Ollantaytambo is one of the most important towns in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco. Furthermore, it is the only place that keeps its ancient Inca urban design. Being a mandatory stop before reaching Machu Picchu, it is very visited. However, Ollantaytambo has its own charms. The main one of them is its Inca archaeological ruins.
Likewise, Ollantaytambo was a strategic military, religious, and agricultural center that still dazzles with its stone platforms and its impressive buildings of more than four meters high. In this place, Manco Inca faced the Spanish troops of Hernando Pizarro and came out victorious.
Moreover, it is a place that surrounds you with its magic and mystery, this archaeological zone keeps over time its houses, streets, and canals from the time of Tahuantinsuyo. It is believed that it was a shelter for the Inca royalty and nobility. The fortress was built with huge rocks taken from a quarry 6 kilometers away, near the Urubamba river. To transport these stones, the Incas had to divert the entire riverbed, in a masterpiece of engineering and wisdom.
History of Ollantaytambo
The name we know today has roots older than the Inca Empire itself. Researchers trace it back to the Aymara culture, whose word Ullanwtawi meant "to look down" or "viewpoint", a reflection of the high position of the place over the valleys that surround it. Over time, Quechua became the main language in the region and the name evolved to Ullantay. When the Incas built a tambo, a lodging and supply point, on the flat area, the name transformed into Ullantay Tampu, which over the centuries became Ollantaytambo.
Who built Ollantaytambo? Before the Incas arrived, the place was already inhabited. In the city and its surroundings, remains of the Huari civilization (600-1000 AD) have been found, a culture that came before the Tahuantinsuyo in a large part of the Andes. One of its most visible marks is the Pumamarca fortress, a military citadel that controlled access to the area and connected with the Andean road network through the Inca Trail. Ollantaytambo worked for centuries as a strategic point within that road system, which organized the exchange of goods, troops, and messages throughout the empire. Some versions give the settlement an age of up to 3,500 years, which places its origin long before any recorded Andean culture.
Origin of Ollantaytambo
It was during the rule of the Inca Pachacutec (1418-1471) when the place reached its maximum glory. The ninth Sapa Inca transformed it into a top-level center: an access point to the Sacred Valley, a ceremonial and farming space where corn was domesticated for large-scale farming on the fertile terraces of the Urubamba. In addition, it was here where the Incas showed their control of the territory with an incredible engineering work: the huge stones of the fortress were taken from a quarry six kilometers away, and to transport them, they changed the course of the river itself.
After the arrival of the Spanish, Ollantaytambo lived its last chapter as a center of resistance. In 1536, Manco Inca established his headquarters here and waited for the troops of Hernando Pizarro. The battle that followed was one of the few Inca victories against the conquerors: Manco Inca flooded the fields that surrounded the walled terraces, taking away the advantage of the Spanish cavalry, which was forced to retreat. Shortly after, however, the Spanish pressure became impossible to hold, and Manco Inca left Ollantaytambo for the Vilcabamba jungle. With that retreat, the Inca era of the place ended, although its stones, its streets, and its canals remained intact for the centuries to come.
About Ollantaytambo: A masterpiece of engineering and architecture
The Ollantaytambo temple is an impressive architectural complex located at 2,792 meters above sea level, with an estimated age of 3,500 years. It is believed that its construction was pointed towards the city of Cusco, because its first architects wanted to defend themselves from the Inca expansion. Consequently, the choice of the place was no accident: the builders discovered deep underground water channels, and that presence of water made it a privileged location.
Hydraulic engineering: water as a foundation
The builders of Ollantaytambo designed an aqueduct system that, centuries later, is still fully working. Each fountain was carved directly into the rock with its own features and designs. The most known and considered the most beautiful is the Ñusta Fountain, carved in a single stone and decorated in the shape of a portal. Likewise, the streets of the town, drawn in straight lines, were made so that the water would flow through channels built into the pavement itself. There comes a time when those trenches seem to have been built thinking of the light: they always look bright and shining, as if the water and the sun were part of the same design.
Architecture and construction: stone, precision and collective effort
In the highest area of the fortress, there are six huge rectangular stone blocks that belong to the Temple of the Sun, a building that seems to have been left unfinished. The largest monolith is more than four meters high and two meters wide. In the square of the complex, there is also a large block with perfect edges, pointed towards the cardinal points. What most surprises the visitor is the state of preservation of these rocks: perfectly polished, with flawless cuts, and with no visible damage after centuries out in the open.
That perfection becomes even more amazing when considering the transport process. The stones were taken from a quarry located six kilometers away, on the other side of the Urubamba river, whose course was diverted to make the move easier. However, the diversion of the river was only the first step. Researchers suggest that the blocks were moved using wooden sleds over wet surfaces, with the support of dirt and stone ramps built specially to overcome the slope. All this was possible thanks to the mita system, the Inca collective work organization through which communities contributed with labor to the State projects. Thousands of people coordinated under that system achieved what today, without modern machinery, would still be an engineering feat, and they did it on a steep slope that added one more difficulty to every meter traveled.
Ollantaytambo remains one of the great wonders of Inca architecture, and also one of the most mysterious. Many of the questions it raises still have no answer.
Ollantaytambo today
Ollantaytambo is not a ruined town, as it might seem from what was said before, but quite the opposite: it is the only Inca town in Peru that is still lived in following its original urban layout. Consequently, this is perhaps its biggest difference compared to other archaeological sites in the country, which are only traces of a past. Here, history is not seen from the outside; it is walked, lived, and crossed every day.
Furthermore, the town is divided in two by the Patacancha stream, which keeps running clean through the streets, just as it did more than five hundred years ago. On one side, the Ayllu Qosqo occupies the eastern part, with the main square and four streets parallel to the stream, today full of small shops, restaurants, and the daily coming and going of its neighbors. On the other hand, the Ayllu Araqama stretches to the west, where the main archaeological points of the town are gathered.
Walking through its streets is an experience that few places in the world can offer. The original water channels keep crossing each block, feeding orchards and inner courtyards just like in Inca times. Likewise, the local market, near the square, is another good place, full of fruits, Andean products, and crafts. That coexistence, between the archaeological and the domestic, between the past and the simple present, is what makes Ollantaytambo a unique place.
Ollantaytambo archaeological complex
Ollantaytambo has beautiful Inca stone structures. Because it was the scene of bloody battles between the rebel Incas and the Spanish in 1537, many of its buildings are damaged or destroyed. Even so, the ruins keep the magic and history of past centuries. But, what can be seen in the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo? Among the most standing out buildings are:
- The Royal House of the Sun
The Royal House of the Sun is made up of 17 large overlapping terraces facing the main square of the town. It is believed that it had a ceremonial function linked to the sun cult, given its orientation and the precision with which it was built. Climbing to the highest terrace takes effort, but the reward is one of the best views of the entire valley: the town of Ollantaytambo at its feet, the sacred valley stretching around, and, on clear days, the snowy mountains that frame the skyline. - Choqana Fort
Choqana is a Quechua word that means "where it is knocked down or thrown". It is located 2 kilometers from Ollantaytambo. It served as an administrative center, checkpoint, and fortress, guarding the access to the valley from a high position that today continues to offer a different perspective of the complex, far from the areas most crowded by visitors. - Mañay Raqay or 'K'uychipunku' Square
Its name means "Square of requests" in Quechua. It is located on the right bank of the Patacancha stream, next to the entrance door of the archaeological site. Its walls have many openings that are believed to be doors, possibly linked to ceremonies of request or thanks, which gives the square its name. It is usually the first space that the visitor walks through when entering the complex. - The Temple of the Sun
This impressive monolith, made up of six pieces, is almost completely destroyed. However, it is still one of the most beautiful pieces in Ollantaytambo. The six huge rocks that make up the western wall fit together with incredible precision, without the use of mortar, and their size (each block weighs several tons) continues to raise questions about how the Incas managed to transport and put them together with such exactness. - The monumental facade and the Enclosure of the 10 Niches
This building is located at the end of the upper group of platforms. Its walls are formed by two stone canvases polished with great precision. This enclosure suffered damages during the Spanish conquest, but the niches that are still kept allow us to imagine its original function, probably ceremonial or ritual storage. It is one of the most photographed corners of Ollantaytambo, both for its symmetry and for the contrast between the worked stone and the mountain landscape in the background. - The Bath of the Ñusta
It is a beautiful fountain with jets of water carved inside. It is known as a liturgical fountain, a type that could be found in the main cities of the Inca Empire, generally linked to purification rituals with running water. It is one of the most photographed points of the complex, both for the fineness of its carving and for the fact that the water keeps flowing today, just like centuries ago. - The platforms
In Ollantaytambo we find groups of parallel platforms, with parameters leaning towards the hillside and steps that come out embedded in their walls. They are visible from the town itself, and looking at them from below, looking up towards the whole hillside covered with terraces, is one of the most striking moments of the visit, long before even starting the climb.
How to get to Ollantaytambo?
From Cusco, you can get there in two ways: by vehicle on the road or by train, the latter taking about an hour. The opening hours of the archaeological site are from 7:00 to 18:00, and at the entrance, you can hire group guided tours. The tour through the ruins lasts about two hours.
By car or taxi
It is recommended to travel from Cusco to Ollantaytambo by car. There are three access routes:
- Cusco – Chinchero – Urubamba – Ollantaytambo (81 kilometers)
- Cusco – Pisac – Calca – Urubamba – Ollantaytambo (96 kilometers)
- Cusco – Anta – Huarocondo – Pachar – Ollantaytambo (70 kilometers)
Notice about the Cusco–Anta route: this is the fastest option of the three, but also the most exposed to landslides during the rainy season (December to March approximately). Therefore, if you travel in those months, it is a good idea to find out about the condition of the road before leaving or, directly, choose one of the other two routes to avoid getting stranded halfway.
Additionally, for those who rent a car, it is possible to park in Ollantaytambo, the town has parking areas near the entrance to the archaeological site and around the main square. However, space is limited in the high season, so it is a good idea to arrive with extra time, especially if you want to visit the complex early in the morning.
By taxi vs. collective bus
For those who prefer not to drive, there are two main options from Cusco:
- Private taxi: the trip takes between 1 hour and 1 hour and 30 minutes approximately, depending on the route and traffic. It is the most comfortable and fastest option, but also the most expensive.
- Collective bus: they leave from the Pavitos terminal, in Cusco, and are the preferred alternative for independent travelers thanks to their much lower price. The trip usually takes a little longer than the taxi —between 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours, depending on the stops— but it more than makes up for the difference in budget.
If you continue by train to Aguas Calientes
If your plan is to continue from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu by train, keep in mind that both PeruRail and IncaRail limit carry-on luggage on board (around 5-8 kg, depending on the company and the hired service), meant for a day backpack, not for large suitcases. Both operators have a free luggage storage service at the Ollantaytambo station, so the most practical thing is to leave your main luggage there (or in your Sacred Valley hotel) before boarding the train, and take with you only the essentials for one or two days in Aguas Calientes: documents, Machu Picchu ticket, a warm layer, and little else.
How to buy the tourist ticket to enter Ollantaytambo?
The entrance to Ollantaytambo is included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket. This ticket includes access to this and other tourist attractions like Pisac, Sacsayhuaman and Coricancha.
The Cusco Tourist Ticket can be bought at the authorized offices in Cusco:
- Avenida El Sol 103, Cusco (Tourist Galleries, office 101).
- At the door of the same archaeological sites (Sacsayhuaman, Coricancha, Ollantaytambo).
You can choose to buy the full or partial tourist ticket. In this way, you will be able to select the places you want to visit. Keep in mind that buying tickets for each site separately means a higher expense.
Estimated price: the full ticket (access to the 16 attractions, valid for 10 days) has a reference cost of S/130 for adult foreigners, while the partial ticket for the Sacred Valley (which includes Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Chinchero and Moray) costs around S/70. The ticket can only be bought in person and, usually, in cash (soles).
Opening hours of the 'Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site': from 7:00 to 18:00 (every day of the week).
Note: try to arrive early in the morning. This way you will avoid the tourist groups that start to arrive at 11:00.
Train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu
You probably want to visit Ollantaytambo, but with Machu Picchu as your main destination. If so, the best way to get there is by train, and the two companies that provide this service from the Ollantaytambo station are PeruRail and Inca Rail, each with several service categories depending on the budget and the kind of experience you are looking for.
PeruRail offers its panoramic train Vistadome, while Inca Rail has its equivalent, The 360°, which has an outdoor observation car with a bar, a unique feature on this route. Both services include panoramic windows and onboard entertainment: the Vistadome offers background music, snacks, and drinks, plus a traditional Peruvian dance show on the return trip, while The 360° adds a selection of hot and cold drinks with Andean-inspired snacks, along with an entertainment app that offers information about the route and the Inca civilization. For those who prefer cheaper options, both companies also have standard services (Expedition on PeruRail, The Voyager on Inca Rail), with good panoramic views, but without the extras of the higher categories.
Practical recommendation: Whichever operator you choose, it is a good idea to book the ticket well in advance, especially if you travel in the high season (from May to October, with July and August as the months with the highest demand). During the high season, it is advisable to book 60 to 90 days in advance, since the most popular morning departures from Ollantaytambo usually sell out quickly. You can check schedules and buy directly on the official websites of PeruRail and Inca Rail.
Practical tips for visiting Ollantaytambo
Before organizing your route and transport, here are the essentials so that the visit goes well from the first moment.
Best time to visit
The dry season, from May to October, is the most recommended: the days are usually sunny, with clear skies and ideal conditions to explore the ruins and do nearby hikes. Outside those months, between November and March, rains are more frequent and can complicate both road access and the visit to the complex itself.
Recommended arrival time
The ideal is to arrive before 9:00. The archaeological site receives its first large groups of tourists around 11:00, so waking up a bit early allows you to walk through the terraces and temples calmly, without crowds, and with better light for photos.
What to bring
- Clothing in layers: mornings can be cold and the midday sun, intense; layers allow you to adjust as the day goes by.
- Sunscreen: the altitude makes solar radiation stronger than it seems, even on cloudy days.
- Enough water: there are not many sales points inside the complex, so it is a good idea to go up with your own bottle.
- Trekking shoes or sneakers with good grip: the original stone stairs are uneven and, in some sections, steep.
Recommended visit time
Calculate at least 2 hours for the archaeological complex, especially if you want to go up to the Royal House of the Sun and explore the different platforms peacefully. Add 1 extra hour to walk around the town: its cobbled streets, the canals, and the local market deserve their own time, without rushing.
Altitude and altitude sickness
Ollantaytambo is located at 2,792 meters above sea level, an altitude somewhat lower than Cusco, which in fact makes the town a good place to acclimatize. Even so, if you arrive directly from low-altitude areas (like Lima or any coastal city), it is normal to feel some mild symptoms of altitude sickness: headache, tiredness, or shortness of breath when climbing the stairs of the complex. Drinking enough water, avoiding intense physical effort the first day, and drinking coca tea are simple measures that help a lot. If the symptoms are strong or persistent, the most sensible thing is to consult a doctor.
Is it worth hiring a local guide?
To get the most out of the visit, yes. The structures of Ollantaytambo have many layers of history and symbolism that are not always obvious to the naked eye, and a local guide can point out details (astronomical orientations, building techniques, the original function of each enclosure) that go unnoticed without accompaniment. You can hire one directly at the entrance of the archaeological site, where there are usually official guides available, or book one in advance through an agency in Cusco if you prefer to go with everything organized beforehand.
