With a 2019 global travel survey indicating that 76 per cent of us have travelled alone (or are considering it), travelling solo is no longer out ofthe ordinary.
From wanting to meet new people to feeling safer with a local guide, many solo travellers prefer to join group tours, which are especially beneficial when visiting regions that are challenging to travel through due to geographic, cultural or language barriers (or all of the above).
Whether it’s joining a cycling tour through the Baltic countryside or exploring one of Asia’s least-visited nations, these group tours will show you there are still plenty of places across the globe that don’t see huge tourist numbers.
In 2019, almost 32 million people visited Japan, with Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka among the most popular cities for tourists. If you’re keen to see a quieter side of Japan but are unsure about how to make it happen by yourself, join a G Adventures Back Roads of Japan trip. You’ll get to explore the big cities, but you’ll also spend plenty of time in less-visited pockets that receive only a trickle of tourists. A two-night homestay in the historic, coastal city of Hagi is a real highlight. Located in the Yamaguchi Prefecture, Hagi is slightly tricky to get to (you’ll catch a few trains and a bus to get there) but once you’ve arrived you’ll be able to blissfully ride a bike by the sea, wander the atmospheric streets of the Edo period Castle Town and enjoy home-cooked meals with your hosts by night. Unlike the more well-known tourist hotspots in Japan, you won’t see many foreigners in Hagi, so it’s a great place to experience authentic Japanese culture, cuisine and – perhaps most importantly – community, without having to fight crowds or line up in queues.
11 days, Tokyo to Kyoto. Maximum group size 15. Flights additional.
To experience a quieter side of Japan, join a G Adventures Back Roads of Japan trip.
Photo / G Adventures
Join a women’s trekking trip through Morocco
Hiking in far-flung destinations can be a little tricky for solo female travellers, but don’t let that put you off the idea altogether. Be a part of something special by signing up to take part in Intrepid Travel’s Women’s Expedition to Morocco. On this eight-day trip you’ll trade the hectic streets of Marrakech for the fresh mountain air of the M’Goun Valley. Joining a small group of women, you’ll spend your days hiking with the region’s first local female guide. You’ll also get to see how the women of the valley are making a living from rug-weaving and playing music. If you want to completely immerse yourself in a different culture while making connections with like-minded travellers, this trip is a winner.
8 days, from Marrakech. Maximum group size 12. Flights additional.
Take part in Intrepid Travel’s eight-day Women’s Expedition to Morocco. Photo / Intrepid Travel
Swap resort life for sea-kayaking in Fiji
There’s much more to Fiji than five-star suites and overwater bungalows. A Yasawa Islands Sea Kayaking trip with World Expeditions will take you away from the resorts deep into the wild blue yonder for seven days of active adventures on the water. You’ll spend up to four hours of each day sea kayaking past caves, lagoons, fringing reefs, and tiny tropical islands. You’ll also get to enjoy plenty of time to snorkel and kick back on the beach too. After dark, you’ll camp on remote islands where you’ll be treated to hospitality from local villagers (kava party, anyone?) and lots of nourishing food to fuel your paddling muscles. If you’re fit and love the idea of sea kayaking in the South Pacific but don’t have any travel buddies to do it with, this is the group trip for you.
7 days, from Nadi. Maximum group size 16. Flights additional.
Get a taste of Timor-Leste
If you want to see a part of Asia that receives a fraction of tourists (in comparison to the likes of Bali and Thailand) then Intrepid Travel’s Timor-Leste Expedition has your name written all over it. Over nine days you and your small group will delve into this tiny nation with a population of about 1.3 million people. From meeting farmers at coffee plantations to summiting Timor-Leste’s highest mountain and snorkelling the biodiverse reefs around Atauro Island, this trip will show you a part of the globe very few tourists have seen.
9 days, from Dili. Maximum group size 12. Flights additional.
To see a part of Asia that receives fewer tourists, try Intrepid Travel’s Timor-Leste Expedition. Photo / Intrepid Travel
Adventure through the Balkans
Want to see a corner of Europe without the crowds? Trafalgar’s 14-day Balkan Adventure is just the ticket. Starting in Romania, you’ll travel through Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, before finishing your adventure in Serbia. From admiring the technicolour-painted buildings of Albania’s capital to sitting down to share wine, food and stories with a local family in Macedonia, this trip will both deepen your knowledge of the Balkans and boost your appreciation for the joy of travel. On this trip, you can choose to pay a single supplement to have your own space or be matched up with another traveller of the same gender to share a room to lower your costs.
14 days, Bucharest to Belgrade. Average groups size is 40-45 guests. Flights additional.
Try a coastal walk bookmarked by lighthouses
You might have heard of the Larapinta Trail and the Overland Track, but beyond the blockbuster walks there are plenty of other incredible trails worth exploring across Australia. Life’s An Adventure’s Light to Light Walk involves four days of travelling on foot along New South Wales’ stunning Sapphire Coast from one historic lighthouse to another. Sure, you could go it alone but joining a pack-free, guided hike means you can leave the logistics to the professionals and enjoy a proper break. You’ll also have an instant crew to exchange stories with as you make your way through paperbark forest and coastal banksia woodlands, past rocky outcrops that flank the deep blue sea. A world away from the bright lights of Sydney, the south coast is a real breath of fresh air. Transfers, accommodation, national park fees, a wildlife cruise, snacks and all meals (including dinners with local wines) are all covered on this trip, with a single supplement paid by solo walkers who prefer to have their own room to relax in after dark.
4 days, from Eden. Maximum group size 10. Flights additional.
There are incredible trails worth exploring across Australia, including Life’s An Adventure’s Light to Light Walk. Photo / Supplied
Bike around the beautiful Baltic region
Having trouble roping in your mates to go cycling in Europe with you? Book a spot on a UTracks Treasures of the Baltic by Bike tour to cycle through postcard-worthy landscapes with an experienced guide. On this active trip through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, you’ll cycle along routes that take in the picturesque Baltic coastline as well as forested national parks, scenic valleys and pretty villages where life is lived at a slow pace. As it’s a Grade Two trip you’ll need to be reasonably fit and confident on a bike, but by no means a road cycling veteran. Expect to pedal up some slight inclines here and there, but nothing like the Tour De France’s mountain stages.
