Transportation via train is one of the most relaxing, romantic, and scenic ways to get around! In some parts of the world, train travel is the everyday norm. Here, there are just a few train-accessed destinations, and these high-altitude carriages really shine a spotlight on the world-renowned landscapes of Peru.
Trains go where cars, planes, and boats cannot! The Central Railway constructor, Henry Meiggs, said, “Anywhere the llama goes, I can take a train.” And that he did! The Andes have been conquered by rails, showcasing the engineering prowess of humankind while still fostering a deep respect for and appreciation of the Apus of the world’s most extended mountain range. Here is your guide to travel trains in Peru, this beautiful country we call home!
Why Train Travel?
Besides being more comfortable, traveling by train is usually faster than going by bus (except the Huancayo train, which takes double the time). Trains traverse the landscape on a more direct path than roads…if there are roads. That means you won’t get carsick from all the switchbacks and snaked paths of the Andes’ sketchy road system!
You’ll get a close-up look at remote scenery only hikers and train riders can see, which is a real treat! A train trip isn’t just a means to an end. The journey is part of the magic! Many trips also allow you to experience a luxurious dining car, bar car, observation car, or even an onboard spa, creating an unreal atmosphere of excitement and leaving you with memories to last a lifetime.
The best part is that traveling by train reduces your carbon footprint compared to flying AND road travel. Besides walking or biking, trains are the most eco-friendly to get from one place to another!
Where Can you go by Train in Peru?
Cusco – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes
Operated by: Peru Rail, Inca Rail
This is, of course, the most popular train route in Peru. After all, it takes you to one of the seven Wonders of the Modern World, Machu Picchu! No roads lead into Aguas Calientes or Machu Picchu Town, and the closest road-accessed town is Hidroelectrica, a 3-hour walk away. The only way to get there is by train or helicopter! And that’s part of the town’s charm. Two companies operate train rides to Aguas Calientes from Cusco or Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. The trip takes about 3.5 hours from Cusco and 1.5 hours from Ollantaytambo.
Inca Rail Services
*IncaRail trains run from the San Pedro station in Cusco to Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. They also offer a bimodal service, which includes a private bus ride from Cusco to the train station in Ollantaytambo. That option is cheaper than taking the train from Cusco.*
The Private: As the name suggests, this is a private car just for you and your family or friends. It’s a luxurious space with comfortable lounge chairs, a welcome drink and open bar, live Andean music, an open-air balcony for appreciating the views, and gourmet Peruvian food and drinks with a cooking class included. The ticket also includes a private bus ride from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu. This is the only private option for traveling to Machu Picchu with either company.
The First Class: This luxurious car has plush seats, gourmet Peruvian food, a welcome drink and bar, and a beautifully decorated observation lounge car with a balcony, all accompanied by live Andean music. This ticket also includes a pisco tasting and class, plus a private bus ride from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu.
The 360°: This is the train car with the biggest wall and ceiling windows in Inca Rail’s services! On top of that, there’s an outdoor observation car. And that will come in handy because the scenery you’ll be passing of the Andes and the cloud forest is truly breathtaking. This car offers an in-route app that teaches about your surroundings and the Incas. There are also charging ports and WiFi onboard. You’ll be offered a boxed lunch.
The Voyager Premium & Lounge: This ticket includes a seat in the premium voyager car and entrance to the luxurious lounge car with fancy armchairs and tasteful decorations to travel in style. The car has an open-air balcony and more expansive windows than the essential car for viewing the surrounding scenery.
The Voyager: This is the basic and most wallet-friendly option of Inca Rail’s services. But it’s far from uncomfortable! Padded seats are facing each other with a table in the middle, so you’ll get to chat with your travel buddies as you are whisked across the Andean highlands. You’ll love seeing the landscape whiz past!
→ With Inca Rail tickets, you can choose the following options of trains in Peru:
- Essential: Train ticket only
- Transfer: Train ticket + bus ticket to Machu Picchu + guided tour
- All Inclusive: Train ticket + bus ticket + entrance ticket to Machu Picchu + guided tour
→ You can search for travel dates to see prices on their website. The Voyager is offered every day. The other services are offered only on specific dates.
→ You can take an 8 kg / 17 lb bag onboard. You can store any other luggage for free at the Ollantaytambo station and pick it up when you return.
Note // IncaRail generally offers complimentary snacks and drinks on the voyager, a boxed lunch on the 360°, and gourmet meals and cocktails on the first class and private cars. However, since the covid-19 pandemic, this service hasn’t resumed as of September 2022.
Peru Rail Services
*PeruRail trains run from Cusco to Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. The company is not using the Urubamba station this year, and it’s unclear if it will be used again. Cusco trains leave from one of three stations: Wanchaq, Poroy, or San Pedro. You can also board the train in Ollantaytambo, the more common and cost-effective option. The last option is PeruRail’s bimodal service, including a private bus ride from Cusco to the Ollantaytambo train station.*
Hiram Bingham: This is the fanciest and most exclusive train ride to Machu Picchu, and it’s named after the explorer who introduced the site to the outside world. The cars are modeled after upper-class cabs of the 1920s. You’ll be welcomed with a drink and then served a gourmet Peruvian lunch as you walk across the valley. Live traditional music and dances will set the mood, and you’ll love spending time in the observation car and bar car to take in the unmatched scenery of the Andes. Your ticket includes a bus ride from the station to Machu Picchu, your entrance ticket, and a guided tour of the citadel. Afterward, you’ll have afternoon tea at a luxury hotel before beginning the equally amazing return journey (with dinner included). This is one of the most romantic experiences you can have here!
Vistadome Observatory: This ticket includes a seat in the Vistadome car and access to the elegant observation car, complete with luxurious armchairs and upscale furniture and decorations, plus space to walk around and take in the passing landscape. There will be an onboard traditional Andean dance show, informative audio clips to guide you through the route, and complimentary snacks and drinks.
Vistadome: This ticket includes a seat in a train car with bigger, more expansive windows for an even better view at the towering Andes around you! You’ll also be given complimentary snacks and drinks and enjoy an onboard Peruvian dance show, plus an audio guide of the train’s route.
Expedition – This is the most basic PeruRail car. It has padded seats in sets of 4, facing each other with a table in the middle to facilitate interaction with your travel companions. There are big windows in the walls and ceiling to enjoy the scenery.
→ Check the Peru Rail website for prices and schedules. The Expedition and Vistadome run every day. The Hiram Bingham runs only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
→ You can take a 5 kg / 11 lb bag onboard. Extra bags can be stored at the Cusco or Ollantaytambo train station and picked up when you return.
Read More // Which Train to Take to Machu Picchu
Cusco – Puno – Arequipa
Operated by: PeruRail
Puno is one of Peru’s most exciting and culturally rich destinations! Come into close contact with the traditional communities of Lake Titicaca and revel in the nature-centered attractions of the area. A train trip across the highlands is, without a doubt, the most scenic and comfortable way to get there from Cusco. You’ll pass through wide-open pampas where delightful vicuñas prance around, enjoying their high-altitude life in the mountains. Enjoy seeing the towering Andes mountains surrounding you, dusted with snow blowing across the cold altiplano.
If you’d like to amplify the fun, take the extremely lavish Andean Explorer train from Cusco to Puno to Arequipa, another of Peru’s top destinations. It’s a white city constructed from volcanic stones, built in a sophisticated, European-esque manner. It’s a place for relaxing and active tourism, home to hot springs, canyons, and volcanoes. This train trip is an all-inclusive excursion, including sleeping arrangements onboard and daytime tours.
Ticket prices and schedules for both trains can be found on the company’s website.
Titicaca (Cusco – Puno only)
As the name suggests, this is the basic train ride to Lake Titicaca in Puno! It’s 10 and a half hours of pure scenic bliss in a comfortable cab that crosses through remote Andean landscapes. Take advantage of the luxurious bar and observation car, and balcony for the best panoramic views!
You’ll be provided with complimentary snacks and drinks as you board and then served a gourmet Peruvian lunch, afternoon tea, and a pisco tasting as the day continues. Water will be available throughout the ride. Of course, to make the trip even more unique, a live band will introduce you to the music of Peru and its dances, the perfect addition to complete the enchanting atmosphere of this cross-country journey. This train leaves from the Wanchaq station in the city of Cusco.
→ You can take up to 2 checked bags weighing 23 kg / 50.6 lb together. Onboard, you can take a bag weighing up to 5 kg / 11 lb.
Andean Explorer (Cusco – Puno – Arequipa)
A ticket for the Andean Explorer gives you so much more than just a train ride! This is an all-inclusive tour of the Andean highlands. You’ll be provided with private, luxury accommodations for sleeping onboard and will enjoy professionally guided tours of important destinations along the route. Every option includes all gourmet meals made with local Andean ingredients, snacks, refreshments, cocktails, and tea time. The live entertainment onboard will make it all even better! Each cabin is private, has a daytime and nighttime setup, and includes shampoo, soap, and towels. You’ll also have access to the beautifully designed piano lounge car, dining car, spa (services at an extra cost), and observation car, each of which will make you feel like a king or queen! The train leaves from the Wanchaq station in Cusco. Here are the different journeys offered:
Peruvian Highlands (Cusco-Puno-Arequipa): This journey starts on Thursdays and includes 3 days + 2 nights. You’ll visit La Raya Pass (the highest and most panoramic point between Cusco and Puno), Lake Titicaca and the Uros Islands, Saracocha and the Sumbay Caves.
Andean Plains and Islands of Discovery (Arequipa-Puno-Cusco): This journey starts on Saturdays and includes 2 days + 2 nights. You’ll visit Lake Titicaca, the Uros Islands, and La Raya Pass.
Spirit of the Water (Cusco-Puno): This journey starts on Tuesdays and includes 1 day + 1 night. You’ll visit La Raya Pass and Lake Titicaca.
Spirit of the Andes I (Puno-Cusco): This journey starts on Wednesdays and includes 1 day + 1 night. You’ll visit Lake Titicaca, La Raya Pass, and Cusipata. This train also includes an onboard cooking class.
Spirit of the Valley (Puno-Arequipa): This journey starts on Fridays and includes 1 day + 1 night. You’ll visit Lake Titicaca, Saracocha, and the Sumbay Caves.
Spirit of the Andes II (Puno-Cusco): This journey starts on Wednesdays and includes 1 day + 1 night. You’ll visit Lake Titicaca and La Raya Pass.
Lima – Huancayo
Operated by: Ferrocarril Central Andino
*This train usually runs 1-2 times a month between April and November, but it’s been suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic started and hasn’t yet been resumed. Hopefully, the 2024 season will be active for the central railway!*
This chilling 14-hour train route winds through 69 tunnels across 58 bridges and past 6 switchbacks. It’s truly an engineering marvel, forcefully jutting into the rugged terrain. It’s the second-highest rail in the world, reaching up to 4782 meters (15,689 feet)! The geographical wonders it showcases, seen by a few, are second to none. We’re talking about the untouched, rugged wilderness as far as the eye can see and for hours. This rail is even a UNESCO World Heritage Center!
The train will pass through the breathtaking Mantaro River Valley, full of Andean wildlife and impressive views of the surrounding mountains. You’ll stop in San Bartolome and watch how the train changes direction on a manual turntable, and then you’ll stretch your legs in the town of Matucana. Other highlights are the quaint towns of Jauja and Concepción and, of course, a tour of the sights of the Huancayo area.
This train leaves from the Desamparados Station in the city of Lima. You should be aware that you’ll be gaining a lot of altitude in a short time, which could cause altitude sickness or breathing problems for some.
Two ticket types can be bought online:
- Classic – This ticket includes a seat in a car arranged with two 2-seat benches facing each other with a table in between. They don’t recline. It doesn’t include access to the observation and bar car lounge. It includes breakfast, lunch, unlimited refreshments, and medical attention, if necessary. There aren’t any windows in the car’s ceiling, so the views are more limited than in the tourist car.
- Touristic – This ticket includes more comfortable seats that recline, all arranged front-facing like on a bus. There are large windows in the walls and windows in the ceiling for better views. You’ll have access to the observation and bar car lounge, where you’ll get the best panorama of the passing landscape. You’ll be given breakfast, lunch, and unlimited refreshments, and there will likely be live music and dance performances onboard. Medical attention will be available if needed onboard.
Huancayo – Huancavelica
Operated by: Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones
*This train route has been suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic started and hasn’t yet been resumed. Hopefully, the 2023 season will be an active one for this railway!*
This route is lauded as one of the Andes’ most scenic! In a place where wilderness is king, train tracks are one of the only ways to get around and often the quickest. You’ll feel like you’re in a movie as you whiz past the postcard scenes of imposing mountain peaks, Andean plains, and wildlife that blend in! You’ll go through 38 tunnels and 15 bridges in 6 hours. This train was nicknamed “El Tren Macho” – The Macho Train – in its early days because “he left when he wanted and came back when he could.” The schedule was not firmly fixed! Today, the departures are more frequent and reliable.
Huancayo-Huancavelica trains leave on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6:30 AM. Huancavelica-Huancayo trains leave on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 6:30 AM. Tickets can only be bought in person at the train stations.
Tacna – Arica
Operated by: Ferrocarril Tacna – Arica
Why not cross the Peru-Chile border by train? It’s a great way to connect two of South America’s hiking capitals! This railway starts cutting across the monotone Atacama desert before arriving at oceanside Arica after an hour and fifteen minutes. The seats are basic, forward-facing, padded chairs like in a bus. It’s just one carriage; there’s no lounge car, dining car, or bar. There is nothing extraordinary about this train ride is mostly just a unique way to get from point A to point B and gaze out over the endless South American sands! Tickets must be bought in person 1 day ahead of time at the station’s ticket offices or by phone. You’ll need to be at the station 40+ minutes before departure to pass through passport control and customs.
Choo-Choo!
While you’re discovering Peru, don’t miss out on the chance to see its geography from a new perspective – by rail! At the moment, the only tracks open for business are those in the Cusco area, but we’re all hopeful that the other rail systems will open up again very soon. In the meantime, explore Peru’s southeastern sector on top-notch carriages, speeding across this wonderland of natural beauty, history and rich culture!
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