By Alicia Miller

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By now we all know that travelling alone doesn’t mean travelling lonely. Whether you’re a singleton looking for downtime or in a committed relationship – but in need of a personal reset – everyone can benefit from a self-centred solo trip where there’s no one to consider but numero uno.

Likewise, the solo traveller space has evolved passed the cliché singletons group holidays and soul-searching yoga retreats. Filled with real adventure and alternative wellness, the trips below are all single-traveller friendly and come with plenty of brag-worthy action of all kinds. For some you’ll have to act quick – they depart soon – but then that’s perfect for using up your glut of 2025 annual leave before it expires…

One of the joys of travelling solo is you get to pitch activities exactly to your experience level. If you’re a passionate diver, try joining a single-supplement-free trip (ie. you won’t have to pay extra for your own room) this 4 to 12 October to South Africa’s legendary Aliwal Shoal. If you know, you know. Staying at the Blue Ocean Dive Resort on the Indian Ocean, you’ll descend to the epic reef during the tail-end of shark season, where across at least 10 boat dives on you’ll aim to tick off big fish ranging from bull and hammerhead to oceanic black-tip and tiger sharks. Not to mention whales, rays, dolphins and even a couple of shipwrecks.

Book it: Seven nights from £2,095. diveworldwide.com

When your TBR (to be read) pile gets out of control, combine a literary immersion with an afternoon by surf-tickled shores, on a dedicated reading retreat in the lush wilds of Costa Rica. The Silent Book Club Reading Retreats has a four-day getaway in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, where in between chapters of your chosen novel you’ll get to poach in natural hot springs, trot on horseback through jungle or enjoy an unwinding spa partner?

Book it: Four days from £1,548. silentbook.club

Breaking a sweat together is one of the best ways to bond with strangers – and what better place to do it than over 177 miles of pathways skirting the border of England and Wales? Offa’s Dyke follows the historical line of an ancient barrier built by an 8th-century King, and now is one of Britain’s most enticing walks, taking in mountainous ridges, river valleys and historic towns such as Chepstow and Hay-on-Wye. A week-long group walk of the highest, most challenging central section, 66 miles long, starts in Chirk and passes via the cliffs of Llanymynech Hills before ending in Kington. There’s no single supplement but you do need to book quick: the trip departs 20 September.

Book it: Seven nights from £1,299. rambleworldwide.co.uk

Dreaming of stepping foot on Antarctica but no partner, friends or family are willing to brave the notoriously quease-inducing Drake Passage? Don’t let that stop you. All remaining 2025 and 2026 voyages with specialist cruiser AE Expeditions to the white continent are free from solo supplements, so you won’t pay extra for the chance to cruise to the ends of the earth, spotting icebergs, penguins and seals on zodiac expeditions, enjoying expert-led talks and supporting scientific research. The only catch? You need to book by 30 September this year.

Book it: Antarctica voyages from £11,965 for 12 days. aexpeditions.co.uk

Just because you’re not doing a textbook yoga retreat doesn’t mean you can’t have an adventure with a little introspection. Make your way to the spectacular country of Bhutan for a stay at Pemako Punakha, a locally owned luxury resort sprawling across 60 acres of wooded Himalayan scenery. You’ll be immersed in local culture from day one, receiving blessings from the resident monk and hiking to the local temple Chimi Lhakhang. Then, after an afternoon of harmonising spa treatments and a dinner of traditional buckwheat hoentay dumplings, you’ll bed down in a luxury tented villa with private pool to begin the real self-reflection.

Book it: From £1,280 per night half-board. pemakohotels.com

Sailing along the majestic Mekong River, the lifeblood of tens of millions of people through southeast Asia, is a humbling experience that’s even more humbling when you can give it undivided attention. Journey solo on Aqua Expedition’s Aqua Mekong on their small-scale cruises (maximum 40 guests) through Cambodia and Vietnam, and you won’t pay any single supplement on select departures. With sailings ranging from a few days to a week, and typically connecting bustling Ho Chi Minh City with Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, you’ll visit temples, enjoy guided hikes and cycle or kayak through local landscapes.

Book it: From around £2,400 for four days. aquaexpeditions.com

As the sizzling summertime temperatures cool, Greece becomes the perfect place for a little late-season active fun – including a tennis-themed getaway for one on the Ionian coast. Mark Warner’s intensive tennis week from 12 October at Paleros Beach Resort includes 20 hours of instruction and play on court, led by tennis pro Andrew Parsons. You’ll polish your serves, tactics or groundstrokes before an end-of-week tournament (there are even awards). When you aren’t on-court, you can take advantage of the adults-only pool, social solo table in the restaurant – or, if you’re truly racquet-obsessed, the pickleball and padel courts.

Book it: From £1,309 half-board, including flights. markwarner.co.uk

Maybe, for you, adventure looks like a relaxing week by the beach with plenty of watersports on tap. In which case consider booking in for a solo stay at Cook’s Club Adakoy, where as well as a sun-soaked, grown-up beachfront you’ll enjoy activities ranging from E-foiling (which feels like flying over water) to sailing, sunrise SUP yoga to biking. Hire a sea scooter for a plunge into the cerulean blue to spot marine life, or get stuck into a game of padel with some other sun-kissed travellers blessedly unencumbered by plus ones.

Book it: Seven nights from £1,712 half-board. neilson.co.uk

The Cotswolds is synonymous with romance but it’s perfectly formed for self-love too, particularly when you book into a place that has solo travellers on its radar. Supposedly England’s oldest hotel – founded in 1220 – the Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury has seen a lot of single travellers come and go, but is aiming to entice more with its Solo Retreat package that includes welcome drink, £50 dinner credit and full English breakfast. When you aren’t unwinding in a Cosy room with wood floors, eclectic wallpaper and homemade biscuits on the tea trolley, you can head out to Westonbirt Arboretum for a serene autumnal stroll or join an in-house mixologist session.

Book it: From £175. oldbellhotel.co.uk

Connect one-to-one with some of the world’s most remarkable wildlife on an exploration through Borneo’s lush landscapes, accompanied by a resident naturalist and marine biologist. At YTL Hotel’s Gaya Island Resort, tailored ‘MeMoon’ solo travel experiences let you get a deep dive into the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, home to mangrove forests and colourful coral reefs. On your solitary quest you can support their conservation efforts, which include turtle rescue and coral reef restoration, and spot pygmy elephants, red giant flying squirrels and saggy-nosed Probiscis monkeys. Whether you’ve got a partner at home or not, it’ll be love at first sight.

Book it: From £275 per night. gayaislandresort.com