Belmond Hiram Bingham

An Unforgettable Journey to Machu Picchu Our experience on the Hiram Bingham Train was excellent from start to finish, truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! From the moment we arrived in the morning until our return at night, everything was beautifully organized and seamlessly executed. The journey to Machu Picchu was pure joy. We spent much of the ride in the back carriage enjoying live music, breathtaking scenery, and expertly crafted cocktails. The atmosphere was vibrant yet elegant, making the trip feel extra special. Brunch & dinner onboard was good, though we expected a slightly higher quality of food to match the outstanding level of service and hospitality. Upon arrival, every detail was taken care of, including our guided tour. Our guide was knowledgeable, patient, and led us thoughtfully through the magnificent Machu Picchu. After the tour, we enjoyed a lovely high tea at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge before setting off on our return journey, the perfect way to end an extraordinary day. A truly memorable and luxurious way to experience one of the world’s greatest wonders!

We absolutely loved our trip aboard Hiram Bingham!! We got on at Poroy, which I recommend because you have more time to enjoy the train before other passengers board. The staff was so attentive, making it an amazing, luxury experience. The food was incredible! Graham was an awesome guide. He was also our private guide at MP and gave us the best tour, so knowledgeable and kind!

Really beautiful, luxury experience! We took the train both ways, and each was its own unique journey. The way there was lively and fun with people dancing and enjoying the scenery. On the way back it had a more candle light dinner and speakeasy lounge ambiance. I’m really glad we booked in both directions. After a long day, it was really nice to have a comfortable place to unwind. The staff was extraordinary. They offered appetizers and cocktails before the meal, complimentary branded backpacks and water bottles full ready to take on the tour, and provided table service drinks throughout the whole ride. I was one the fence at first about booking this train or a more economical ride, but this definitely is the way to go. Loved it!

Probably the best way to visit Machu Picchu with live music and unlimited drinks. (if ignore the price) We were very luck to be the only group during that ride

We had the most amazing wonderful experience on the Hiram Bingham and our waiter and following that our tour guide Willington, his knowledge was excellent and he couldn’t have made our Machu Picchu experience any better. I am sure the other guides are just as good, but he was exceptional

Visited Machu Picchu in late April 2024 for my birthday so I wanted to take the best train possible to Aguas Calientes as the only way to get to the town beneath Machu Picchu is by train. You basically have three options. The nicest is this Hiram Bingham train, the second best is the new Peru Rail, and the worst option is the Inka Rail. This Hiram Bingham train is designed with 1920 European aesthetics and they serve a three course meal on the way to Machu Picchu, and also on the way back. They have live music, a full bar, and a view car at the caboose of the train. The seats were very comfortable, and the train was a lot smoother than the other train that we took back. Our ticket for this train also included a ticket to Machu Picchu and a private guide. We also got in a bus that was also covered that took us directly to the entrance of Machu Picchu. This train ride through the Sacred Valley was probably one of the highlights of my trip. In certain months you can take the train all the way from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, but April is the rainy season so we had to board the train in the Sacred Valley and ride it about three hours to get to Aguas Calientes due to landslide safety precautions. This is a first class train and you will receive first class service, which includes help with your bags and they can accommodate any dietary restrictions that you may have. Honestly, I wish the train ride was twice as long because we really enjoyed our trip and the whole staff was extremely polite. The seats were quite large and comfortable, and every person is sat at a table, which is extremely convenient. By far the best, and most expensive, train option to get to Machu Picchu. All the others are a downgrade. It’s worth the cost for the special experience.

Updated review post train trip Cusco to Puno. We had a wonderful experience today on our 10 hour train trip from Cusco to Puno! So Peru Rail does understand great service. This could not have been more polarising than our 1st trip to Machu Picchu (see review below). We had breakfast, 3 course lunch and an afternoon snack on the train as well as music, pisco sour making and a welcome cocktail. All with impeccable service and the most wonderful views. We paid $250 each but for the experience and thinking of the cost per hour I feel it was worth it. Compared to $80 for 90min train and 2 hour bus to Machu Picchu. Almost forgiven Peru Rail but I still think pay for the cheapest train to Machu Picchu and put that money toward this trip or something else. This review is for Peru Rail Vistadome. Very disappointed. They changed our trip to a bus - train service and there was no notice. Even when we bought the ticket in the Peru rail centre in Cusco the day before travel they sold us the full train version - apparently it’s not been running since Sept? When trying to work out why the change the staff that we asked at the station all told a different story. Rocks on the tracks or the train was not running from June to Dec from Puroy. Strange that they still selling those tickets? Although funny enough the Belmond train $$$ is still able to run on the same tracks so perhaps it’s not rocks after all? Definitely felt taken advantage but perhaps it’s because it was the part of our trip that we were looking most forward to. My advice is book the cheapest possible ticket and expect the least and then perhaps you won’t be disappointed. On a positive note the train station was very clean, clean toilets and place to buy coffee but I suspect thats the benefits of the high end train service departing from that location. Had time to write this on our 2 hour bus journey. Thanks Peru rail. Let’s hope our trip to Puno is less eventful.

Magical experience from start to finish. Five star luxury hospitality with the ultimate attention to guests. Above and beyond.