I’ve travelled solo for decades, these adventures offer friendship and freedom

A couple of years ago, I travelled alone to join a women-only tour of Morocco. Cajoling each other up a narrow pass on Jebel Toubkal, the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains, one guest piped up “Move your ass!” as a bag-laden donkey lumbered past. We almost fell off the mountain from laughing. I’ve been travelling solo for decades. My first trip alone was aged 23, when a friend backed out of a visit to Hong Kong. Since then, I’ve journeyed solo through Europe, the Americas, India and Australia. Even with a partner, grown-up children and friends as potential travel companions, I often opt to go by myself. But, as I found in Morocco, going alone can be even more enjoyable when you join a group of like-minded travellers. Explore Worldwide, which specialises in small-group tours, has seen a 33 per cent year-on-year increase in solo bookings, while research by the adventure tour operator WeRoad found that people feel they get to know others best while travelling with them. One challenge of going solo is the cost – package holidays are generally priced for couples and cruises can come with hefty single supplements. But group tours (and some cruises) can prove good value as a solo traveller once you factor in transport, accommodation and guides. Checking which meals are included in the tour price, finding out how much guides and drivers will expect you to tip and booking a no-single supplement departure are some of the ways in which to stick to a budget. Here is our selection of the best long-haul group trips suited to solo travellers. Crowd-free Japan Largely safe, efficient and affordable (thanks to a weak yen), Japan feels like it is built for solo travellers – there is even have a Japanese term for it, ohitorisama, which means doing things alone.Parts of the country are struggling with over-tourism and international visitor arrivals reached 42.7 million in 2025, a 15.8 per cent increase on the year before. Most tourists follow the golden route, which includes Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, but Japan has plenty of heritage-rich cities and natural wonders that have yet to attract crowds. Exodus, a solo-friendly operator which runs group tours of up to 16 people, offers alternative routes. On its 13-day Japan Adventure: Kyushu and Shikoku trip, there is plenty of time to chat with other tour members while using the country’s reliable public transport. It begins in Osaka (on the main island, Honshu) from where guests join a bullet train to elegant Himeji Castle, originally founded in 1333 by a samurai, and considered the finest example of its kind. Other group bonding opportunities include a hike up Mount Yufu, a twin-peaked volcano near the city of Beppu (it last erupted more than 2,000 years ago), and cooking “hell steam cuisine” using heat from the hot springs of Beppu, which is known as Japan’s onsen [thermal springs] capital. Exodus’s prices are based on twin accommodation, meaning that if you join alone, you will be paired with another solo traveller of the same gender. This trip also has the option of a single supplement to guarantee your own room (from £525pp). Departures between September 2026 and November 2027 include on-the-ground transport, accommodation, excursions and some meals. From £4,689pp, but flights cost extra.exodus.co.uk Luxury in Sri Lanka White sand beaches to rival the Maldives, Unesco-listed hertiage sites and 26 national parks offering a habitat to Asian elephants, leopards and 34 endemic bird species all add to the appeal of Sri Lanka. Jules Verne covers several attractions on the Indian Ocean island within its week-long Sri Lanka Highlights: Culture and Wildlife itinerary, with stays in four-or-five-star accommodation. About 40 per cent of Jules Verne customers travel alone, and groups are kept to a maximum of 16 people. Climbing the 660ft-high, fifth-century Sigiriya rock fortress, visiting the city of Kandy and its Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (built to hold a tooth of the Buddha) and a jeep safari through Udawalawe National Park are among many memorable moments on this tour. Departures between November and March cost from £2,000pp for solo travellers, including accommodation, some meals, guiding and in-country transport. Excludes flights. vjv.com Pandaw offers a classic cruise on the River Mekong for seven nights from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Siem Reap, Cambodia (Photo: davidvandriessche.com/Pandaw) The mighty Mekong Easy, sociable and fun, cruising is a great option for solo travellers, and many river cruise lines offer sailings in far-flung locations that cater to them. On Pandaw’s seven-night “Classic Mekong” itinerary, passengers take in two of the countries – Cambodia and Vietnam – through which the 2,700-mile-long river flows. The upstream version begins in Saigon, with a scenic sailing past the city’s skyscrapers. It also takes in the Cho Gao Canal, a vital artery used by hundreds of cargo barges and fishing vessels, features an excursion to the pilgrimage site of Sam Mountain scattered with temples and pagodas, and docks for a night in Phnom Penh for lessons on the city’s history. Single supplements are waived on selected departures, including one on4 November 2026. From £3,491pp staying in a twin cabin. Includes most meals, crew gratuities, guiding and transfers. Excludes flights. pandaw.com Awe-inspiring Alaska Alaska offers some of the world’s most scenic cruises, sailing past vast, untouched wilderness, mountains and glaciers, and Solo Holidays packages a cruise with a city break in Seattle.The cruise is on Norwegian Cruise Line’s ship Norwegian Bliss and includes several port calls, such as Sitka, where the Tlingit people have lived for thousands of years alongside wildlife such as brown bears and sea otters, and Juneau for access to the 13.6-mile-long Mendenhall Glacier. Solo Holidays’ Alaska Cruise and Stay package includes an all-inclusive, seven-night sailing on Norwegian Bliss with two nights in Seattle from £4,222pp, including return flights from Heathrow. Departs 15 July 2027. solosholidays.com Charyn Canyon in Kazakhstan. Central Asia’s silk road countries are experiencing an increase in tourism (Photo: Alexandr Dubynin/Getty) A Silk Road odyssey Central Asia’s silk road countries are experiencing an increase in tourism. Uzbekistan, for example, welcomed 73 per cent more visitors in the first nine months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2019. Travelling through the “Stans” makes for an epic solo adventure, and G Adventures handles the logistics on its 26-day small-group tour. Among its many standout experiences are learning how to build yurts in the Kyrgyz lakeside village of Barskoon, hiking around the sunken forest of Lake Kaindy in Kazakhstan, and browsing the stalls of Khujand Market (also known as Panjshanbe Market) in Tajikistan’s second-largest city. Accommodation includes a mix of hotels, home stays and yurts. The Five Stans of the Silk Road tour costs from £4,249pp with twin or dormitory-style accommodation, on the ground transport and some meals. It’s £869 extra to stay in private bedrooms and G Adventures estimates a budget of £485 to £630 for meals not included in the price. Excludes flights. The next available departure is 22 May 2027. gadventures.com Boats off the shore of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. Central America is becoming more popular with tourists (Photo: LucyMaynard144/Getty) On trend in Central America Central America is also seeing growth in demand for tourism. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that gross domestic product from tourism to Central and South America will grow by 4.1 per cent in 2026, ahead of the global average GDP growth from tourism of 3.2 per cent. Guatemala is proving especially popular, with a projected 21 per cent increase in international visitor spending in 2026 compared with pre-pandemic levels. It’s one of three countries featured on Intrepid’s affordable “Real Central America” itinerary, for travellers aged 18 to 35. After stops in the Mexican coastal resorts of Playa del Carmen and Tulum, with the option to tour Maya ruins or go swimming in natural sink holes, guests visit Belize’s car-free Caye Caulker island and the jungle town of San Ignacio. Several days are dedicated to Guatemala, with time to enjoy its world-heritage inscribed Tikal National Park and the city of Antigua, which is framed by volcanoes. Alternatively, Intrepid’s four-day Tikal Guatemala and Belize short break includes a visit to Belize’s Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park, an area of forested wetlands, lagoons and pools that offer a habitat to Central American river turtles and spider monkeys. The “18 to 35s Real Central America” tour starts from £848pp in twin and dormitory-style rooms, with departures throughout the year. The price includes accommodation, some meals, in-destination transport and some activities, but excludes flights. The Tikal Guatemala and Belize short break starts from £837pp, includes some meals, transport and some activities, as well as twin-share accommodation, but excludes flights. Departures are between August and December. intrepidtravel.com Hikes and wildlife in Tanzania Home to much of the Serengeti region and the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest (inactive) volcanic caldera, Tanzania offers some incredible safaris. Flash Pack’s “Tanzania: Kili to Crater” tour appeals to adventurous travellers. As well spotting the “big five” (lions, leopards, rhinoceros, African elephants and Cape buffalo), meeting local Maasai families and lounging on Zanzibar’s white-sand beaches, guests can try a day hike up Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. A 10-day Kili to Crater tour starts from £4,620pp, including shared accommodation (private rooms are available for £1,000 more), transport and game drives. Flights cost extra, with departures throughout the year. flashpack.com Spinnakers Landing, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Canada’s maritime provinces offer a spectacular holiday (Photo: Peter Unger/Getty) Atlantic Canada adventure With breaching whales, coastal trails and the world’s highest tides, Canada’s maritime provinces – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island – offer a spectacular holiday. Solo group tour specialist Just You knits the wonders together on its “Canadian Maritimes” tour, on which guests are guaranteed their own twin or double rooms. The 10-night trip takes in several highlights. Among them are the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, with its ocean drive beneath coastal cliffs and wildlife such as black bears, and the Bay of Fundy, where high tides helped to create the striking Hopewell Rocks sea stacks, best seen from the beach at low tide. Meanwhile, Anne of Green Gables fans will enjoy Prince Edward Island, which is all rolling hills, red cliffs and, of course, plenty of lobster. A 10-night Canadian Maritimes tour with flights, accommodation and excursions starts from £4,999pp. Departures are between June and September 2027. justyou.co.uk Island hopping in South East Asia The world’s largest archipelago is a fitting place for an island-hopping holiday and deserves a few weeks of exploration. One Traveller offers a 21-day Singapore and Indonesia itinerary with four nights enjoying Singapore’s botanical gardens and hawker stalls before flitting between Indonesia’s highlights. The Komodo National Park’s eponymous dragons, Bali’s rice terraces and visits to the country’s temples offer plenty of adventure. It costs from £6,490pp for its 6 November departure and includes return flights from the UK, internal flights and transfers, guides, most meals and four-or-five-star accommodation in private rooms, with no single supplement. onetraveller.co.uk