The best destinations to travel solo in 2025 — from Sri Lanka to Romania

A feeling of utter thrill hits hard whenever I’m boarding a plane, train or bus, solo — and even more so when I’m en route to a country I’ve never visited before. Fortuitous moments and curious landmarks await around every corner, and every sight and sound is exciting and intoxicating.

I’ve been seeking out solo travel experiences for over 20 years now, and I’m not alone in my love for them. According to a global travel report by American Express, 69 per cent of people surveyed plan to take a solo trip this year, with millennials and Gen-Z making up the majority. Moreover Virtuoso’s recent trends report reveals solo female travel has seen significant growth, with women now making up 71 per cent of solo travellers.

What I’ve learnt in two decades of taking solo trips is that many countries suit the lone traveller well, but there are a special few that are more accessible and enchanting than others. Where it’s easier to travel around by public transport, feels safer and is more affordable for those going it alone. Not to mention, I had ample opportunity to meet others who were also solo adventurers.

Whereas for example, while I adored travelling through central and Northern India with a male companion, when it came to returning solo, the two-month experience was much harder, tiring and more stressful since there were many more considerations to allow for in regard to unwanted attention and safety. Similarly the USA, with its colossal size and high cost of living, isn’t an ideal solo travel destination — I won’t be returning in a hurry — and even more so considering the results of the latest presidential election.

However, with such an array of beautiful experiences to be had, and countries to visit, it can be hard to whittle down the options. So if you’re considering a trip alone this year, these are my standout destinations for 2025, for every type of traveller — plus where to stay on all budgets.

Best for adventurers: Bolivia

Since the Bicentennial of Bolivia is set to take place on 6 August, the country will be celebrating for much of 2025, making this year the ideal time to visit. While I don’t recommend landlocked Bolivia for novice solo travellers (there are no direct flights from the UK and bus journeys are hair-raising) it’s the ideal place for adventurers. Especially since more and more travellers are now “prioritising curiosity and exploration over trip to-do lists,” says Virtuoso.

With its cactus-strewn desert plains in the south, steamy Amazon jungle to the east, and psychedelic-coloured lakes and mind-blowing salt flats, you could spend months exploring. If time is limited however, standout places include Sucre, a beautiful city with photogenic colonial architecture; Potosi, the highest city in the world; and Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. La Paz also makes a great stop-off since it’s home to plenty of good places to eat and drink, a very interesting witches’ market and the prison that featured in the book Marching Powder.

Bed down on a budget: Bedrooms at Mi Pueblo Samary, Sucre from £67 per night on a B&B basis. mipueblosamaryboutique.com-hotel.com

Worth the splurge: Bedrooms at Atix Hotel, La Paz from £126 per night on a B&B basis. atixhotel.com

Best for foodies: Canada

Love to eat? A dual-city sojourn taking in Toronto and Montréal will impress daily since both places feature an abundance of solo-friendly restaurants and cafes, wide boulevards and brilliant museums and galleries. And this year sees Virgin Atlantic launch its first Canadian route in a decade, with daily flights between London and Toronto Pearson International Airport running from 30 March.

After landing, start by spending a few days exploring the safe city of Toronto, making time to stop at Ramen Isshin on College Street for Black Tan Tan Noodles, One Zo for mind-blowing Dirty Black Lattes, The Drake hotel for a caesar (Canada’s version of a Bloody Mary), and not forgetting the city’s famous BeaverTails — a fried dough snack best enjoyed hot with cinnamon sugar.

Then hop over to friendly and walkable Montréal — a one hour and 30 minute flight away — where the rest of your trip can be spent lingering over long brunches (I recommend Larry’s and Arts Cafe in hip Mile End) before taking in the sweeping views from the top of Mount Royal and discovering impressive street art from famed artists Bryan Lanier (Mister X Ray) and David ‘Meggs’ Hook.

Bed down on a budget: For beautifully designed one-bedroom lofts in Montreal, check out Airbnb, from £51 per night. airbnb.co.uk

Worth the splurge: Bedrooms at The Drake, Toronto from £162 a night on a B&B basis. thedrake.ca

Best for Instagrammable snaps: Türkiye

You could spend an entire month in the glorious metropolis of Istanbul alone, but it’s worth planning a more varied Turkish adventure if you can spare the time. After a lively jaunt getting to grips with Istanbul’s cool cafes, fun street art and ancient hammams in the trendy Cihangir neighbourhood, Bodrum’s pine tree backed beaches beckon thanks to Maxx Royal Bodrum, one of the most talked about hotels of 2024.

Now the buzz has abated slightly, it’s the ideal time to drop by for a night or two of utter relaxation after a jam-packed few days of sightseeing in Istanbul. Then make a beeline for Türkiye’s most Instagrammable spot, Cappadocia, where ancient cities and awe-inspiring hot air balloon rides await.

Bed down on a budget: One bedroom apartments at Homie Suites, Cihangir, Istanbul start from £110 per night. homiesuites.com

Worth the splurge: Bedrooms at Maxx Royal Bodrum start from £622 a night on a B&B basis. maxxroyal.com

Best for ancient temples and inspiring wildlife: Sri Lanka

For such a small island, Sri Lanka’s landscapes are vast and varied. It is even possible to spot wild Asian elephants and humpback whales in a single day, if you’re lucky.

But it’s not just wildlife that impresses on this magical tear-drop shaped isle. Little-visited ancient temples, monolithic hand-carved Buddha statues and fascinating archaeological sites dot lush empty landscapes, while Sri Lanka’s diminutive size ensures solo travellers can experience a lot in just a couple of weeks. For years, Sri Lanka grappled with crisis after crisis that did much to swerve solo travellers away from the country, but 2025 is set to be the year solo tourism really takes off.

To get to grips with the country fast, head to the Cave Temples at Dambulla and climb the incredible rock fortress of Sigiriya, before spending a day strolling around the ancient and evocative city of Polonaruwa. After taking a quick pause in Ella to visit the majestic Nine Arch Bridge, head down to Yala National Park for leopard, sloth bear and elephant spotting. Round off the trip of a lifetime by taking the coastal road towards Galle, pausing for a few nights in one of the country’s south coast towns for a spot of surfing (I like Madiha), and end in the mysterious townlet of Galle Fort where hotchpotch architecture and stories of shipwrecks swirl around town.

Bed down on a budget: Bedrooms at Sandbank, Madiha start from £38 per night on a B&B basis. booking.com

Worth the splurge: Bedrooms at Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Yala start from £537 per night on an all-inclusive basis. resplendentceylon.com

Best for arty types and creatives: Poland

Warsaw and Wrocław may be the first cities that spring to mind when planning a Polish getaway, but for a solo break with a creative edge, I like to head to Kraków and Łódź, the latter fast becoming one of my favourite European cities due to its abundance of street art — including designs by the renowned Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra, and the famed Spanish artist Aryz.

I’m not the only solo traveller to adore the curious, industrial hub. The film director David Lynch visits often, describing the place as having “beautiful winter light” and “low-hanging grey clouds”.

Both cities evoke an air of calm, especially in winter, with Kraków playing host to the ethereal UNESCO-protected Wieliczka and Bochnia salt mines where beautiful, yet eerie chambers have been carved by hand. And Łódź — a two and a half hour train ride away — boasts an incredible modern art gallery (MS1), over 35 street art murals, paintings, and neon light installations spread throughout the city, as well as a stunning mirrored mosaic passageway called Pasaż Róży (Róża's Passage).

Bed down on a budget: Book Apartement Piotrkowska from £51 per night. airbnb.com

Worth the splurge: Bedrooms at The Bonerowski Palace Hotel, Kraków, start from £137 per night on a B&B basis. palacbonerowski.pl

Best for making friends: Cuba

Aside from the country’s machismo attitude and a fair bit of catcalling (which is best ignored) Cuba is an amazing place for solo travel on account of the abundance of Casa Particulars (family homes open for travellers) and fellow adventurers you can meet along the way.

During my three weeks in the country, it was easy to mingle; I hitchhiked a ride with two German girls from Viñales Valley to Havana, dined with a woman from Montreal at elegant restaurant La Guarida and hit Fábrica de Arte Cubano (a cultural centre in a converted factory) with a British guy in his 70s. Two-to-three weeks is the ideal amount of time to explore, but if you can spare more there’s plenty to see and do.

The capital, Havana, provides a photogenic backdrop wherever you roam with colourful, crumbling mansions, as well as a burgeoning culinary scene and fascinating Finca Vigía — Ernest Hemingway’s Cuban home, left exactly as it was when he lived there. While, the country’s south coast beaches are something close to paradise, make a base in Trinidad, hire a bicycle and let the good times roll with plenty of cancháncharas (a specialty cocktail made with rum, honey, lime and ice served in a small round terracotta cup).

Bed down on a budget: Bedrooms at Blue Media Luna, Trinidad from £20 per night on a B&B basis. casaparticularcuba.org

Worth the splurge: Bedrooms at Hotel Sevilla, Havana from £136 per night on a B&B basis. melia.com/en

Best for captivating hikes and sloth sightings: Costa Rica

From the Waldorf Astoria Punta Cacique, to Ritz Carlton’s Nekajui, to Six Senses’ first Central American outpost, 2025 will see the arrival of a slew of ultra luxe hotels in 2025. And whether you're on a homestay or 5-star budget, it's proof that tourism to the tropical jungle-festooned country is only on the rise. So now is the time to go, before it gets too overcrowded.

For a seamless solo trip filled with epic hiking opportunities and plenty of sloth spotting, I’d recommend swerving the touristy areas around northwestern Costa Rica. Split your time between Monteverde, for epic hikes surrounded by ancient cloud forest which teems with over 2,500 plant species and endless hummingbirds; Puerto Viejo for national parks, flawless beaches and plenty of sloth spotting; and spend a couple of nights in San Jose, for vibrant city life, markets and museums.

Bed down on a budget: For one-bedroom lofts with stunning views in San Jose, check out Airbnb, from £44 per night. airbnb.co.uk

Worth the splurge: Bedrooms at Hotel Aguas Claras, Puerto Viejo from £463 per night on a B&B basis. hotelaguasclaras.com

Best for a budget break: Romania

With flights from London to various Romanian cities costing as little as £33 return, and cool Airbnb listings starting from £28 a night, Romania makes a sound choice for a solo jaunt, year-round.

Timisoara and Cluj-Napoca are two seriously underrated cities and it’s worth checking out one, or both, when holidaying on a budget. Often called ‘little Vienna’ Timisoara is filled with grand, pastel-hued baroque buildings and cobblestone plazas as well as a great selection of very reasonable restaurants where booking is rarely required — try Casa Bunicii, Restaurant Merlot and Biofresh for delicious hearty dishes. Cluj-Napoca, on the other hand, is equally pretty, with the Gothic-style St. Michael's Church dominating the main square.

Transylvania's unofficial capital is made up of plenty of parks to get lost in, a fun botanical garden to explore, and lots of quaint places to eat. What’s more, a filling main course will rarely exceed £10. And if you want a little more excitement, Bran Castle, otherwise known as the home of Dracula, is worth a day trip, especially in winter when a blanket of snow makes the place utterly magical in appearance.

Bed down on a budget: One-bedroom appartments in Cluj-Napoca start from £28 per night. airbnb.co.uk

Worth the splurge: Bedrooms at Hotel Timisoara, Timișoara, start from £82 per night on a B&B basis. hoteltimisoara.ro

Best for culture: Mexico

As the beating heart of the country, Mexico City is as addictive as it is fascinating, and the ideal place to start a life-affirming Mexican adventure. Beginning at the colossal National Museum of Anthropology where a treasure trove of Mexican artefacts spanning over 1000 years await, it’s worth dedicating an entire day to brushing up on Olmec and Aztec civilisations at this world-class museum. Then head out to the ancient Pyramids of Teotihuacán, around an hour outside of the city, for a stroll along the Avenue of the Dead and to climb the Pyramid of the Sun — a humbling experience to say the least. Frida Kahlo’s home and studio, Casa Azul, should also be on your to-see list, whether you like her work or not. She was a true Mexican icon, and to see the place she lived and worked in is truly inspiring.

Continuing the arty theme, hop on a bus to the enchanting town of San Miguel de Allende, a creative, now over-touristed enclave that overflows with brilliantly bright murals created by local Mexican artists. The brilliant book, On Mexican Time, by Tony Cohen was set here, way back before it became a tourist hotspot, and reading the book in situ will make you long for his days in the town. When solitude calls, venture out into nopal cacti and agave plant studded countryside to reflect on the majesty of Mexico’s history in Casa Etérea, an incredible mirrored cabin situated on the slopes of an extinct volcano.

Bed down on a budget: Bedrooms at El Patio 77, Mexico City, start from £80 per night on a B&B basis. elpatio77.com

Worth the splurge: Casa Etérea starts from £307 per night with a minimum two-night stay. casaeterea.com