Spirit of the River Lodge — Hotel in Urubamba

My husband and I and our two year old daughter spent 4 cozy, quiet and relaxing nights at Spirit of the River Lodge. We coordinated our booking with Rudi (Owner) and were confident that we reserved a special place to decompress outside of Cusco, check out their Instagram for convincing photos (@spiritoftheriverlodge). Before arriving at the Lodge, we prebooked a day of sightseeing with Rudi and his wife Claudia’s tour company - also called ‘Spirit of the River Lodge’. A private tour with a guide and driver (shoutout to Jayder & George) for making our adventure memorable! We made stops in Chinchero & Moray, visiting multiple sights within each town, all child friendly. The beauty of the private booking was that we could be on our own timed schedule (we know this is helpful, parents). Ask Rudi to help you map out the perfect itinerary that suits you! When we arrived at Spirit of the River Lodge were greeted by both Rudi and Claudia. From the moment of arrival, through check out, we were treated like family. Each day of our trip, we took note of the fine details around their property. Everything has been built by Rudi and Claudia in the last four years, it is all so impressive. Their love for their garden, plants, their sweet animals and connecting their entire place to nature. Take a walk down by the river side and enjoy the seating area and firepit, watch Tupac their llama joyfully romp around. The entire setting of their spaces are intimate, leaving you the space to just be, in nature. The constant flow of the river had us all in a deeply peaceful state of mind. We were the first guests to stay in their new ‘Mama Coca’ Suite, its river views were stunning, even more eye catching is the interior decorating; clean, chic, Andean style, the hand placed stone walls, the sink carved from a stone from Machu Picchu, the shower head hung from a tree branch, the plants overflowing with life adorning the place and THE jacuzzi tub. WOW. We are incredibly grateful to have experienced this gem of a place. A few other details…our reservation included breakfast. Claudia cooked for us each morning, it was always delicious, using all locally fresh ingredients and made with love. We also opted for a few home cooked dinners by Claudia and they were equally tasty. A special treat was their little daughter. She played so nicely with our two year old. She shared her handmade by daddy swingset, all of her toys and introduced our daughter to the tiniest kitten, teaching her to be kind and gentle with her. We miss you, Claudia and family. We surely know we will return to your Spirit of the River Lodge one day in our future and can’t wait to do this all over again adding a family hike to our list of...

Spirit of the River Lodge is a beautiful and peaceful escape in the heart of the Sacred Valley, overlooking the Urubamba River. Each room is thoughtfully designed to highlight the views and features hand-selected local art from Cusco and the surrounding region. This lodge is a perfect destination for those looking to immerse themselves in the natural beauty and cultural richness of the Sacred Valley. Both Rudi and Claudia were exceptional hosts—warm, generous, and attentive in guiding and making recommendations in the area.||Our stay was made even more meaningful thanks to Rudi, an expert guide whose private hiking tour was a highlight of our trip. We began in the Urubamba market, where he shared the history of local fruits and vegetables and spoke to the vital role of women in preserving the agricultural traditions of the region. His deep knowledge of the landscape, Andean traditions and rituals, and cultural history enriched our tour.||With a wellness and yoga retreat center in the works, it’s also a great spot for hosting or attending retreats—a 10/10 experience and very well-priced for what you get.|This place stays with you long...

It’s hard to choose what I loved most about Spirit of the River Lodge, everything was truly wonderful. The location is magical and peaceful, with the sound of the river always in the background and barely any traffic passing by. We stayed twice, in two different rooms, and both were beautifully designed, cozy, and offered gorgeous views of the river. You can really feel how thoughtfully everything was created to respect and highlight the natural surroundings.

The lodge has a sauna overlooking the river, direct access to the water, and a small yoga shala where I enjoyed my morning practice and reading. Claudia and Rudi were incredibly welcoming and hospitable. They made us feel like family. We had dinner one night and breakfast each morning, and even as vegans, we felt so well cared for. The food was amazing.

They also have lovely animals, a llama named Tupac and two sweet dogs, Max and Juanita, who added so much joy to our stay.

The area is relaxing but also well located, with easy access to nearby towns and cities. We came back twice because we truly fell in love with the place. I can’t...