The USA is one of the most popular places in the world to travel alone. The infrastructure is excellent, meeting other travellers is easy and the range of destinations means there’s something for most tastes.
I’ve done my own share of solo trips around the States, and for the places I haven’t visited recently I’ve brought in picks from travel writers I trust. Between us, here are 23 of the best places to travel alone in the USA, from cities to coastlines to national parks.
US Solo Travel Destinations at a Glance
Jump to any destination using the table of contents above, or scan the full list below.
Asheville, Austin, Boston, Burlington, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, New York City, Savannah, Seattle and Washington DC for cities; Bar Harbor, Key West, Oahu, Portland (Maine), San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Barbara for the coast; Moab and Sedona for natural scenery; and Las Vegas, Nashville and Walt Disney World if you want somewhere with a bit more energy.
Best Cities in the USA for Solo Travellers
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a perfect mountain getaway, especially in autumn.
It has a small-town feel with independent shops, excellent restuaraunts and more than 23 microbreweries downtown. There’s an eclectic mix of things to do, including an art gallery in an old Woolworths with a working soda counter.
As a college town, there are people out after dark, which helps solo visitors feel comfortable, and restaurants are used to diners eating alone.
Suggested by Alison of Exploration Solo
Austin, Texas
Looking for good food, good music and good vibes? Then Austin is the perfect destination for your solo trip. People here are open and friendly, and it’s easy to navigate solo.
Visiting the State Capitol for a quick history lesson is only one of many things to do on a trip to Austin. The city calls itself the capital of live music for good reason; catching a show is close to compulsory.
East 6th Street has a calmer bar scene than the rowdier West 6th, and the food alone, especially the barbecue and tacos, is a reason to visit. With balmy weather most of the year, a hike and swim at Barton Creek gets you out of the city too.
Suggested by Sophie of Just Heading Out
Boston
Boston ranks among my favourite American destinations, and is one of the most European of US cities.
Boston has excellent hostels for meeting other travellers and plenty of history to fill your itinerary.
Most important is the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile route linking sixteen significant sites. It’s also a harbour city with a 43-mile waterside park for a stroll, whale-watching tours in summer, and old pubs if you’d rather sit with a pint.
The city is walkable and relatively safe, with green spaces if you want to sit with a book.
Suggested by Linn of Brainy Backpackers
Burlington, Vermont
Tucked into the northeast corner of Vermont on Lake Champlain, Burlington centres on the pedestrian mall of Church Street, good for one-off shops, restaurants and street performers. It’s a safe city with friendly locals.
Grab a table at Honey Road for Mediterranean-style small plates and people-watching, or take a lunch or dinner cruise on the Spirit of Ethan Allen to learn some local history on the water. The Burlington Bike Path runs along the lake to several swimming beaches, and there are many hikes within the city limits, including the tower at Ethan Allen Park for the views.
Suggested by Karen of Outdoor Adventure Sampler
Chicago
My abiding memory of Chicago is the wind coming off Lake Michigan, so take note of Nicole’s comments about the cold.
Chicago’s downtown core has excellent shopping, restaurants, bars, museums and art galleries within easy reach on foot, bus, taxi or rideshare. It’s a good year-round destination, though best avoided from November to March if you dislike the cold.
To escape the elements, the city has amazing indoor activities, including world-class museums and art galleries. My favourites are the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum, and the Chicago Institute of Art.
Suggested by Nicole of Go Far Grow Close
Denver, Colorado
Denver sits in the foothills of the Rockies and has grown fast in recent years, with no shortage of things to do, including a lively downtown of museums, galleries and craft breweries. If you’d rather be outdoors than in the city, hire a car and head for the mountains, or catch a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and hike to the nearby Flatirons.
Public transport from the airport into downtown is reliable, and there’s a good spread of accommodation, including hostels for those on a tighter budget.
Suggested by Julia of The Cure for Curiosity
New Orleans
Some years ago, I was lucky enough to be sent to New Orleans on a work trip. It’s safe to say we had a better time exploring Bourbon Street than at the conference sessions, and Mardi Gras is on my bucket list.
Between the parks, the harbour, the architecture, the cemeteries and the voodoo history, New Orleans has plenty to see, and its nightlife is just as strong a draw.
Visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras Carnival, which starts two weeks before Fat Tuesday (usually in February), means krewes and parades most days, with the weekend before the final parade drawing the biggest floats and the best after-parties. Arrive early if you want a good spot for the throws (the beads, cups and trinkets tossed from the floats).
For nightlife outside Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street has that spring-break energy.
Suggested by Kerry of VeggTravel
New York City
This is one of my favourite cities in the world, and one I have visited many times. To my mind, it has something for every traveller, but is a particularly good fit if you are a culture vulture.
New York has attractions to suit most budgets and tastes, though it has a reputation for being pricey. October is arguably the best month to go, once the summer heat and crowds have eased but while the days are still long.
It’s less intimidating than its reputation suggests, and you can walk Manhattan, Brooklyn and beyond safely. Between the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the Empire State Building and the Met, you could spend weeks here without running out of things to do, and the subway runs 24 hours.
New York-style pizza and bagels are reason enough to go!
Suggested by Claudia of My Adventures Across The World
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah’s food scene, historic squares and landmark district make it an easy solo pick.
Book a Savannah weekend getaway, take a food tour or ghost tour and work your way through the squares in the historic district, ideally in spring or autumn to skip the worst of the heat and crowds. The district is walkable, well-lit and full of other travellers, and locals tend to be quick to chat, which makes meeting people straightforward.
Suggested by Kat of World Wide Honeymoon
Seattle, Washington
Seattle’s history stems from the 19th-century gold rush to its more recent fame as home to Amazon and grunge music.
The weather is mildest, and rain least likely, between June and October. It’s a compact, relaxed and diverse city, and your list should include the Space Needle, the Museum of Pop Culture, Pike Place Market, the Art Museum, the waterfront and Kerry Park.
Crime statistics put it as relatively safe for its size, and most attractions are reachable on foot.
Suggested by Agnes of The Van Escape
Washington DC
Washington DC is far more than the White House. Head for the National Mall, the landscaped park at the centre of the city, home to the Smithsonian Institution and the Lincoln Memorial among others.
Walking between the main sights is easy, and when you need it there’s an extensive metro system to fall back on. I found it one of the more relaxed US cities to explore alone, largely because the museums and galleries give you somewhere purposeful to spend an afternoon without needing company.
Cool Coastal Destinations
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is best known as the gateway to Acadia National Park, but the town is so much more than this, with New England architecture and plenty of restaurants and bars. It’s one of the country’s leading lobster fisheries, so eat lobster fresh off the boat at Stewman’s Lobster Pound, a relaxed spot right on the water.
A ferry runs out to the Cranberry Islands, where a lobster shack and a fishing village make for a pleasant few hours. For something active, take a kayaking trip around the islands, or a sunset boat ride.
In Acadia itself, a free shuttle from town drops you at several points to hike or hire a bicycle for the old carriageways, and you can swim at Echo Lake or the chillier Sand Beach.
Suggested by James of Parks Collecting
Key West, Florida
Key West is located at the end of the Overseas Highway, or you can fly straight in for a car-free stay in the Conch Republic, made famous by Ernest Hemingway. It’s compact, easy to walk or cycle around, and the weather holds up all year.
Our favourite Key West tips include joining and enjoying the celebrations (like the nightly sunset celebration in Mallory Square), partying sensibly at bars and clubs (especially along Duval Street), and trying the Cuban food, ideally at El Meson de Pepe for the mojitos or El Siboney for a more homestyle version.
Sunset sailings are a good way to meet other travellers, or take a local tour, including the Conch Tour Train, if you’d rather not explore alone by scooter or bicycle. Don’t leave without trying the seafood and a slice of key lime pie.
Suggested by Charles of McCool Travel
Oahu, Hawaii
Oahu works year-round, with warm weather and enough variety, shopping, beaches, history, nature and food, to suit most solo Oahu itineraries. Waikiki is the tourist hub and the island is built around it, which makes getting around straightforward.
Public buses are cheap, taxis and Uber are plentiful, and most tours will pick you up from your hotel rather than requiring a hire car, including trips out to Kualoa Ranch. Waikiki itself has enough restaurants within walking distance to cover any craving, and it’s safe to walk at night.
Suggested by Holly of Globeblogging
Portland, Maine
Portland’s cobbled streets and waterfront give it a friendly, low-key feel that suits travelling alone. It’s safe, walkable and has a small-town character despite its size.
Visit in October rather than summer if you can, for the autumn colours and a quieter town.
As for the best things to do in Portland, Maine, work your way through the breweries, Urban Farm Fermentory among them, before a chocolate sea salt doughnut from Holy Donut and an hour at the Portland Museum of Art. The Eastern Promenade is a good spot for sea air, as are the local lighthouses – Bug Light, Portland Head Light and Spring Point Ledge Light.
Suggested by Kelly of Girl with the Passport
San Diego, California
I endorse Mark and Kristen’s comments about San Diego’s restaurants. This is where I had the best crab cake of my life. It was so good that when I returned to the city two years later, I returned to the same restaurant.
San Diego’s climate, surf and beach life are the obvious draw, but the downtown area holds its own too, with excellent restaurants and craft breweries. Balboa Park alone, home to the San Diego Zoo along with galleries, theatres, gardens and an outdoor organ, are among the best things to do in San Diego.
The city is small enough not to feel overwhelming but large enough to keep you busy, and you can move between city, beach and park in a single day. The international airport is close to downtown, which helps logistically, and there are dozens of hikes in the hills nearby if you want to get out of town.
For solo travellers, the Gaslamp Quarter is the easiest base for meeting people
Suggested by Mark and Kristen of Where Are Those Morgans?
San Francisco
If you have to pick one west coast city, make it San Francisco. It’s friendly, laid-back, has a striking waterside setting and enough museums, the Exploratorium among them, to keep you occupied for weeks.
Walk or cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge, ride one of the cable cars, eat fresh seafood at Fisherman’s Wharf, sit in the oldest Japanese tea garden in the country at Golden Gate Park, or book ahead for Alcatraz.
What I liked most travelling here alone was how easy the city is to navigate on the BART system, which meant I could cover a lot of ground without planning around anyone else. The free walking tours are also a low-cost way to meet other travellers if you fancy some company for an afternoon.
Santa Barbara, California
One of my most treasured travel memories was biking around Santa Barbara on a warm September day. It’s a great addition to a west coast itinerary.
Santa Barbara has a fascinating Spanish colonial history, best seen at El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, a former military outpost that includes El Cuartel, the second-oldest building in the state. The historic Mission Santa Barbara and Casa Del La Guerra fill in more of the story.
Outdoors, there’s good hiking, kayaking and surfing, plus quick access to beaches such as East Beach and Butterfly Beach.
The city is walkable enough to get between sights on foot, or by a short taxi ride if needed.
Suggested by Daria of The Discovery Nut
Natural Wonders
Moab, Utah
Moab puts you within reach of two of Utah’s best national parks – Canyonlands and Arches – plus a state park, all close enough to town to explore in a day. The landscape does most of the work here, with sandstone spires, hoodoos and rock formations that look more like another planet than the American Southwest.
Moab hiking trails are short and well marked, particularly in Arches and the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands, and it’s easy to fall in with other hikers heading for the same viewpoints
Suggested by Meg of Fox in the Forest
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona‘s red rock trails, Devils Bridge, Soldier Pass, Cathedral Rock, Bell Loop and Bear Mountain among them, are popular enough that hiking them alone feels comfortable. Spring and autumn bring the most comfortable temperatures.
Devil’s Bridge draws the biggest crowds, so go early. Cathedral Rock is short, steep and a strong sunset spot. Bell Loop, with the highway visible for most of the route, is probably the easiest to do solo.
A Pink Jeep tour is worth booking if you want a backcountry route without driving it yourself.
Suggested by Michelle of The Wandering Queen
Fun Solo Destinations in the US
Las Vegas
For top-notch entertainment and dining, and pure fun, there’s no place like Vegas. The house may have won on my visit, but it didn’t matter.
Two or three days in Las Vegas should do it.
The Strip alone will keep you busy: walk the boulevard, watch the street performers, and take in the architecture, from the Eiffel Tower replica to the Bellagio fountains and the Stratosphere. A walking tour of the Strip adds some context if you want it, and beyond the casinos there’s outlet shopping, a gondola ride at the Venetian and the Neon Museum, one of the more unusual museums in the country.
If you stay on the Strip you can walk to most of it; trains and rideshares cover the rest. Guided night tours and day trips to the Grand Canyon are easy to book solo.
Suggested by Mayuri of ToSomePlaceNew
Nashville
Nashville has a reputation as a party city, but it doesn’t have to be an intimidating one to visit alone. You just need to do a little bit of Nashville trip planning to make sure you have a fabulous – and safe – time.
Between Honky Tonk Highway and the Grand Ole Opry, there’s more than enough live music to fill a trip. The museums, several of them free, give you somewhere quieter to spend an afternoon.
Guided pub crawls are a straightforward way to go out safely at night.
Suggested by Stephanie of History Fangirl
Walt Disney World, Florida
Disney World isn’t only for families and honeymooners.
Thousands of adults visit The Happiest Place on Earth alone every year and come back for more, whether that’s riding the rides, having a cocktail at Epcot or shopping at Disney Springs. Going in the off-season means shorter queues and better weather
Suggested by Victoria of Follow Me Away
Travelling Alone in the US on an Organised Tour
If you’re not ready to plan the whole trip yourself, a group tour is worth considering. You get an itinerary built by people who know the country, plus a fair amount of local insight into its history and culture along the way, and there’s safety in numbers if that’s a concern.
With a ready-made group of travel companions, you also sidestep the loneliness some solo travellers worry about, and the dreaded table for one. I’ve written here about how to choose a tour company.
A day tour is a lighter version of the same idea if you’d rather base yourself in one place and explore with others for a few hours at a time. I use GetYourGuide to book these, partly for the range of independent operators and partly for the generous cancellation policy.
Whichever way you choose to go, I hope this list gives you somewhere to start planning your own solo trip around the USA.
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.