Ollantaytambo is one of the prettiest towns in the Sacred Valley. You’re completely surrounded by mountains, which is the perfect backdrop to the quaint buildings and cobble stone streets of the main plaza. You can get around everywhere in town on foot and there’s generally a great atmosphere - everyone is either going to, or just come back from Machu Picchu.
Although most people use Ollanta as a jumping off point for getting the train, or starting one of the multi day hikes to Machu Picchu, stay a few nights and you’ll see this gorgeous village has plenty to offer beyond its proximity to the world famous citadel - from some fabulous ruins, to great hikes and even a brewery and distillery to sample some of the local firewater.
Here are some of the best things to do in Ollantaytambo.
11 of the best things to do in Ollantaytambo
1. Catch a sunset from the most enchanting ruins in Ollanta
The ruins of Pinkuylluna have the wow factor. Located on the side of a sheer cliff that looks impenetrable from a distance, it’s hard to believe not just that they were built there in the first place, but that you can actually hike up and visit them today.
Despite appearances, the walk is short and not overly challenging. Your reward is phenomenal views, coupled with the chance to wander the ruins, which are left just as they are - you won’t find roped off sections here.
If you happen to visit in the late afternoon, the mountains and ruins are bathed in the most glorious golden light and it was easily one of the most memorable experiences we had during our month in the Sacred Valley.
For all the details on the hike and where to watch sunset, check out our Pinkuylluna guide.
2. Hike the easy Purmamarca trail
The old Incan fortress at Pumamarca is a must visit. Not necessarily for the ruins themselves - which are perhaps a touch underwhelming compared to other grand sites nearby- but for the setting, solitude and the incredible walk back down to the the town of Ollantaytambo.
If you’ve enjoyed exploring the more famous ruins in the Sacred Valley, but felt the atmosphere is a little off due to big crowds, then you have to come up to Pumamarca.
You’ll likely be the only ones here, particularly if you visit in the late afternoon. You can then take the easy path down the mountain, enjoying spectacular views every step of the way!
We didn’t see a single tourist on this walk, which was pretty mind boggling considering how fantastic and easy it is.
We’d recommend taking a taxi to the ruins and then walking back so that you only have to walk downhill.
You can read all the details in our Purmamarca Ruins guide.
3. Visit the mysterious cave alter
Naupa Iglesia is a mysterious little spot dug high into the cliff tops above the valley. No one actually knows for sure what it is or what it was built for, but essentially it’s an alter carved into an overhang in the mountain overlooking the valley far below.
It’s a spiritual place that is now often used for ayahuasca ceremonies, however, you don’t need to be into any of that to enjoy a visit.
It’s a fascinating spot, which is free to visit and remains largely off the tourist radar, yet it’s a short easy adventure you can do independently from Ollantaytambo.
For all the details on the easiest route to the cave, check out our Naupa Iglesia guide.
4. Explore one of the most important Incan sites in the Sacred Valley
The Ollantaytambo Ruins were formerly home to Incan nobility and are one of the most important sites in the Sacred Valley, as well as one of the easiest to access.
The steep terraces are the first thing that will catch your eye before you take in the ruins and dramatic mountain backdrop.
The walk up the terraces is steep, but the steps are well made, so it’s not too difficult and the climb is short. There are also bench seats along the way where you can take in the views of the town nestled between the mountains.
Parts of the site are closed off, or were when we visited, but there’s still plenty to see. We’d recommend going early or late in the day as this was one of the few spots we visited in the middle of the day and it was predictably very busy.
5. Board one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world
The 1.5 hour train journey to Machu Picchu (from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes) was one of the greatest train rides of our lives.
The scenery was just phenomenal, with endless mountains, rivers, gorges and even a cloud forest. It’s the sort of journey you would want to make even if the world’s most famous Incan citadel was not waiting for you at the other end.
When it comes to the carriages, you have a few options, from the standard trains, to those that have an observation carriage and even an ultra luxurious budget buster which comes with a a four course dinner and its own mixologist.
However, not all upgrades are worth it and we were unimpressed with the one we opted for (when compared to the excellent standard of the cheapest train). You can read more about the train ride and our experience in two different carriages in this guide.
6. Taste the local firewater
Just a short walk or taxi ride from town you’ll find the beautifully situated Destilería Andina. It’s unlikely to be similar to any distillery you’ve visited before as it’s quite a rustic set up and some of the bottles look more like potions than they do bottles of liqueur.
As well as the more unusual concoctions, such as the medicinal Matacuy, they also produce the popular Cana Alta, a sugar cane liqueur which you’ll find in many bars around Cusco.
A visit here is good fun and free samples are offered by the friendly and passionate staff. It’s not very easy to find; starting at the car park for the terraces of Ollantaytambo, continue walking down the alleyway (it’s labelled Callejon Sta Rosa on Google Maps).
Continue until you see a collection of farm style buildings on your right. From here, there are signposts that will take you to the distillery.
Ollantaytambo is also home to Cerveceria del Valle Sagrado or Sacred Valley Brewing Company. The taproom serves food as well as a variety of craft beer, but was sadly shut for the entirety of our time in Ollantaytambo.
7. Indulge in the best restaurant in the area
We’ll be honest with you here: despite trying six different restaurants in town (including those with the highest ratings), we didn’t eat at a single one we’d recommend in this guide.
Each and every restaurant had the loveliest staff, but the food was always very mediocre.
One night we decided to drive a little out of Ollanta to Tambo del Inka in Urubamba. Restaurante Hawa is located inside the hotel and the huge dining room has a real fireplace which is very inviting.
The food is predictably pricey, but it was very good and worth the one off splurge. Expect small portions of beautifully cooked food and a lovely atmosphere.
We turned up without a reservation which seemed to surprise them, so it’s probably best to make a booking.
8. Wander the nearby salt mines and ancient ruins
Just a 25 minute drive from Ollanta will take you to the ancient Incan salt mines of Maras, which are a highlight of the Sacred Valley.
I didn’t expect to say that given how many amazing places there are to visit in the valley, but it turns out that thousands of salt pans high up on a mountain make for quite the spectacular sight - and provide a nice change if you’ve mainly been looking at ruins.
The views are phenomenal and though you can no longer walk through the salt pans (as you once could), if you tip one of the guides then they’ll let you go for a little wander. You can read more about that in this guide.
Just 30 minutes from the salt mines are the famous Moray Ruins. The concentric circles that make up the Moray ruins look like something created by an alien civilisation and are made all the more mysterious by the lack of information about them.
You can explore the ruins on one of two walking trails, one that follows a path above the ruins and one that takes you down into the circles themselves.
We outline both walks and some tips for avoiding the crowds in this guide.
9. Sample the locally made chocolate at the Choco Museo
So the Choco Museo in Ollanta was actually closed for our entire visit, however, we did visit the one in Cusco and were told it’s very similar.
I wouldn’t say it’s so much a museum as a place to sample the local chocolate and of course buy some to take home. They had free samples of many different chocolates including one made with the local Maras salt.
They also run popular chocolate making workshops which I think is where their main focus is. The museum is free and staff will happily answer all your chocolate making questions you might have. Of course the hope is you walk away with an armful of chocolate bars.
I wouldn’t say the museum is a must do, but it’s worth a peek if you’re looking for something a little different to do in Ollanta.
The ones that got away
Unfortunately I got very very sick in Ollantaytambo and we did have several more activities planned that will have to wait for a return visit. We wouldn’t normally include anything we haven’t done personally in our guides, but I was so excited about these two that I thought they deserved a mention so that you don’t miss out too.
10. The hike to the Inti Punku Sun Gate
This is a biggie at around 10 miles and over 1000m elevation gain, which is why even when I semi recovered I didn’t dare tackle it!
However, if you do take it on it sounds like it could be the most spectacular walk in the area. Just make sure you pick a clear day so you get to make the most of those sensational snow-capped mountain views.
Of all the things we didn’t manage to get to during our time in the Sacred Valley, this is the one that I was most disappointed about. Fingers crossed we’ll be back one day!
11. Catarata Perolniyoc
The gorgeous Perolniyoc Waterfall is located close to Naupa Iglesia. We were driving up there after visiting the cave church and the heavens opened leaving us feeling quite unsafe on the steep mountain road. Alas it was our last day in the area so we ended up missing it.
The waterfall looks beautiful in pictures and we were excited for the short easy hike to see it. From the nearest parking area (because there are several possible start points) the hike is said to take somewhere between 30 minutes and one hour and does go uphill. You could continue the walk which becomes much steeper to the Raqaypata ruins.
Another one we hope to be lucky enough to come back for one day!
Getting to and around Ollantaytambo
The town of Ollantaytambo is very small and it’s easy to walk to all the main shops and restaurants. The buildings and setting are stunning, so it’s also a very pleasant place to walk. The main ruins and those at Pinkuylluna are also just minutes from the town centre. Some of the other activities on this list would require a short taxi journey if you don’t have your own wheels.
In terms of getting to Ollanta you have a variety of options. We drove from Cusco, but you can also take the train, a bus, a colectivo (shared mini bus) or taxi. It’s only a 1.5 hour journey and inexpensive by all modes of transport unless you get an unscrupulous taxi driver.
Where we stayed in Ollantaytambo
Sol Exclusive Ollantaytambo
We stayed in Sol Exclusive Ollantaytambo, a one minute walk from the main square. The reason we picked it is that Peru can be a very noisy place and if you get a room by the river here, that’s all you’ll hear. We slept to the sound of rushing water, rather than music or other noise common in most Peruvian towns.
The rooms are ok, nothing to write home about, but the beds are large and very comfy. The shower pressure was good, although on one of our four nights I could only get tepid water. We slept really well here, so though it’s quite basic, we were very happy with our stay.
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