Ollantaytambo Travel Tips
There’s so much more to Ollantaytambo than archeology!
Most people visit Ollantaytambo’s archeological site and then take the train to Machu Picchu, without getting to see the town.
Ollantaytambo is one of the cutest and most traditional Andean towns in Peru.
I love Ollantaytambo because of how well it preserves its Inca history and architecture, how compact it is, how friendly the people are and because it has so many high quality restaurants and hotels for such a tiny town.
My favorite thing to do in Ollantaytambo is to wander the small streets that are just wide enough for a person to pass a llama. They still have the traditional Inca waterways, which rush by each doorway, carrying glacial water from the surrounding mountaintops, the same peaks that send a cold wind through town every day from about 4-6pm. Today the water channels are mostly decorative, but they used to be part of the village’s plumbing.
Here’s my top tips for what to see, and where to stay, eat and shop in Ollantaytambo!
Looking down on Ollantaytambo from the main archeological site you can see how small it is. Top left is Pinkuylluna.
What to see in Ollantaytambo?
As I mentioned above, everybody first goes to the archeological site. However, most people do that at the end of a long day, when the afternoon wind roaring through this narrow bit of the canyon is fiercest. I recommend arranging your schedule to visit the archeological site in the morning to avoid the wind and crowds. My blog about the Ollantaytambo archeological site has everything you need to plan that visit.
Archeology everywhere
Keep your eyes open walking through town, because most archeological sites are unmarked and as small as doorways. This is an original Inca trapezoidal doorway, built around 700 years ago.
There are forty archeological sites in Ollantaytambo, according to archeologist Óscar Montúfar, who has worked in and around town for over ten years. However, besides the main archeological site, also named Ollantaytambo, the only one that’s developed for the general public is Pinkuylluna. Unlike the main archeological site, it’s free and this blog has everything you need to know to visit Pinkuylluna.
High above town at Inti Punku
If you want to get way above town, hike up to Inti Punku. First, read my blog about the Inti Punku hike.
The people watching in Ollantaytambo’s plaza is fantastic.
You’ll see locals with their distinctive round hats, the men wearing waist-length ponchos and the women in layers of skirts. If you’re there during the high season from May through September, you’ll also see visitors from all over the world.
Hats in Ollantaytambo
Women in the rural communities around Ollantaytambo wear round hats with wide, beaded chin straps, sometimes topped by real or fake flowers.
I love hanging out in the plaza. Besides the great people watching, somebody is always selling snacks and traditional drinks. Try drinking cold chicha during the day and hot emoliente at night. Chicha de jora is fermented corn and lightly alcoholic, like a strong kombucha. Chicha de quinoa is fermented quinoa, which is slightly sweet and served with cinnamon sprinkled on top. Chicha morada is unfermented purple corn and fairly sweet. Women make chicha at home and bring buckets to the plaza to sell by the glass. Emoliente is a hot drink of herbs thickened with boiled flax seeds. It’s sold from a metal cart with wheels that has a little gas stove inside to keep it hot all night.
Try a hot emoliente
Emoliente carts appear around the plaza in the evenings. It’s a hot herbal drink, great for fighting the cold or warding off a cold.
Birding near Ollantaytambo
Only half an hour from Ollantaytambo is the Ensifera Hummingbird Gardens. This is the best place to see hummingbirds in the Sacred Valley. Check out my Ensifera blog for everything you need to go birding and/or camping there.
Where to stay in Ollantaytambo?
Ollantaytambo has everything from cheap hostels to fancy hotels. The town is so small that you don’t need to worry much about location. Everything is easily accessible and within 5-15 minutes of the train station. Here are a few of my favorites.
Earth Tones Tiny Homes
I loved these tiny homes! They’re cozy, beautiful and set amongst flowering trees on a property only 10 minutes from Ollantaytambo’s plaza. Book on the Earth Tones website.
El Arriero
This is my favorite traditional Andean home that’s been converted into a combo of hostel and homestay. It’s on one of Ollantaytambo’s most scenic streets and below Pinkuylluna. Reserve on Booking.com
El Albergue
As you can see, El Albergue is literally in the train station. It’s my favorite luxury hotel in Ollantaytambo and has a truly amazing restaurant with delicious food made with organic local ingredients. Book El Albergue here.
I recommend booking directly on a place’s website or using Booking.com because AirBnb takes a bigger commission from hosts, so more places in Ollantaytambo use Booking. If you use my Booking link I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Where to eat in Ollantaytambo?
I eat a lot more in Ollantaytambo than I spend the night, so I have way more recommendations here. Here’s a few of my favorites:
My favorite place for a coffee or drink is Alqo because it has a beautiful garden in the back. The restaurant has only a couple tables and is a gourmet affair that required reservations - but you can always go for a drink in the garden or bar. Don’t miss the museum and boutique - read about the Alqa museum on their website.
My favorite for a gourmet meal made with Andean ingredients is Chuncho. The food is delicious and all ingredients are locally sourced.
Apu Veronica Restaurant
My favorite for a big meal that’s a quality version of typical Cusco fare is Apu Veronica, named after the sacred mountain (apu in Quechua) that looms over the valley around Ollantaytambo.
Sunshine Café
My favorite for a dessert with a view of the Ollantaytambo archeological site is Sunshine Café. Meals are basic but the desserts are fabulous.
The largest selection of souvenirs are right outside the main Ollantaytambo archeological site.
Where to shop in Ollantaytambo?
Every little street in town has shops with handwoven textiles made with designs that have persisted since Incan times. Women who live in isolated mountain communities bring their art to Ollantaytambo and sell to shops in town who sell to tourists. You can find everything from clothes to home décor.
There are two spots in town where sellers congregate in open markets. These markets are great for browsing and for comparing prices between sellers. If you don’t find what you’re looking for there, at least you’ll have an idea of prices for when you go to buy in a shop. Keep in mind that bargaining isn’t a big part of the culture in Peru. Depending on what you’re buying, the seller might go down a few soles but consider if those few soles mean more to you or to them.
The main Ollantaytambo markets
The souvenir market next to the archeological site is the biggest, but I also love the market street that’s down from that one. The town market has everything from food to souvenirs and is a fun experience but not the best for shopping.
Souvenir shops in Ollantaytambo
Most shops will have roughly the same things as at markets but will usually also have something unique, so if you have time check out shops also.
If you want to buy quality art from a shop that guarantees a fair price to the artisans, buy at Alqa, which I mentioned above as my favorite place for a drink in a beautiful garden.
Taken from Pinkuylluna, here you can see the town and the main archeological site. The train tracks run along the river on the far side of the valley.
Practical tips for Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo train station
If you’re taking the train to Machu Picchu, your ticket departs from Poroy (near Cusco) or from Ollantaytambo. I always recommend taking the train from Ollantaytambo, so you have some time to enjoy the town before and/or after Machu Picchu.
Side note: You should pronounce both Cs in picchu, like peek-chu. In Quechua, pic-chu means mountain but pichu (pee-chu) is male anatomy. Machu means old.
At the Ollantaytambo station they will check your tickets at the gate and then again when boarding. You’ll always have an assigned seat with PeruRail or IncaRail and your ticket will tell you which carriage your seat is in.
You can buy food at the stalls that line the last hundred yards of the road. There are sandwiches and snacks you can grab on the way and meals for people who have time to kill.
You must be at the train station at least half an hour before your train departs. They are not understanding about late arrivals. PeruRail and IncaRail are a foreign-owned monopoly that knows it has a chokehold on transportation to Machu Picchu.
ATMs in Ollantaytambo
Bring all the cash you think you’ll need from Cusco. There is one ATM on the plaza and another near the archeological site, but they’re often empty or out of order. There are lots of ATMs in both Cusco and Aguas Calientes, the town you take the train to for Machu Picchu.
Get travel insurance
Travel in Peru is unpredictable and political protests close roads at some point almost every year. You’ll need travel insurance that will cover you for unexpected itinerary changes and missed flights. I use SafetyWing and if you use my link to buy SafetyWing travel insurance, I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. This is a great way to support this website and all my free travel tips!
How to get there?
From Cusco, it takes about an hour and a half to get to Ollantaytambo. If you’re already in the Sacred Valley, it’s only half an hour from Urubamba and an hour and a half from Pisac. Colectivos and taxis from Cusco to Ollantaytambo leave from Puente Grau.
