Ollantaytambo - Sacred Valley, Peru
by Rebecca Hollman
updated March 25, 2019
Ollantaytambo - Peru
Ollantaytambo is one of the Incan towns located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is a popular stop along the tourist trail because it is close to the starting point for the Inca Trail and close to Machu Picchu. It is home to the Ollantaytambo ruins, which are some of the most amazing Incan ruins in the area - arguably better than Machu Picchu. Learn more about the town and ruins below.
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Ollantaytambo Town
Ollantaytambo is a town in the Sacred Valley. During the Incan empire Ollantaytambo was the royal estate for Emperor Pachucuti and then became the stronghold for the Incan resistance against the Spanish conquest. Nowadays, Ollantaytambo is a vibrant town and the main starting point for the Inca Trail.
I suggest spending two days in Ollantaytambo before heading to Machu Picchu or farther south in the valley. The Ollantaytambo ruins are arguably better than Machu Picchu and there are other ruins and old Incan trails to explore in the area. The town is adorable with a great town square, tons of markets, and amazing restaurants and food options. I would spend your whole first day in Ollantaytambo exploring the Ollantaytambo ruins and then your second day exploring the trail of Pinkuylluna and also the Punku Punku ruins. There are numerous unmarked trails that lead around the area to different archaeological sites - your best bet will be to ask your hotel the best trail suggestions.
Ollantaytambo Ruins
The main attraction of Ollantaytambo are the architectural ruins of the original palace and temples of Emperor Pachucuti. The original site was made up of many stepped levels of agricultural terraces, leading to the military zone at the top of the fortress which gives a view all the way down the Sacred Valley. From there, it enters into the temple area with the Temple of the Sun. As you move horizontally from the temples, the area changes into agricultural storehouses and more terraces. At the bottom of the terraces are royal bathhouses, which served as both an irrigation system and as a religious center.
Entrance into the Ollantaytambo ruins are included in the Boleto Turistico and are open from 8 AM to 5 PM everyday. I highly suggest dedicating at least three to four hours to fully explore the ruins. There are a few smaller trails that lead to different viewpoints, so going to all the spots in the ruins will take some time. These ruins are arguably better than Machu Picchu because there are very few people in the ruins at the same time and the ruins are just as impressive.
Getting from Cusco to Ollantaytambo
You can either take a train from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, the colectivo bus or an uber/taxi. The train is the most expensive option running from around $100-150. It does give you a scenic view of the area but I honestly recommend cheaper options if you’re trying to conserve on money. You can take a colectivo from the colectivo station in Cusco for around $4.50 USD one way to the Ollantaytambo train station. Uber actually is pretty prevalent in Cusco and I ended up taking an uber from Cusco to Urubamba for around $40, which is cheaper than a taxi which runs around $60-70. You can take an uber or taxi all the way to Ollantaytambo as well, since it is only another 30 minutes past Urubamba. If you have 2 or 3 people this might be a great option because you can split the costs.
