Ollantaytambo or Poroy: where to take the train to Machu Picchu from?

One of the main doubts for tourists who want to travel to Machu Picchu is how to get to the citadel. As we told you previously, you have to take various means of transportation to get to Machu Picchu. Choosing the train is one of the decisive points. At Inca Rail we have two stations: Poroy and Ollantaytambo. So, you must ask yourself: Where should I take the train to Machu Picchu? To make this decision, you will have to take into account different factors.

Where is each station?

First of all, you need to know where our Inca Rail stations are located to depart to Aguas Calientes.

Poroy station is located in the homonymous district, just half an hour west of Cusco. From here to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu, the journey takes three and a half hours.

On the other hand, to get to Ollantaytambo station you have to travel about an hour and a half by car (if you do not make any stops) to the northwest and the journey from this point to Aguas Calientes is about two hours.

To get to either of these two stations, there are buses, taxis or private services that make the journey throughout the day.

When are you going to travel to Machu Picchu?

The date when you take the train to Machu Picchu is very important when deciding the departure station, since during the rainy season, which takes place from January to April, trains only leave from Ollantaytambo, and Poroy remains closed. If you travel during this season, at Inca Rail we offer you our Bimodal service, through which we take you from the Plaza de Armas from Cusco to Ollantaytambo by bus and from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes by train.

How many days do you have to visit Machu Picchu?

Another thing that you have to consider are the days you have to get to the citadel of Machu Picchu. If you only have one or two days to make the round trip, we recommend you to take the train from Poroy, the nearest station, since you will have more time to visit Machu Picchu.

If, on the other hand, you have three days or more, you can take it from Ollantaytambo and take the opportunity to see the different tourist attractions found on the road from Cusco to this station.

What train leaves from each station?

At Inca Rail we have four different types of trains so we recommend you to choose the train you prefer and to check if this train is leaving from the station you prefer, because no all the trains leave from both stations.

Would you like to know the characteristics and differences of each of our trains? You can choose the one that best suits your trip, here we tell you all the details.

Attractions of Poroy and Ollantaytambo

Every corner of Cusco has several attractions that you will love, so whatever the station you choose, you will have amazing places to visit. In the case of Poroy, despite being a small town, it has a great artisan tradition, so you can visit its market and get incredible souvenirs of your visit.

On the other hand, Ollantaytambo has an incredible Inca fortress that is one of the main tourist attractions of the Sacred Valley. In addition, in this station we have a storage service, where you can leave for free the luggage you do not need for your visit to Machu Picchu so you can move more comfortably around the citadel.

Visits to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain

If you are planning to visit Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain, it is important to check the departure times of the trains from each station, since the entrance to these two points of the citadel are restricted to certain times and you must take this into account when you choose your arrival time to Aguas Calientes.

Now that you know all the details of each of our stations, you only have to book your train to Machu Picchu. How to do it? It is very simple: you just have to visit our website www.incarail.com and select the dates of your trip, the schedule and the train you prefer.

Remember: hundreds of people arrive everyday to Machu Picchu, so it is important that you book your ticket at least one month in advance to ensure your space at Inca Rail. Enjoy your trip!