Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham Train
One day, 1920s Pullman carriages, and tea at the Sanctuary Lodge
- 1 day
- 2,430 m max
- Easy
- Cusco to Cusco
Machu Picchu in a single day on the Belmond Hiram Bingham — restored 1920s Pullman carriages, a bar car, live music and gourmet dining both ways, a guided visit to the citadel in between, and afternoon tea at the Sanctuary Lodge beside the gate.
There are a dozen ways to reach Machu Picchu and this is the least practical and the most enjoyable of them. It is a day trip built around a train.
The Hiram Bingham is Belmond’s service down the Urubamba gorge — 1920s Pullman carriages, a bar car, an observation car at the back, a kitchen producing a gourmet lunch on the way out and dinner on the way home, and a band. In between there is a guided visit to the citadel and afternoon tea at the Sanctuary Lodge, which sits at the gate.
It is worth being honest about the value. The citadel does not improve because of how you arrived, and our ordinary day trip costs a quarter of this. What this buys is the four hours on the train, and for anniversaries, honeymoons and the trip somebody has been promising themselves for thirty years, that is often the point.
What you'll see
The Hiram Bingham
Belmond's train to Machu Picchu — restored 1920s Pullman carriages, a bar car, an observation car and live music, running down the Urubamba gorge.
Lunch out, dinner back
A gourmet meal on the way there and fine dining on the way home, with wine, beer, pisco sour and soft drinks included in both directions.
Afternoon tea at the Sanctuary Lodge
Belmond's hotel sits at the citadel gate. Tea there after your guided visit is the part of the day people did not expect and remember most.
Private transfers at both ends
Collected from your hotel in Cusco or anywhere in the Sacred Valley, taken to the station, and driven home again at the end of the evening.
A guided visit, not just a ride
The train is the headline but the citadel is the point — a professional guide, the entrance ticket and the return bus are all in the price.
The VIP lounge before the return
Somewhere civilised to wait at Aguas Calientes rather than the station platform.
Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham Train: day by day
Times are what we actually aim for, not a best case. Traffic into Cusco and the train timetable move them by a little.
Day 1
Cusco or the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu and back
A long day but an entirely comfortable one, most of it spent either at the citadel or being fed on a train. You are back at your own hotel the same evening.
- MorningPrivate pickup from your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley and a transfer to the station, which is Poroy or another depending on the season and the schedule.
- BoardingA welcome at the station, then the Hiram Bingham — Pullman carriages, a bar car and an observation car — down through the Sacred Valley beside the Urubamba.
- On boardA gourmet lunch, selected drinks and live music as the high Andes give way to cloud forest.
- Aguas CalientesThe bus up to the citadel gate.
- The citadelA guided visit through the sectors your assigned circuit allows, with the history, the architecture and the viewpoints.
- AfternoonTea at the Sanctuary Lodge beside the entrance, then the bus back down to the town.
- Before the trainThe VIP lounge at the station while you wait.
- EveningFine dining, drinks and entertainment on the Hiram Bingham back up the valley, then your private vehicle to your hotel.
- Meals
- Lunch, afternoon tea and dinner
- Night
- Not included — you sleep where you started
What the price covers
Getting there and back
- Private pickup from your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley
- Private transport to the train station and home again at the end of the day
- Hiram Bingham train, both directions
- Return bus between Aguas Calientes and the citadel
On board
- A welcome drink at the station
- A gourmet meal on the outbound journey and fine dining on the return
- Selected drinks throughout, including wine, beer, pisco sour, soft and hot drinks
- Live music and onboard entertainment
- Access to the VIP lounge before the return train
At the citadel
- Machu Picchu entrance, the best official circuit available for your date and train schedule
- A guided visit of the citadel
- Afternoon tea at the Sanctuary Lodge, a Belmond hotel
Throughout
- Full coordination and support for the day
Not included
- Any meal not named in the itinerary
- Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain
- Hotel nights in Cusco, the Sacred Valley or Aguas Calientes
- Travel insurance
- Tips, which are genuinely optional
Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham Train: prices and options
Add-ons
- +£60
Huayna Picchu
Only if the timings and ticket availability allow. Ask before you book.
- +£60
Machu Picchu Mountain
The same caveat — the Hiram Bingham schedule is fixed and tight.
What to bring
Papers and money
- Your original passport — they check it at the citadel gate and on the train
- Cash in soles for tips
- Your medication and any personal first aid
What to carry
- A small daypack, 25 litres at most for inside the sanctuary
- A refillable water bottle
- A camera
Clothes
- Comfortable walking shoes with grip — the citadel is uneven stone whatever the train was like
- Something smart enough for a dining car, layered for the citadel
- A light jacket
- A rain poncho, because this is cloud forest
Sun and skin
- High-factor sun cream
- Sunglasses with UV protection and a sun hat
- Insect repellent
- Lip balm
Questions we get asked
Is it worth it?
That depends entirely on what you want from the day. The citadel you see is the same citadel everyone sees, and a standard day trip costs a quarter of this. What you are buying is the journey — a 1920s Pullman train with a bar car and a kitchen, two proper meals, and tea at the Sanctuary Lodge. If the train is a means to an end for you, book our ordinary day trip instead. If arriving in style is part of the point, nothing else in Peru comes close.
Which station does it leave from?
Usually Poroy, near Cusco, though it varies with the season and the Hiram Bingham's own schedule. We confirm it with your booking, and the private transfer takes you there whichever it is.
How much walking is involved?
Only inside the citadel, which is uneven stone and a fair number of steps. Everything else is a train, a bus or a car. Graded easy, but wear proper shoes rather than the ones that match the dining car.
Which circuit will I get?
The best official route available for your date and your train times. Because the Hiram Bingham runs to a fixed schedule, the entry hour is largely determined for you, and the circuit follows from that. We confirm both before you travel.
Can I add Huayna Picchu?
Rarely. The peaks have their own timed permits and the Hiram Bingham schedule does not flex around them. Ask us before booking if it matters to you, rather than after.
Can I stay overnight instead of returning the same day?
Yes, and some people do — a night in Machu Picchu Pueblo turns this into a slower two-day trip. We can arrange the hotel and the second day and quote it against your dates.
Is the drinks list really included?
Selected drinks are, in both directions — wine, beer, pisco sour, soft drinks and hot drinks. Anything outside that selection is charged on board.
Is there a cheaper private version?
Yes. The Vistadome Observatory service is a genuinely fine train — panoramic glass, an open-air carriage, music on board — at a fraction of the Hiram Bingham. Our luxury Sacred Valley itineraries use it, and we can also arrange it as a private day trip.
Ask us about Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham Train
Tell us your dates and we'll come back with availability, the circuit we'd recommend, and a firm price. No deposit to ask, and we answer within one working day.