Vegan Food in Aguas Calientes: Is It Vegan-Friendly? Where to Eat Well
Aguas Calientes (also called Machu Picchu Pueblo) is a common stop before visiting Machu Picchu and is 4,460 ft lower elevation than Cusco. Only accessible only by train, this town is where most travelers pass through to rest, recover, and enjoy surprisingly good food after a long travel day or explore after an early morning at the ruins.
In this guide, I’ll share our favorite vegan-friendly restaurants in Aguas Calientes, along with practical tips for navigating the town, finding plant-based meals, and making the most of your short stay near Machu Picchu.
Quick Picks
- Preferred Hotel: 📍1911 Hotel
- Best Vegan Lomo Saltado: 📍SATTVA by Govinda - Restaurant VEGANO
- Best for Evening Organic Dinner: 📍Green House restaurant en machupicchu
- Unwind and Peoplewatch: 📍Manco Capac Square
- Favorite Hike at Machu Picchu: 🎟️ Huayna Picchu Hike (Route 3-A: Waynapicchu Mountain Route)
Click to interact with map
My Favorite Vegan Restaurants in Aguas Calientes
SATTVA by Govinda (Vegan Indian-Peruvian Fusion)
Location: Near the center of Aguas Calientes, a short walk from the main square
Good for: Primarily vegan menu with only a handful of clearly highlighted vegetarian options, best lomo saltado we had in Peru, and a large quantity of vegan options.
We went here to this Indian-Peruvian fusion vegan restaurant twice in our stay in Aguas Calientes since we loved the lomo saltado here so much! In fact, it had the best lomo saltado we tried during our stay in Peru. SATTVA was a good first stop for us as it had an extensive vegan menu with tons of great options, perfect for not having to overthink when you’re tired after a long travel day!
I’d highly recommend their tequeños with guacamole appetizer to start if you’re very hungry as that typically comes out pretty fast compared to the main dishes here. Don’t let that deter you, as the food here is worth the wait!
We also tried the Chickpea Koftas which were pretty tasty. The sauce was sweeter rather than spicy, so I’d recommend this if you’d prefer a sweeter dish. Though it looks smaller, I found it very filling from all the protein in the chickpea koftas.
I also had the Maha Brinjal Subji which was pretty tasty and was packed with fresh spices. This dish was good if you want something lighter if your stomach feels a bit unsettled.
Caveat: The service here is quite slow, so plan accordingly!
Green House Restaurant
Location: Near the center of Aguas Calientes, a short walk from the main square
Good for: Beautiful covered dining area with view of the bustling main street below, vegan pisco sours, fresh and organic plant-based food, cozy atmosphere, vegan options clearly marked on the menu.
If you have time to get dinner in Aguas Calientes, I’d highly recommend Green House Restaurant since it’s on the second floor, giving you a fun view of the lively main street below. We enjoyed watching people walk around and explore the town as we had our food and drinks here up above. Above you, you could see strands of ivy, and plants all around.
The server came up to us and took down our order right away, and I didn’t feel like we needed to wait long at all to get our food!
For drinks, I highly recommend the passion fruit flavored chilcano.
For the food, I found that the vegetables here were outstanding and so fresh! If you love veggies, you will not want to miss this place as the quality of the vegetables here were much better than anything else I had in Peru! We ordered the quinoa chaufa dish and the quinotto green house without cheese.
We also met some other travelers at the table next to us, and had a fun time talking to them about their visit to the Inca Trail. Travelers in Aguas Calientes were very friendly and more open to chatting than other cities in Peru.
Caveat: This restaurant has vegetarian options, and you can ask for these vegetarian options to be made vegan.
Where to Stay in Aguas Calientes
1911 Hotel
Location: 5 min walk from Aguas Calientes train station, 5 min walk from Machu Picchu bus station
Good for: Exceptional front desk service, tasty included breakfast with vegan options, central location
We loved our stay here in this hotel, mainly due to the excellent service! When we arrived by train to Aguas Calientes, the front desk serviceman met us at the station and helped direct us to the hotel. He carried my suitcase up 4 flights of stairs (elevator was broken) which helped a ton as I still was recovering from the altitude. Each day he asked how we were doing and if we needed any help with anything. We also were able to after checkout, to take a shower after our Machu Picchu hike!
FAQs: Eating Vegan in Aguas Calientes
Q: How easy is it to find vegan restaurants in Aguas Calientes?
A: Difficult - There’s really only one true vegan restaurant in Aguas Calientes (SATTVA), and the rest are vegetarian restaurants where you can ask the server to modify the dish to be vegan.
Coming soon: My complete Cusco travel guide with altitude tips, packing advice, and things to do beyond eating.