Train Stations

Planning to travel to Machu Picchu? The train is essential if you want to arrive safely, comfortably and as quickly as possible. When buying your ticket you must choose one of the available stations: San Pedro station (Cusco), Wanchaq station (Cusco), Poroy station, Urubamba station or Ollantaytambo station. You can also take the long but economical route through the Hidroelectrica train station. All these services end at the Aguas Calientes station, located just 10 kilometers from the archaeological site of Machu Picchu.

Train stations to Machu Picchu

The way in which more tourists arrive at Machu Picchu is through the trip in train. The trains are boarded at the different stations throughout the Cusco region.

The train stations are: San Pedro, Wanchaq and Poroy in the city of Cusco. Also the stations of Urubamba and Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Finally, there is an alternative station near the hydroelectric power plant in the jungle of Cusco.

The trains that depart from these stations belong to the Peru Rail and Inca Rail companies. The trains have fixed schedules that can be reviewed on their web pages. Definitely the most used station is Ollantaytambo with more than thirty daily trains.

San Pedro Station (Cusco)

The San Pedro station is located in the heart of the city of Cusco, right in front of the famous San Pedro market, about 800 meters from the Main Square.

The San Pedro station has comfortable facilities, including a ticket office. About 5 trains a day depart from there, including Expedition, Vistadome, Hiram Bingham (luxury train) and even the local train for Peruvians.

During the rainiest days of the year, from January 1 to April 30, this station is closed to the public.

The trip from the San Pedro station to the final station of Aguas Calientes takes approximately 4 hours.

Wanchaq Station (Cusco)

The Wanchaq station is located in the city of Cusco, about 1.6 kilometers from the city’s Main Square. Its exact address is Avenue El Sol s/n (at Alameda Pachacutec).

The Wanchaq station offers comfortable facilities, including a ticket office. A few services a day depart from there. The trains that leave for Puno and Arequipa stand out: the Peru Rail Titicaca and the Belmond Andean Explorer.

The departure of trains is all year round except for the rainiest months: from January 1 to April 30.

The buses of the Bimodal service (bus and train) also depart from the Wanchaq station in the direction of the Ollantaytambo station where the trains board.

The trip from the Wanchaq station to the final station of Aguas Calientes takes approximately 4 hours.

Poroy Station

The Poroy station is located in the Cusco district of the same name, about 11 kilometers from the center of Cusco. Its address is: calle Roldán s/n, Poroy – Cusco. To get there you can take a taxi or public transport from the city (approximately 30 minute trip).

The Poroy station has comfortable facilities, including the ticket service. About five trains depart from there each day, including Expedition, Vistadome and the Hiram Bingham luxury train.

During the rainy season, from January 1 to April 30, the Poroy station is closed as a precaution.

The trip from the Poroy station to the final station in Aguas Calientes takes approximately 3 hours 30 minutes.

Urubamba Station

The Urubamba station is located in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is located 53 kilometers by road from the city of Cusco, in the district of Urubamba. Its exact address is: Avenue Ferrocarril s/n, Urubamba. The road trip from Cusco to this station takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

The Urubamba station offers comfortable facilities. Only two train services depart from there each day, including Peru Rail’s Vistadome service. However, this station is closed during the rainy season, from January 1 to April 30.

The trip from the Urubamba station to the final station of Aguas Calientes takes approximately 2 hours 20 minutes.

Ollantaytambo Station

The Ollantaytambo station is the most used by tourists as it offers a greater number of daily departures. It is also located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, about 61 kilometers by road from the city of Cusco. Its address is: Avenue Ferrocarril s/n, Ollantaytambo. The bus route from Cusco to there takes approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.

The Ollantaytambo station has a comfortable infrastructure that includes ticket offices, a cafeteria and a departure lounge. From there, more than thirty trains depart every day that include all types of Peru Rail and Inca Rail services, including luxury services and the local train for Peruvians.

The Ollantaytambo station is available all year round, even in the rainy season. The train ride from there to the final station in Aguas Calientes takes approximately 1 hour 40 minutes.

Hidroeléctrica Station

The Hidroeléctrica station is located in the jungle part of Cusco, about 212 kilometers by road from the city of Cusco. To get there you must take a public bus service or tourist transport. The trip takes approximately 6 hours.

The Hidroeléctrica station is only 10 kilometers from the final station of Aguas Calientes. For this reason, the vast majority of tourists prefer to walk and not take the train. The final walk to Aguas Calientes takes an average of 2 hours.

The Hidroeléctrica station only offers two daily departures, in the morning and in the afternoon. However, this train is mainly chosen by the local population. Tourists, for the most part, prefer to walk.

Due to the long distance from Cusco to the Hidroeléctrica station, not many tourists dare to take this route.

Due to its location in the jungle part of Cusco (where the rains are intense), it is not recommended to do this route in January, February and March, the rainiest months.

Aguas Calientes Station

The final station of the train trip is in the town of Aguas Calientes, approximately 100 kilometers from the city of Cusco.

Aguas Calientes is a small town in the province of Urubamba famous for being just 10 kilometers by road from the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. Visitors arriving by train need only take a bus to finally reach the ‘Inca city’.

The Aguas Calientes train station receives more than thirty trains a day. In the same way, the same number of trains depart each day back to the different stations in Cusco.

The station has a modern infrastructure that includes a ticket office, waiting rooms, boarding, cafeterias and more. All kinds of Peru Rail and Inca Rail train services depart from there, including luxury trains and the local train service for Peruvians.

The station is available all year round except in cases of emergencies such as natural disasters or protests on the route.