6 Best Hotels in Aguas Calientes to Experience Machu Picchu

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Wow. I truly cannot believe I saw Machu Picchu with my own eyes. Although I didn’t have enough time (there’s a LOT of Peru to cram into 10 days!), I knew I wanted to spend at least 1 night in Aguas Calientes – aka Machu Picchu Pueblo/Town – because I was going to soak in as much of the site as I could. And I meant that literally; I went to all 3 circuits in one day haha. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I spent a lot of time combing through the hotels in Aguas Calientes.

Even though I only spent 1 night in Aguas Calientes, I actually stayed at two hotels. The curse of being an overworked busy bee, I accidentally double-booked myself, and they were both non-refundable haha. I’ve also compiled a few hotels in Aguas Calientes that my friends have stayed at and they recommend, so hopefully this list will help you pick the perfect stay for your trip.

Table of Contents

Things to Consider

There are a few things you want to keep in mind before you confirm your booking. Aguas Calientes isn’t a big town, in fact it’s quite small, but with so many tourists on top of a time-sensitive itinerary, things can get a bit hectic if you have unexpected (and potentially unpleasant) surprises thrown your way.

The first thing to keep in mind is the hotel’s distance from the train station. Unless you are doing the trek into Aguas Calientes (like the Salkantay Trek, the classic Inca Trail, or the short Inca Trail), then there’s a pretty high chance you’ll be riding into town on the train. Thankfully, both Inca Rail and Peru Rail are right next to each other, so regardless of which one you take your hotel will be the same distance.

Make sure that distance is not far if you’re bringing roller luggage.

The majority of the roads in Aguas Calientes are not paved, and it would be challenging to drag a wheeled suitcase more than a few minutes in the streets trying to get to the hotels in Aguas Calientes. Doable – but not fun. If you’re just traveling with a backpack, or a lighter carry-on suitcase that’s not too heavy to pick up, then the train station distance might not be the biggest factor for you.

BUT, there’s still the noise to think about. The closer you are to the tracks, the louder the train sounds are going to be. If you’re a light sleeper….it’s definitely something to keep in mind.

The second external factor to keep in mind is the bus stop that takes you from Aguas Calientes up to the Machu Picchu site! While buses run pretty much nonstop, the line gets very long to board one. If you have one of the earlier time slots for Machu Picchu, it could be helpful to choose a hotel closer to the bus stop just so you don’t have to walk over at the butt crack of dawn. But again, most hotels in Aguas Calientes are within a 15-minute walk from the bus stop so…it’s not that big of a deal.

On that note, I recommend queuing for the bus at least an hour before your entry time. You can check out my getting to Machu Picchu blog post for more tips on that! (coming soon)

Best Hotels in Aguas Calientes

Okay now we’re getting into the meat and potatoes of the post! Which hotels in Aguas Calientes do I recommend? Again, I’ve stayed at two and recommend both, but they are at very different price points. I’ll list them in order of decreasing price point (so starting with the most expensive), but really they’re all great options depending on your budget and personal preference.

Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel

average nightly price: $2,500 USD

Look. If you got it like that, stay at the Sanctuary Lodge. It’s an absolutely beautiful property and -the biggest pro- it’s literally right outside the doors of Machu Picchu. Like…you could throw a rock from your window and hit the entrance gate. That’s how close it is. While most visitors staying at hotels in Aguas Calientes have to take a bus (or hike for an hour) up to the Machu Picchu site, staying here bypasses all of that because all you have to do is wake up and step outside.

Other unique features include two onsite restaurants, one of which is exclusive to hotel guests (though I did manage to snag a reservation for a travel writing assignment), as well as daily free breakfast. This is super clutch because it makes meals a lot easier in between Machu Picchu circuits. There’s also great WiFi, which is nice because -shocker- the cell service at an ancient site isn’t the strongest.

I’ve only stayed at one Belmond property before (Hotel das Cataratas: Iguazu Falls, Brazil), but they certainly pack a punch when it comes to a comfortable and convenient stay. The only con…well…the price, of course. But again, if you’ve got the money, treat yo’self boo! It’s also not close to the rest of the Aguas Calientes town but…eh, you’ve got all you need at the hotel.

Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel

average nightly price: $600 USD

I did splurge a bit on this trip though! Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel is one that I stayed at and is one of the more luxury hotels in Aguas Calientes, but in my humble opinion, it’s FANTASTIC. It’s a little farther from the train station and bus stop (the only potential “con”), about a 10 minute walk, but thankfully they have a staff member meet you at the station with a trolley to take any luggage for you. Such a wonderful welcome to Aguas Calientes!

The food options at Sumaq are my favorite (yes, including the exclusive restaurant at Belmond) so if you’re a foodie I’d recommend making dinner reservations even if you don’t end up staying at this hotel. My favorite part about staying here was the attention to detail in honoring Andean culture and traditions, from the literal name ‘Sumaq’ which means beautiful/excellent in Quechua, to the various onsite activities and offerings.

The beds were super comfortable, my favorite in all the nice hotels I stayed at during my South American sabbatical, and there’s a spa if you want to really unwind after hiking the Inca Trail (or a casual stroll through Machu Picchu after taking the train in, hahah). I’d hands down stay here again!

Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu

average nightly price: $180 USD

I also “stayed” at Casa Andina Standard – I had booked it initially and totally forgot before I decided to treat myself with Sumaq. But it was nonrefundable so…here we are. While I physically slept in Sumaq (because who wouldn’t!!!) I did swing by and check out the room and property and it does earn it’s place as one of the best hotels in Aguas Calientes.

The biggest pro to this hotel is the proximity to the train station and the bus stop. It’s literally right across the street. Coincidentally…that also makes it the biggest con to this hotel. Because the hotel is so close, even if you have larger suitcases, it’s fairly easy getting to the hotel. But also it can make it difficult to sleep if you are sensitive to sounds as the train does toot toot its horn when going by.

Aside from that, I thought it was a very solid hotel. The bed is on the more firm side, which as a back sleeper I didn’t mind but my partner sleeps on his side and he would’ve been less impressed. The rooms are very spacious and there’s free breakfast (and tons of coca tea), ATM onsite (helpful if you need to take out cash for Machu Picchu guides), and laundry services. Overall a good stay for a more approachable price.

Gringo Bill’s Hotel

average nightly price: $130 USD

Now Gingo Bill’s is a hotel I didn’t personally stay at, same for rest of the hotels in Aguas Calientes in this list, but came strongly recommended from three other friends who stayed here. It’s situated more into the “town” of Aguas Calientes, in the historical district’s center. That said, it’s only about a 5 minute walk from the train station, so not that far in reality.

I think one of the most unique pros for this hotel is that it is pet friendly (with a $20 USD deposit and daily $20 USD fee) for those traveling with furry friends. Because it’s so central, it’s also close to a lot of restaurants and shops, making it one of the most convenient hotels for an even more affordable price. They have daily complementary breakfast and a beautiful garden and rooftop terrace.

For cons, it’s naturally not as luxurious as the fancier more expensive hotels. I’ve also heard the WiFi isn’t the strongest, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you traveling in grad school or working remotely or something, but otherwise for a night or two it’s generally good enough.

Panorama B&B

average nightly price: $100 USD

Panorama B&B is super cute stay, and honestly I would compare it to Sumaq but at a lower price point. About 5-10 minutes from the train station (depending on how fast you walk), it’s in the direction of Sumaq but a few hotels closer so it has roughly the same beautiful river view. That said, I’m unsure if they have luggage transport services so…keep that in mind if you’re traveling with larger suitcases.

It has less of the bells and whistles of Sumaq, but it is well decorated and checks off all the necessities for a good stay. I had a friend who stayed here and really liked it, but her only complaint was that the river was really loud. Granted, she likes to sleep in absolute silence, but if you like white noise, that could actually be a pro for you.

For comparison, I had a river facing room at Sumaq and couldn’t even hear the river when the balcony doors and the curtains (which probably had added noise-dampening fabric) were closed. I think this would be a great option for families or individuals that don’t want as much people traffic, but still want a great view.

Nativus Hostel Machu Picchu

average nightly price: $50 USD

And finally, we have Nativus Hostel as our most budget option on this list of hotels in Aguas Calientes. Technically you can find even cheaper…but I haven’t heard good reviews from any of those. Still, your money is your money , I’m not going to fault you if you have to go lower. But from what my budget backpacker friends have told me, Nativus Hostel is the best low-cost option of hotels in Aguas Calientes.

It isn’t far from the train station, maybe like 5-7 minutes around there, but there is not any luggage transport so please keep that in mind. Aside from the very affordable price, the biggest pro this property has going for it is that it has a very social and welcoming atmosphere. I mean, it genuinely embodies the “hostel” mentality in that sense. It’s also close to the Aguas Calientes Hot Springs, there’s an onsite mini-game area, and lots of shared spaces.

Again, while I haven’t stayed here, I’ve heard good things from my friends who were traveling solo (and managed to find people to join them for Machu Picchu and other Peru adventures) and those traveling in a group who appreciated having shared spaces to mingle and decompress together. The hot water runs out pretty quickly and it’s not very modern, but for the price it’s very solid.

Is Aguas Calientes Worth Staying Overnight?

Now after giving you all of these great options for hotels in Aguas Calientes, I’m going to pose this next question. Do you even NEED a hotel for your trip?

Technically, yes, you can arrive, and visit Machu Picchu, and leave back on the train all in one day. I think this method works best if you have an early afternoon ticket into Machu Picchu and are only doing one circuit. You won’t be missing out on TOO much by not staying overnight, so don’t kick yourself if your tight schedule doesn’t leave wiggle room for more time in Aguas Calientes.

However, it is a lot more comfortable staying at one of the hotels in Aguas Calientes. If you can only budget for one night in Aguas Calientes like me, then my recommendation would be to stay the night before and be well rested for Machu Picchu, not having to worry about potential train delays hindering your entrance time. However again if you have a later ticket, you can still arrive the day of your entrance, stay the night, then leave the following day.

I do wish I would have stayed two nights so I could actually relax and see the town. Since I did all three circuits in one day, I basically spent the entire time at Machu Picchu and left on the last train out. Not complaining, but I saw very little of the town. That said, I probably wouldn’t have been able to swing two nights at Sumaq hahah, but any of these hotels in Aguas Calientes would have been great alternatives!

More than two nights…eh….not necessary in my opinion. It’s a very small small town, and you can do more than one circuit in a day (clearly), so unless you are planning on a spa day or something, I don’t think you’ll need three or more nights in Aguas Calientes.

Conclusion

And woohooo, there you have it! My top recommendations for hotels in Aguas Calientes! Hopefully I covered all the bases and price points. Visiting Machu Picchu was such a wonderful experience that I still can’t believe I was fortunate enough to see with my own eyes.

If you’ve visited, let me know in the comments which hotels in Aguas Calientes you would recommend! I’ll have more Machu Picchu and Peru content coming up. If you have any questions or preferences for what you’d want to see first, let me know and I’ll prioritize those posts.

For those of you that may be new here, I’m currently in the process of finishing my grad program and I have about 6,000 more words to write for my thesis haha. Wish me luck!