Classic & VIP · 2,790 m

Ollantaytambo, the Inca town that is still lived in

Q: How high is Ollantaytambo?

About 2,790 m, lower than Cusco (3,350 m).

A huge temple-fortress above a town that keeps its Inca streets. It is a stop on both itineraries and the departure point for the Machu Picchu train.

Altitude2,790 m

On the routeClassic & VIP

Time on tour14:15 on both itineraries

TicketTourist ticket

What Ollantaytambo is

Ollantaytambo sits at the far end of the Sacred Valley, at about 2,790 m, where the valley narrows towards Machu Picchu. Above the town rise the terraces and walls of its great archaeological complex, with the Sun Temple at the top.

Below, the town keeps its Inca grid of streets, water channels and stone walls, and people still live in it. Walking it means stepping into an urban layout more than five centuries old.

Ollantaytambo on our tour

Both itineraries reach Ollantaytambo around 14:15, after lunch in Urubamba. If you are carrying on to Machu Picchu, you can end the tour here. See every stop in the VIP itinerary or the Classic itinerary.

Temple-fortress of Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley

Ollantaytambo · 2,790 m

What to see

The highlights of Ollantaytambo

The temple-fortress

Monumental terraces climbing the hillside towards the highest sector of the site.

The Sun Temple

Huge stone blocks fitted perfectly together at the top of the archaeological site.

The living Inca town

Narrow streets, water channels and original walls, still inhabited.

The train station

Trains to Machu Picchu leave from here, which is why many travellers end the tour in Ollantaytambo.

Tips

For your visit to Ollantaytambo

The site has many steps: climb at your own pace.
It sits lower than Cusco, so the altitude is easier here.
If you are staying the night, ask us how to organise your luggage.

More on altitude in our Sacred Valley altitude guide and on tickets in Sacred Valley tickets.

Ollantaytambo

Questions about Ollantaytambo

About 2,790 m, lower than Cusco (3,350 m).

The temple-fortress with its terraces, the Sun Temple and the Inca town still lived in with its original layout.

Yes, the archaeological site is entered with the tourist ticket, paid separately.

Yes, there is a variant ending in Ollantaytambo for a dollar less, designed for catching the Machu Picchu train.

Visit Ollantaytambo in one day from Cusco

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Book the Sacred Valley Classic →Sacred Valley Classic · US$30 Book the Sacred Valley VIP →5 sites · US$32

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Hotel pickupDowntown Cusco

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Buffet lunchIncluded, in Urubamba

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