Is it Worth Visiting the Inca Ruins of Ollantaytambo
Is it Worth Visiting the Inca Ruins of Ollantaytambo?
When visiting Peru, many tourists choose only to visit Machu Picchu. As a result, many tourists fail to see some of the other impressive ruins in Peru and the Sacred Valley of the Incas. One of those places is the Inca Ruins of Ollantaytambo, and after visiting them, I must say that the Inca Ruins of Ollantaytambo are worth visiting.
I visited the Inca Ruins of Ollantaytambo as part of a two-day tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This page only highlights my time spent at Ollantaytambo. To see all of the highlights of my tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, please click HERE.
Is it Worth Visiting the Inca Ruins of Ollantaytambo? - Table of Contents
- Is it Worth Visiting the Inca Ruins of Ollantaytambo?
- About Ollantaytambo
- The Face in the Side of the Mountain
- Climbing to the Top of Temple Hill
- The Inca Sofa
- The Wall of the Six Monoliths
- Exiting Ollantaytambo
- Ollantaytambo Tours and Packages
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliates
- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
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About the Inca Ruins of Ollantaytambo
The Inca Ruins of Ollantaytambo were slightly more impressive than the Inca Ruins of Pisac. If you only had time to visit one set of Inca Ruins, I would choose Ollantaytambo over Pisac.
Ollantaytambo consists of a large terrace for farming and a temple that contains six monoliths. There is also a section that was created by the Spanish after they conquered the Incas. Across from the Inca Ruins of Ollantaytambo is a mountain that was used for food storage.
Similar to our visit to Pisac, Alberto began by telling us a story about the importance of these ruins and the mountain across from them. He explained that no one knows how Ollantaytambo was built, as the nearest quarry where the stones could have come from is around fifteen kilometers away.
The Face in the Mountain at Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo was conquered by the Incas in the 1400s and built to be the personal estate of the Inca Empire Pachacuti. After Pachacuti’s death, the estate belonged to his family.
Looking up towards the mountain, you can see the carving of the face of Viracocha. Viracocha was known as a spiritual figure to the Incas and was the creator of all things.
Just to the right of the face is an Inca storehouse called Pinkuylluna, The food that was farmed on the terraces was stored in this storehouse to keep it from spoiling.
Climbing to the Top of Temple Hill at Ollantaytambo
After Alberto finished explaining the history of Ollantaytambo, we began climbing the terraces to reach the top of Temple Hill. Temple Hill is the location of the Wall of Six Monoliths. The climb was difficult due to the high elevation, and I had to stop about every 30 seconds to catch my breath.
The "Inca Sofa" at Ollantaytambo
When we got to the top, or guide, Alberto was proud to show me a rock that he called the “Inca Sofa.” Many of the buildings on Temple Hill are unfinished, and some of the giant stones were even left partially cut.
The Wall of Six Monoliths
We then moved on to look at the most famous part of Ollantaytambo, which is the Wall of Six Monoliths. The stones used to create the Wall of Six Monoliths were constructed without the use of mortar. Not using mortar allowed the structure to bounce during earthquakes, and due to this unique construction technique, the walls still stand today.
Alberto explained that the Wall of Six Monoliths used to have religious symbols on them, but they were destroyed by the Spanish, who wanted to remove anything that they did not consider to be pro-Christianity.
Exiting Ollantaytambo
We did not have time to tour the entire Ruins of Ollantaytambo, specifically missing out on the part that was built by the Spanish. To exit the ruins, we walked across the terraces and went down a steep set of stairs. I had some difficulty with the stairs as my size 14 shoe was much wider than the width of each stair.
At this point, we boarded the bus and were set to split up our group. Three of us, including me, would be taking the train to Machu Picchu Town. The rest of the group would be returning to their hotels at Cusco.
Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley of the Incas, and Machu Picchu Tours
Below are some tours and packages for visiting the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu. I tried to pick tours of all levels, from the two-week trek on the Inca Trail to a cheaper one-day visit to Machu Picchu.
Please note that as an affiliate of Viator, I will receive a small commission if you book using one of the links below. This commission is at no additional cost to you. Viator works with various tour agencies, and booking one of these packages does not ensure that you will be booked with Crossover Peru.
Prices are accurate as of November 2023.
 Ultimate Machu Picchu: Trek the Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu - $1,950.00 ULTIMATE MACHU PICCHU |
 4 day Inca Jungle trek to Machu Picchu - Cycling, Water Rafting, Zipline - $897.44 Explore and experience the best of the Inca Jungle on your way to Machu Picchu with this exclusive 4-day adventure trip that combines Trekking, Mountain Biking, Rafting and Zipline before reaching Machu Picchu, the highlight of the trip. This tour is considered by some as even better than the Inca Trail because of all the additional activities you will do along the way as you hike through beautiful landscapes and cross rivers. |
 2-Day Trip Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu by Train - $1000.00 Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu by train 2 days 1 night, is an perfect itinerary highly recommended, Avoid spending the whole day rushing around. This 2 day tour will let you climb Huayna Picchu Mountain and enjoy Machu Picchu. Begins and finishes at your hotel in Cuzco. |
 Day Tour To Machu Picchu From Cusco - $349.67 -We pick up from all the hotels in Cusco and Sacred Valley |
 Machu Picchu By Car (2 Days) - $173.08 We offer a unique and authentic experience. We a fully locally owned tour operating company with years of experience. We are determined to make our customer's experience a memorable one. |
 2 Days Direct Train to Machu Picchu via Ollantaytambo - $418.67 This 2 Days Direct Train to Machu Picchu allows you to get a direct connection to Aguas Calientes from Cusco. You will have a three hour relaxing train ride with a no rush departure option from Cusco. You may choose a late morning pickup, noon or early afternoon. Your final destination is Aguas Calientes where you will spend your first and only night before visiting Machu Picchu the following day. Be one of the first to visit the spectacular Machu Picchu citadel and take in the spectacular views. |
 2 Days - Sacred Valley + Machu Picchu (PRIVATE TOUR) - $427.00 The Sacred Valley of the Incas is the most popular route in Peru. Since it was a crucial area for the Inca empire and that functioned as an agricultural, spiritual and political center. During the tour we will appreciate beautiful landscapes and Inca and Pre-Inca archaeological sites, in the afternoon we will take the train from ollantaytambo to aguas calientes. Note: if you are already in the city of Cusco it is recommended to make this tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas to contribute to its acclimatization since it is at a lower altitude. VISITS: Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, Urubamba Machu Picchu AVAILABILITY: Every day TOUR DURATION: 8:30 am to 6:30 pm. FREQUENCY: All year |
 Machu Picchu By Train From Poroy (1 Day) - $400.00 For many visitors to Peru and even South America, a visit to the Inca city of Machu Picchu is the long-anticipated highpoint of their trip. In a spectacular location, it’s the best-known archaeological site on the continent. This awe-inspiring ancient city was never revealed to the conquering Spaniards and was virtually forgotten until the early part of the 20th century. |
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