How to Make Friends While Traveling Solo

It can get lonely traveling solo.

You’re in a different place where you know nobody, and while it’s exhilarating to explore by yourself, it’s human nature to want a friend to share or experience it with. I learned this the hard way on my first-ever solo trip to Italy, where I learned I could not go more than three days without socializing. I felt so isolated and lonely; the last few days of my trip, I just really wanted to go home.

Luckily, you live, and you learn, and after numerous solo trips, I’ve figured out plenty of ways to make friends while traveling solo! Here are the top 10 ways you can make friends while traveling solo:

The 10 Best Ways to Make Friends Traveling Solo

1. Book a Tour
2. Go on a walking tour or day tour
3. Book experiences
4. Meet up with online friends
5. Meet friends of friends
6. Join online communities
7. Strike conversations with local people
8. Stay in hostels/sharehouses
9. Enroll in a class
10. Volunteer

Book a Tour

This is a fantastic way to make new friends, especially if you are staying in private accommodation. Multi-day tours force you to bond with people (haha), and by the end, you won’t want to leave! Demographically, most people who book multi-day tours skew older, but don’t be put off! It’s great to meet older people with more wisdom to impart to the younger generation.

How: You can book most tours through TripAdvisor or Viator. You can also book some from your accommodation or visit the local tourist information center.

Go on a Walking or Day Tour

Day tours are another way to make friends. Many solo travelers book day tours, especially to places you can’t reach without driving. I’ve met many other solo travelers on a day tour that became new friends afterward. This is my favorite way to meet new people! Chances are, you and your new friend will be in the area for overlapping periods, and you’ll get to spend more time together.

How: Same with the multi-day tours. You can also book through Airbnb Experiences.

Book Experiences

Book an activity that you’re interested in! For example, you can take a cooking class, book a photographer, or go on a bar crawl. When you go on this experience, you’ll have a common interest with the people you meet, and most of the time, everyone in that experience also wants to make new friends.

How: Airbnb Experiences is the best way to find experiences available in your area. You can also do a quick Google search of a specific activity you want to do.

Meet up with Online Friends

This is an excellent option if you are active on social media, specifically if you have an account or page dedicated to a specific interest like art, cafes, food, etc. If you have a page like this, you’ll meet other people who have similar accounts globally. This is an excellent network of new people to meet while you travel. Even better, if you’ve communicated with this person before, you already know what they’re like! It’s exciting meeting your online friends in real life!

How: Make an Instagram/Twitter account about your interest, create content, and connect with similar-interested people! Reach out to them if you’re in their area to meet up.

Meet Friends of Friends

If you know anyone with family or friends in the places you are going to, ask them to introduce you! 99% of the time, people are happy to put you in touch with people they know. It’s great to meet a friend of a friend and a low-stakes way to meet new people.

How: Ask friends or family members if they know anyone in the city you are traveling to.

Join Online Communities

Facebook groups, Meetup, Bumble BFF, etc. are all great platforms to join to meet people in a specific city or with a specific interest. You can filter by location, age, and any other qualities you’d want in the people you meet. Bumble BFF is individual, whereas the latter two are group-based, but it’s another way to meet another person.

How: Select the platform you are interested in, make an account, and select preferences.

Strike Conversations with Locals

This tip requires some social awareness and maneuvering, which can lead to new friendships! For example, befriending a small business owner you frequent, the manager of a restaurant you like, the barista at your local cafe, the librarian, etc. If you go to a location often, the workers or other patrons will recognize you and be keener to meet you.

How: This is situational. But putting yourself in communal spaces or areas you regularly visit is a good start.

Stay in Hostels/Sharehouses

Everyone says this is the best way to make new friends, but I haven’t stayed in hostels alone (I was on a multi-day tour) to experience this. However, it makes sense you’d meet new people easily this way. It’s a bit of a gamble depending on who you get put into a dorm with, but most likely, you’ll meet at least one person you like. Hostels also have some excursions available to go on and/or will have a bar or party area people use.

How: Hostelworld is the largest hostel booking platform. You can also search for hostels on Google and/or Airbnb.

Enroll in a Class

Enroll in a group class! This can be academic or for a hobby, like a latte art class or learning a new language. You’ll meet new people and struggle or experience the class together. You’ll most likely see them again if it’s a recurring class, and if it’s a single session, you can ask them to hang out afterward or later in the week.

How: Figure out what universities or schools are nearby your location, and either go in person or browse the classes online. You can also google classes for specific activities, or if you walk around, there are flyers on bulletin boards or street poles and trees. Again, Airbnb Experiences is another great way to find group classes.

Volunteer

Like animals or nature? Sign up at a local animal shelter or beach clean-up! You can find volunteer opportunities online, and it’s a super easy way to meet people. This is an idea you consider if you’re in a location for an extended period as if you’re on vacation, you probably want to spend your time doing something else. But it’s a method to consider!

How: Google volunteering + the location you are at, and each city or area usually has its own volunteering website you can browse.

Make New Friends Easily

On your next solo trip, implement some of these strategies to meet new people, like booking a tour or taking a class. I wish I had known some of these methods before my first solo trip, but you live and learn. Wishing you the best on your solo trip!