PeruRail to Macchu Picchu I

We boarded PeruRail at the Ollantaytambo station, destination Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu

MichaelStephenWills

“The line between Cusco and Machu Picchu – Ferrocarril Santa Ana – is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge line, which boasts a series of five switchbacks called locally ‘El Zig-Zag’, which enable the train to climb up the steep incline out of Cusco, before it can begin its descent to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and then continue down to Machu Picchu. However, this section of the route (between Cusco San Pedro station and Poroy) – which had been suspended – resumed by Inca Rail from May 2019. This is why we took a chartered bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo.“

“From Poroy, the narrow-gauge line goes northwest to Ollantaytambo, where the branch from Urubamba joins, then on to Machu Picchu station in Aguas Calientes. Tracks formerly continued into the jungle, but they were destroyed by recent flooding.“

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We boarded PeruRail at the Ollantaytambo station. These are my first photographs from the “VistaDome” carriage we enjoyed all the way to Aguas Calientes.

A terraced mountain slope in the Sacred Valley of the Incas

Reference: Wikipedia, “PeruRail.”

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

8 thoughts on “PeruRail to Macchu Picchu I”

  2. Many years ago when I was younger I actually trekked the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu. It was an epic adventure and worth the physical effort of the trek at that altitude. The first pass is 14,000 ft!

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    1. I’ve heard only good reports about that experience. Peru is doing so well with Machu Picchu tourism they built a new suspension bridge into Urubamba. There are Inca Trail excursions for seniors, though for these seniors we’ll pass. Climbing Algonquin in the winter is adventure enough. ha ha

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      1. I found the altitude slowed me down and I was only 30. But there are other ruins on the trail and they were very interesting. I’m glad they have lots of tourists on the trail. When I did it, the only people we saw were in our own group.

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