Peru

Things to do in Ollantaytambo

A living Inca town at the far end of the Sacred Valley, its grid, canals and house walls continuously inhabited since the fifteenth century, beneath a fortress of monumental terraces. Most travellers pass through for the Machu Picchu trains, which leave from here. Staying a night reverses the logic: the terraces at opening time, before the valley buses arrive.

11 places on record

Things to do

11

  1. Ollantaytambo Archaeological Complex

    Museum · 3 hr

    Inca fortress and temple complex built in the 15th century under Pachacuti, featuring precisely fitted stone masonry and agricultural terraces carved into the mountainside. The site occupies roughly 60 acres and contains the Temple of the Sun with its distinctive trapezoidal doorways.

  2. Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site

    Monument · 1.5 hr

    Fortified Incan temple complex built in the mid-15th century with precisely fitted stone walls and agricultural terraces, located at the edge of the town of Ollantaytambo.

  3. Ollantaytambo Fortress

    Monument · 2.5 hr

    A 15th-century Inca military stronghold built under Pachacuti, featuring massive precisely-fitted stone terraces and ceremonial temples overlooking the Sacred Valley. The site was the last Inca stronghold to fall to Spanish conquest in 1537.

  4. Ollantaytambo Town

    Neighborhood · 1.5 hr

    A colonial town built directly atop Inca foundations, with narrow cobbled streets, traditional adobe buildings, and a main plaza that retains its original Inca ground plan. The town serves as the main rail hub for trains to Machu Picchu.

  5. Museo CATCCO

    Museum · 1 hr

    Private museum in the town centre housing pre-Columbian textiles, ceramics, and metalwork from Inca and pre-Inca periods, with an emphasis on local Sacred Valley provenance. The collection includes intact polychrome vessels and fine weaving examples from the Ollantaytambo region.

  6. Ollantaytambo Market

    Market · 1 hr

    A working indigenous market in the town below the Ollantaytambo fortress, selling fresh produce, textiles, alpaca knitwear, and pottery direct from local suppliers.

  7. Ollantaytambo Museum

    Museum · 30 min

    A small site museum displaying artefacts, textiles, and explanatory panels related to the adjacent archaeological complex. It is located at the entrance to Ollantaytambo ruins.

  8. Ollantaytambo Ruins

    Viewpoint · 2 hr

    Inca fortress built in the 15th century overlooking the Urubamba River valley, featuring precisely cut stone terraces and a temple complex dedicated to the sun god Inti. The site sits at 2,792 metres elevation and commands views across the Sacred Valley.

  9. Pumatallis Sector

    Ruins · 1 hr

    Residential and ceremonial area within Ollantaytambo fortress featuring multi-story stone buildings and water channels. Archaeological evidence suggests elite housing and ritual spaces.

  10. Temple of the Sun at

    Monument · 30 min

    Six monolithic granite blocks arranged in a precise trapezoidal wall, likely dedicated to solar worship and constructed without mortar. The stones weigh up to 200 tons each and demonstrate advanced Inca engineering.

  11. Terraces

    Monument · 2 hr

    Extensive network of agricultural terraces covering the mountainsides, engineered for water control and soil retention. Some sections date to pre-Inca periods and were refined by Inca administrators.

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