Titicaca train in the Peruvian Andes
Take the Titicaca train to travel over the Andean altiplano between Cusco and Lake Titicaca. This day-long luxury service, which operates six days a week, allows you to enjoy wilderness landscapes, with llama-dotted plains and valleys pitted with adobe villages and tiny farmsteads, all from the comfort of your opulent upholstered seat.
The route is considered one of the most beautiful in the world: the track rises to a heady 4,335m above sea level at La Raya, where the landscape of moors and snow-splashed mountain peaks is at its most rugged.
At the start of the 10.5hr day-trip your luggage is safely stored as you board the train and head for your seat in a beautifully appointed retro-style carriage. During the trip you can visit the open-air observatory car from where you can take in in the mountain views while enjoying the traditional music and dances of the Peruvian highlands performed live by local bands.
Hungry? Take your seat in one of the two dining cars decorated in the style of the Pullman cars of the 1920s with white tablecloths, dark brown panelled wood and copper finishes. You will be served a gourmet meal and afternoon tea. If that’s not enough to slake your appetite, snacks are also served throughout the ride; there’s also a bar car where you can request a coffee or a cocktail – the choice is yours.
Belmond have also recently launched the luxury Belmond Andean Explorer for those of you looking to try South America’s first luxury sleeper train. It operates 2 day/1 night journeys between Cusco and Puno and longer 3 day/2 night journeys between Arequipa, Puno and Cusco and vice versa.