Belmond Hiram Bingham

PeruRail (50% Belmond / 50% Lorenzo Sousa Debarbieri)
Peru
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The Journey

Navigate from Poroy Station (Cusco) to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes) Station across a span of 115km.

Scenery Highlights
  • Ollantaytambo archaeological site (train stop) — Incan royal estate and temple fortress
  • Sacred Valley of the Incas — Vilcanota-Urubamba river canyon with stepped agricultural terraces
  • Veronica and Chicón glacier-capped peaks visible from the observation car near Ollantaytambo
  • Cloud forest transition zone — dramatic change from dry Andean highlands to sub-tropical cloud forest
  • Approach to Machu Picchu Pueblo with the citadel visible above on the saddle of Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountain
  • Machu Picchu citadel itself — UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World
  • Sunrise and sunset light on the Andean peaks (return journey in late afternoon/evening)
  • Traditional Andean textile villages and terraced farms along the Sacred Valley floor
  • The Urubamba River canyon — one of the deepest river canyons in the Andes
  • Inti Punku (Sun Gate) — visible from the citadel, the original Incan approach trail
Quick Facts
  • Duration

    3.5 hours

  • Distance

    115 km

  • Est. Price

    All-inclusive round-trip from USD $900–$1,100+ per person (dynamic pricing, peak July/August higher); one-way $540–$660

Official Booking Provider
Classes & Accommodations

Meals: Welcome cocktail, four-course gourmet brunch (outbound), four-course gourmet dinner (return), open premium bar, and afternoon tea at Belmond Sanctuary Lodge

Ensuite: No

Engine / Locomotive

Standard gauge diesel-electric locomotives (PeruRail ALCO/EMD power) hauling the Pullman-style carriages

Track Gauge

1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) standard gauge on the Ferrocarril Santa Ana (Cusco–Aguas Calientes via Ollantaytambo)

Braking Technology

Air brakes (Westinghouse-compatible)

Route Engineering Challenges

  • Sacred Valley mountain railway threading — switchbacks and curves along the Vilcanota-Urubamba canyon walls

  • Gradient management on the descent from high Andean Poroy (~3,500 m) to sub-tropical Aguas Calientes (~2,040 m)

  • Single-track alignment with passing loops at Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes — requires precise timetable co-ordination

  • Cloud-forest climate zone — humidity and biological growth (moss, lichen) demand constant track maintenance

  • Monsoon-season landslide risk (January–March) on canyon-wall sections

  • Curve geometry through the narrowest Vilcanota canyon segments — limited speed to ~30 km/h on tightest sections

Carriages

4 original 1920s Pullman-style cars — 2 dining, 1 bar/lounge, 1 observation car + 1 power/baggage car

Original build

1920s Pullman Company cars, fully rebuilt to Belmond specifications and relaunched 2003

Capacity

48 passengers maximum per departure (single class, single departure)

Journey time

~3 hours 20 minutes each way (Poroy ↔ Aguas Calientes, plus 4–6 hour Machu Picchu citadel visit)

Total experience

~12 hours door-to-door (07:05 Cusco hotel pickup → ~19:46 Cusco hotel drop-off)

Maximum altitude

~3,700 m (Poroy departure); minimum ~2,040 m (Aguas Calientes)

Operator

PeruRail (50% Belmond / 50% Lorenzo Sousa Debarbieri)

Launched

2003 (Belmond brand relaunch); Pullman car heritage from 1920s

Service frequency

Daily year-round except last Sunday of month

Route

Ferrocarril Santa Ana — Cusco (Poroy/Wanchaq) → Ollantaytambo → Aguas Calientes

Sibling train

Belmond Andean Explorer (separate luxury sleeper product, Cusco ↔ Arequipa via Puno/Lake Titicaca)

Inclusions

Welcome cocktail, gourmet brunch, observation car, open premium bar, live music, guided Machu Picchu tour, citadel entrance ticket, Consettur bus, Sanctuary Lodge afternoon tea, gourmet dinner

Quick Facts
  • Duration

    3.5 hours

  • Distance

    115 km

  • Est. Price

    All-inclusive round-trip from USD $900–$1,100+ per person (dynamic pricing, peak July/August higher); one-way $540–$660

Official Booking Provider