In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Peru
Ollantaytambo
Sleep 1–2 nights here on the Sacred Valley floor to break the climb to Cusco, see the ruins at opening and catch the early tourist train to Machu Picchu.
Ollantaytambo is a living Inca town in the Sacred Valley and a stop on the rail line to Machu Picchu. Most travellers use it as a one- or two-night base between Cusco and Aguas Calientes: the fortress ruins are about a 2-minute walk from the main plaza, the old Inca grid surrounds it, and the Pinkuylluna storehouses above town are a steep 1–2 h hike. Two nights is enough; three if you add Patacancha or the Maras salt pans.
- Country
- Peru
- Best months
- May–Sep (dry season, clear mornings)
- Avoid
- Jan–Mar (heavy rain, wet trails)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PEN
- Money
- Currency is the Peruvian sol (PEN, S/). Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants in Lima and Cusco; markets, small towns, taxis and entrance fees in villages need cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget S/ 90–150 excl. bed · Mid S/ 150–280 excl. bed · High S/ 280+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Claro, Movistar, Entel and Bitel sell prepaid SIMs; register with your passport at official shops.
- Emergency
- Police 105 · Fire 116 · SAMU ambulance 106
- Plugs
- Types A, C · 220 V · 60 Hz · US devices need to be dual-voltage (most chargers are).
- Tipping
- Restaurants: About 10% if service is not included.; Inca Trail porters and cooks: Per the operator's guidance; pooled at the end.; Guides: S/ 20–50 per person for a day tour.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap; bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- Paper in the bin; carry tissue and coins for public toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or espresso | S/ 6–12 |
| Menu del día (soup, main, drink) | S/ 15–30 |
| Trout or alpaca main | S/ 30–55 |
| Beer, 650 ml bottle | S/ 10–18 |
| Bus Ollantaytambo → Urubamba | S/ 1.50 |
| Shared taxi Ollantaytambo → Cusco | S/ 15 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | S/ 25–45 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CUZ · Alejandro Velasco Astete, Cusco
- About 1.5–2 h by road via Urubamba; no airport at Ollantaytambo.
Typical fares
- Bus Ollantaytambo → Urubamba
- S/ 1.50, about 30 min
- Bus Urubamba → Cusco
- S/ 3–6
- Shared taxi Ollantaytambo → Cusco
- S/ 15, 1.5–2 h
- Tourist train Ollantaytambo → Aguas Calientes
- check PeruRail or Inca Rail for current fares
Get around
The town is walkable: train station to plaza about 400 m, plaza to ruins about 2 minutes. Moto-taxis and taxis wait at the station but are rarely needed. Buses run to Urubamba (about 30 min), where you change for Cusco (S/ 3–6); direct minibuses and shared taxis run from Cusco to Ollantaytambo in 1.5–2 h. A 2025 town ordinance keeps large vehicles out of the centre, so you may walk the last stretch to the ruins.
See and do
Known for
- Ollantaytambo ruins (Inca fortress and temple)
- Pinkuylluna Inca storehouses
- Living Inca old town and canals
- Train stop for Machu Picchu
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Patacancha | Arrange transport or a tour from the plaza; road time and availability check | Half day |
| Maras salt pans | Taxi or tour via Urubamba, about 1 h | Half day |
| Pisac | Bus or taxi via Urubamba and the Cusco road, about 1.5–2 h | Full day |
| Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) | Tourist train from Ollantaytambo station, about 1.5–2 h | Full day or overnight |
Sleep
- Around the main plaza
- Walk to ruins and restaurants; some noise from tour groups in the morning.
- Train station area (Av. Ferrocarril)
- Best for early trains to Aguas Calientes; 10–15 min walk to the plaza.
- Old Inca town (Calle Lari and Calle del Horno)
- Quiet cobbled lanes inside the Inca grid; 5–10 min uphill from the plaza.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpedees-KOOL-peh |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Where is the train station? | ¿Dónde está la estación de tren?DON-deh es-TAH lah es-tah-SYON deh tren |
| I need help | Necesito ayudaneh-seh-SEE-toh ah-YOO-dah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; one cheek kiss among acquaintances; avoid: Skipping greetings
- Food pride: Ask about local dishes; avoid: Comparing pisco or ceviche unfavourably with Chile's
- Photos: Ask and pay if asked; avoid: Photographing people without asking
- Politics: Listen; avoid: Taking sides in protests
Scams and watch-outs
- Altitude 2,790 m: arrive from Cusco slowly, hydrate, skip alcohol on night one.
- A 2025 town ordinance keeps large vehicles out of the centre — you may walk the last stretch to the ruins.
- Chicha from houses with red bags on posts is sometimes brewed in unhygienic conditions; drink where food is also served.
- Only the tourist train stops for visitors; riding the locals' train carries heavy fines.
- Watch bags on buses after dark.
Ollantaytambo is a small, low-crime town and safe to walk by day. The real risks are altitude, wet stone steps at the ruins and Pinkuylluna, and unlicensed chicha; keep to marked paths and tell your host where you are hiking.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ollantaytambo yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ollantaytambo ruins (Inca fortress and temple)
- Pinkuylluna Inca storehouses
- Living Inca old town and canals
- Train stop for Machu Picchu
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- PeruRail: www.perurail.com
- Inca Rail: www.incarail.com
- PROMPERÚ — official Peru travel site: www.peru.travel/en
- Wikivoyage: Ollantaytambo, revision 5245301 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5245301
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ollantaytambo
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Ollantaytambo; the US, UK and most others have embassies in Lima and a consular agency in Cusco.
Altitude 2,790 m — drink water, eat light on arrival and take the ruins slowly.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ollantaytambo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.