Peru rewards the patient traveler, and nowhere is that truer than from a train seat. Between the high Altiplano around Lake Titicaca and the cloud forest descent to Machu Picchu, the country's rail lines cover terrain that a highway simply cannot reach with the same grace. Through the journeys we arrange, Peru consistently surprises first-time guests who assume the Andes are best seen by minivan — the reality is that South America's only luxury sleeper train and its most famous day train do the job better, and in considerably more comfort.
This guide covers the two trains that matter most for a Peru itinerary: the Andean Explorer, a multi-day sleeper crossing the southern Andes, and the Hiram Bingham, the all-inclusive luxury service to Machu Picchu. Used together, or separately, they frame a rail-based Peru trip that pairs altitude, history, and scenery in a way few other journeys can match.
The Andean Explorer: South America's only luxury sleeper train
The Andean Explorer connects Cusco, Lake Titicaca, and Arequipa across a route that climbs to roughly 4,800 metres on the Altiplano before descending toward the Pacific side of the range. It runs as a genuine sleeper, with cabins made up for the night, a dining car serving Peruvian tasting menus, an observation carriage, and a piano bar — a level of onboard comfort that is rare anywhere in South America, let alone at this altitude.
Our guests most often book the classic three-day, two-night routing between Cusco and Arequipa (in either direction), with an overnight stop in Puno for excursions onto Lake Titicaca, including the floating Uros islands. Shorter two-day, one-night segments are also available for travelers with tighter schedules, covering just the Cusco–Puno or Puno–Arequipa legs. Because departures run on a fixed weekly pattern with a limited number of cabins per trip, dates should be confirmed directly against the Andean Explorer train page or through our team well ahead of a planned trip — this is not a train you book at the last minute.
What the crossing actually feels like
The appeal of the Andean Explorer isn't speed — it's altitude and scenery delivered without the physical strain of a road trip over the same passes. Guests wake to views of the Altiplano's high plains, herds of alpaca and llama grazing beside the tracks, and small Andean villages that most tour buses bypass entirely. The train's slow pace through this landscape is deliberate, and it is one of the few ways to experience the transition from Inca highlands to the volcanic country around Arequipa without a single overnight in a hotel.
The Hiram Bingham: the classic way to reach Machu Picchu
Where the Andean Explorer is about the journey, the Hiram Bingham is built around a single, spectacular destination. This day train — named for the American explorer credited with bringing Machu Picchu to international attention in 1911 — runs between the Cusco area and Aguas Calientes, the town beneath the Machu Picchu citadel, along the Urubamba river valley.
A typical outbound journey departs from Poroy station near Cusco (or, during the rainy season from January through April, from Urubamba further down the valley) in the late morning, with brunch and live Andean music served on board as the train threads through the Sacred Valley. On arrival, guests transfer by private bus up to the ruins for a guided tour, with time built in at the Sanctuary Lodge before the return leg, which typically includes a multi-course dinner and pisco sours as the train heads back through the darkening valley. It is best understood not as transport but as a full day of touring in which the train itself is one of the highlights.
Booking notes worth knowing
The Hiram Bingham's schedule changes seasonally, and heavy rains have periodically suspended the full luxury service in the first months of the year, with alternative departure points used in the interim. We always confirm current operating dates against the Hiram Bingham train page before finalizing an itinerary — exact days of the week and departure stations can shift from year to year, and we never want a guest planning around outdated information.
Combining the two trains into one Peru itinerary
The two trains solve different problems, which is exactly why they work well together. The Andean Explorer covers the long-distance, scenic crossing of the southern Andes; the Hiram Bingham handles the shorter, iconic run to Machu Picchu. A typical rail-forward Peru itinerary we help arrange might begin in Arequipa, board the Andean Explorer for the multi-night crossing via Puno and Lake Titicaca into Cusco, spend a few days acclimatizing and exploring the Sacred Valley, then take the Hiram Bingham for a day trip to Machu Picchu before flying home from Cusco.
Sequencing matters more than most first-time visitors expect. Altitude is the main variable: Cusco and Puno both sit above 3,300 metres, and travelers coming from sea level generally do better arriving in lower-altitude Arequipa first and letting the Andean Explorer's gradual climb do some of the acclimatizing for them, rather than flying directly into Cusco and heading straight out to the ruins.
Timing your trip
Peru's dry season, roughly May through October, is the most reliable window for both trains and offers the clearest Andean skies for the observation-car sections of the Andean Explorer. The wet season brings lush green landscapes to the Sacred Valley but also the greatest risk of route disruption on the Hiram Bingham. Neither train publishes multi-year fixed pricing, so guests should treat published fares as a starting point and confirm current rates and departure dates before committing to flights.
Why go by rail in Peru
Peru's road network through the Andes is dramatic but exhausting — switchback passes, altitude sickness, and long transfer times are the norm for anyone touring by car. Rail removes most of that friction. It also, in the case of both the Andean Explorer and the Hiram Bingham, adds a layer of hospitality — proper dining, attentive service, live music — that turns transit time into part of the holiday rather than a gap between hotels.
For travelers weighing Peru against other luxury train journeys we arrange around the world, it's worth noting how distinctive this pairing is: nowhere else in South America can you combine an overnight sleeper across a mountain range with a dedicated luxury train to a UNESCO World Heritage site in the same week. If you're planning a Peru itinerary and want help sequencing the trains, altitude, and touring days correctly, our team is glad to walk through the current Andean Explorer journal and Hiram Bingham journal with you, or you can reach us directly via our contact page.
