TRAIN INFORMATION

CUSCO - MACHU PICCHU DEPARTURES

*Trains depart from the San Pedro train station in Cusco

Vistadome Train:

Backpacker Train:

MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO  

Vistadome Train:

Backpacker Train:

*The above timetable and prices were taken from the Peru Rail website on 18 March 2008. Details may be subject to change. The information refers to arrival & departure times at Machu Picchu. This should really read as Aguas Calientes station. Walking from the train station to where the buses depart for Machu Picchu plus the bus ride can add another 30 minutes to you journey assuming that you don't have to queue for either your bus ticket or your entrance ticket (see details below). When booking online passengers will receive a confirmation voucher. This voucher must be exchanged for a paper ticket in the San Pedro train station at least 1 hour prior to departure (best to do this the day before departure to avoid delays). Please read details given in your confirmation email for up-to-date instructions.

The Backpacker service is a comfortable service, everyone is seated with no standing. Snacks and drinks are available at an extra cost. The Vistadome service has slightly larger windows and also windows in the roof. This sound a bit strange but much of the last hour and a half of the journey is through a mountain valley so the windows in the roof help you to appreciate the scenery. A snack and hot drink are included with the Vistadome service. There is also a table in front of you and a little more leg room although I actually thought the seats in the backpacker class were slightly more comfortable.

You have to arrive at the station 30 minutes before the departure time.

OLLANTAYTAMBO - MACHU PICCHU BY TRAIN

A combination of bus/taxi between Cusco and Ollantaytambo and then train between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes.

The  round-trip services, as mentioned above, between Cusco and Aguas Calientes tend to fill up pretty quickly so if they're full you'll have to travel by road from Cusco to Ollantaytambo and then take the train between Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu. Ollantaytambo is about 65 kilometres from Cusco along a scenic paved road. You can take a taxi from Cusco to Ollantaytambo which takes about 1 hour 45 minutes and costs about US$25. Alternatively you can take a local bus from Cusco to Urubamba and another local bus from Urubamba to Ollantaytambo which takes about 2 hours 30 minutes in total and costs about US$2 per person. Trains between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes take about 1 hour 30 minutes.  You have to arrive at the station 30 minutes before the departure time.

OLLANTAYTAMBO (SACRED VALLEY) - MACHU PICCHU

The Vistadome:

The Backpacker: 

MACHU PICCHU - OLLANTAYTAMBO (SACRED VALLEY)

The Vistadome: 

The Backpacker: 

** Only available from April to October
*The above timetable and prices were taken from the Peru Rail website on 18 March 2008. Details may be subject to change. The information refers to arrival & departure times at Machu Picchu. This should really read as Aguas Calientes station. Walking from the train station to where the buses depart for Machu Picchu plus the bus ride can add another 30 minutes to you journey assuming that you don't have to queue for either your bus ticket or your entrance ticket (see details below). When booking online passengers will receive a confirmation voucher. This voucher must be exchanged for a paper ticket at least 1 hour prior to departure. Please read details given in your confirmation email for up-to-date instructions