Solo Travel in Cusco and the Sacred Valley: Boutique Hotels, Andean Textiles and Machu Picchu on Your Own

Jet Set LatAM · Solo Travel

Cusco is the most popular solo destination in South America for a reason: the Inca capital is compact, beautiful and full of fellow travelers, and nearly every great experience here (Machu Picchu included) is designed to be booked by the seat. Solo travel in Cusco is less about courage and more about one thing: respecting the altitude.

Plan your trip from the bottom up: start in the lower Sacred Valley, then move up to Cusco once your lungs have caught up with your itinerary.

Start low: the Sacred Valley

At roughly 2,800 meters, the Sacred Valley is gentler than Cusco (about 3,400 meters), which makes it the smart first stop. Explora Valle Sagrado is an all-inclusive lodge with guided hikes and a communal table, perfect for solo travelers. Belmond Rio Sagrado sits on the riverbank with gardens and a spa. A tasting lunch at Mil, Virgilio Martínez’s restaurant above the Moray terraces, is one of the great solo meals in South America.

Cusco: boutique hotels for one

Inkaterra La Casona, a colonial mansion with a handful of courtyard suites, feels like having a private home in the center. Belmond Monasterio, in a 16th-century seminary, offers oxygen-enriched rooms and a cloister made for slow afternoons. Bohemian San Blas is a lovely area for walking, though its streets are steep.

Dining alone, beautifully

MAP Café, a glass pavilion in the courtyard of the Museo de Arte Precolombino, is an elegant solo dinner. Cicciolina, an upstairs tapas bar and restaurant, has a lively counter where solo diners slot right in, and Gastón Acurio’s Chicha serves regional dishes with polish.

Andean textiles and artisan shopping

Skip the mass-market stalls and go straight to the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco, a weavers’ organization where you can watch demonstrations and buy pieces made by the artisans themselves. Our Cusco Experience Edit explains how to learn the textile before you buy it.

Machu Picchu, solo

Machu Picchu is easy alone: take the train from Ollantaytambo or Cusco, book your timed entry ticket well in advance, and hire a guide at the gate or in advance. Spending a night in Aguas Calientes lets you enter early before the day-trippers arrive.

Solo safety, the practical version

• Altitude first. Take it slow on day one, hydrate, go easy on alcohol and consider sleeping in the Sacred Valley first.
• Book Machu Picchu early. Entry tickets are limited and timed; trains also sell out in high season.
• Taxis. Ask your hotel to call a taxi or use a ride app at night.
• Rainy season. December to March is wet; the Inca Trail closes in February.

What to pack

• Cashmere travel wrap: a blanket on the plane, a shawl at the chef’s counter
• Leather loafers: polished enough for dinner, sane on cobblestones
• Packing cubes: because you’re carrying your own bags, all of them
• Our full travel collection on ShopMy ↗

Where to stay

The Sacred Valley for your first nights, then the historic center or San Blas in Cusco for museums, restaurants and walks. The flight search and live accommodation map below help you plan the rest of the trip.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cusco safe for solo female travelers?

Yes, it’s one of South America’s most popular solo destinations; watch for pickpockets and use hotel taxis at night.

Should I stay in Cusco or the Sacred Valley first?

The Sacred Valley is lower, so starting there helps you adjust to the altitude.

Can you visit Machu Picchu alone?

Yes; book your timed ticket and train in advance and hire a guide, which is often required.

Where can I eat alone in Cusco?

Cicciolina’s counter is lively and welcoming; MAP Café is perfect for a refined solo dinner.

Keep reading

• Inkaterra La Casona Cusco: courtyard suites and a cultural stay
• MAP Café Cusco: a museum courtyard dinner
• Experience Edit Cusco: learn the textile before buying it
• Solo travel in South America: all 25 boutique-luxury destinations

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