The journey to Machu Picchu on board the Belmond Hiram Bingham train is best described as lavish luxury with an ever-changing scene of unbelievable Sacred Valley landscapes. It’s an experience that actually parallels the one that had you exploring trains to Machu Picchu in the first place – The Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu. Mentally grab your seat in the 1920’s-inspired Pullman carriage and settle in because we’re about to describe exactly what’s it like to be a guest on board the Belmond Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu.

The Departure from the Poroy Station

All settled into your plush seat? Excellent. Within moments of leaving the Poroy (or Urubamba) station, a luxury 3-course brunch entirely sourced from Sacred Valley ingredients will fill the porcelain plate in front of you, while a maître d’ tops off your wine glass with orange juice or a welcome cocktail. You’ll wonder if you’ve been transported to a bygone era of old-world train travel, but then the views of Cusco fading off into the distance will bring you back to the present. Which is exactly where you’ll want to be for what comes next on this luxury travel experience.

Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu

The next leg of the 20-mile journey (roughly two hours) will likely be spent moving about the various cars of the Hiram Bingham luxury train. From the bar car for a round (or two) of pisco sours handcrafted by the bartender to the open-air observation car where a local band accents the pinch-me-please moment to the tune of traditional Andean music, and then back again to the dining car to relax and take in more of the passing views through your panoramic window. This leg is also some of the most scenic of the entire journey, as it follows the Urubamba River all the way to Machu Picchu’s Aguas Calientes station. The lush valley narrows and the mountains stand so tall you’ll have to crane your neck to even begin to see their mist-shrouded peaks.

The Arrival to Machu Picchu Station

Well tended to by the attentive onboard staff and likely a little buzzed from the pisco sours and adrenaline of the moment, you arrive to the Machu Picchu Station in Aguas Calientes. A shuttle awaits to whisk you off to the gates of Machu Picchu where you’ll be led through the ancient citadel by an expert private guide. After your private tour, you can take afternoon tea at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge located just next to the entrance to Machu Picchu – another complimentary perk of traveling onboard the Belmond Hiram Bingham train.

Do It All Over Again on the Return Journey!

For those of you who made the wise choice of purchasing a round-trip ticket on the Hiram Bingham train, you get to experience the luxury and personalized attention all over again, this time with a four-course Andean-inspired dinner and views of the Sacred Valley at sunset. The observation car closes by nightfall, but the bar car is open during the entire journey to Cusco. Toast the luxury Peru experience while trading tales of your visit to Machu Picchu with your fellow passengers.

There’s a reason this particular train journey has been named one of the best trains in the world multiple times. It’s pure luxury and class from start to finish, by train and while touring the Machu Picchu citadel. Experience it firsthand on your luxury Peru tour and trip to Machu Picchu.

Welcome to our 5-part blog series featuring some of Peru’s most exclusive, authentic, and unheard-of travel experiences handpicked by our team of Kuoda Travel Designers. Many of these experiences are exclusive to Kuoda travelers, as we pull on our local connections and intimate knowledge of Peru to create something special and unique for your once-in-a-lifetime vacation in Peru.

Where Beauty Comes with the Territory: Archaeology & Nature Tours in Peru

Floodplain rainforest, jungle-shrouded ancient ruins, high alpine lakes…these are just a few of the natural and ancient settings in which you’ll find yourself on an archaeology or nature tour in Peru. Below, we share five of our Kuoda Travel Designer’s favorite nature and archaeological experiences in Peru. See what sparks your curiosity.

Experience #1: Embark on a challenging and under-the-radar trek to Machu Picchu’s sister site Choquequirao.

Beyond the stunning nature that surrounds you on the Choquequirao trek, the route itself is far from the beaten path. Over the course of your four- to five-day trek, traverse otherworldly mountain landscapes along empty trails. Your knowledgeable local guide can identify flora and fauna at one glance and has the back story to every local and ancient tale, ruin, or myth ever born here. You’d better include this trek in Peru on your custom Peru holiday before it becomes the next Machu Picchu. The world is catching on to this remote gem already!

Experience #2: Take a day hike to Laguna 69, a magical turquoise lake in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca.

Located in Huascarán National Park, a visit to Laguna 69 is a bucket list-worthy item by anyone’s standards and should be on everyone’s Peru vacation itinerary. Hugged by soaring snow-capped mountains and trickling waterfalls, the turquoise waters of Laguna 69 are worth the day trip from Huaraz. For the more daring of travelers, you can even take a dip in its icy waters, although keep in mind this is a lake at an altitude of 4,600 meters (15,092 feet) surrounded by glaciers. Allow Kuoda to lead you on a trek or tour to this magnificent gem in the White Mountains of Peru.

Experience #3: Marvel at the wonders of Machu Picchu alongside an expert researcher and conservationist.

The wonder of Machu Picchu doesn’t stop at its impressive and ingenious architecture. Situated in a dramatic setting where the Peruvian Andes meet the Amazon Basin, Machu Picchu is also a biodiversity hotspot sheltering an incredible array of microclimates and species. With an expert researcher and conservationist as your guide, take in both Machu Picchu’s architectural mastery and its biodiverse setting for a well-rounded visit to this historic sanctuary on a custom Machu Picchu tour.

Experience #4: Explore the lesser-known Chachapoyas culture and the fascinating remains they left behind.

Known as the “Warriors of the Clouds”, the Chachapoyas culture pre-dates the Incas, with much of their culture still shrouded in mystery. However, they did leave behind the impressive fortress of Kuelap, now reachable via a cable car system, and the Sarcophagi of Karijia, eight Chachapoyan mummies resting on a cliffside. Allow Kuoda to guide you to this remote and off-the-beaten-path Peru travel destination in the north, nestled inside the Andean cloud forests of the Amazonas region. It’s the perfect complement to a Peruvian culture vacation

Experience #5: Visit the floodplain rain forests of Manu National Park and conduct field studies alongside a resident researcher.

Understand the ecology and ecosystems of the western Amazon Rainforest during a field study in Manu National Park, where researchers and naturalists are studying the delicate ecological balance of this biodiverse region of the world. Identify species, assess biodiversity, and gain a deeper understanding for rainforest conservation and environmental impacts. For a richer visit to the Amazon, there’s truly no better way than through a hands-on field studies program in Peru.

Book an Archaeology or Nature Tour in Peru Today with Kuoda Travel!

Kuoda Travel Designers are on hand to put together the Peru vacation itinerary of your dreams. Whether you are seeking a ruins-focused tour or a walk through Peru’s breathtaking nature scenes, or something else entirely, we’re here to make sure your Peru vacation fits you and your crew like a glove. Contact us today to begin planning your once-in-a-lifetime Peru tour.

Thanksgiving has officially arrived and it has us reflecting on all of the good we have to be grateful for this past year. For us here at Kuoda Travel, Thanksgiving is all about the incredible families we’ve served and new friendships made in the process of creating a custom luxury tour to Peru for each client. Yes, we are a Cusco-based company, and maybe Thanksgiving is just another day on the calendar here, but for us, just having the opportunity in getting to know so many amazing families, couples, and individuals and their stories is a dream come true. After many months of trip planning and then watching that personalized dream Peru vacation unfold right before our eyes, we feel like honorary Americans ourselves about to dig into our very own Thanksgiving feast with family and friends.

On a first note, we would like to take this opportunity in personally thanking all of you who have trusted Kuoda Travel with your once-in-a-lifetime travel experience in Peru this past year. It’s truly been an honor for us to serve you and share this beautiful country with you. It fills our hearts with joy to know that we’ve contributed to something you and yours will cherish for the rest of your lives. So, thank you for giving us the pleasure of your business. We hope to craft many more memorable custom South American vacations for you in the future whether that’s here in Peru or in the other amazing nearby countries we offer.

Although Thanksgiving is an American national holiday, it’s a celebration that feels strangely familiar to us. It’s probably because many of its values and traditions are things we cherish daily here at Kuoda Travel. Our highest goal is to create enriching travel experiences that bring people together for a time of laughter, joy, and good times, where the day-to-day stresses and routines of life fall away and are replaced by moments that become the stuff of memories, treasures in the mind for years to come. We create this for guests by getting to know them on a deeper more personal level. They become like family to us by the time they arrive to our beloved Peru to embark on their memory-making adventure. Thanksgiving and what this day means at its very core is who we are and how we operate. Overall, we are grateful for many things but, most of all, we are grateful for the relationships with have built over the last almost 14 years.

We’re aware of the current difference of interest that have come to light over the last year in U.S. but the genuine beauty of this day falling when it does is the opportunity it provides to bring everyone back together, even just for one day of voluntary amnesia, where politics and self-interest fall to the wayside. We wish you nothing but joyous moments with loved ones and all of the sweet memories sure to follow. Because, after all, family and the good times you share together are what matter in life. Thanksgiving has a funny way of bringing what’s really important to the surface.

From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving! We look forward to sharing this Thanksgiving and the ones to come with guests we have the good fortune of crossing paths with, past, present, and future.