10 Great Destinations for US Solo Travelers

Cancun and the northeast coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula offer solo travelers spectacular sights and places to visit. Foremost, beachgoers are in for a treat with Cancun’s long golden-sand shores like Zona Hotelera’s Playa Delfines. If you’re a diver, a dive trip to discover the mesmerizing sunken sculptures of MUSA – the Underwater Museum of Art – is not to be missed.

Traveling alone to Cancun is a great way to make new local friends and even fellow solo travelers. You can even brush up on some Spanish and put your bargaining skills to the test as you browse through local markets such as Cancun’s Green Market. Want to escape the crowds and the Hotel Zone altogether? The surrounding area treats you to national parks with amazing caves, underwater rivers, and lush jungle to explore. Read more…

Fort Lauderdale, particularly the downtown area, treats singles and solo travelers to trendy and fun-filled neighborhood scenes. The city’s nightlife is more affordable than Miami’s, and the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District as well as the many nightclubs around town offer great pleasures, whether you wish to explore on your own or meet new friends.

With all the time on your hands, you can visit some of the city’s historical sites and take in their past charms at your own pace. The Historic Stranahan House is where you can learn about Fort Lauderdale’s oldest home. You can admire Latin-American artworks within the galleries at NSU Art Museum or browse through fascinating preserved classic automobiles at the Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum. Read more…

San Diego with its pleasant year-round weather is a great destination for solo travel. Visiting the Californian seaside city on your own treats you to wonderful beaches and seascapes as well as exciting nature hikes. There are also numerous galleries and museums where you can admire art and catch up on some history.

Down on the coast, the deep harbor with its large active naval fleet and the USS Midway military ship-museum will truly inspire. In town, the vast Balboa Park is home to many different attractions to see at your own pace. Join a hop-on, hop-off guided bus tour or attend a lecture at the University of California, San Diego just for the experience! Looking for a fun way to make new friends? Join a San Diego Pub Crawl to bond with like-minded travelers over a couple of beers. Read more…

Gatlinburg is where you can travel solo to take in the gorgeous scenery and breathe in the fresh mountain air, all at your own pace. For the great outdoors, hike the National Park or drive along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and discover cool spots like The Place of a Thousand Drips with its several narrow falls deep within a forest.

In town, it’s all fun with must-dos such as getting high views from the top of the 407-ft Space Needle observation tower. For some laughs, you can opt to see a show at the various cowboy-themed theatres in town, sometimes with good old western meals included. As for accommodation, Gatlinburg and around the Smokies feature great cabin rentals where you can truly get a sense of getting away from it all. Read more…

Portland is a great destination for hip solo travelers looking for relaxed scenes and green spaces. The city features wonderful scenery with cool biking paths along the Columbia and Willamette rivers, and with Mount Hood serving as its backdrop. The ocean is only an hour’s drive west while the mountains are within an hour’s journey east.

Traveling on your lonesome through the city streets, particularly Portland’s Distillery Row between the Industrial District and Slabtown District, is a pleasant experience. It has plenty of local breweries where you can join a tour and taste unique brews like black beers or organic IPAs. Admire art and history at cool spots such as Portland Art Museum, the Oregon Historical Society, and Pittock Mansion. Read more…

Yellowstone National Park is a great trip for solo traveling, especially if you love grand natural scenery to complement your sense of solitude. The Old Faithful Geyser and Grand Prismatic Spring are some of the most popular sights in the park, but there are many other ways to truly escape the selfie-stick-touting crowds.

Even better, you can plan a solo camping adventure in neighboring communities and lush forests just outside the park grounds. You may want to opt for a stay in Cody or any of the other towns near the East Entrance of Yellowstone. The Grand Teton National Park, just south of Yellowstone, has fewer visitors if you prefer a quieter retreat. Read more…

Niagara Falls may be a top destination for honeymooners and families, but the trip to see this natural wonder is just as good for those traveling solo. The grand waterfalls are visible in all their glory, day or night – it’s colorfully illuminated as the sun goes down.

Besides the iconic natural landmark, you can go on a scenic drive through the region or put your legs to work by hitting the hiking trails and exploring more of what the area has to offer. After your day of exploration, admire art at the Castellani Art Museum before unwinding with a soothing massage and a glass of wine. You can also catch up on some history at Old Fort Niagara, the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, and the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum.

Summit County in Colorado is home to 4 world-class ski resorts and great alpine scenery. Of course, it’s a bucket-list winter destination for those with a penchant for adventure, especially singles looking to conquer the ski runs of Arapahoe Basin, Breck, Keystone, and Copper Mountain – or pros who are game enough to try heli-skiing.

Even if you’re a novice, taking a skiing lesson is all fun. You can meet fellow beginners from all over the world. Summit County features plenty of cozy inns and other lodging options in main towns such as Breckenridge. You can also make use of free bus services to take you to Frisco, Silverthorne, and Keystone, among others.

Sedona is a dreamy destination for solo travelers, complemented by its otherworldly red rock landscapes. It has great year-round weather to take it all in and those looking for soul-searching and quiet reflections are treated very well with its collection of sacred and mystic sites, such as Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon.

Sedona isn’t just all about catering to pursuits of spiritual wellness, amazing hiking trails, and the great outdoors. Back in town, you can find a vibrant arts scene on a pleasant stroll through Uptown Sedona with its wonderful galleries. Check out the Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village to purchase various one-of-a-kind art pieces. Read more…

San Antonio, just like anywhere in Texas, is known for its far-and-wide spaces and vast desert countryside – some of the most scenic in the state. Even so, within the vibrant city itself, you’ll find plenty of historical sights to explore, such as impressive Spanish colonial missions and the unmissable Alamo.

As a solo traveler with no strings attached and with plenty of time on your hands, you can freely enjoy San Antonio's eclectic offerings. Go on a culinary journey and discover the different flavors that make up its food scene. Ride a hop-on, hop-off bus for a tour of San Antonio’s top sights. The city is also home to amazing distilleries where you can easily ‘get into the spirits of San Antonio’ and learn about the local brewing scene. Read more…