If you’re up for adventure and don’t mind travelling far (since you’ve been to Kathmandu) I’ll suggest Quito, Ecuador…(some of the warmest, most polite people you will ever meet are there)…and a few days at a traditional family hacienda/organic dairy/horse farm in the mountains outside of Quito. You can take riding lessons if you like and jaunt about the surrounding countryside on horseback. The owners speak fluent English, can arrange for you to be picked up in Quito or the airport (and arrange side trips such as the volcano Cotopaxi.) I can personally vouch for the place google Hacienda La Alegria or find it on Tripadvisor.com to read the rave reviews. Traveled there several years ago…just me and my nine year-old daughter and never felt unsafe in the three weeks in country. Also, high altiitude cloud forests and bird watching in Ecuador if horses aren’t your thing. We lucked out and got incredibly cheap tickets…I believe it was a Costa Rican airline. Accomodations, food, travel was much cheaper than you’d find in the U.S…don’t know how it is now; that was six or seven years ago.
A little closer, Vancouver is gorgeous in the spring (and with warm ocean currents, spring happens there much earlier than you would think.
Good luck! I love this thread. One my daughter goes to college I will be retirement age but my husband will still be working…I’m sure I’ll do a good bit of solo traveling if my luck and health allow, so I’m taking note of all the suggestions too…
Flying to Asia isn’t cheap, but if that’s a possibility and you want outdoors as well as city, I can tell you of my solo hiking experiences. Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Cambodia.
If you are a swimmer, I went on a swim trek in Greece on my own. They have trips all over the world and usually last minuted availability for many. https://www.swimtrek.com/packages
We have been on multiple active vacation “tours” and had singles (meaning people traveling alone, Not necessarily not married) involved. One was through Backroads, and one was through Sojourn. They have trips for only singles, but the regular trips often has single travelers also. They do hiking, biking and multi-sport trips, all over the country and the world.
My vote is for Iceland, very stark yet beautiful landscape. Fascinating culture, sophisticated social scene. We’ve done several trips with Go Ahead tours (including Iceland) and they always have a well stratified group of people. Some families, some singles, some older couples. Another place I always felt comfortable traveling alone is Switzerland. The transportation system is so good you never need to worry about driving and it’s extremely safe. Have fun!
How comfortable are you “being alone”? If not so much, consider a group tour like Road Scholar or some other organized excursion. You can always meet people on the bus. A group of “single” travelers made a platonic connection on a recent tour I was on. If yes - and I’ve done this multiple times - pick somewhere you want to be and fill your day with activities you want to do. Go to restaurants alone. Bring a book/phone for the downtime before your food arrives. Express confidence. Don’t do anything stupid and watch your back. And have fun!
I just looked at the Italianfix website. The Southern Italy tours sound like a lot of fun. But pricey…$6,000 for 10 days not including airfare. Yikes that’s Europe on $600/day!! But group is limited to 14 women so it would be nice.
Another option would be to do a cruise on one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s boats with the solo cabins. I’ve never been on one, but I’ve read about them. They have a lounge for the solo travelers to gather, make plans to meet up for meals, etc.
My husband and I just returned from a trip to the island of São Miguel, in the Azores. We met a couple of different solo female travelers. They said they felt very safe. We chatted with one woman at the airport before our flight home, and she had thoroughly enjoyed her trip. They both had joined some day tours, which they enjoyed.
On São Miguel, there is one small city and many quaint towns. The landscape is very rugged and beautiful, with opportunities for outdoor adventures.
I did a Country Walkers tour and a Backroads Hiking and Walking tour and both had some solos on the trip. You can ask them which trip they are running that has other solos on the trip. Of course all of the couples also walk, eat and socialize with the solo travelers as well. Most people do not go the trips with a group of friends. You could as which trips have lots of couples not traveling in groups/cliques.
This is turning into a very helpful thread! Thanks @naviance, I just sent a link of the Lake District walker tour to a friend whose been wanting explore the region.
The walking tours are only a tiny bit challenging. There are opportunities to make them longer or more challenging along the way for those that like big challenges. The meals are great. the hotels nice. the fellow travelers have been amazing!!!
^^^^^ Thanks! That was my impression when I looked at the website. Good to hear it confirmed. I sent the Iceland link to Hubby - even he, the non-traveler, was intrigued!
did one trip regular hotels and one trip premier. both were very enjoyable. (of course, the premier hotels were exceptional but they usually include one “fancier” hotel among the several on the regular level trips. They are all small, boutique type hotels.
I did Amsterdam solo about ten years ago while DH was in Switzerland for a meeting (we met up a couple days later). Most people speak English, transit is excellent, lots of indoor and outdoor things to do, and stunning in late April/early May. Also has bike tours! Stayed at a B&B, where the host gave me some excellent recommendations.
I would go back to Ireland in a heartbeat – and may well do it solo. I’ve driven on the left many times and would love to go wander in the areas where my ancestors lived. DH liked Ireland, but I don’t think he’d want to do a granular trip as I’ve contemplated.
A solo trip on the Pacific coast is also on my list. We’ve done it together several times, but I would like to be able to do some serious photography without feeling like I’m holding things up. (DH has been very understanding about my picture taking over the years…but it would be nice to be able to shoot without worrying about anyone else.)
If you are thinking about a major international city, the local walking tours are a must-do when we travel. Lots of solo travelers on them, and it’s a great way to get into the history and to explore safely. In Krakow we did a food tour and it was terrific. Never would have done that on our own! (we’d do restaurants, but not as much from shop-to-shop).
google Hacienda La Alegria or find it on Tripadvisor.com to read the rave reviews. Traveled there several years ago…just me and my nine year-old daughter and never felt unsafe in the three weeks in country. Also, high altiitude cloud forests and bird watching in Ecuador if horses aren’t your thing. We lucked out and got incredibly cheap tickets…I believe it was a Costa Rican airline. Accomodations, food, travel was much cheaper than you’d find in the U.S…don’t know how it is now; that was six or seven years ago.