 carry-on (12 kg, 115 linear cm) | 1 piece of hand luggage, 8 kg / 17 lb, 118 linear cm |
| Where to buy | perurail.com | In Mi Tour after your entrance, with the live fare; or incarail.com |
The eight classes, in four price tiers
Every fare below is Inca Rail's, one way per adult, from the operator's system for 15 November 2026; fares change with the date and the departure, and Mi Tour shows the live one for your day. PeruRail publishes its fares on its own site, by date.
- Standard: PeruRail Expedition · Inca Rail The Voyager: Big windows, a comfortable seat, snacks for sale, the most departures of the day. The Voyager was $62 to $79 from Ollantaytambo and $82 to $99 from Cusco. Expedition is PeruRail's equivalent. This is where most people should stop reading: the ride is short and the window is the same.
- Views: PeruRail Vistadome and Vistadome Observatory · Inca Rail The 360°: Glass in the ceiling (Vistadome) or an open-air car to stand in (The 360°, Vistadome Observatory). The 360° was $79 to $82 from Ollantaytambo, often only $10 above The Voyager on the same departure, and includes Andean snacks.
- Dining: Inca Rail The Prime and The First Class: The Prime adds a dining car, live music and priority boarding at $100 to $140 from Ollantaytambo. The First Class is a three-course meal with wine pairing, once a day each way, at $318 to $356. PeruRail has no middle tier here: its meal service is the Hiram Bingham.
- Luxury: the Hiram Bingham, A Belmond Train (PeruRail): Pullman-style dining and bar cars, an observation car, a welcome show at the station, around $400 to $550 one way. The Hiram Bingham is the only luxury train on the line; we offer it as part of our Private Journeys.
Which station: Ollantaytambo, Poroy or San Pedro
Ollantaytambo has trains all year, from both operators, and is where the train actually starts. Cusco's own stations, Poroy (PeruRail, 20 minutes out of town) and San Pedro (in the centre), only have service from May to December, and only on PeruRail. From January to April no train leaves Cusco itself: both operators sell bus + train via Ollantaytambo, as one ticket, and Inca Rail does that all year. If you sleep in the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo is the obvious choice; from Cusco, the bus + train ticket saves you organising the road leg. The detail is in Ollantaytambo, Poroy or San Pedro and in the train from January to April.
A real timetable: Inca Rail, 15 November 2026
- Ollantaytambo → Machupicchu Pueblo: 06:40, 07:22, 11:15, 12:36, 16:36 and 19:27; 1 h 20 to 1 h 45. The Voyager on all six; The Prime on 06:40, 11:15 and 16:36; The 360° on 07:22 and 12:36; The First Class on 11:15.
- Cusco → Machupicchu Pueblo (bus + train): 04:10, 04:30, 08:00, 09:25, 13:00 and 15:45, arriving 08:01 to 21:09; 3 h 50 to 5 h 25 including the bus to Ollantaytambo.
- Machupicchu Pueblo → Ollantaytambo or Cusco: 08:30, 10:32, 14:30, 16:12, 19:00, 20:20 and 21:30. The 21:30 reaches Cusco at 01:15; the 19:00 First Class arrives in Cusco at 23:00.
What a round trip costs
On that date, the cheapest Inca Rail round trip from Ollantaytambo was $124 (The Voyager 11:15 out, 21:30 back) and the usual pairing of early out and mid-afternoon back came to $148. From Cusco by bus + train, $164 to $198 round trip in standard class. The 360° adds $10 to $40 per leg depending on the departure; The Prime $30 to $60; The First Class roughly $250 per leg. Add the Machu Picchu entrance ($62 to $78 at base price) and the bus up ($24 round trip) to see the whole day.
Which train to pick
- First visit, normal budget: Standard class, whichever operator has the departure that fits your entry. The valley is the same through every window.
- The ride is part of the trip for you: The 360° or Vistadome Observatory, ideally on the way back, when the light is lower and you are not watching the clock.
- A celebration: The Prime one way and standard the other keeps the bill sane; The First Class or the Hiram Bingham if the train is the point.
- Tight budget: The late and midday Voyager departures were the cheapest; or skip the train with the Hidroeléctrica route, a bus and a three-hour walk along the tracks.
How to book it, in the right order
The entrance is the scarce part: the Ministry sells a fixed number per circuit and hour, and popular dates go months ahead. Trains run several times a day and rarely sell out except around June to September and holidays. So: choose your circuit and entry hour, book the entrance, then pick the train that lands before it. If you booked with us, open Mi Tour, your trip itinerary, and add the Inca Rail train: every departure of your day with the operator's live fare, and both legs on one itinerary. PeruRail is booked on perurail.com. Either way, carry the passport the ticket was issued to: it is checked at boarding, and boarding closes 15 minutes before departure.
Frequent questions about the train
Can you get to Machu Picchu by train?
Yes, and for almost everyone it is the only way: there is no road. Trains from Ollantaytambo (and bus + train from Cusco) reach Machupicchu Pueblo, and a 25-minute bus climbs from there to the entrance. The alternative is walking from Hidroeléctrica.
How much is the train to Machu Picchu?
On a real date, Inca Rail's standard class cost $62 to $79 one way from Ollantaytambo and $82 to $99 from Cusco by bus + train; the cheapest round trip was $124. Open-air and dining classes cost more; the Hiram Bingham around $400 to $550 one way. PeruRail publishes its fares by date on its site.
Which is cheaper, PeruRail or Inca Rail?
They price by date and departure, so it changes; on the same day the standard fares are usually within a few dollars of each other. Compare the exact departure you need rather than the operator. Midday and late-evening trains tend to be the cheapest on both.
Which train to Machu Picchu is best?
For most people, standard class on the departure that fits the entry hour. If the ride matters to you, an open-air car (The 360° or Vistadome Observatory). If it is a celebration, The Prime, The First Class or the Hiram Bingham. None of them is faster: the track is the same.
Is the Vistadome or 360° upgrade worth it?
When the gap to standard is small, yes: on our sample date The 360° was $10 above The Voyager on the 07:22 from Ollantaytambo. When the gap is $40 or more, the standard train gets you there with the same view out of the side window.
How long is the train ride to Machu Picchu?
1 h 20 to 1 h 45 from Ollantaytambo. From Cusco, bus + train takes about 3 h 50 to 5 h 25 door to door; from Poroy, when it runs, around 3 h 30 by train.
Do I need to book the train in advance?
Book it once your entrance is confirmed, and do it weeks ahead from June to September and over holidays; the rest of the year a few days is usually enough. The entrance is what sells out first.
Can I take a suitcase on the train?
Only hand luggage is included: one piece of up to 8 kg and 118 linear cm on Inca Rail; a backpack of 8 kg or a carry-on of 12 kg and 115 linear cm on PeruRail. Leave the suitcase at your hotel in Cusco or Ollantaytambo.
Entrance first, then the train on the same itinerary
Book your Machu Picchu ticket, then add the Inca Rail train in Mi Tour with the live fare for your date: every departure, matched to your entry hour.