Peru's Andean Explorer: Riding the Highest Railway in the Americas

Peru's Andean Explorer: Riding the Highest Railway in the Americas

Photo by Junior Machado on Pexels.

Somewhere above 4,500 meters, the air gets thin and the light turns strange. Outside the panoramic windows, the altiplano stretches to every horizon — burnt ochre, deep rust, and the occasional flash of an Andean lake catching the afternoon sun. You're higher than most of Europe's mountain peaks, and you're doing it in an armchair with a pisco sour in hand.

That's the Andean Explorer. Peru's only luxury sleeper train runs between Cusco, Puno, and Arequipa, threading through one of the most geologically dramatic regions on earth. Operated by Belmond, the same company behind the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, it launched in 2017 and has since built a quiet, devoted following among travelers who want the Andes at human pace — not the blurred view from a plane window at 35,000 feet.

The Route: Three Cities, Two Days, One Extraordinary Crossing

The full journey covers roughly 900 kilometers and runs on two itineraries: northbound from Arequipa to Cusco (two nights), and southbound from Cusco to Arequipa via Puno (also two nights). Most passengers begin in Cusco — logical, since many combine the trip with Machu Picchu — but the southbound direction gives you Puno's Lake Titicaca as a full day stop, which is worth planning around.

Here's what the southbound journey looks like in broad strokes:

graph TD
    A[Cusco - 3,400m] --> B[La Raya Pass - 4,321m]
    B --> C[Puno & Lake Titicaca - 3,812m]
    C --> D[Juliaca Junction]
    D --> E[La Crucero Alto - 4,829m]
    E --> F[Arequipa - 2,335m]

La Crucero Alto, at 4,829 meters, is the highest point — and the train's signature moment. Staff hand out mate de coca (coca leaf tea) as you approach, which is less gimmick and more genuine practicality. Altitude sickness is real at these elevations. Drink the tea, breathe slowly, and watch the vicuñas graze on the hillside like they haven't a care in the world.

What You're Actually Riding

The carriages were purpose-built to complement the original 1970s train stock that served this route for decades. There are open-plan dining cars, a bar car with an observation deck, and private cabins ranging from twin bunks to proper suites with en-suite bathrooms. None of it is cramped; Belmond clearly understood that the view is the product, and they've framed every window accordingly.

Food deserves its own mention. Peruvian cuisine has earned its global reputation honestly, and the kitchen doesn't coast on altitude as an excuse. Ceviche, slow-braised alpaca, quinotto (quinoa risotto) — the menus rotate and pull heavily from local producers in each region the train passes through. One dinner between Cusco and Puno might be the best meal of a Peru trip, which is saying something in a country where the bar is genuinely high.

The Stop at Lake Titicaca

Puno itself won't win any awards for charm — it's a functional lakeside city — but the lake is another matter entirely. The Andean Explorer docks for a half-day excursion that typically includes a boat trip to the floating Uros Islands, where communities have lived on hand-built reed platforms for centuries. It's one of those experiences that sounds almost too photogenic to be real, until you're standing on a totora reed island watching a woman weave and realizing it very much is.

Time your visit between April and October if possible. The dry season keeps the altiplano light clear and the night skies absurd with stars. Rain isn't a dealbreaker — the clouds can make the scenery even more dramatic — but cold, wet platform stops lose some of their appeal.

A Few Practical Notes

Booking opens well in advance, and the better cabins go fast for the April–June and August–September windows. Prices start around USD $1,500 per person for a twin cabin on a two-night journey, inclusive of meals, excursions, and drinks. It's not cheap. But compare it against a boutique lodge in the Sacred Valley plus private transfers plus a lake tour and the number starts to look more reasonable.

One thing worth knowing: the train operates on meter-gauge track, which means a gentle, slightly rolling motion rather than the glassy smoothness of standard-gauge high-speed rail. Some people find it soothing. If you're prone to motion sensitivity, bring medication just in case.

Slow travel has a particular meaning at this altitude. Every kilometer climbed is felt — in the light, in the landscape, in the occasional breathlessness that reminds you exactly where you are. No flight over the Andes gives you that. The Andean Explorer does, one spectacular pass at a time.