Ollantaytambo Peru

Ollantaytambo: The Sacred Valley’s Most Complete Inca Town

Ollantaytambo is 72km from Cusco, at an altitude of 2,792 metres. The town is unusual among Peruvian archaeological sites because it’s genuinely inhabited — people have been living here continuously since the Inca period, and the original grid of streets, water channels, and stone housing units (canchas) is still in use. You’re walking through a working neighbourhood, not a reconstructed one.

The fortress on the hillside above town is the obvious draw, and it’s impressive: massive rose-granite terraces rising steeply, with the incomplete Sun Temple at the top. The six giant stones of the temple (each weighing around 50 tonnes, brought from a quarry across the valley and up the mountain) are the most striking single feature. Nobody fully knows how the Inca moved them. The terracing below gives you a sense of the scale of what was built here, and the site has a dramatic backdrop of steep mountain walls on three sides.

Ollantaytambo was also the site of one of the few Inca military victories over the Spanish: Manco Inca used the fortress and the surrounding terrain to repel a Spanish attack in 1537. He was ultimately forced out by a flanking manoeuvre, but the defence delayed the conquest long enough to matter.

Visiting the Site

Access to the ruins is included in the Boleto Turístico del Cusco, the regional tourism pass (around 130 soles for the full pass, which also covers sites in Cusco). Without the pass, entry is more expensive. Allow two to three hours for the fortress and terracing. The climb up the main terraces is steep but manageable; the upper sections are less visited and worth the effort for the views back down the valley.

The spring at the base of the mountain (Fuente Inca) and the carved rock faces lower down the valley are often skipped but are worth 30 minutes if you have time.

The Town

The streets of the original Inca settlement are in the northwestern part of town, immediately below the fortress. They’re narrow, stone-paved, and have water channels running down the middle — original Inca hydraulic infrastructure, still functioning. This section of town is genuinely unusual and considerably more evocative than the tourist-facing market street.

The Plaza de Armas has the usual cluster of restaurants and hostels. La Esquina on the main square is reliable for lunch; Heart’s Café is popular with trekkers for its set menus and comfortable seating.

Practical Notes

Ollantaytambo is the main departure point for the train to Aguas Calientes (the village below Machu Picchu). PeruRail and Inca Rail both run services from here; the journey takes about 90 minutes to two hours. Train tickets for Machu Picchu routes sell out far in advance, particularly in June through August. Book several months ahead if your trip dates are fixed.

At 2,792 metres, altitude is much less of an issue here than in Cusco (3,400m). It’s a reasonable place to base yourself while acclimatising before going higher. Most travellers coming from Cusco will be fine, but anyone going direct from sea level should take the ascent slowly.