What it Was Really Like to Travel Solo for Two Weeks in Peru.

Emily Whitaker
Aug 22
5 min read

I love to travel. We all know that. I have goals and ambitions. We know that too. And Machu Picchu has been on my list for years.

So I decided this was the year to do it.

How It Happened

I was scrolling through Instagram or TikTok when videos of Machu Picchu kept showing up on my feed. Then, while I was on a plane to Mexico for my nephew's wedding, I had an idea:

What if I worked summer school and, as soon as it ended, went to Peru?

The first thing I needed to figure out was whether I could actually get a ticket to Machu Picchu. I looked for that before anything else.

I found one.

Route 2. A date that worked for me.

Bought it.

Hotels in Cusco? Check.

Maybe I should go to Lima too.

Hotel in Lima? Check.

Then I started reading that the Amazon jungle was also a must-see.

Start looking into that.

Check.

Then I found flights that fit the timeline.

Check.

Within about two weeks, I had planned and booked an entire trip to Peru.

Excursions. Flights. Hotels. Transportation.

Done and done.

The trip was mostly planned, and this time it was all on me.

All by myself.

This wasn't my first time traveling solo, but it was my first major international trip that I had planned completely on my own, from beginning to end.

My Route

Lima → Cusco and the Sacred Valley → Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu → Cusco → Puerto Maldonado → Lima

At least, that was the plan.

My Favorite Experiences

Some of my favorite experiences were actually my group tours.

I loved connecting with other travelers from all over the world. Being with people on these tours made solo travel feel much less lonely and, at times, more like group travel—which is one of my favorite ways to travel.

That was especially true when I went to the Amazon.

I stayed in the jungle for four days and was placed with a small group of other travelers and one guide. It ended up being one of the best parts of my entire trip.

Our group became fast friends. We spent our days exploring together, eating meals together, and sharing this incredible experience in the rainforest.

After we left the jungle, I even met up with one of the couples from my group for dinner in Lima.

Now I hope I get to visit them in Barcelona someday.

And then there was the food.

Oh, the food.

The food in Peru was incredible, and I spent most of my meals eating alone.

I discovered something interesting about myself: sometimes I loved it, and sometimes I really wished someone were sitting across the table from me.

Morning coffee by myself?

Perfect.

Sitting at a beautiful restaurant eating one of the most incredible meals I've ever had?

That was when I wished I had someone there to say, “You have to try this.”

Solo travel gave me a lot of freedom, but it also made me realize how much I value sharing certain experiences with other people.

Safety and Logistics

I had two main rules for myself while traveling alone:

I tried not to be out by myself after dark, and I only used Uber or transportation arranged through my hotel or tour company.

With those two rules, I felt safe throughout my time in Peru.

In Lima, I stayed in a mostly residential neighborhood where people were walking their dogs, going to work, and simply living their everyday lives.

Cusco was filled with travelers, so I never felt particularly out of place being there alone.

And in Puerto Maldonado, I stayed at an ecolodge and felt completely safe.

Well...

Except for the 4:00 a.m. encounter with a tarantula on my way to the bathroom.

That was terrifying.

But the biggest logistical challenge of the entire trip had nothing to do with traveling solo or personal safety.

It was a landslide.

The night before I was supposed to travel to Machu Picchu, a landslide disrupted train service.

My train was canceled.

And just like that, the reason I had originally planned this entire trip was gone.

What struck me at the train station was how many other travelers had tour companies handling everything for them. Their companies were rearranging hotels, transportation, and plans.

I didn't have that.

I had me.

So I found a last-minute hotel. I rearranged transportation. I figured out what I could salvage from the next few days of my itinerary.

And I did it all while being incredibly disappointed.

Do I feel proud of myself for handling such a huge change on my own?

Yes. I do.

Do I also wish I had had someone standing next to me at the train station when I realized I wasn't going to see Machu Picchu, so I could cry and say, “This really sucks”?

Yes.

Yes, I do.

Both things can be true.

What I Learned About Myself

I learned that I really can travel by myself.

I can plan the trip.

I can navigate airports and cities.

I can solve problems.

I can change hotels at the last minute when a landslide completely changes my itinerary.

I can sit down at a restaurant and have dinner alone.

But I also learned that I don't necessarily want to be alone all the time.

Having some solitude while traveling is good for me. I like wandering around with my camera. I like having coffee by myself. I like being able to change my plans without asking anyone else what they want to do.

But the group tours and the opportunities to connect with people were incredibly important to me.

I don't need company every minute of every day.

I do need connection.

For me, so much of the joy of travel comes from the shared experience. It's turning to someone and saying, “Did you SEE that?” It's laughing together when something goes wrong. It's sitting around a table talking about where everyone is from and where they're going next.

Traveling alone taught me that independence and connection don't have to be opposites.

I can have both.

What Would I Do Differently?

Honestly?

Not much.

I think I did a pretty good job planning this trip and navigating it by myself.

I would still book group tours.

I would still leave room for time alone.

I would still take myself out for coffee and dinner.

And I would still choose trips that push me a little outside of what feels comfortable.

What I don't think I'll do is decide that I'm now either a “solo traveler” or a “group traveler.”

Sometimes I'll travel with my family.

Sometimes I'll travel with a group.

Sometimes I'll travel with friends.

And sometimes I'll get on a plane by myself with a trip I've completely planned on my own.

I don't have to choose one kind of traveler.

I just want to keep exploring the world—and keep finding joy in experiencing it.