Just because you’re traveling solo doesn’t mean you need to go it alone. Guided group tours are a winner with solo travelers, offering ready-made companionship on the road. The shared adventure translates into easy camaraderie and friendships. It’s no wonder solo travel tours are one of the fastest growing sectors of guided group travel.
Even before your trip begins, your tour company takes care of tedious details, from hotel bookings to flight reservations, that would otherwise fall squarely on your shoulders. Once the trip starts, you’ll be escorted by expert guides who navigate airport transfers, meals and more. These capable hands free you up to relax and immerse in the sights, sounds and flavors of each destination.
Tour Companies That Really Deliver on Solo Travel Tours
We’ve rounded up 10 tour companies that go above and beyond to assure solo travelers feel like a part of the family. Some companies have specifically designed solo travel tours, others welcome single travelers on general itineraries, and some offer both. Many will pair singles with a roommate so you won’t pay a penny extra for traveling alone; others offer single rooms at a discounted rate.
There are solo trips to every corner of the globe, from the exotic to the tried-and-true. Whether you’re embarking on a safari in the Serengeti or seeing the iconic landmarks of Rome, the following tour companies put solo travelers front and center.
1. Trafalgar
Trafalgar has welcomed more than five million guests over the past 75 years, and operates over 300 itineraries across seven continents that range from culinary adventures to wildlife safaris.
Solo travelers represent a significant demographic of people traveling on the company’s tours. While Trafalgar doesn’t have specific tours for solo travelers, 61% of women on its women’s only tours are solo. Trafalgar offers the option to be matched with a roommate on nearly all itineraries or receive single room supplements at reduced rates. On select trips, solo travelers may even enjoy a single room upgrade for free.
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Sought-after destinations for solos include Italy, Portugal, and Egypt. Bonus: Trafalgar’s Africa vacations tap into the owner’s family roots in South Africa and benefit from strong relationships across the continent.
Tour directors have least three years of road experience, and many have been with the company for decades. One-of-a-kind travel experiences such as dining with locals and VIP entry to iconic sights sets Trafalgar apart.
Quick Facts about Guided Tours with Trafalgar
- Average Guided Tour Group Size: 40
- Price Range: Moderate
- What’s Included: Accommodations, daily breakfast, many meals, luxury coach transportation, Wi-Fi in most countries, airport transfers, and luggage handling
- What’s Not Included: Airfare
- Primary Audience: Adults over 50
- Destinations: All seven continents
- How to Book: Directly through Trafalgar; via Travelstride, Tourhub, or TourRadar, all which are tour specialist OTAs (online travel agents); or through a travel agent such as AAA
2. EF Go Ahead Tours
EF Go Ahead Tours offers tours to fit travelers of every stripe. It has group trips that are specifically solo travel tours to destinations including Peru, Portugal, Thailand, and Egypt. You’ll get your own room for no extra charge and all of your tour mates will be other solo travelers. EF Go Ahead organizes hotels, meals, activities, and local transportation. You’ll be accompanied by a local EF Tour Director who has extensive experience, gently guiding you every step of the way. The tour company partners with a range of local experts, enriching each stop along your journey.
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Once you’ve booked, download the free mobile app and connect with fellow travelers before departure. It also offers a Solo Travel Facebook group, providing access to an online community.
Quick Facts about Guided Tours with EF Go Ahead
- Average Guided Tour Group Size: Capped at 38 guests, and usually between 10-22 people
- Price Range: Moderate
- What’s Included: Guided tours, meals, accommodations, and transportation during the tour
- What’s Not Included: Airfare
- Primary Audience: Adults aged 35+ with a mix of solo, couple, and group travelers
- Destinations: 87 countries on all seven continents
- How to Book: Directly through EF Go Ahead or through a travel agent such as AAA
3. Abercrombie & Kent
Abercrombie & Kent’s luxury escorted tours hit the sweet spot with solo travelers, blending the experience of vacationing with like-minded travelers coupled with the privacy of retreating to their own accommodations at the end of each day.
A Resident Tour Director remains with the group throughout, and is assisted by specialized local guides, so participants are in good hands.
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Abercrombie & Kent’s website has a page dedicated to solo travelers, including special offers on single supplements, in some cases discounted by as much as 75%.
Safaris in East and Southern Africa are very popular. By definition, safaris are not a solitary experience; guests go on game drives together, drink sundowners around the campfire, and converse about the day’s wildlife sightings over dinner.
Quick Facts about Guided Tours with Abercrombie & Kent
- Average Guided Tour Group Size: 14
- Price Range: Upscale
- What’s Included: Inter-itinerary flights, accommodations, luggage transfers, meals, mid-journey laundry, activities, and expert guides
- What’s Not Included: Airfare, though a flight concierge is available 24/7 to assist with airline delays
- Primary Audience: Gen X to Boomers
- Destinations: More than 100 countries and on all 7 continents
- How to Book: Directly through Abercrombie & Kent; via Travelstride, a tour specialist OTA (online travel agent); or through a travel agent such as AAA
4. G Adventures
G Adventures win accolades with solo travelers. The company offers a range of small group itineraries to suit solo travelers, who are paired up with another traveler of the same sex for rooming purposes, or in their own room if they pay a single supplement.
G Adventures tends to attract likeminded participants, creating a good environment for solo travelers looking to meet new people. Trips support local businesses with a goal of helping communities to better sustain themselves, and participants often have a philanthropic lean in line with the company’s core values.
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Travelers under age 35 are drawn to the company’s new Roamies itineraries, immersive small group trips to iconic locations with overnights at some of the world’s finest hostels. Local Living tours allow travelers to participate in the rituals of daily life and see what life would be like if they resided in the destination. And its Jane Goodall wildlife-centric trips to places like Belize and Madagascar are particularly popular.
A large percentage of G Adventure guests are solo female travelers, gravitating to destinations such as Morocco, Costa Rica, Peru, and Jordan.
Quick Facts about Guided Tours with G Adventures
- Average Guided Tour Group Size: 12
- Price Range: Moderate
- What’s Included: Accommodations and some meals
- What’s Not Included: Airfare
- Primary Audience: Adults ages 30 -55
- Destinations: Over 750 trips in over 100 countries on all seven continents
- How to Book: Directly through G Adventures; via Travelstride, Tourhub, or TourRadar, all which are tour specialist OTAs (online travel agents); or through a travel agent such as AAA
5. Wild Frontiers
British-based Wild Frontiers is rooted in the philosophy that immersive travel is a force for bringing people together, breaking barriers, and dispelling myths as people from around the globe meet. Trips go off the beaten path to destinations such as Guatemala, Jordan, and Pakistan.
On the company’s small group tours, approximately 70% of participants are solo travelers. If you’re willing to share a room, it will match you with a fellow traveler of the same sex. If there’s no other single on your tour, you’ll get your own room without paying any supplement.
Tours are fully escorted with experienced guides who use their logistical expertise to troubleshoot the potential pitfalls and challenges of deep-dive, international travel. Hotels may not be the most expensive in town but they are the most characteristic and ooze sense of place. Meals focus on independently owned eateries serving authentic regional specialties.
Quick Facts about Guided Tours with Wild Frontiers
- Average guided tour group size: Between 9 and 12 clients
- What’s included: Prices includes all accommodations, meals, transport, and entrance fees
- What’s not included: Flights
- Primary audience: Solo and adventure travelers of all ages
- Destinations: Central Asia and the Far East, Europe and the Caucasus, India Subcontinent, Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Pacific, and Sub Saharan Africa
- How to Book: Directly through Wild Frontiers; via Tourhub, a tour specialist OTA (online travel agent); or through a travel agent such as AAA
6. Road Scholar
Not-for-profit Road Scholar is top option for solo seniors and boomers. Approximately 30% of participants are solo, with 85% identifying as female. Road Scholar trips tend to attract lifelong learners who are keen to plunge beneath the surface, so expect a robust exchange of ideas and plenty of stimulating conversations.
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Two amiable leaders ensure solo travelers feel included in the broader group. Leaders take care of logistics while local instructors add expertise on a broad range of topics along the way. Popular itineraries for solos include island hopping in Croatia, exploring New Orleans and culinary adventures in Oaxaca. Road Scholar also has a collection of programs offering single rooms at no additional cost.
Quick Facts about Guided Tours with Road Scholar
- Average Guided Tour Group Size: 22
- Price Range: Moderate
- What’s Included: Accommodations, most meals, hands-on experiences, gratuities throughout the program, and Road Scholar Assurance Plan
- What’s Not Included: Travel to and from the program and cancellation insurance
- Primary Audience: Baby boomers and seniors
- Destinations: 150 countries and all 50 states, from Arizona to Zimbabwe
- How to Book: Directly through Road Scholar; via Travelstride, a tour specialist OTA (online travel agent) that offers more than 1,500 Road Scholar trips; or through a travel agent such as AAA
7. Intrepid Travel
At Intrepid travel, over 50% of customers are solo travelers. Responsible, experience-rich travel is a mission at this not-for-profit organization. Intrepid trips don’t skim the surface; they prioritize the preservation of indigenous cultures, climate education and personal connections with locals.
Solo travelers may choose a single room for a small extra charge or be paired with another traveler of the same gender. Intrepid strives for inclusivity, so if you identify as a different gender than what is on your passport, let them know in advance so rooming options may be discussed.
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Popular trips for single travelers include exploring Morocco, trekking in New Zealand, and visiting Bali. In addition to taking care of the most minute details, your expert local leader also knows all the under-the-radar spots that many tourists miss, and trips tend to offer a bit of free time as well.
Quick Facts about Guided Tours with Intrepid
- Average Guided Tour Group Size: 10
- Price Range: Economical/moderate
- What’s Included: Accommodations, local transport, and some meals
- What’s Not Included: Airfare, travel insurance
- Primary Audience: Solo travelers
- Destinations: More than 1,000 trips to 100 countries across 7 continents
- How to Book: Directly through Intrepid; via Travelstride, Tourhub, or TourRadar all which are tour specialist OTAs (online travel agents) that offer hundreds of Intrepid trips; or through a travel agent such as AAA
8. REI
For solo travelers who crave adventure in the great outdoors, REI hits the spot. The power of nature acts as a catalyst for guests to bond over shared fresh-air experiences, from kayaking to biking. There are typically two guides on a trip. They do it all, from prepping meals to sharing their knowledge of flora and fauna. You won’t be staying at run-of-the-mill hotels. Instead, you’ll camp under the stars in comfy tents that your guide has set up or sleep at a cozy park lodge.
Trips for individuals who identify as women are guided by women and are very popular with solo travelers. Trips that cater to those Under 35 attract youthful solos.
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REI currently focus exclusively on American itineraries. Popular trips for solos include hiking in Bryce Canyon, kayaking around the San Juan Islands, and backpacking in Joshua Tree.
To keep costs reasonable, REI will pair you with a roommate; if no roommate is available, the company won’t charge you a single supplement fee. If you request private accommodations, you will pay a modest additional fee. And REI members receive a discount.
Quick Facts about Guided Tours with REI
- Average Guided Tour Group Size: 10
- Price Range: Moderate
- What’s Included: Camping gear, meals, national park fees
- What’s Not Included: Transportation to the trip starting point
- Primary Audience: Travelers who love the outdoors
- Destinations: Eight states including Wyoming, Alaska and California
- How to Book: Directly via the REI Adventures website.
9. CIE Tours
CIE Tours has been operating since 1932. Though U.S.-based, it’s partly owned by the Irish government’s national transport company. It offers guided group trips to the U.K, Iceland, and Italy, but specializes in Ireland and is recognized as a bona fide expert and a top choice for anyone wanting to explore the Emerald Isle.
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Guided vacations are helmed by personable local tour directors who’ve undergone extensive training as well as annual workshops to keep them up to date. They garner guest accolades thanks to their wealth of insider knowledge, including tidbits of Celtic lore that enhance the journey. Many have the Irish gift of gab, assuring easy conversations and sense of belonging. CIE doesn’t offer solos a shared room option, so you’ll have a private room. You’ll receive a discount using the code SOLO when booking.
Quick Facts about Guided Tours with CIE Tours
- Average guided tour group size: Up to 44 travelers
- Price range: Moderate
- What’s included: Most meals including daily hot breakfast, all entrance fees to attractions and experiences, all on-tour transportation, free Wi-Fi on coaches and in hotels, baggage handlings, local taxes, and hotel service charges
- What’s not included: Airfare
- Primary audience: CIE Tours travelers average between 45 and 70 years old, and are primarily from the U.S. or Canada
- Destinations: Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, Italy, Iceland
- How to Book: Directly through CIE Tours; via specialist OTAs (online travel agents) Travelstride or TourRadar; or through a travel agent such as AAA
10. Tauck
Family-owned Tauck has been offering guided group vacations for close to a century. It doesn’t match single travelers with roommates, but in an effort to embrace solo travelers, the company has reduced or eliminated single supplements on some of its most popular trips. Trip directors work hard to ensure solo tour guests are integrated into the group dynamic and feel secure throughout the journey.
Tauck has longstanding relationships with a network of global partners, assuring every detail of each trip is seamless. And guides are known for their personal touch and are well-versed in local customs and traditions. Meals and hotels are notably top notch.
Quick Facts about Guided Tours with Tauck
- Average guided tour group size: 35
- Price range: Expensive
- What’s included: Gratuities, sightseeing and admissions, most meals, airport handling, luggage transfer, taxes
- What’s not included: Airfare and adult beverages
- Primary audience: Upscale travelers over age 50
- Destinations: Over 100 destinations in more than 70 countries on 7 continents
- How to Book: Directly through Tauck; via a tour specialist OTA like Travelstride or Tourhub; or through a travel agent such as AAA.