Solo travel for introverts: how to make the most out of your trip

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Solo travel for introverts can be daunting. But the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realised that introversion is actually kind of a superpower in its own way. I’ve learnt to appreciate the good qualities that come with it; by nature most introverts are deep thinkers, creative, reflective, observant and introspective. We need solitude to recharge our batteries, but also to refocus on the important relationship we have with ourselves and the wider world. 

I personally believe solo travel is uniquely well-suited to introverts. I love my alone time, and have solo travelled on-and-off for 4 years. I’ve found that it offers me a unique opportunity to tune out the constant distractions of a noisy world and immerse myself in a new destination, taking in all the sights, smells and sounds at my own pace. 

It’s truly liberating to not have to juggle someone else’s needs or desires on top of my own. To get to be completely selfish with my time. I have full freedom to set my own schedule, whether that means a busy day sightseeing or spending a whole morning journalling in a cafe. It gives me the ability to recharge in solitude, while still having meaningful interactions with others if I want to.

The best thing about taking a solo trip is that it gets to be all about you. You decide where you go, how to spend your time, what food you eat and where to stay. It can be anything you want it to be, no compromise necessary, and the freedom is wonderful. 

So, if you’re a fellow solo travelling introvert like me, here are a few tips for making the most out of your trip and having an incredible time. 

Solo travel can be stressful and overwhelming, especially if you’re working on a tight timeline. I recommend giving yourself enough time in each place you’re visiting to explore it at a leisurely pace. 

I know this might be a hard sell if you have limited time off and a serious case of FOMO like me, but having a good experience visiting one city is better than burning yourself out trying to visit three and not having adequate time to see everything you want to. 

Build downtime into your schedule and give yourself at least a morning or afternoon off with no plans. Travel isn’t just about rushing around between different tourist attractions, it’s also about allowing yourself the time and space to take in the atmosphere of a place and experience the culture of it. 

I personally love to journal in cafes and write stream-of-conscious type diary entires or poems trying the capture the essence of the place I’m in. It’s a nice chill activity to do in public that allows me to be around people without interacting with them, while exploring the depths of my own inner world and how it connects to my current environment.

Perhaps for you, that activity is sketching, knitting, photography or something else. Whatever your form of creative expression is, make time for it during your trip. It’s a great opportunity to recharge your energy, strengthen your relationship with yourself, and reflect on your personal experience of a place in a deeper way. 

I quite enjoy staying in hostels, at least for short periods of time. Though they have a reputation for not being introvert-friendly, I definitely think you can enjoy the experience with proper research. 

Firstly, most hostels offer private rooms. They are usually more expensive than staying in a hotel of the same quality would be, but it means you’d get to have your own personal space with access to the hostel social life if you want it. 

Alternatively if you are planning to stay in dorms to save money, I recommend choosing dorms with less people (4 – 6 people), and opting for female-only dorms if you’re a woman and the hostel offers that option. 

I suggest doing your research before booking the hostel to see what the vibe of the place is: is it a party hostel? A more chill place for backpackers? Cheap and cheerful, or on the luxury end? Checking the reviews on booking.com or Hostelworld should give you an idea of this. Party hostels also generally try to make this obvious on their websites, to attract the kind of people who want to party. 

Staying in hostels makes socialising very easy. There are almost endless opportunities to meet new people, make friends, join group trips and take part in fun activities if you want to. If you’re worried about getting lonely as a solo traveler, hostels can be amazing hubs of social activity. Just remember that you are allowed to set boundaries and retreat back to the privacy of your bed if you want to, or spend the day by yourself instead of with your new hostel friends. 

Another way to meet new people while travelling is to join group tours. There are so many day trips, workshops, and activities you can book online through sites such as a Get Your Guide, Klook, or Viator, which are my top three favourites.

These group tours are great ways to see places that would otherwise be very difficult to reach by public transport, and a natural way to make new friends with others in the group. Plus there’s a built in end-point to the day, so you know that at the end of it you can go back to your hotel room or accommodation to recharge.

Most cities also offer free walking tours that are a great way to explore, learn about the history of a new place from a local, and make new friends along the way. 

One of the best things about being an introvert is that I love my alone time and savour it. Taking myself out on a solo date feels like self-care.

It’s tempting when you’re solo travelling to overly focus on meeting new people and tagging along with them. Sometimes the fear of loneliness is actually worse than the loneliness itself. So here’s to embracing the loneliness. Celebrating it. Making friends with it. 

Remind yourself of all the reasons you wanted to travel solo in the first place, and all the positive things about doing it alone. Sometimes we just need a reminder that being alone doesn’t actually equal loneliness, and that falling in love with our company is also pretty magical. 

After years of travelling solo around the world, I decided to try joining a group trip through G-adventures this summer to the Galapagos islands. 

It was an easy way to experience the best of the Galapagos without having to plan all the logistics myself, and I really wanted to meet new friends on the trip. I do love my own company, but sometimes it’s also nice to feel part of a group. 

I had an amazing experience with G-adventures and can’t recommend them enough. Our group was small, tight-knit and mostly solo travellers. Our fantastic tour guide did an amazing job of looking after us. It took away a lot of the planning stress that had intimidated me, and made the trip very memorable.

It was quite tiring and after seven days of being around people constantly I was very happy to be back on my own again, but if the prospect of travelling solo scares you, this might be a nice way to overcome that barrier to entry. 

What things have you found help you to solo travel as an introvert? Let me know in the comments!