Where to stay in Sacred Valley Peru, from Ena’s Little Black Book. Tambo del Inka, close to the Andes, and the hotel that handles everything.
In the Quechua language of the Incas, tambo means place of rest. They were not wrong.
The Incas knew this river as Willkamayu, the Sacred River, and believed it was the earthly reflection of the Milky Way, a celestial waterway made visible on earth. Standing on the patio of your room at Tambo del Inka, the Urubamba rushing past the lawn below you and the Andes rising above, it is not difficult to understand why.
Tambo del Inka is a Marriott Luxury Collection property set in the heart of the Sacred Valley, between Cusco and Machu Picchu. The rooms are beautifully designed, contemporary interiors with local stone and eucalyptus wood, warm earth tones, excellent bed linen. The patio rooms open directly onto the lawn, which rolls down to the river. You can hear it from your bed. The Andes are right there.
The hotel arranges everything: Sacred Valley tours to Ollantaytambo, the Maras Salt Mines, and the extraordinary Moray agricultural terraces; an ancestral tasting menu that takes you through Peru’s culinary heritage course by course; a mixology class that will permanently improve your pisco sour. The organic garden produces vegetables, legumes, and herbs for the kitchen. The Kallpa Spa uses traditional Inca techniques.
Insider Note
Request a patio room, the lawn and river access is the point. The ancestral tasting menu requires a reservation; book it when you check in. The hotel can arrange all Sacred Valley tours and Machu Picchu logistics. Note that the hotel’s private train station serves select departures only, not all trains leave from there; the concierge will advise and arrange transfers as needed. Two nights minimum to properly explore the valley; three is better.
Destination · Sacred Valley, Peru
Best time to visit · May to October for the dry season; March and April are lush and beautiful with fewer crowds, just prepare for some rain.
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