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Plaza de Armas, Cusco

Solo travel · Cusco · Peru

Solo travel in Cusco

How to enjoy Cusco at your own pace.

Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team

Photo: FrederickCusco, CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick answer

Cusco is a backpacker hub, with hostels, group tours and treks that make it easy to meet other travellers. Join group departures to Machu Picchu and the mountains. Many solo travellers base themselves in San Blas.

Key facts

Base
San Blas
Getting around
Walking
Emergency number
105 (police), 116 (fire), 106 (ambulance)
Language
Spanish and Quechua

Solo travel tips

  • Join group tours and treks to meet people and share costs.
  • Stay in San Blas or near the Plaza de Armas for hostels and social bars.
  • Book treks with reputable agencies that treat porters fairly.
  • Watch for altitude symptoms and do not rush into strenuous hikes.
  • Use registered taxis at night and keep valuables secure.

Where to stay

$$ · Best for couples, culture, solo travellers and food lovers

San Blas

Climbing steeply northeast of the Plaza de Armas, San Blas is Cusco's artisan quarter, with narrow cobbled lanes, workshops, galleries, cafés and the small church of San Blas with its carved cedar pulpit. Boutique guesthouses and hostels make it an atmospheric base, with views over the city's rooftops.

Good
Charming and quieter than the plaza; Cafés and artisan workshops; Views over the city
Watch out
Very steep streets at altitude; Taxis cannot reach some lanes
Nearby
San Blas Church, Calle Hatun Rumiyoc, Plaza de Armas

Great on your own

Plaza de Armas, Cusco
Photo: FrederickCusco, CC BY-SA 4.0

Landmark · Historic Centre

Plaza de Armas

Climb to a café balcony overlooking the plaza for views of the churches at night when they are lit.

Time needed
1 hour
Cost
Free
  • Iconic
  • Free
  • History
  • After dark
  • Photo spot
Cusco Cathedral, Cusco
Photo: PoolPs, CC BY-SA 4.0

Religious site · Historic Centre

Cusco Cathedral

Use the audio guide to find the Last Supper painting and the Señor de los Temblores, Cusco's patron crucifix.

Time needed
1 hour
Cost
Mid-priced
  • Iconic
  • History
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Rainy day
Qorikancha and Santo Domingo, Cusco
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

Historic site · Historic Centre

Qorikancha and Santo Domingo

Look at the curved Inca wall from Avenida El Sol below, which survived earthquakes that toppled the Spanish church.

Time needed
1 hour
Cost
Low cost
  • Iconic
  • History
  • Architecture
  • Rainy day
Sacsayhuamán, Cusco
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

Historic site · San Cristóbal

Sacsayhuamán

Walk up from San Cristóbal early in the morning; the site is included in the Boleto Turístico.

Time needed
1.5–2 hours
Cost
Mid-priced
  • Iconic
  • History
  • Views
  • Outdoors
Ollantaytambo archaeological site, Cusco
Photo: FLASHPACKER TRAVELGUIDE, CC BY-SA 2.0

Historic site · Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo archaeological site

Visit early in the morning or late afternoon, before or after the tour buses from Cusco.

Time needed
1.5–2 hours
Cost
Mid-priced
  • History
  • Views
  • Iconic
  • Active
Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone, Cusco
Photo: David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0

Street · Historic Centre

Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone

Walk the street early or late to avoid crowds around the stone, and continue uphill into San Blas.

Time needed
30 minutes
Cost
Free
  • Free
  • History
  • Architecture
  • Photo spot

Meeting people

  • San Pedro Market lunch — Sit at a counter in San Pedro Market for a cheap set lunch of soup and a main, then finish with a fruit juice blended to order.
  • Novoandina dining — Restaurants in the historic centre and Sacred Valley reinterpret Andean ingredients — native potatoes, quinoa, alpaca and trout — in modern style.
  • Plaza de Armas — Clubs and pubs around the plaza and on Calle Plateros and Calle Tecsecocha, busy late into the night.
  • San Blas — Smaller bars with live Andean and folk music and a quieter atmosphere.

Sensible precautions

Altitude sickness is the most common problem: rest on arrival, drink water and avoid alcohol at first. Pickpocketing occurs in markets and crowded areas; keep valuables secure and use registered taxis at night.

Emergency number
105 (police), 116 (fire), 106 (ambulance)
Staying connected
Wi-Fi is widely available in the city; coverage is patchy on treks and in remote areas.

Questions travellers ask

+Is Cusco good for solo travellers?

Cusco is a backpacker hub, with hostels, group tours and treks that make it easy to meet other travellers. Join group departures to Machu Picchu and the mountains.

+Where should solo travellers stay in Cusco?

San Blas: Hillside artisans' quarter of whitewashed houses, blue doors and small cafés.