Delve into the towering Andes aboard the Belmond Andean Explorer, South America’s most luxurious train
If I ever needed a Panama hat, a linen suit, and perhaps even a carnation, this just might be the time. As I run my hands down the gleaming midnight blue and ivory coachwork of the Belmond Andean Explorer, the morning sun catching her brass accents as she sits at Cusco’s dusty Wanchaq Station, a dance troupe strides its way through the Peruvian Marinera Norteña courting dance to a trio of acoustic guitars, and the station master rings the bell for boarding. Our adventure across the Peruvian Highlands is beginning.
It’s a timeless scene that belongs to the beginning of every great rail journey, filled with anticipation of the road ahead, a healthy dose of pageantry and promise, and a hint of the romance of life on the rails.
It’s also a moment that took a little longer to reach South America than other parts of the map. With the 2017 launch of the Belmond Andean Explorer, South America’s first luxury overnight train, Peru could finally celebrate its own golden age of luxury train travel, just in time for the world to fall in love with luxury rail travel all over again.
Boarding in Cusco: A Ceremony Before the Journey Begins
The night before, at Belmond’s breathtakingly beautiful Hotel Monasterio (above), a former monastery dating from 1592 where I stayed to acclimatise to the altitude of the world’s second-highest plateau, I met some of my new travelling companions over drinks in the verdant courtyard. There’s a Cuban music executive from Miami travelling with his family; a couple from Britain ticking off the world’s greatest rail journeys from their bucket list; an Indian couple from New York treating their parents to a South American adventure; and a Swiss couple travelling with their adult children.
The excitement in the air is palpable — many of my fellow guests booked their train adventure more than 18 months ago, with many having already travelled aboard other Belmond trains, including the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Eastern & Oriental Express and the Royal Scotsman, so expectations were high.
As we depart, I make for the train’s semi-outdoor observation car to sip silky pisco sours and soak up the crisp alpine air of the Incan capital, the music of the platform slowly replaced by the buzz of traffic, the calls of stallholders at morning markets, and the squealed greetings of children in vibrant woollen caps waiting at rail crossings.
Inside the Cabins: An Art Deco Revival on Rails
As we leave the suburbs behind and delve into a series of deep rocky valleys, Andean condors soaring high above, I explore my new confines. The Andean Explorer was once the Great South Pacific Express, which ran between Sydney and Kuranda in Queensland from 1999 until 2003. The train’s rolling stock was shipped to Peru and reimagined by interior designer Inge Moore of London’s Muza Lab, who retained many elements of the original carriages, themselves designed around the glamorous heyday of European rail travel.
My 13-square-metre double-bed cabin — one of 24 staterooms catering to just 48 passengers — features a private ensuite, twin picture windows, and a duo of armchairs, alongside moulded facades, gleaming Art Deco-inspired air vents, fleur-de-lys marquetry, and vintage light switches that have survived to light another day. Sadly, the only thing missing was the promised wifi, a point of some contention with a few social-media-starved passengers.
It’s from my cabin that I watch the light drain from the sky as we climb into the Andes, the last rays of golden sunlight flickering above a horizon dominated by brooding, mountainous silhouettes, leaving behind a glowing, violet dusk.
We chug to a stop at La Raya, 14,250 feet above sea level and the highest point on the train’s two-night, 700-kilometre Peruvian Highlands itinerary, one of the train’s four routes. As guests leave the train, stretching their legs and exploring the tiny, whitewashed chapel that stands beside the tracks, the train’s waiters, immaculate in white shirts and leather suspenders, serve mugs of piping hot almond milk. The steam from our excited conversation lingers, suspended like speech bubbles in the chilly Andean evening air, our chatter echoing off the valley walls.
“There’s nothing quite like being at the top of the world,” says train manager Christopher Mendoza as we marvel at the towering peaks that surround us. “Maybe it’s the air, maybe it’s the lack of air, but there’s just something magical about the Andes.”
When it’s time to leave La Raya, we return en masse to the outdoor observation car again, enthralled by the transition of day into night high in the Andes, fending off the night’s chilly fingers for as long as we can with a barrage of baby alpaca shawls and dirty martinis, before eventually retreating inside and making our way to dinner.
Onboard Dining: Chef Diego Muñoz’s Andean Menu
It’s not just the vistas that capture imaginations on the Belmond Andean Explorer. The inspired cuisine of executive chef Diego Muñoz (of Astrid y Gastón fame) is packed with flavour, colour and innovation, running the gamut from lingering breakfasts served as the train rides the soaring ridges above Lake Saracocha, to sun-kissed lunches backdropped by the three volcanic peaks that ring the White City of Arequipa, to indulgent wine-paired dinners packed with locally sourced produce.
Corvina a la plancha, seared seabass with Andean mint-scented broad beans; cara cara, a local citrus, poached with cardamom and thyme; and, for the intrepid, al dente alpaca tortellini, all grace the menu, expertly matched with South American wines.
The brilliant service of the train also extends well beyond the dining car. The crew is ever-attentive, ever-resplendent. A fortifying pisco sour, a pot of muña tea to relieve altitude sickness, or even an indulgent refill of your cabin’s personal oxygen tank is only ever a push of a button away.
Sunrise Over Lake Titicaca and the Floating Uros Islands
The next morning, I rise early and delve into the chilly air with the train’s silver-tongued excursion manager, Ari, as he hosts a spectacular sunrise photo-op over the tranquil waters of Lake Titicaca. The Andean Explorer had rumbled into the waterfront town of Puno as we slept, and now we’re perfectly positioned for a day out on the world’s highest navigable lake.
Docked beside the train, the beautiful steamship SS Ollanta was once the largest vessel to ply Titicaca; built in the United Kingdom in 1929 and reassembled in Peru, there’s talk that Belmond intends to restore the vessel and employ her on the lake in the coming years.
A clutch of excursions along the route between Cusco and Arequipa — some included in the fare, some additional — help break up hours swaying and bouncing down Peru’s undulating tracks, and include a visit to the Incan ruins of Raqch’i, and, in the desolate beauty of the National Reserve of Aguada Blanca and Salinas, a chance to gaze upon the 7,000-year-old rock art of the Sumbay Caves.
Under a blazing sun, we set off in a flotilla of local boats, first paying a visit to the Uros people of Lake Titicaca, famed for their floating totora reed villages, before journeying on to the idyllic, UNESCO-listed island of Taquile, renowned for its pre-Incan terraces.
Taquile Island: Where the Men Do the Knitting
We climb up stony paths from the beach to meet some of the island’s 2,000 inhabitants and learn about their rich textile heritage. On Taquile Island, which follows strictly controlled sustainable farming practices and has no transportation, motorised or otherwise, knitting is performed exclusively by men, and is taught from a young age. Different woollen caps, different designs and different colours tell the story of the wearer, his family origins and his marital status.
As elders perform traditional dances in a sun-kissed courtyard, we take a perch on vintage chairs that once graced the lounge car of the Great South Pacific Express, and dine on locally grown quinoa and rainbow trout from the lake, the imposing glaciers of neighbouring Bolivia visible across the water.
We return to the pier, sunburnt and sated, for afternoon tea served in a restored warehouse, the train ready to depart only steps away, the sun already ducking behind the peaks that ring Puno.
Into the Desert: Arequipa and the Journey’s End
The next day, after another early wake-up call — this time to capture the sunrise over Lake Saracocha — the train weaves its way along vertiginous ridges bathed in rich golden light, before diving into the dramatic landscape of the desert, the volcanoes Misti and Chachani dominating the horizon.
I’m sad to leave the train — sad to leave its gentle (and sometimes not so gentle) samba, the tranquillity of my cabin, and the cool evening breeze of the observation car — but at Kilometer 93, a staging point in the middle of a volcanic desert populated by llamas and skittish, ginger-coloured vicuña, I disembark with a handful of other guests.
This point is closest to the highway to the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest in the world, and Belmond Las Casitas, which clings to its ancient pre-Incan terraces.
I’m content in the knowledge that, finally, fellow lovers of slow travel can explore this unique corner of Peru as travellers have for generations — one stretch of track at a time.
The Belmond Andean Explorer: Your Questions Answered
Planning a journey through Peru’s high Andes by rail? Here are clear answers to the questions travellers most often ask before booking the Andean Explorer.
What is the Belmond Andean Explorer?
The Belmond Andean Explorer is South America’s first luxury overnight sleeper train, running through the Peruvian Highlands between Cusco, Lake Titicaca (Puno) and Arequipa. Launched in 2017, it carries just 48 guests in 24 Art Deco-inspired cabins and is the most celebrated luxury rail journey in South America (although it pairs beautifully with Belmond’s Hiram Bingham, which travels between Cusco and Machu Picchu.
How much does the Belmond Andean Explorer cost?
Fares vary by itinerary, cabin category and season, with total packages typically running from around US$1,200 to over US$5,000 per person depending on the route and cabin. Deluxe double-occupancy cabins on the longer multi-night itineraries generally run into the US$6,000+ range per person, while shorter one-night journeys are considerably more accessible.
All fares include onboard meals, beverages and most excursions; some premium add-ons carry surcharges.
What itineraries does the Belmond Andean Explorer offer?
The train currently operates four core routes: the Peruvian Highlands (a three-day, two-night journey between Cusco and Arequipa via Puno), Andean Plains & Islands of Discovery, Spirit of the Water, and Spirit of the Andes. Each combines time on the rails with curated off-train excursions to sites like Lake Titicaca, the Uros floating islands and Taquile Island.
Does the Belmond Andean Explorer have Wi-Fi?
Onboard connectivity has historically been limited on the Andean Explorer, a deliberate trade-off of travelling through such remote high-Andean terrain. Guests should check current amenities directly with Belmond before departure, but should generally expect a degree of digital disconnection as part of the experience, particularly at the higher altitudes of the route.
Is altitude sickness a concern on the Andean Explorer?
Yes — the train crosses La Raya at roughly 14,250 feet (4,335 metres), among the highest points reached by any train in South America, so altitude sickness, known locally as soroche, is a real consideration. The train carries a 24-hour onboard nurse, oxygen tanks and masks, and serves coca leaf and muña tea to help ease symptoms. Most operators recommend spending two to three days acclimatising in Cusco or Arequipa before boarding.
What should I pack for the Belmond Andean Explorer?
Pack in layers: Andean days can be warm in the sun and bitterly cold after dark, especially in the outdoor observation car. Bring smart-casual attire for the train’s dinner seatings, comfortable walking shoes for excursions like the Sumbay Caves and Taquile Island, sun protection for high-altitude UV exposure, and a light jacket or shawl for evenings — the train’s own baby alpaca throws help, but a personal layer is worth having.
How do I book the Belmond Andean Explorer, and how far ahead should I plan?
Bookings can be made directly through Belmond or via a luxury travel agent, and given the train’s small capacity of just 48 guests, popular departures and suite categories can sell out many months in advance. Combine your train journey with a night or two acclimatising in Cusco, ideally at a Belmond property like the Hotel Monasterio, before boarding.
If you’re interesting in a luxury train journey, check out our guide to the world’s best luxury train journeys, the best luxury trains in Australia, and our take on what it’s like to travel through New Zealand’s South Island on the TranzAlpine, and through India aboard the magnificent Maharajas’ Express.
