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The main plaza of Chinchero overlooking the Sacred Valley is dominated by an Inca stone wall with trapezoidal niches and a colonial 17th century adobe church with elaborate murals resting atop the Inca temple or palace remnants. This small traditional town known for frequent rainbows, and thus believed to be the legendary birthplace of the rainbow deity k´uychi, is thought to have served as the country resort of Inca Tupac Yupanqui and steadfastly preserves many pre-Columbian customs as well as sporadic ruins (despite the town having been burned to hold off the Spanish during the Inca retreat). A weaver´s town, the colorful Sunday market is almost as popular as Pisaq´s and is the place to go for textiles.

Built atop original Inca foundations, the town of Ollantaytambo has some of the oldest continuously inhabited dwellings in South America and is one of the best surviving examples of Incan urban planning. The town of Ollantaytambo lies at the foot of one of the largest and best-preserved Inca citadels, the Fortress of Ollantaytambo, defender of the entrance to the lower Urubamba Valley. The work was strenuous and never completed; thousands brought stones from a quarry high up on the river´s other side. Despite its uncompleted status, Ollantaytambo Fortress was instrumental during the battles of the Spanish Conquest, as it was the only Inca stronghold to successfully withstand attack by the Spanish Conquistadores. Aside from the fortress you´ll also see storehouses, the Temple of the Sun, and ritual baths. Once the estate of Inca Pachacuti, this was a prestigious area, as evidenced by fine stonework which surpasses that of other Sacred Valley sites. Ollantaytambo is known for its unique and high-quality pottery, with each of the surrounding communities specializing in a particular type of ceramics.