Solo travel to Machu Picchu works well — the citadel is big enough to feel private even on a busy day, the Ministry of Culture circuits are solo-friendly, and Cusco is a straightforward base for a single traveler.
Walking the terraces alone has a specific quality. No one setting the pace, no one talking over the view at the Casa del Guardián, time to actually sit at the Intihuatana and look. For solo travelers, this is the whole point.
The practical setup: fly to Cusco, acclimatize 2–3 days at 3,399 m (coca tea helps, alcohol doesn’t), then train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. The Inca Trail is the romantic option; the train is the sensible one. Hostels in Cusco are around $15–25 a night; Aguas Calientes hotels run higher.
Peruways handles the train, the Consettur shuttle, the entry, and (if wanted) a half-day licensed guide — so the logistics don’t become their own project. Solo trips scale badly with handoffs; one booking handles it.
Peru takes solo travelers seriously. Machu Picchu’s one of the sites that reward it.
