The Best Hostels for Solo Travelers in Cusco

This hostel, with its brightly muraled walls, is a handy five-minute walk from the Plaza de Armas. The rooms here sleep up to 12 people, but solo travelers who want a little more space to themselves can book a bed in the smaller four-bed dorm, which comes with a private bathroom. If you do want some company, you can head to the buzzy bar, where there’s live music every night. The bartenders here make a mean pisco sour.

Just around the corner from Plaza de Armas, Pariwana Hostel wraps around a communal courtyard that’s topped with bean bags. There’s a hive-like atmosphere here; travelers from around the world get to know each other over daily activities like salsa dancing classes, beer pong contests, quizzes and karaoke. The hostel’s low-occupancy and female-only dorms are the top accommodation options for solo visitors. The free ear plugs ensure you’ll get a good night’s sleep no matter which room you choose, though.

An eye-widening two-story mural of Machu Picchu is painted on the wall of the courtyard at this hostel. You can book trips to see the real thing via the hostel’s reliable in-house travel agency. For pre- and post-trek days, meanwhile, this place offers a patio area that’s topped with loungers and strung with hammocks. There’s a bar restaurant on site, too, where you can get ready for hikes with traditional Peruvian dishes like grilled alpaca and lomo saltado – a saucy steak stew.

This blue-balconied hostel, seven minutes’ walk from Plaza de Armas, is a great place to bookend treks to Machu Picchu. There are plenty of places for solo travelers to relax with a cold Cusqueña beer and meet fellow guests. These include a grassy, bench-topped garden, a courtyard and an indoor bar that’s decorated with flags and football shirts from around the world. Head here at midday – they sometimes bring out a tray of free shots for eager afternoon drinkers.

Set on the hillside, a 15-minute walk from Plaza De Armas, this boutique hostel looks out over the red rooftops of Cusco to the mountains in the distance. The flower-scented garden, with its gazebo seating area and visiting hummingbirds, is one of the best places to take in the views. Solo travelers can book single rooms with private bathrooms here. These pretty spaces feature whitewashed walls and plenty of cosy Peruvian textiles in primary colors.

Whitewashed walls, hanging baskets and balconies with calligraphic curls of cast iron welcome you to this pretty hostel in the quiet San Blas area of Cusco. Inside, Madre Tierra is all natural materials, potted plants and earthy color schemes. Of all the accommodation options here, the “simple” rooms are the best choice for single travelers. They come with double beds, but they’re a little more compact than the standard doubles, making them better for solo budgets.

Loki Cusco is the place to let your hair down following the strict schedule of a Machu Picchu trek. The hostel puts on party nights every evening, and shots with names like Blood Bomb flow freely over the bar. There’s a huge variety of rooms here. Solo travelers looking for a little more privacy should consider booking a bed in the smaller six-bed dorm, the girls-only dorm or the Quiet Deluxe dorm, which is the furthest room from the bar.