Scared to Travel Alone? 8 Fun Things to Do Solo That Make It Easier

Things To DoSolo Travelfirst-time travelersSafety

Jan 27

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Traveling solo was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. From California to Bologna, Italy, I’ve explored the world on my own and yes, I get asked all the time: “Don’t you get lonely?”

The truth? I’m an introvert, so being alone doesn’t scare me. I genuinely enjoy my own company and rarely feel lonely. But I know that’s not everyone’s reality. If the idea of solo traveling excites you and makes you nervous, these activities will help you feel connected without forcing awkward interactions.

Here are 8 fun things to do solo that make traveling alone easier and way more enjoyable.

Join a Food Tour

A food tour is one of the best ways to meet people while traveling alone. Whether you’re surrounded by other solo travelers or people traveling in groups, food just naturally brings people together. You bond over flavors, compare reactions, trade bites, and swap stories from the road.

On a food walking tour in Amsterdam, I met a group of women who were also traveling solo. Two of them had met at their hostel that morning and decided to join the tour together. Within minutes, we were all chatting like we’d known each other longer than a few blocks.

We tried dishes I probably wouldn’t have ordered on my own, including raw herring (a Dutch classic) and the tiniest, fluffiest mini pancakes from Pat’s Poffertjes, which I'm still dreaming about to this day. It pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way, not just with food but socially. By the end, we had restaurant recommendations, neighborhood tips, and even plans to meet up again later that night.

Food tours make connections feel effortless. You’re walking, learning, tasting, and talking. There’s no pressure to “socialize,” it just happens.

Tip: Book a food tour within the first few days of your trip. It gives you a mini crash course on the city and sets you up with restaurant ideas for the rest of your stay.

Book A Cooking Class

Sticking with food, take a cooking class! There are cooking classes all over the world: pasta-making in Italy, croissant baking in New York, and paella in Madrid.

Besides learning something new, cooking classes are one of the easiest ways to meet people while traveling solo. Once you’re done cooking, you usually sit down and eat together, which makes conversation feel natural instead of forced.

When I was in Madrid, I booked a Paella & Sangria cooking class through GetYourGuide, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip. It felt less like a class and more like cooking with friends, laughing, tasting as we went, and sharing stories over unlimited sangria refills (yes, unlimited). By the time we sat down to eat, we had already bonded, and a couple of the people in that class are still friends today.

It’s fun, it’s interactive, and it takes away a lot of the awkwardness that can come with doing things alone.

Join a Free Walking Tour

Free walking tours are one of my favorite solo travel activities, mainly because they’re free. They’re a great way to save money and get to know a new city quickly. When I was in Madrid, I joined a tour through Free Walking Tour Madrid, and it was the perfect way to get oriented on my first day.

I actually discovered free walking tours through TikTok (bless the algorithm), and now I do them almost everywhere I go. You end up meeting people from all over the world because, like you, they’re also traveling or solo traveling. It feels surprisingly easy to bond while walking through a city together, talking about what you’re seeing, reacting to the history, and sharing little moments you’d usually keep to yourself.

Another underrated perk: you’ll always have someone to take photos of you, which is huge when you’re solo and tired of the tripod struggle. And once the tour ends, people often grab lunch or coffee together, or even make plans to meet up later in the trip.

Some hotels and hostels even include free walking tours with your stay. I also love making a walking tour my very first activity after landing somewhere new. The guides are usually super knowledgeable, friendly, and great at recommending neighborhoods, restaurants, and things to do that aren’t overly touristy.

If you’re someone who gets nervous about exploring alone, a walking tour is such a gentle way to ease into a new city.

Keep Reading: Planning my first 24 hours in a new city.

Join Group Day Trips or Excursions

Group day trips are another underrated gem for solo travelers. Especially if you’re nervous about doing things alone. Think wine country tours, waterfalls, nearby towns, or boat trips. You spend several hours with the same group of people, which makes conversation feel natural instead of forced.

Plus, there’s the bonus of zero planning stress. Someone else handles the logistics, transportation, and timing while you just show up and enjoy. As a solo traveler with limited PTO, that’s priceless.

I took an incredible group day trip through Tuscany, Pisa, and San Gimignano, and it ended up being one of the highlights of my Italy trip. You’re literally with the same group for hours—on the bus, during wine tastings, exploring medieval towns, or taking photos at the Leaning Tower of Pisa—so talking becomes easy and organic. It’s also fun to hear where everyone else is from and how they ended up on the same tour.

By the end of the day, it didn’t feel like a random mix of strangers anymore. It felt like you shared a mini adventure, which is exactly what makes group day trips so great for solo travelers who want to be social without feeling pressure to “perform” or make friends.

I booked my Tuscany, Pisa, and San Gimignano tour through GetYourGuide, and it made everything seamless—from transportation to winery reservations. If you’re visiting Italy (especially Florence), I highly recommend doing a group day trip like this. It’s a fun way to see more with less planning and still get that feeling of connection.

If you’re planning a trip to Florence and want to see more of Italy without the stress of planning every detail, I can’t recommend this experience enough. This Tuscany, Pisa, and San Gimignano day trip was one of the easiest—and most memorable—days of my trip.

Stay Social on Purpose

If you’re staying somewhere longer, consider social hostels, social hotels, or group Airbnbs—not party hostels, but places designed to make connections easy without the chaos.

A lot of people hear “hostel” and immediately picture loud pubs, pub crawls, and no sleep. But there are tons of properties that cater to solo travelers who want community and comfort without feeling like they’re at spring break.

Many of these places offer things like communal breakfasts, cooking nights, walking tours, board game nights, or group dinners. It’s low-stakes and casual, and you can join when it sounds fun and skip it when you need recharge time (solo travel is social, but it's also beautifully introvert-friendly when you choose the right environments).

Another underrated perk is that these spaces attract people who are also there to explore or meet others—so conversations happen naturally without feeling forced. You don’t have to be extroverted, you don’t have to “perform,” and you don’t have to party to meet people.

👉 If you’re looking for social (but not party) hostels, Hostelworld actually lets you filter by atmosphere and read reviews from other solo travelers, which makes it easier to pick the right vibe.

Volunteer or Join Short Workshops

Activity-based experiences like half-day volunteering, art workshops, photography walks, floral arranging, or pottery classes are also amazing for solo travelers. You bond by doing something together, which makes the connection feel organic instead of like forced small talk.

There’s something about working with your hands, learning a new skill, or helping a community that breaks the ice for you. You don’t have to be “on” or overly social—conversation just naturally happens while you’re painting, arranging flowers, or shaping clay. And because the focus isn’t on meeting people specifically, the pressure disappears.

These types of experiences also attract like-minded travelers and locals, so you often end up meeting people you would’ve never crossed paths with otherwise. And even if you don’t walk away with new friends, you still walk away with a story, a skill, or a piece of art you made yourself, which is a win.

Attend Themed Events or Conventions

Themed events and conventions are perfect for solo travelers who get lonely because everyone already shares a common interest before you even meet. Whether it’s travel, books, photography, gaming, wellness, or niche hobbies, there’s an instant built-in topic to talk about. No awkward icebreakers required.

I’ve attended Comic Con in New York City, one of the biggest conventions I’ve ever been to, and even a Tall Tour meetup, where I didn’t know a single person. For the Tall Tour event, I commented on the post, mentioned that I was attending solo, and asked if anyone else wanted to meet up. I was shocked by how many people responded.

We chatted, met up at the event, and had such a fun time that it stopped feeling like a “solo” outing pretty quickly. I met so many amazing women and even stayed connected with a few of them afterward. That’s the beauty of interest-based events: the social part just kind of takes care of itself.

Stay Connected With an eSim (Airalo App)

One last tip that makes solo travel feel way less intimidating: download the Airalo app.

Airalo is an eSIM that lets you use your phone abroad without swapping SIM cards or paying expensive roaming fees. You just install the eSIM for the country or region you’re visiting, buy a data plan, and you’re online within minutes. No hunting for kiosks, no airport SIM drama, no surprise phone bills later.

With Airalo, you can call, text, send voice notes, look up maps, translate menus, and share photos with friends and family, all without relying on Wi-Fi. For solo travelers, that level of access makes a huge difference.

Staying connected gives you peace of mind, especially when you’re exploring alone in a new city. Whether you’re checking in with loved ones, sharing your day, or just pulling up Google Maps because you took a wrong turn (we’ve all been there), having reliable data makes the experience feel safer, smoother, and way less stressful.

I use Airalo on my solo trips so I’m never fully disconnected, even when wandering new neighborhoods by myself. I recommend it because it’s easy to set up, affordable, and works in multiple countries, so it’s perfect for trips that hop between borders.

Get $3 off your first Airalo eSIM
Use my referral code KHADIJ4810 at checkout!

Traveling solo doesn’t mean being alone; it means choosing experiences that feel right for you.
If this post helped you feel more confident, save it for later and check out my other solo travel guides below.