Highlights
- Superb Inca Fortress and hillside terraces
- Pretty, landscaped gardens
- Modest, comfortable accommodation
- Perfect base before or after Inca Trail
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Hotel Pakaritampu is a charming and comfortable guest house that serves as an ideal base for anyone wishing to make the iconic trek to the magical and ancient Inca citadel, Machu Picchu. This simple property is located in the pretty town of Ollantaytambo at the very heart of Peru’s Sacred Valley, a stunningly beautiful mountain region in the Andean highlands that was once the centre of the mighty Inca Empire. Nowadays, the valley is known for its spectacular natural scenery and its collection of beautifully preserved ruins and colonial-era buildings, not to mention the vibrant local communities where traditional ways of life continue to this day. The hotel is surrounded by well-landscaped gardens and it’s possible to explore picturesque Ollantaytambo, with its Inca-era grid of cobblestoned streets, traditional adobe buildings and babbling irrigation channels, on foot. The town is known in particular for the ruins of a massive Inca fortress with large stone terraces which stretch up the hillside above the small town. There are also plenty of activities to enjoy from the hotel ranging from mountain biking to horse riding, rafting or visiting local markets and towns, archaeological ruins, or even a pretty waterfall surrounded by traditional Inca buildings.
The hotel room categories range from Standard Rooms, to Superior Rooms and Suites, with various configurations available. All of the rooms come with amenities such as a TV with cable channels, a safe and a hairdryer. Toiletries and drinking water are provided free of charge, and extra bedding can be provided on request. For families, the larger Suite is recommended, as it has both a twin room and a double room, along with separate living and dining areas.
The restaurant, Mijuna Wasi, serves food all day from a menu which offers a range of both local Andean and international dishes. Breakfast is served buffet-style, while lunch and dinner can be chosen from the buffet, or a la carte. Guests can request in-room dining for breakfast and packed lunches are available for those spending the day out exploring.
The hotel provides the perfect base for those wishing to hike the iconic Inca Trail. Some twenty-six miles in length, this highly rewarding trail passes through breath-taking mountain scenery, lush cloud forests and fascinating ancient ruins and culminates with a visit to the ancient and awe-inspiring citadel of Machu Picchu. Widely regarded as one of the best treks in the world, it takes four days to complete, though there are shorter routes available for those with less time on their hands.
I just wanted to say thank you so much for organising such an amazing holiday.
We absolutely loved it, even though Jessica was ready to give up walking for good ????
Our guide, Mustafa, was great. Really helpful, friendly and informative.
We loved all the accommodation, and especially the first night and the Riad.
All of the staff at every location were so friendly and helpful.
Thanks again for organising such a great trip.
Rebecca H
reviewing Marrakech & Mountains Family Holiday
on 09 April 2026
Thank you yet again for another meticulously organised and executed holiday (our 5th with you). Every aspect worked perfectly.
Please could you pass on our sincere thanks to your agent in Sri Lanka; Lakshita, our driver and guide, absolutely made the trip for us - he was so keen for us to have the best experience possible. He was organised, kind, interested, punctual, the car was always spotless, and he was an excellent driver. His extensive knowledge was really appreciated by us and was exactly what we had hoped for in a guide. I think the highlight for us was our day in Anuradhapura (7 hours of absorbing history and culture), but there was so much to learn and absorb every day. He also made several suggestions for things that he thought we might like that weren't in our itinerary, and then booked them for us. These included an ayurvedic massage after climbing Sigiriya, a cultural show (an hour of touristy fun!), reef snorkelling with turtles (a real highlight for me - I wish we could have stayed all day), a lagoon boat trip and visit to a cinnamon island, a turtle sanctuary visit, and a gemstone factory visit. He also managed to get us a private tour of Lunanguga, which Peter thoroughly enjoyed. We also really enjoyed the tea factory tour.
Our guide for the hike was also really excellent, and he and Lakshita made sure that our day was perfectly tailored to our (my) ability.
All our accommodation was also perfectly selected. Our favourite was the Ceylon tea trails bungalow (just perfect!), but The Villa Bentota came a close second as a perfect way to relax at the end of the trip. Our villa and the grounds at Uga at Ulagalla were also beautiful.
(Our only slightly disappointing day was the whale watching - no whales wanted to be seen on that particular day, plus I was very sea-sick despite taking meds! The tour organisers offered us a repeat day the following day, which we declined! Having said that, being out on the water was still enjoyable, up to a point...).
I'm sure I've missed out something - we basically loved it all and felt that the balance of the itinerary was perfect for us (we used the 'rest' day in Galle to do the snorkelling, lagoon, and turtles)
Thank you very, very much.
fiona g
reviewing Sri Lanka Highlights - Classic
on 27 March 2026
Nicola and I had a brilliant time - the weather made it pretty
challenging at times, but Mustafa and Mohammed looked after us
superbly. We loved the variety of scenery and places - as you mention,
the only downside is the rubbish in the villages, such a shame. The
meals that Mohammed drummed up on the hillside tracks were amazing - I
am glad we knew that our mule would eat the leftovers because there was
no way we could finish them! The standard of the breakfasts were far in
excess of the bread and jam you mentioned, even in the basic gite which
was freezing - we were warm once in bed, but the temperature in the
living room was a bit depressing after a very windy descent, sitting
wrapped in coats, hats and blankets while we waited for our dinner! The
sleeping bags provided were excellent and we were toasty with our fleece
liners and an extra blanket. We were very grateful that Mustafa's boss
upgraded us to the eco lodge the next night (don't know whether this was
because of the gale force winds on our descent the day before...) - it
was lovely.We were incredibly lucky with precipitation - although we were walking
in a few inches of snow on day one and it absolutely poured that night,
we experienced no rain during the day until we were lining up for our
farewell photo at our pickup point, when the heavens opened!Due to the weather, I think I'd describe the terrain slightly
differently - a few good paths, but often we were on very stony ground,
slippery wet mud (oh, that clay does stick to one's boots!), slidy thin
gravel or else just making our way down a hill after rain had washed the
original route away. Occasionally we walked short distances on roads,
which Mustafa was apologetic about, but it was hardly the M6! We took
our time and never felt unsafe, but people with dodgy knees or hips
might need to be careful. Mustafa looked after us very carefully in the
high wind gusts (as a sailor, I reckon at least Force 9 - over 50 mph on
a bare hillside), promising Nicola that he wouldn't let her mother blow
away!Although we needed to be back in Marrakech on the fourth night, I think
if I were going again, I would prefer to trek for four days and spend 3
in Marrakech, which I found a bit overwhelming, but this is just
personal taste!Our room in Daar Housnia was lovely, and we appreciated the heating -
the rest of the building is definitely built for summer! There seemed
to be some confusion over our arrival - the manager said we had
originally been booked into the downstairs suite with double bed and
bath in the middle of the room, but that he thought it was more suitable
"for two ladies, not a couple" to upgrade us to exactly the room you had
shown us photos of! The breakfasts were delicious. The wifi was fine
for Nicola's meetings.
Monica S
reviewing Morocco Trek & Marrakech Holiday
on 16 February 2026