Machu Picchu & The Amazon

About Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel & Wellness

Located right off the road to Machu Picchu along the banks of the Urubamba River, the Aranwa Hotel in the Sacred Valley is set within a beautifully restored 17th-century hacienda. Boasting a serene setting, surrounded by the Urubamba Mountains, it blends the mysticism of ancient Incan civilizations with majestic colonial architecture while immersing guests in the rich heritage of Peru.

After a day of exploring, you’ll appreciate the luxurious spa, one of the largest in the country, where you can relax with a body treatment utilizing traditional coca or an ancient Andean ritual that uses locally harvested ingredients like chocolate from Cusco and Incan gold. Peruvian art pieces can be viewed throughout the hotel and in the art gallery, while the restaurant serves Japanese-Peruvian fusion fare that can be enjoyed under a canopy of stars. The stylish rooms and suites all feature mountain, lake, or garden views.

About Tambo del Inka

Offering an atmosphere meant to relax, Tambo del Inka is one of the Sacred Valley’s most luxurious properties. Its Inca-inspired architecture is magnificent while the setting is picturesque at the foot of a mountain next to the Vilcanota River just five minutes on foot to the Plaza de Armas in Urubamba. Spread throughout a series of buildings, all rooms come with private balconies featuring mountain or garden views, TVs, minibars, iPod docks, Wi-Fi, and marble bathrooms with robes and upscale toiletries. Taking relaxation up a notch is the elegant spa which offers quinoa, mud, and cocoa facials, and you’ll find an indoor/outdoor pool as well as a game room with a pool table. The contemporary on-site restaurant is done up in Andean style, looking like a stonewalled barn with a high ceiling. Enjoy a generous breakfast buffet and a menu featuring refined twists on local dishes like alpaca and guinea pig.

About El Mapi by Inkaterra

One of the trendiest hotels in Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu, El Mapi is just a block from the Urubamba River in the heart of town, with dozens of bars and restaurants just steps away. The lush interior features moss-covered walls with greenery draped throughout, while the shop in the lobby sells items made from Andean fabrics like alpaca hats, shawls, and scarves.

There’s a small spa for massages and half-board dining is included. Meals are served buffet-style with breakfast that includes cooked-to-order eggs. Meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes, soups and salads, and a pasta station with a chef for cooked-to-order dishes are available for lunch and dinner. Rooms have whitewashed walls, lots of turquoise furnishings, and pine doors. All look out to the gardens and include comfy beds with Peruvian cotton sheets, Direct TV, Wi-Fi, minibars, coffeemakers, and bathrobes. Complimentary bottled water is included as well.

About Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo

Located on a 12-acre densely wooded reserve next to Urubamba River at the foot of the mountains, Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo is just a 5-minute walk from Aguas Calientes, a 30-minute bus ride from Machu Picchu. It’s made up of colonial-style buildings that sit in a jungle setting with cobbled footpaths, hosting 81 rooms, all of which feature garden views, some come with large marble bathrooms that have bathtubs and both open-air and inside showers. Other standard amenities include robes, Andean slippers, minbars, safes, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Higher-end categories have private terraces with outdoor whirlpool tubs. The largest “villa” rooms come with separate living spaces, private dining areas, and wood-burning fireplaces. There is an all-day café as well as a dining room offer featuring fusion fare including local trout, cheeses, and alpaca meat.  The property includes a small pool, an Andean eucalyptus sauna and a spa providing relaxing treatments.

About Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel

Set within a restored 16th-century colonial mansion, Aranwa Cusco is just a couple of blocks from the central square, Plaza de Armas. It offers an intriguing blend of museum and hotel, filled with more than 300 works of art along with crystal chandeliers and period antiques that make it seem as if it’s a movie set. Guests can request audio equipment for self-guided tours to learn more about the artifacts that are displayed.

There are plenty of luxurious modern amenities, including an oxygen system that pumps in additional oxygen to the rooms to prevent altitude sickness and lavish bathrooms with heated floors. Rooms also feature flat-screen TVs with DVD players and minibars. Some feature panoramic city views as well. Upon arrival, you’ll enjoy a cup of coca tea and when it’s time to dine, the Mishti Mestizo Restaurant serves traditional Andean food. Afterward, you might enjoy a nightcap at the bar, perhaps a pisco sour.

About Belmond Monasterio

Enjoy a central location just a three-minute walk to Plaza de Armas at the Belmond Monasterio in Cusco. It’s housed inside a 16^th-century monastery that was built atop an Inca palace, arranged around a series of cloistered courtyards with stone archways and columns. Steeped in Peruvian character, the opulent interiors even include Peruvian artifacts. The rooms and suites are oxygenated due to the thin air, some feature terraces or balconies with views of the city’s red-tile rooftops or the main courtyard. All come with free Wi-Fi and flat-screen satellite TVs with English channels. Bathrooms have rainfall showerheads, robes, and slippers. Some have minibars, air-conditioning, and/or coffeemakers. The on-site restaurant offers an outstanding breakfast spread, serving inventive international and Peruvian dishes for lunch and dinner. While there is no pool, guests can use the pool at the Belmond Palacio Nazarenas next door for an additional fee. At the on-site spa, enjoy Thai massage and aromatherapy.

About Inkaterra Amazonica

Located in the Amazon on a 42,000-acre private ecological reserve, a wildlife haven near the Bolivian border, you’ll feel as if you’re far from the “real world” with a stay at Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica. While it may seem quite remote, it’s easily reached from Cusco, just 35 minutes by plane to Puerto Maldonado followed by a 45-minute boat ride on the Madre de Dios River. Expect rustic luxury in one of the thatched wooden cabanas inspired by the indigenous Ese Eja people. All have mosquito nets, ceiling fans, and private bathrooms with showers. The two suites have roof extensions that include a plunge pool and loungers. While electricity is restricted to certain hours, it offers some upscale facilities like the ENA spa with treatments that include Amazonian ingredients. There’s an Eco-Center that has branded Inkaterra wellington boots, backpacks, and waterproof gear too. The restaurant serves authentic, high-quality Peruvian classics.