Pick the city you are in or heading to below: each guide shows what works well for one person, what needs booking ahead and what costs nothing. Every guide is sorted by time of day, pace or effort, so you can pick one thing and go.
Pick a city
- Things to do alone in AmsterdamBook the timed-ticket museums ahead, then fill the rest with brown bars, markets and the free Concertgebouw lunchtime concert.
- Things to do alone in BarcelonaA slow solo day of long lunches, plaza benches, quiet-afternoon museums and an evening concert or film, with free-entry windows.
- Things to do alone in BaselA small, walkable museum city on the Rhine with late openings, free evening windows and a summer river ritual.
- Things to do alone in BerlinFree history sites, Thursday late museum openings and big open space, sorted by budget and time of day.
- Things to do alone in CopenhagenBuilt around free Wednesdays and closed Mondays, with design-museum cafes and a one-day route.
- Things to do alone in GenevaStart at the Bains des Paquis lakefront, add a free CERN visit, a small indoor stop and a Carouge wander.
- Things to do alone in LisbonPlan by hill: Alfama and Graca, Baixa and Chiado, flat Belem, with a sit-and-watch stop at every miradouro.
- Things to do alone in LondonSorted by effort: walk-in galleries, book-a-slot spots, heath escapes and a late-Friday evening.
- Things to do alone in MunichBest on a Sunday, when Bavarian state museums charge EUR 1, with communal tables at Viktualienmarkt and in beer halls.
- Things to do alone in New YorkA day by time of slot: library and park mornings, a free or pay-what-you-wish museum, then live music or a walk.
- Things to do alone in ParisA flaneur route by time of day: a garden, a museum, a bookshop, plus a rainy-day plan.
- Things to do alone in PragueA view ladder of towers from low to high, small one-person museums and English-subtitled evening cinema.
- Things to do alone in TokyoSorted by pace and booking effort: quiet museums with timed tickets, gardens and shrines, plus Ghibli and teamLab.
- Things to do alone in ViennaA coffee-house ladder, standing-room opera for up to 18 EUR, late museum nights and a one-day plan.
- Things to do alone in ZurichA water-first day: the Limmat and the lake, free museum entry and a Viadukt wander.
How to use these guides
Start with one outing, not a full itinerary. For a general starting point, read things to do alone, and if you have just moved somewhere, things to do alone in a new city covers the first weeks. Planning a whole trip? The solo travel guide covers safety, booking and meeting people, and the solo activities guide lists ideas that work in any city.
On a tight budget, see free things to do alone. Short on time this week, try things to do alone this weekend.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
Frequently asked questions
Which city on this list is easiest to do alone?
Most of them work, so pick by what you like. Vienna's coffee houses, Tokyo's single-ticket entry and London's free galleries all make one person a normal visitor.
Do I need to book ahead?
In some cities, yes. Amsterdam's big museums and Tokyo's Ghibli Museum run on timed or advance tickets, while Lisbon's viewpoints and Paris gardens need none. Each guide marks which is which.
Are these guides sourced?
Hours, prices and free windows come from official pages and carry a checked date. Where an official page gave no figure, the guide names the place only.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
