Hiram Bingham Luxury Train to Machu Picchu

After hotel pickup in Cusco, take a 20-minute drive to Poroy station, where a welcome drink is offered to you before you step on the train. As you sip your wine, admire the narrow-gauge '20s-style Belmond Hiram Bingham wagons dressed in blue and gold. Once you're on board, thread your way through a sparkling interior of brass and polished wood to find your elegantly upholstered seat. During the 3-hour ascent to the Aguas Calientes, the nearest station to Machu Picchu, explore the train’s observation platform, bar car and two dining wagons, where you’ll enjoy a 3-course lunch (see a sample menu in Itinerary below). Pair your meal with Peruvian, Argentinean and Chilean wines, among other beverages like Cusqueña beer and pisco sours. The meal isn't the only thing that makes this train ride special. Lend an appreciative ear as musicians perform traditional Peruvian songs with guitars and Cajon box drums. From the observation platform, take in jaw-dropping panoramas of the Andean scenery, including majestic mountainsides overlapping one another, verdant hills and yawning valleys along a course that follows the great Urubamba River. When you arrive at the Aguas Calientes station, board a shuttle bus specially reserved for Hiram Bingham passengers. You'll especially appreciate this when you see the hordes of people waiting for mass transport. The bus snakes up a road and arrives shortly at Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, nestled on a mountaintop at 7,000 feet (2,134 meters) above sea level. Stroll through the cloud-shrouded archaeological site with a guide who leads you through the ancient city’s main streets, ceremonial shrines, solar clock and precisely carved stairways. Learn about how the Incas designed the small city to be self-contained, built with agricultural terraces that fed its residents and watered by natural springs. After the guided tour, wander about the grounds on your own and then walk over to Belmond Sanctuary Lodge for afternoon tea. Enjoy scones and sandwiches with tea or coffee, or try appetizers and choose from a selection of wine. Take a shuttle bus back down to Aguas Calientes and settle into your seats aboard the Hiram Bingham. In the evening, head over to the dining car for a 4-course gourmet meal (see a sample menu below in Itinerary). You may find yourself joining the musicians in song and dance during the return journey to Cusco, where you’ll be transported back to your hotel. -------------------- ITINERARY -------------------- Both meals below are paired with wine suggested by the sommelier. Sample lunch menu (subject to change) First course: • Wayllabamba trout with fava beans, Andean mint and airampo emulsionMain course: • Lamb cannelloni with spring greens, elderberry and potato pestoDessert: • Organic cocoa with pineapple, olive oil, Maca toffee, Maras salt and lavender Sample dinner menu (subject to change) First course: • Amuse-bouche • Duck ham dressed with Eucalyptus leaves, jam corn and crispy chili skinSecond course: • Potato and leek soup with purple kiwicha, extra virgin olive oil and toronjil lemonMain course (choice of one): • Pachamanca with an emulsion of roots, bulbs, leaves and black quinoa • Maras beef with root confit, Quillabamba peanuts and a tartar of white grape and myrtleDessert: • Apple-custard parfait with carrots and cocoa nibs, drizzled with mandarin and ginger reduction