One of the highlights of our trip to Peru was our Luxury Train Trip from Puno to Cusco. The ten and a half hour trip brought us by Lake Titicaca through the high desert and on to the historic city of Cusco. I felt like I was stepping back in time as we boarded the train. An attendant led us to our seats, soft upholstered chairs set before a white table cloth with flowers and a leather covered menu. There were wall sconces and an Agatha Christie era vibe with dark wood paneling and antique brass finishes. We were towards the back of the train and the observation car was right behind us giving us easy access to the entertainment offered throughout the trip.
Gorgeous scenery unfolded before us as we ate a gourmet breakfast and then sipped our cappuccinos. There was a fashion show and traditional dances as well as a Pisco, the national drink of Peru, demonstration. We saw farms and llamas and tiny towns seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Occasionally we would pass a lone shepherd with a tiny hut for shelter. I was struck by the contrast between the luxury we were experiencing and the simplicity of the people we were passing.
After our three course lunch with wine, we stopped at Abra La Raya one of the highest points at over 14,000 feet. There were people selling beautiful Peruvian textiles and other handicrafts outside of a small chapel. I’ve never been at such a high elevation before and my finger tips felt tingly. We moved slowly giving our bodies some grace as we grappled with such low oxygen. One lady on the train had to be assisted back on with an oxygen tank which the attendants took in stride as us poor low landers obviously had some need for adjustment.
We left the high desert behind us as we got closer to Cusco. More farms appeared along with bigger towns and more trees. We saw the sun set, outlining the mountains and bouncing off the river. It was fully dark when we arrived into Cusco.
Fortunately, the train station was in the center of town and only about a 10 minute walk to our accommodations. I did stop to ask the ticketing office a few questions about our early morning trip to Agua Calientes, the base of Machu Picchu, before we started the slightly uphill journey to our hotel. There were a bevy of taxi drivers waiting ready to drive passengers getting off the luxury train. However we wanted to walk to time how long it would take us the next morning for the first step in our journey to Machu Picchu. We felt safe walking in Cusco in the dark.
The luxury train trip was about half way through our trip to Peru. Having a full day to relax, read, eat well, and see stunning views was perfectly placed before the next day when our 4 AM wake up call started our trip to see Machu Picchu. If I had access to How to Plan a Stress-free Trip on a Budget we could have slept in a bit. Since our total trip cost for 10 days in Peru including all meals, ubers, accommodations, inter city travel, and plane tickets from Atlanta was only $1200 a person, the $255 price tag was more than a fifth of our total trip cost. Without a doubt though, it was worth the splurge for such a once in a lifetime experience.
You book the tickets through Perurail, the national train system of Peru.
