Everyone calls it the fortress, and in 1537 it certainly worked like one — Manco Inca routed Hernando Pizarro’s cavalry here by flooding the plain through the Inca canals, one of the very few open-field defeats the Spanish suffered in Peru. But Ollantaytambo was built as something else entirely: a royal estate and ceremonial centre begun by the emperor Pachacuti in the mid-15th century, at the moment the Inca state was at its most confident.
What survives is astonishing. Seventeen agricultural terraces climb the hillside in a staircase you can see from anywhere in town. Above them stands the unfinished Temple of the Sun, six colossal blocks of rose-coloured rhyolite fitted edge to edge with thin spacer stones — quarried at Cachiccata, six kilometres away and on the far side of the Urubamba river, then hauled up here on ramps that are still visible in the scree. The Spanish conquest interrupted the work, and the ramps are still littered with "tired stones" that never arrived.
Top things to do at Ollantaytambo Ruins
Climb the terraces of Pumatallis
Start left and zigzag up. The steps are steep and you are at 2,800 m, so take it slowly — most people need fifteen or twenty minutes to reach the temple platform.
Stand at the Wall of Six Monoliths
The unfinished Sun Temple is the reason to come. Look at how the blocks are separated by narrow vertical spacers, and at the faint stepped-diamond relief on the third stone.
Find the Baño de la Ñusta
The Princess Bath, below the terraces, is a ceremonial fountain that has run continuously for five centuries. The triple-stepped carving on its face is a classic Inca water motif.
Look across at the storehouses
From the temple platform, turn around. The buildings on the cliff opposite are Pinkuylluna’s granaries, and beside them the rock profile locals call the face of Tunupa.
Walk the quarry ramp
A quieter path leads right from the entrance along the old haulage route, past abandoned blocks, with views down onto the Inca town grid and far fewer people.
How to get to Ollantaytambo Ruins
- On foot: the entrance is at the top end of Plaza de Armas, three minutes’ walk from anywhere in the old town.
- From Cusco: 60 km and about 1 hour 45 minutes by road. Collectivos leave Pavitos street when full; a private transfer costs little more and leaves when you do.
- By tour: nearly every Sacred Valley day trip from Cusco includes a guided visit, with entry covered by the Cusco Tourist Ticket.
Insider tips
- You cannot buy a ticket just for Ollantaytambo. Entry is only on the Boleto Turístico del Cusco — either the 10-day full ticket or the cheaper 2-day Sacred Valley circuit.
- Arrive before 08:00 or after 15:30. Between 10:00 and 14:00 the site fills with coaches from Cusco.
- There is no shade on the terraces and the UV at this altitude is fierce. Hat, sunscreen and water are not optional.
- Hiring a guide at the gate costs a fraction of a tour and transforms the site — ask at the ticket booth.
Best tours & tickets for Ollantaytambo Ruins
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Ollantaytambo Ruins without organising a thing:
