Solo Travel in South America: 25 Boutique-Luxury Destinations, Country by Country

Jet Set LatAM · Solo Travel

South America is one of the most rewarding places on earth to travel alone, especially if your idea of adventure includes a beautiful hotel, a seat at the chef’s counter and a suitcase with room for artisan finds. This is our complete guide to solo travel in South America: 25 destinations across seven countries, each with its own in-depth guide to where to stay, where to eat alone, what to buy and how to stay safe.

Pick a country, pick a city and start dreaming. Each guide below opens in full.

Argentina

• Buenos Aires: chef’s counters, Palermo boutiques and tango for one
• Mendoza: winery lodges and long tasting lunches
• Patagonia: glacier lodges and guided treks
• Bariloche: lakeside hotels and chocolate streets
• Salta: colonial boutique hotels, Cafayate wine lodges and Andean craft

Uruguay

• Montevideo: the continent’s most relaxed capital
• José Ignacio and Punta del Este: art posadas and beach-club lunches
• Colonia del Sacramento: riverside boutique hotels and cobblestone sunsets

Chile

• Santiago: Lastarria boutique hotels and wine bars
• Valparaíso: hilltop hotels and street art
• Atacama Desert: all-inclusive lodges and the clearest skies on earth

Peru

• Lima: world-class tasting menus and Barranco design
• Cusco and the Sacred Valley: Andean textiles and Machu Picchu
• Arequipa: sillar mansions, picanterías and alpaca

Ecuador

• Quito: colonial boutique hotels and folk art
• Cuenca: toquilla straw hats and a walkable old town
• Galápagos: eco-luxury lodges and small-ship cruises

Colombia

• Cartagena: Walled City pools and Colombian designers
• Medellín: Provenza boutiques and eternal spring
• Bogotá: chef’s tables, museums and design

Brazil

• Rio de Janeiro: Ipanema hotels and beach days for one
• São Paulo: tasting menus and South America’s design capital
• Florianópolis: island pousadas and oyster lunches
• Salvador da Bahia: Pelourinho pousadas and Afro-Bahian design
• Paraty: colonial pousadas and schooner days

Solo safety, the practical version

• Choose the neighborhood first. In every city, where you sleep matters more than which hotel you choose.
• Use ride apps. Uber, Cabify and local apps are safer and easier than hailing taxis across the continent.
• Respect the altitude. Cusco, Quito, Bogotá and the Atacama sit high; plan an easy first day.
• Book the counter. Solo seats at famous tasting menus are often easier to get than tables for two.
• Keep your phone discreet. Phone snatching is the most common petty crime in big cities.

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

Start with a boutique hotel in a walkable neighborhood, then let each destination guide above point you to the best base. The flight search and live accommodation map below help you plan the rest of the trip.

Frequently asked questions

What is the safest country in South America for solo female travelers?

Uruguay and Chile are often considered the easiest, with Argentina close behind; every city in this guide has its own safety notes.

Where should I go for my first solo trip to South America?

Buenos Aires, Montevideo or Santiago are easy, walkable starts; Cusco is ideal if you want adventure with plenty of fellow travelers.

Is South America expensive for luxury travel?

It varies widely; Argentina and Peru often offer exceptional value at the boutique-luxury level, while Uruguay’s beach towns and Brazil’s big cities cost more.

How long should a solo trip to South America be?

Two weeks lets you combine two or three destinations without rushing; pair cities that are close, like Lima and Cusco or Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you book or buy through them, Jet Set LatAM may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This is a researched editorial guide; details, hours and prices change, so confirm before you go.