Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, Machu Picchu, Peru

Belmond Sanctuary Lodge is the only hotel at the gates of Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas and one of the most famous sights on Earth. Most visitors arrive by bus from the valley below and leave by late afternoon; guests here simply walk out of the gardens and through the entrance, ready to see the citadel in the soft early light or the quiet of late afternoon. It is small, comfortable and, above all, uniquely placed.

Location: Machu Picchu, Peru

The lodge stands just outside the entrance to the Machu Picchu citadel, at around 2,400 metres, on a ridge above the Urubamba River in the Andes of southern Peru. The town of Aguas Calientes, where the trains from Cusco and the Sacred Valley arrive, is around 25 minutes below by bus along a winding mountain road.

Most travellers reach Aguas Calientes by train, including Belmond's own Hiram Bingham, from Cusco or Ollantaytambo. Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado, also in our collection, makes a natural pairing in the Sacred Valley.

The setting is extraordinary even by Andean standards. Machu Picchu sits on a saddle between two peaks, Machu Picchu Mountain and Huayna Picchu, high above a tight bend in the Urubamba River, surrounded by steep, cloud-forested slopes. The Incas built it in the fifteenth century, and it remained largely unknown to the outside world until Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911.

Rooms and suites at the Sanctuary Lodge

The lodge has 31 rooms, including two suites, so it feels intimate rather than grand. Superior rooms look onto an inner courtyard or a private patio, while Mountain View rooms at the front of the lodge face the surrounding cloud-forest peaks. The two suites add a separate living area and mountain views.

Interiors are warm and comfortable, with Peruvian textiles and natural materials. Rooms are not large, but they are not the point: the view and the location are.

Rooms are equipped with modern comforts, including Wi-Fi and minibars, and the atmosphere is quiet and restful in the evenings, once the citadel has closed and the last buses have descended to Aguas Calientes.

Facilities at the Sanctuary Lodge

The Tampu Restaurant and Bar serves Peruvian and international dishes à la carte, becoming an intimate, candlelit restaurant in the evening. The Tinkuy Buffet Restaurant serves a daily lunch buffet, popular with lodge guests and visitors to the citadel alike.

The lodge's gardens are a delight, filled with native plants and, depending on the season, orchids, and they are excellent for spotting hummingbirds. Rates are typically inclusive of meals, but check what is included when booking. Guides can be arranged for tours of the citadel and for hikes up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain.

Afternoon tea on the terrace, with the mountains wrapped in cloud, is a lovely ritual after a morning in the citadel, and the staff's knowledge of the site, the trails and the timings of entry is invaluable for planning your visits.

The mountain moment

The defining moment is entering the citadel as soon as it opens, with mist drifting through the ruins and over the jagged green peaks, and watching the sun rise over the mountains to light the terraces and temples below. It is one of the great mountain experiences anywhere in the world.

In the afternoon, as the crowds thin, return to wander among the stones in golden light, or climb towards the Sun Gate, where the Inca Trail ends, for a classic view over the whole site.

Why the Sanctuary Lodge is one of the best mountain hotels

Belmond Sanctuary Lodge earns its place because it offers an experience no other hotel can: sleeping at the gates of Machu Picchu. It is expensive and simple compared with Belmond's grander properties, and rooms are small. But the chance to see the citadel at its quietest, and to return to the gardens between visits, makes it one of the most special stays in South America.

When to go to the Sanctuary Lodge

Machu Picchu is open year-round. The dry season, roughly May to September, brings clear skies and the best views, and it is the busiest time. The wet season, roughly November to March, brings rain and cloud but fewer visitors and lush green landscapes; the Inca Trail closes in February. Entry to the citadel uses timed tickets and set circuits, which sell out in peak months, so book entry tickets, train seats and the lodge together, well in advance.

Most guests stay one or two nights, which allows at least two visits to the citadel, ideally one in the afternoon and one at opening the next morning, plus time for a hike to Huayna Picchu or the Sun Gate.