Crafting Your Perfect Solo Travel Itinerary: 5 Tips for Better Experiences
As daunting as the idea of solo travel may seem, this post is your compass for crafting the perfect itinerary for your next adventure. Embarking on solo trips is an opportunity to explore the world on your own terms and make the most of the time you have.
1. Define Your Travel Goals and Interests.
Before you do any sort of planning, take some time to think about your travel goals and interests. Do you have a bucket list or a few ideas of things you’ve always wanted to do? When I started traveling, that’s the list I referred to, and the more I travel, the more that list grows.
Think about what you hope to get from your trip and what activities or experiences align with what you love. For example, I love art, so I always prioritize trips to museums and/or galleries when I take a trip.
If you’re a Pinterest girly or you have boards and boards of saved content on TikTok and Instagram, refer to those to plan your trip. If you haven’t begun doing this, now is a great time to get used to adding things you see that look fun or interesting to those boards and considering them when you begin to make your final plans.
2. Research Your Destination.
I cannot stress the importance of research. I’ve heard people say they didn’t enjoy a destination, and then when they describe the activities they did, it makes sense why they didn’t have a good time. They didn’t truly research where they were going to find the most ideal activities.
Look at travel blogs, social media, guidebooks, and any resources you can find to discover activities that are specific to the destination you’re traveling to. Considering the local culture, attractions, and customs is one of the best ways to find unique activities. For example, when I went to Texas, it made perfect sense to go to a rodeo, and almost every time I’ve been to California, I’ve found a beautiful hiking trail or national park to see.
Do what makes sense for where you’re going. For most places, you can easily find must-visit landmarks just by googling, but over the years, I’ve also come to look for hidden gems that give me a one-of-a-kind experience.
3. Be Realistic with Time and Prioritize.
I sleep in every day at home, so when I travel, I am definitely the kind of person to get up early to make sure I get to experience everything I came for. Having said that, it’s still important to be mindful of the time you have, including travel time between activities and time for meals. It’s also important to think about how much energy you typically have and plan your trip around that.
When I plan my daily trip schedule, I usually have one main activity of the day and then I leave the rest of the day open for spontaneity and exploration. For example, in Guatemala, I knew I wanted to visit Lake Atitlán, which was almost three hours away from where I was staying. That’s nearly six hours of travel time for one day, so not only was that my sole activity for the day, but the next day I scheduled a less intensive activity like exploring the area near my hotel so I didn’t feel like I was “ripping and running” the entire trip.
Prioritize experiences that resonate with you, make sufficient time to immerse yourself in each activity, but then also schedule time for rest and simpler activities.
4. Embrace Solo-Friendly Activities and communities at your destination.
Solo travel is great for self-discovery, and I’ve learned so much about what I will do and try just by traveling by myself. There are so many activities that don’t necessarily require being in a group; for example, parasailing or snorkeling are equally as fun alone as they are in a group.
It’s also worth considering that the idea of being by yourself is less daunting if you think about the fact that you’ll typically meet people or end up in groups for most of the activities you’ll do like walking tours, workshops, or cooking classes. I have rarely been a group or met people that I didn’t enjoy conversing with or spending time with on my trips.
Solo travel doesn't mean you have to be alone all the time. You can join online forums, travel communities, or social media groups focused on solo travel and (safely) meet people wherever you’re going that can offer support, recommendations, and even lifelong friendship.
5. Plan for Downtime and Self-Care.
It’s definitely tempting to fill every moment of your itinerary with things to do, but self-care, relaxation, and downtime are just as important. Make time for spa treatments or walks on the beach or whatever makes you feel calm and brings you peace. There’s nothing worse than taking a trip and then returning home feeling like you never even had time off.
Typically when I plan my trips, I schedule all of the thrilling adventures and major activities early in the trip and by the end of the itinerary, the schedule tapers off to less intensive activities so I still leave the destination feeling refreshed.
Keep in mind that solo travel is an opportunity for self-discovery and creating lifelong memories. Building an itinerary is a great way to make sure you do everything you want to do while leaving room for your destination to surprise you.
