Solo Travel in South America: Embrace the Adventure | Travel Blog

Traveling alone through South America no longer means paying double or feeling isolated. This practical guide shows you exactly how to book shared cruises, use social hostels, join group tours, and find restaurants where you can meet fellow travelers, all while enjoying significant discounts as a solo traveler.

Galapagos: Affordable Cruising for Solo Explorers

The Galapagos Islands are more accessible for solo travelers than you might think. The key strategy is understanding your three booking options with Voyagers Travel and their partner operators.

Option 1: Share a Cabin (Best Value) – Voyagers Travel partners let you book a shared cabin with a solo traveler who identifies as your gender. This eliminates any single supplement and typically costs 30-50% less than a private cabin. The Galapagos expedition teams set up common dining experiences at shared eating areas while they provide daily update sessions with naturalist guides and organize group trips for snorkeling and kayaking and island exploration. The common eating experiences along with group activities establish natural chances for travelers to connect with their fellow explorers. The majority of your vacation will receive attention for land-based sightseeing activities which take place after you disembark from your boat.

Option 2: Book Single Cabins with No Supplement – A few specialized cruise ships operating through Voyagers Travel offer dedicated single cabins without any single supplement charge. These include expeditions with premium vessels that actively market to solo travelers like the Montserrat or the Calipso. The available options sell out quickly so you should reserve your spot between two and three months before your trip when last-minute deals become accessible. Single cabins cost roughly the same as sharing, but you get complete privacy.

Option 3: Private Single Supplement – If neither option works, you can book an entire cabin to yourself. The cost of the single supplement varies depending on the ship and cabin class, generally ranging from 20-100%. Contact Voyagers Travel directly for exact pricing and any special promotions currently available.

Where to Meet People on Your Galapagos Cruise: All Wildlife observation activities are conducted in small groups. The bar and dining sections on board transform into evening social centers which draw in passengers who want to connect with others. The team organizes morning briefings and evening recap sessions which serve as official connection points before we start our group observation of blue-footed boobies and giant tortoises and sea lions.

Quito & Cusco: Hostels Designed for Solo Travelers

The cities of Quito and Cusco have developed into popular destinations for backpackers who can find a well-established group of "social hostels" which enable individual travelers to connect with others.

Hostel Revolution located in San Blas area of Quito offers accommodation together with El Patio Hostel and Viajero Quito. The hostels offer dormitory beds at prices between $4 and $6 each night while they create opportunities for guests to join pub crawls and family meals and game evenings and walking excursions and cooking workshops. The common areas, rooftop bars, terraces, and gardens, buzz with activity every evening. The staff members display their daily event schedule on blackboards which help visitors understand the current happenings. Hostels provide guests with the option to join communal dining experiences which cost between $5 and $8 where travelers who are alone can meet others during shared meals. The San Blas neighborhood maintains its status as a backpacker hotspot because travelers discover numerous cafes and bars throughout this area.

The solo traveler community in Cusco finds its main base at Viajero Cusco together with Eco Inn and Inkas Garden Hostel. The prices start at S/.7-34 per night which converts to about $2-10 USD. The hostels provide guests with bars that include pool tables and foosball machines while they organize pub crawls and daily hiking trips to nearby historical sites and dinner events. The bar at Viajero Cusco stays active because it functions as the main meeting spot for travelers who visit the area. The hostels provide guests with breakfast at no cost while they display boards which show all the available group activities. Multiple tour operators handle daily Sacred Valley tours which offer major group price reductions to their customers.

Hostels in both cities display lists which show restaurants that travelers can reach through their recommended paths for solo travel community members. The social environment emerges at these locations because they stand close to both historic centers and hostel districts which attract regular visits from backpackers and independent travelers.

Machu Picchu & The Inca Trail: Group Trek Pricing

Reaching Machu Picchu as a solo traveler through Voyagers Travel offers several economical group options.

The 4-Day Inca Trail: Voyagers Travel offer shared group treks for 4-day expeditions with groups of 8-20 people. Pricing varies based on season and booking timing. These packages include a professional mountain guide, specialist chef, porter support, premium camping equipment, all meals, and transportation from Cusco. You'll meet fellow travelers throughout the journey, from your initial briefing in Cusco through shared campsites and your arrival at Machu Picchu at dawn.

Short Inca Trail Hike To Machu Tour | 4 days tour

Embark on a 4-day adventure through the Inca Trail, discovering ancient paths and breathtaking landscapes leading to the majestic Machu Picchu.

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Solo Private Option: If you prefer a completely private experience, inquire with Voyagers Travel about solo explorer packages that provide personalized guides, private camping, and the flexibility to travel at your own pace while still accessing all Inca Trail sites and Machu Picchu.

Booking Strategy: Reserve your permits 6-10 months in advance for May-October peak season through Voyagers Travel. The Peruvian government limits daily trail access to 500 people across all route variations, and Machu Picchu itself caps at 4,600 daily visitors. Permits are personal and non-transferable.

Cartagena: Hostels & Walking Tours

Solo travelers can easily explore the historic city of Cartagena because its streets enable them to walk around freely. The colonial walled city naturally encourages exploration on foot.

Social Hostels function as backpacker hostels which provide dormitory rooms that cost between $8 and $12 each night in Cartagena's historic center. The hostels feature shared bar areas and pool tables and they organize daily bar-hopping events for their guests. The walled city and Caribbean waterfront become accessible through hostel-operated walking tours which let you discover these areas with fellow travelers instead of following a solitary path.

Small-group walking tours of the historic center, the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas fortress, and nearby Caribbean neighborhoods are widely available with local operators. These shared tours usually include between six and twelve participants, cost around fifteen to twenty-five dollars per person, and tend to attract travelers who prefer to explore independently while still enjoying the advantages of a group experience.

Backpackers tend to gather at the historic plaza areas together with the waterfront promenade and the Getsemani neighborhoods. The tourist-friendly restaurants and cafes in these areas help visitors meet other travelers through their social spaces which encourage friendly interactions.

Patagonia: Group Hiking & Shared Lodges

Patagonia provides solo travelers with affordable group tour options.

El Calafate & Perito Moreno Glacier: The Perito Moreno Glacier becomes accessible through day tours which accommodate groups of 8 to 15 people who must pay between $50 and $80 USD each. The boat-based glacier tours enable guests to develop friendships because they share the experience of watching huge ice chunks break away. The Hotel Las Dunas in El Calafate provides affordable single rooms which welcome individual guests while the town's hostels maintain active social environments for their visitors.

Torres del Paine Trekking: The W-Trek in Torres del Paine National Park provides shared refugio accommodations where guests who travel alone must share rooms with 4 to 6 other guests. The number of participants in trekking groups falls between 8 to 12 members who share their food together. The W-Trek package for five days costs between $1,300 and $1,980 USD with all expenses covered. Single room supplements, when available, cost $200-400 extra.

El Chalten Hiking: The mountain town of El Chalten serves as a hub for self-guided day hikes with marked trails to Mount Fitz Roy viewpoints. The hostels in this area maintain a highly social atmosphere because single guests make up about 33% of their total visitors. Group hiking excursions through local operators let you tag along with other adventurers for $30-50 per day.

Easter Island: Group Tours & Cultural Immersion

Isla de Pascua (Rapa Nui) presents itself as an ideal solo destination with numerous group tour options and built-in cultural interaction through shared meals at local homes.

Accommodation Options: Hotels in Hanga Roa town (the main settlement) charge $60-150 USD per night for single rooms with breakfast included. Hotels like Taha Tai and Altiplanico welcome solo travelers. Single room supplements for tour packages typically run $200-400 USD for 4-5 day tours, though shoulder season discounts (March-May, September-November) sometimes eliminate these charges.

Group Tours: Tour sizes range from 10-50 people on different packages, all departing from Hanga Roa. Four-day tours cost approximately $1,000-1,300 USD and include visits to Ahu Tongariki platform (with 15 restored moai), Rano Raraku quarry (where moai were carved), Orongo village, Rano Kau volcano, and Anakena Beach. Tours include sunrise/sunset viewings and visits to major archaeological sites.

Where Solo Travelers Connect: The most valuable aspect for solo travelers is the traditional Rapa Nui family lunch included in most tours. These aren't restaurant meals—you eat in local homes with your tour group and the Rapa Nui family, creating immediate cultural and personal connections. Evening activities often include optional group dinners in Hanga Roa and cultural performances.

Free Time: Tours build in 3-4 hours of daily free time for independent exploration, photography, and rest. The island is compact and safe, making solo walking practical and rewarding.

Your Solo Travel Savings Strategy

To achieve affordable travel throughout South America you need to follow these established methods which include sharing cruise cabins without paying extra and selecting affordable dorm accommodations in social hostels and participating in group tours instead of using private guides and making early bookings to obtain discounts and traveling during shoulder seasons of April-May and September-October to achieve 20-30% price reductions on lodging and travel activities.

People who travel alone do not usually experience loneliness because they select accommodations and tours which promote social activities with others. Your journey through the Galapagos, Sacred Valley, colonial cities, and Patagonian wilderness will introduce you to dozens of fellow adventurers. You will join a group to hike while you share food and build lasting memories at a price that is much lower than booking private options. South American tourism offers the most affordable experience through the combination of independent travel freedom and the cost advantages which come from joining group activities.