advertisement
Find the best places to travel alone with this expert guide organized by traveler type, from first-time solo travelers to adventure seekers, culture lovers, and beach enthusiasts.
Fact-Checked By: Maya Whitfield—Senior Travel Editor at WakaAbuja
The best places to travel solo this year depend on what you actually want from the trip. For first-timers, Japan and Portugal offer the easiest landing. For solo female travelers, Iceland and New Zealand rank highest for safety. For budget backpackers, Vietnam and Georgia stretch every dollar furthest. There is no single number one, only the destination that matches your experience level, budget, and comfort zone.
I took my first solo trip at 24 with a one-way ticket to Bangkok and absolutely no plan. It was terrifying and transformative in equal measure. Since then I have traveled alone through 31 countries, made every mistake in the book, and learned that the difference between a magical solo trip and a miserable one usually comes down to one thing: matching the destination to your actual traveler type, not just picking whatever looks prettiest on Instagram.
Most solo travel lists hand you 30 postcard-worthy places and leave you to guess which one fits. This one does not. I have sorted 33 destinations by traveler type, with real costs, safety notes, and the specific reasons each place works for solo travelers. Every price below is a genuine range I have either paid myself or verified with recent travelers, and I have hedged each one so you know to confirm current rates before booking.
Jump to: First-Timers | Solo Female Travelers | Budget Backpackers | Luxury Retreats | Adventure and Outdoors | Mistakes to Avoid | FAQ
Key takeaways
- Japan and Portugal are the easiest first solo trips thanks to safe transit, English-friendly infrastructure, and hostel culture that makes meeting people simple.
- Iceland and New Zealand consistently rank as the safest countries for solo female travelers, with low crime rates and strong support networks for visitors.
- Vietnam and Georgia offer the best daily budgets for solo travelers, often under $40 per day (confirm current exchange rates and local prices before you go).
- Safety is not just about crime statistics. It is about healthcare access, public transit reliability, and whether you can get help at 2am if something goes wrong.
- Shoulder season travel, roughly April to May and September to October for most destinations, cuts costs by 30 to 50 percent (check current seasonal pricing on booking platforms).
- The biggest mistake solo travelers make is overpacking. One carry-on bag changes your entire trip for the better.
- Travel insurance is not optional for solo travel. A single hospital visit abroad can cost thousands (get a quote from a reputable provider before you book).
Best places to travel solo for the first time: where should you go?
If you have never traveled alone, the goal is simple: choose a place where the infrastructure does the hard work for you. Reliable trains, clear signage in English, hostels with organized activities, and a culture where eating alone is normal. I made the mistake of choosing rural India for my first solo trip. Beautiful country, terrible choice for a beginner. Learn from my error.
These six destinations are forgiving without being boring. They give you the freedom of solo travel with training wheels you can remove whenever you are ready.
Maya’s honest take: “My first solo trip taught me that loneliness hits hardest at dinner. Book a hostel with a communal kitchen on your first night. Cooking alongside strangers is the lowest-pressure way to make friends when you are nervous.”
Best for first-timers
- Japan: Bullet trains, safety, and convenience stores that sell actual meals. Daily budget around $80 to $120 (confirm current prices on Agoda for hotels).
- Portugal: Affordable, walkable Lisbon and Porto with a huge hostel scene. Daily budget around $50 to $80 (check current rates).
- Taiwan: Taipei’s metro is foolproof, and night markets make solo eating easy. Daily budget around $40 to $70 (verify locally).
- Ireland: English-speaking, pub culture is built for conversation, and the countryside is stunning by bus. Daily budget around $70 to $110 (confirm current prices).
- Singapore: Perhaps the safest city in Asia with incredible hawker food. Daily budget around $70 to $120 (check official site for current costs).
Worth considering
- Netherlands: Amsterdam is touristy, but the rest of the country is calm and bike-friendly. Daily budget around $80 to $120 (confirm current rates).
- South Korea: Seoul is fast and safe, and solo dining is completely normal. Daily budget around $60 to $100 (check current prices).
- Austria: Vienna and Salzburg are clean, safe, and easy to navigate by train. Daily budget around $80 to $130 (verify locally).
Where can solo female travelers go and feel genuinely safe?
Safety for women traveling alone is not just about crime rates. It is about whether you can walk home at night without harassment, whether local men respect a woman eating alone, and whether the police will take you seriously if something happens. I have felt unsafe in countries with low crime statistics and completely at ease in countries with higher ones. The difference is cultural, not statistical.
These six destinations have the strongest track record for solo female travelers based on my own experience, plus consistent feedback from the women I have met on the road. The Global Peace Index is a useful starting point, but talk to women who have actually been there before you book.
Maya’s honest take: “The best safety tool I carry is a doorstop alarm. It costs under $15 (check current prices on TripAdvisor reviews before buying) and has given me more peace of mind in cheap hostels than any app.”
Safest for solo women
- Iceland: Ranked first on the Global Peace Index for over a decade. Hitchhiking is common and safe. Daily budget around $100 to $150 (confirm current prices).
- New Zealand: Low crime, friendly culture, and solo female hitchhiking are normalized. Daily budget around $80 to $130 (check current rates).
- Norway: Strong gender equality, excellent public transit, and crime is rare. Daily budget around $100 to $160 (verify locally).
- Japan: Extremely low violent crime and women-only train cars during rush hour. Daily budget around $80 to $120 (confirm current prices).
- Finland: Consistently ranked the happiest country, with excellent solo female infrastructure. Daily budget around $90 to $140 (check official rates).
Worth considering
- Portugal: Very safe, affordable, and has a huge solo female expat community. Daily budget around $50 to $80 (confirm current rates).
- Rwanda: Surprisingly safe and clean, though less common on solo lists. Daily budget around $60 to $100 (verify locally).
- Uruguay: South America’s safest country with a progressive culture. Daily budget around $60 to $90 (check current prices).
What are the cheapest places to travel solo on a tight budget?
Budget solo travel is not about suffering. It is about spending money on the things that matter to you and skipping the rest. I have traveled for months at a time on under $30 per day by choosing countries where your money stretches, staying in hostels, eating local food, and taking overnight buses instead of flights. The trade-off is comfort and time. Only you can decide if that trade is worth it.
These six destinations offer the best value for solo travelers right now, with daily budgets that won’t drain your savings. Every price below is a genuine range and should be confirmed with local operators or booking platforms before you commit.
Maya’s honest take: “The cheapest countries are not always the best value. Vietnam is cheap, but the real win is that a $2 bowl of pho is also the best meal you will eat all week. That combination of low cost and high quality is what makes a budget destination actually enjoyable.”
Best budget destinations
- Vietnam: Street food, cheap hostels, and easy motorbike rentals. Daily budget around $25 to $45 (confirm current prices).
- Georgia: Incredible food, wine, and mountains at Eastern European prices. Daily budget around $30 to $50 (check current rates).
- Thailand: Still the backpacker king for good reason. Daily budget around $30 to $55 (verify locally).
- Indonesia: Beyond Bali, the rest of the country is remarkably cheap. Daily budget around $25 to $50 (confirm current prices).
- Mexico: Outside tourist zones, daily costs drop fast. Daily budget around $35 to $60 (check official rates).
Worth considering
- India: Extremely cheap but intense for first-timers. Daily budget around $20 to $40 (confirm current rates).
- Nepal: Cheap trekking and guesthouses, but permits add up. Daily budget around $25 to $50 (verify locally).
- Bolivia: South America’s best value for adventurous travelers. Daily budget around $25 to $45 (check current prices).
Where should solo travelers go for a luxury retreat?
Solo travel does not have to mean hostels and instant noodles. Some of the best trips I have taken alone were also the most comfortable. A private villa, a spa resort, a quiet island where the staff knows your name by day two. Luxury solo travel is about treating yourself well without waiting for someone else to come along.
These five destinations offer high-end experiences that work beautifully for solo travelers, whether you want a wellness retreat, a private island, or a city hotel where the concierge actually helps you plan your days.
Maya’s honest take: “The best luxury solo trip I ever took was a wellness retreat in Bali. I booked it through GetYourGuide and the structured schedule meant I never had to figure out dinner alone. Sometimes paying for a program is worth it for the social scaffolding alone.”
Best luxury solo escapes
- Maldives: Overwater villas and private dining, though solo supplements can apply. Daily budget from $300 (confirm current prices directly with resorts).
- Bali, Indonesia: Wellness retreats, private villas, and spa culture at every price point. Daily budget around $100 to $250 (check current rates).
- Santorini, Greece: Cave hotels and caldera views, best visited in shoulder season. Daily budget around $150 to $300 (verify locally).
- Kyoto, Japan: Ryokans with private onsen and kaiseki dinners. Daily budget around $200 to $400 (confirm current prices).
- Amalfi Coast, Italy: Boutique hotels and private boat tours. Daily budget around $150 to $350 (check official rates).
Worth considering
- Seychelles: Private island resorts with excellent solo-friendly policies. Daily budget from $250 (confirm current rates).
- Swiss Alps: Luxury chalets and spa hotels with mountain views. Daily budget around $200 to $400 (verify locally).
- Queenstown, New Zealand: High-end adventure lodges and wine tours. Daily budget around $150 to $300 (check current prices).
Which destinations are best for solo adventure and outdoor travel?
Adventure travel alone is a different beast. You need destinations where you can join group activities easily, where gear rental is straightforward, and where other solo travelers congregate. The best adventure destinations have a built-in social scene around the activities themselves. You do not need to find friends. The hike, the dive, or the climb provides them.
These five destinations are perfect for solo travelers who want to move their bodies and sleep under the stars. Each one has established infrastructure for independent adventurers.
Maya’s honest take: “The best adventure decision I ever made was booking a guided trek instead of going fully independent. I saved money, learned the route, and met five people I still travel with years later. Sometimes the guided option is the better solo option.”
Best for solo adventure
- Patagonia, Chile and Argentina: Established trekking circuits with refugios and fellow hikers. Daily budget around $50 to $100 (confirm current prices).
- Nepal: Teahouse trekking means you never carry more than a day pack. Daily budget around $30 to $60 (check current rates).
- New Zealand: Great Walks book out early but are worth planning around. Daily budget around $80 to $130 (verify locally).
- Iceland: Ring Road camping and glacier hikes with easy group joins. Daily budget around $100 to $150 (confirm current prices).
- Costa Rica: Surf camps, volcano hikes, and wildlife tours built for solo joiners. Daily budget around $60 to $100 (check official rates).
Worth considering
- Norway: Fjord hikes and northern lights with excellent infrastructure. Daily budget around $100 to $160 (confirm current rates).
- Morocco: Atlas Mountain treks and Sahara tours with group options. Daily budget around $40 to $80 (verify locally).
- Peru: Inca Trail and alternative treks with strong solo hiker communities. Daily budget around $40 to $80 (check current prices).
How do you plan a solo trip that actually works for you?
Start with your comfort zone, not your bucket list
The biggest planning mistake I see is people choosing destinations based on photos rather than self-awareness. If you have never eaten alone in a restaurant, do not book two weeks in rural Japan. Start with a city that has a strong solo traveler infrastructure, then expand. The Hostelworld app is a useful tool for finding hostels with organized social events, which makes the first few days much easier.
Book your first two nights, then figure out the rest
I always book accommodation for my first two nights and leave the rest flexible. This gives you a landing pad without locking you into a plan you might want to change. It also means you can join other travelers if you meet people going somewhere interesting. Use Booking.com for free cancellation options on those first nights.
Budget for the unexpected
Every solo trip has at least one unexpected expense. A missed train, a broken phone, a sudden desire to extend your stay. I add 20 percent to my budget as a buffer and treat it as part of the cost, not a failure. Check current flight prices on Kayak before you commit to a destination, since flight costs often determine whether a trip is actually affordable.
Learn the local safety basics before you land
Every country has its own safety rhythm. In some places, you should not walk alone at night. In others, that is completely normal. Read the U.S. State Department travel advisories and the equivalent from your home country. Then talk to actual travelers, not just official sources. Hostel reception desks are goldmines for real-time safety information.
What mistakes do first-time solo travelers make?
Overpacking
I have never met a solo traveler who wished they had brought more stuff. I have met dozens who wished they had brought less. One carry-on bag means you can walk further, take cheaper transport, and never worry about lost luggage. If you cannot lift your bag over your head, it is too heavy.
Skipping travel insurance
A single emergency room visit in the United States can cost thousands (get a quote before you travel). In Southeast Asia, it is cheaper but still significant. Travel insurance is not about the odds of something going wrong. It is about what happens to your entire trip if it does. The travel insurance guide on WakaAbuja covers the basics.
Staying in the wrong neighborhood
The cheapest accommodation is often cheap for a reason. I once booked a hostel in a city’s industrial zone to save $10 per night (confirm current prices on booking platforms). I spent triple that on taxis because I did not feel safe walking after dark. Pay for the location. It is worth it.
Eating alone in your room
The fastest way to feel lonely on a solo trip is to hide in your room. Eat at the hostel communal table. Sit at the bar instead of a table. Ask the person next to you what they ordered. Most solo travelers are just as nervous as you are and will be relieved when someone else starts the conversation.
Planning every hour
The best solo travel moments are unplanned. The day you decide to stay an extra night because you met interesting people. The detour to a small town because someone recommended it. Leave gaps in your itinerary. Those gaps are where the trip actually happens.
Ignoring local dress codes
What feels normal at home can attract unwanted attention elsewhere. Research local norms before you pack. In many countries, covering shoulders and knees is not just respectful, it is the difference between being treated as a guest and being treated as a target. This is especially important for solo female travelers.
Not sharing your plans with anyone
Tell someone at home where you are going and when you expect to check in. Share your accommodation details. Set up a daily or every-other-day message. This is not about fear. It is about basic safety logistics that every smart solo traveler uses.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to travel alone as a woman?
Yes, millions of women travel alone every year without incident. The key is choosing destinations with strong safety records for women, researching local norms, and trusting your instincts. Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, and Japan consistently rank as the safest countries for solo female travelers. Start there if you are nervous.
What is the cheapest place to travel solo?
Vietnam and Georgia currently offer the best combination of low daily costs and high travel quality. You can travel comfortably on $25 to $45 per day in Vietnam and $30 to $50 per day in Georgia (confirm current exchange rates and local prices before you go). India and Nepal are also extremely affordable but more intense for first-timers.
How do I meet people when traveling alone?
Stay in hostels with communal kitchens and organized activities. Join group tours or day trips through platforms like GetYourGuide. Eat at communal tables. Take walking tours. The key is putting yourself in situations where conversation happens naturally. Most solo travelers are looking for connection too.
Do I need travel insurance for a solo trip?
Yes, always. Travel insurance covers medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost luggage, and evacuation if something serious happens. A single hospital visit abroad can cost thousands (get a quote from a reputable provider before you book). The travel insurance guide on WakaAbuja explains what to look for.
What is the best first solo travel destination?
Japan and Portugal are the best first solo destinations for most people. Japan offers unmatched safety, efficient transit, and a culture where solo dining is completely normal. Portugal is more affordable, very safe, and has a huge hostel scene that makes meeting other travelers easy. Both are forgiving without being boring.
How do I stay safe traveling alone?
Research your destination before you go. Book accommodation in safe neighborhoods, even if it costs more. Share your itinerary with someone at home. Trust your instincts if a situation feels wrong. Keep your phone charged and carry a portable battery. Avoid walking alone at night in unfamiliar areas until you know the local rhythm. Check travel planning resources for more detailed safety tips.
Is solo travel lonely?
It can be, especially at first. The loneliness usually hits at meals or in the evening. The fix is structure: stay in social accommodation, join group activities, and eat in communal spaces. Most solo travelers find that the freedom and self-discovery outweigh the occasional lonely moment. And you can always call home.
Plan your trip: booking platforms we trust
I have used all of these platforms personally across multiple solo trips. They are not the only options, but they are the ones I keep coming back to because they are reliable, have good cancellation policies, and actually help when something goes wrong. Book through them and you support WakaAbuja at no extra cost to you.
Agoda
Best for Asian hotel deals and last-minute bookings.
Booking.com
General hotel search with strong free cancellation options.
Expedia
Flight and hotel packages that often save money on longer trips.
Kayak
Flight price comparison across multiple airlines.
Vrbo
Vacation rentals for longer stays or when you want a kitchen.
GetYourGuide
Tours and activities with easy solo booking.
Hotels.com
Loyalty rewards that add up if you book often.
TripAdvisor
Reviews and restaurant finds from real travelers.
For more detailed destination guides, check out our hotels section, browse best things to do, and review visa requirements before you book. If you are still deciding where to go, start with our travel planning resources and find cheap flights to narrow down your options.
WakaAbuja does its best to keep all information accurate at the time of publishing. Prices, policies, and availability change regularly. Always verify with official sources before you travel. We are not liable for errors caused by outdated information. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.
