If you’re planning a trip to Peru’s Sacred Valley, you’ll quickly realize why Ollantaytambo is considered essential.
Located about 60 km from Cusco, this historic town was once one of the most important places in the Inca Empire: a strategic crossroads where multiple Inca routes met, and a key control point on the path to Machu Picchu.
Today, it remains a must-visit destination thanks to its spectacular ruins, Andean markets, agricultural terraces, and an urban layout that still preserves original Inca streets and irrigation canals.
Beyond its archaeological significance, Ollantaytambo is also famous because of its train station—one of the main gateways to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu.
If you’re wondering what to do in Ollantaytambo, this guide covers the best activities, hidden sites, cultural experiences, and practical tips based only on the source you provided.
Ollantaytambo’s story is deeply tied to resistance and strategy.
During the Spanish conquest, it became the residence of Manco Cápac II, the leader of the Inca resistance, who fortified the town and its surroundings after Cusco fell.
Today, its legacy remains visible in its terraces, temple structures, and one-of-a-kind city plan—still intact after centuries.
The archaeological site is the main attraction and an essential answer to what to do in Ollantaytambo.
The fortress served military, religious, and political purposes, and it played a major role in the resistance against the conquistadors.
You’ll see immense agricultural terraces, panoramic views of the green Sacred Valley mountains, and remarkable stonework—especially at the Temple of the Sun, built with massive interlocking blocks similar to those found in Machu Picchu and Cusco’s Coricancha.
Another highlight is the Bath of the Ñusta, where the Inca’s wife would bathe to purify herself. Water still flows there today.
You can visit without a guide, but a local guide helps you fully understand the site’s importance.
Right next to the ruins, you’ll find the artisan market, a colorful tourist market ideal for buying souvenirs like alpaca wool textiles and handmade jewelry.
For a more local experience, go to the food market near the main square, where residents buy everyday products.
You’ll see fresh produce and Andean specialties like olluco and mashua, fruit, cheeses, bread, potatoes, and juices.
They’re very different markets—don’t mix them up.
Ollantaytambo has preserved the same streets and houses from Inca times, giving it a rare charm.
Its narrow cobblestone lanes, small plazas, and traditional vibe create the feeling that time has stopped.
Simply wandering the town is one of the most rewarding things to do.
Many travelers rush to the main ruins and miss Pinkuylluna, a lesser-known, free Inca site.
These are agricultural storehouses built into a cliff.
The hike is steep but short—about 20 to 30 minutes—and the view over the town and fortress is outstanding.
Directions are simple: from the first street before the main plaza, turn right (away from the market), follow the cobblestone road, and you’ll find an open gate leading up the mountain.
ALQA is a unique cultural space celebrating Andean traditions.
It features textiles, masks, books, maps, and cultural artifacts, and it has expanded to include a café, wine bar, and restaurant.
It also hosts events such as contemporary art exhibitions, concerts, and documentary screenings.
Even if you’re on a budget, it’s a wonderful place to sit in the garden with a coffee—or enjoy a meal that highlights Andean ingredients and ancestral knowledge.
Casa Inka is a hidden gem: a small family-run museum inside a traditional adobe-and-thatch Andean house.
It shares Inca cultural history through objects, utensils, and traditions, and it was created to preserve the memory of its inhabitants.
Visitors can also learn about the cultural role of cuyes (guinea pigs), including how they are raised and prepared.
One of the most memorable activities is experiencing Pachamanca, a pre-Hispanic cooking method where food is cooked over hot stones in an earth oven.
This experience includes visiting a farm, garden, sugarcane spirit distillery, and coffee roaster, and participating in the preparation.
The menu includes chicken, pork, and lamb with Andean potatoes, sweet potatoes, organic vegetables, house salad, and chicha morada—served picnic-style with views of the mountains and Inca sites.
You can also do workshops in distillation (making your own cañazo bottle) or coffee roasting.
Hidden in the mountains near Ollantaytambo, Ñaupa Iglesia is an ancient Inca ceremonial temple whose name means “old temple” in Quechua.
Rituals dedicated to the Moon, Sun, mountain gods (Apus), and ancestors were held here.
The best part: it’s impressive, free, and usually empty.
The trail is pleasant and not too difficult.
You’ll see terraces, carved doors, stone seats, niches, and even an altar inside a cave used for observing the stars.
The Intipunku hike begins by passing old quarries where the Incas extracted stones for the Ollantaytambo fortress.
The climb takes about 2 more hours and leads to a strategic lookout that once served as an astronomical observation point and a control gate for routes toward Machu Picchu and the Amazon.
The mountain and valley views are spectacular.
To reach the Perolniyoc Waterfall, you first go to the village of Socma (about 30 minutes by taxi).
After about an hour of hiking, you reach a 100-meter waterfall in the countryside.
You can also continue to the Raqaypata ruins higher up the valley.
This is one of the best nature escapes from town.
Yes—Ollantaytambo is an excellent base for Machu Picchu thanks to its train station and easy connections to Aguas Calientes.
You have two options:
Once in Aguas Calientes, you still need the bus up to Machu Picchu.
Many travelers visit Ollantaytambo on a day trip and stay in Cusco, which is also the best choice if you want more amenities and flexibility for the Sacred Valley.
Most travelers spend half a day to a full day. Visiting the ruins alone takes about 2 hours, but adding hikes or museums can easily fill a full day.
Yes, it’s possible, but hiring a local guide helps you understand the historical and cultural significance of what you’re seeing.
Yes. It’s one of the best starting points because the train station connects directly to Aguas Calientes.