The Best Places to Travel Alone in the US

Solo travel can provide you with the opportunity to challenge yourself, think in peace, escape your worries, find flexibility, or make new friends. Traveling alone is also a great way to get to know yourself better, but don’t wait until you begin traveling to ask yourself what you want. The best places to travel alone will vary, depending on what you’re trying to get out of your solo travel experience. We want to help you get the most of your experience, so we’ve developed the following profiles and their corresponding travel destinations in the U.S.:

The Adventurer

You’re an adventurer if you’re looking to test your limits and redraw the boundaries of your comfort zone. Whether you’re looking to challenge your endurance, confront your fears, or just try something new, we’ve found you the following best places to travel alone in the United States:

The Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail is a hiking path that goes from Maine to Georgia and crosses 14 states. It’s a true feat to hike the entire trail, which takes between five and seven months. If that sounds too daunting, you could hike a section of it instead of the entire thing, or take breaks at a resort near the Appalachian Trail, such as the Alpine Ranch in Georgia, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Shawnee Village in Pennsylvania,or Moosehead Cottage Resort in Maine.

Skydive Hawaii

Skydive Hawaii is a skydiving location in Waialua, Hawaii, where you can experience the exhilaration of free falling with the security of being harnessed to a professional skydiving instructor. As you sail through the air, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery below, including volcanoes, lush greenery, beaches, and the sapphire-blue Pacific Ocean. You can stay at a nearby resort, like Wyndham at Waikiki Beach Walk. Don’t be surprised if you pass fields of pineapples on your way to the skydiving facility.

French Quarter

The French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana is a fantastic place to travel to if you’re looking for adventures involving trying new foods and exploring other cultures. It’s a multicultural area historically used for trade along the Mississippi River, and it’s lined with beautiful Spanish architecture, voodoo temples, live music, and restaurants with everything from fried buffalo cauliflower to pecan johnnycakes. Consider staying at the elegant Quarter House so you’re never far from the bustling entertainment.

The Escape Artist

You’re an escape artist if you’re looking for a relaxing break. Whether you want to reflect or think about nothing at all, you want to do so in tranquility. Here are the best places to travel alone:

Cape Cod

Cape Cod, Massachusetts is a wonderful place to relax. You can go on fantastic whale watches, where it’s possible to see over 20 whales, and visit quiet, secluded beaches. There are many unique shops to visit and they tend to be more quiet than shops in more touristy coastal areas. You can also find time alone with beautiful natural surroundings by going for a woodland walk along the National Seashore. If you need a place to stay, think about the Colonial Acres Resort.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world. Separate from the reality of your everyday life by stepping into a primal destination where the natural world is preserved. Enjoy views of geysers, mountains, elk and wild bison, and stay at the rustic Island Park Village Resort only 22 miles away.

A+D Architecture and Design Museum

Do you want to know what architecture designed by robots with fabric and concrete might look like? Are you fascinated by graffiti as an art form? If so, you’ll have much to admire and contemplate in this fascinating museum in Los Angeles, California. The exhibits may change, but the level of intrigue will remain constant in this unusual, modern museum. If you stay at the San Clemente Inn, you’ll be able to visit both Los Angeles and San Diego with ease.

The Social Butterfly

You might not necessarily associate traveling alone with being social, but sometimes it’s easier to make new friends when you put yourself in a situation where you have to in order to make the most of your experience. If you’re a social butterfly, here are the best places to travel solo:

Pirate Pub Crawl

The Pirate Pub Crawl in Anchorage, Alaska is a great way to meet new people and make new friends. No one has an ego when they’re wearing an eyepatch and saying “Arr, matey” and the drinks you sample can give you the liquid courage you’ll need to chat with strangers. The crawl is for a cause—supporting the Blood Bank of Alaska—and it also comes with potential prizes. Those who go to all 12 bars have a chance to win two round-trip tickets to Mexico or the Caribbean. If you win, consider staying at Pacifica Club or Bluebeard’s Castle Hilltop Villas III.

Room Escape DC

Room Escape DC is an escape game in Fairfax, Virginia, where you have a choice of several rooms to find your way out of by solving various puzzles. You work in teams, but unlike many escape games which require you to assemble a group of people beforehand, you can attend Room Escape DC on your own and be teamed up with others who don’t have enough people to fill a room, making it one of the best places to travel solo to make new friends. Enjoy the nearby nation’s capital, by staying at The District By Hilton Club.

Comic-Con International: San Diego

Comic-Con International: San Diego is a massive event where you’re bound to make friends who share your interests. Whether you’re a comic book fan or obsessed with a popular TV show, this is where you’ll meet like-minded individuals, and potentially get to talk to your favorite celebrities. Stay at the Gaslamp Plaza Suites when you’re not attending fabulous lectures and Q and As.

Find Your Solo Travel Resort

Whether you fit one or more of the above profiles, consider vacationing more cheaply with a timeshare rental, or making it easier to travel year after year with a timeshare resale. Vacation bliss awaits!