North America has the most guides on this site, from big cities with free museums and food halls to smaller towns with trails and farmers markets you can reach without a car.
87 city guides in 2 countries
North America
Canada
- CanadaCalgaryA November plan built around the Plus 15 skywalk, free galleries and a music museum.
- CanadaMontrealThree daily public markets by metro, a free Thursday evening at the CCA and a mountain walk.
- CanadaTorontoA city ferry to the islands, free Sundays at the Bata Shoe Museum and Friday-noon opera.
- CanadaVancouverStart with a 12-minute SeaBus crossing, then Granville Island and galleries that stay open late.
- CanadaVictoriaOne slow thing a day: a heritage bookshop, free Parliament tours and Mile 0 on foot.
United States
- United StatesAlbuquerqueMuseums that close on different days, free Sunday mornings, Pueblo culture and the Sandia Tram.
- United StatesAnchorageSeven hours of winter daylight, a museum open late on First Fridays, groomed ski trails and aurora season.
- United StatesAnn ArborFree university museums, a public bell chime you can play and an art centre with drop-in drawing.
- United StatesAshevilleAsheville through Appalachian craft: woven coverlets, a folk art centre, gardens and a state farmers market.
- United StatesAtlantaHop off MARTA at Midtown or King Memorial, then walk the BeltLine, a museum Friday and a free cemetery.
- United StatesAustinA spring-fed pool you can swim in all year, free museum Tuesdays and blues clubs that start early.
- United StatesBaltimoreA free city bus, free harbor boats on weekends, two free art museums and a fort at the harbor mouth.
- United StatesBirmingham (Alabama)Blast furnaces, civil rights galleries, a free downtown park and a Saturday market.
- United StatesBoiseA 29-mile river path, a late art museum on First Thursday and the Basque Block, all easy on foot.
- United StatesBostonFree Harvard art every day, museums open until 10pm on Thursday and Friday, and a self-paced Freedom Trail.
- United StatesBoulderA teahouse, pay-what-you-wish art and a library cafe within a few blocks of 13th Street.
- United StatesBuffaloTwo art museums with late nights, a Frank Lloyd Wright estate and a cinema that opened in 1920.
- United StatesBurlingtonA free university art museum, city-run galleries, a winter market in a brewery and a downtown comedy club.
- United StatesCharlestonFort Sumter by ferry, a carrier museum, audio-guided house museums and a Friday night market.
- United StatesCharlotteFree Wednesday museum nights, a food hall, a NoDa art-house cinema and a winter ice rink.
- United StatesChattanoogaA free shuttle, a bluff-top art museum, sculpture fields and a funicular up Lookout Mountain.
- United StatesChicagoA river path, an 18-mile lakefront, glass conservatories and a museum that stays open late on Thursday.
- United StatesCincinnatiAn art museum that is always free, Ohio's oldest public market and open evenings at the observatory.
- United StatesClevelandA free art museum open to 9 pm, a Thursday-late Rock Hall and a library with a reading garden.
- United StatesColorado SpringsGarden of the Gods and a downtown museum with no admission, plus Manitou Springs for an easy afternoon.
- United StatesColumbusGallery Hop on High Street, free Thursday nights at the art museum and a food hall with counter seats.
- United StatesDallasSculpture in the Arts District, a food hall at the Farmers Market and a train ride to Fort Worth.
- United StatesDenverUnion Station as your base, a museum with several free days a year and Red Rocks on a non-show day.
- United StatesDes MoinesFree art and history museums, Capitol tours, a sculpture park and a riverside trail to Gray's Lake.
- United StatesDetroitA free elevated loop, a free aquarium on Belle Isle and a tool library open to the public.
- United StatesDurhamBuses without a fare, a class at the Arts Council, a 1926 theatre and free tobacco-era history.
- United StatesEl PasoAn always-free art museum, a state park inside the city and a desert day trip with permits.
- United StatesFort LauderdaleHop-on boats, a New River promenade, a pioneer house and a museum that is free every first Thursday.
- United StatesFort WorthA free Amon Carter open to 8 on Thursdays, a free Modern on Fridays and a daily cattle drive.
- United StatesHonoluluBook Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor first, then a Friday museum night until 9pm and a HOLO card.
- United StatesHoustonAlways-free Menil and CAMH, a free Tuesday evening at HMNS and a $1.25 METRORail ride between them.
- United StatesIndianapolisPlan by closing day: five museums, a pay-what-you-choose Thursday and a 275-foot monument climb.
- United StatesJacksonvilleA free downtown monorail, a Saturday riverside market and a national preserve on the St. Johns River.
- United StatesKansas CityFree art every day, late museum nights on Thursday and Friday, and a streetcar that costs nothing.
- United StatesKey WestA small island at the end of the Overseas Highway, with historic houses, a lighthouse and a free fort garden.
- United StatesKnoxvilleFree art and history museums, a free noon radio show and an urban wilderness of trails.
- United StatesLas VegasMuseums downtown, red-rock desert parks, a free art walk and a concert, none of it a casino.
- United StatesLexingtonKentucky horse country in winter mode: Horse Park weekends, a Track Kitchen breakfast, a cinema.
- United StatesLong BeachA free harbor bus, a ship hotel, canals with gondolas and an hour-long ferry to Catalina Island.
- United StatesLos AngelesA Metro fare cap, a bus up to the Observatory, free Getty and Broad entry and repertory cinema.
- United StatesLouisvilleMuseum Row on Main, a cinema inside the Speed, the Big Four Bridge and Cave Hill Cemetery.
- United StatesMadisonFree art museums, a Capitol you can tour for nothing and a rooftop over Lake Monona.
- United StatesMemphisSoul and civil rights museums, live metalwork demos and a mile-long Mississippi bridge walk.
- United StatesMiamiA free elevated Metromover loop, a cafecito window on Calle Ocho and late museum nights on the Beach.
- United StatesMilwaukeeTwo historic cinemas, Thursday nights at the art museum and a Riverwalk that runs through downtown.
- United StatesMinneapolisA skyway above downtown, a library with a piano room and an art centre that is free on Thursday nights.
- United StatesNashvilleA free state museum, a year-round market, Fort Negley and quiet lake trails, no bar crawl needed.
- United StatesNew OrleansA 45-minute jazz set, a $3 transit day pass and a free sculpture garden under City Park oaks.
- United StatesNew YorkLibrary and park mornings, a free or pay-what-you-wish museum, then live music or a walk.
- United StatesOaklandLake Merritt as your base: a free-Sunday museum, a Saturday market and a theatre tour.
- United StatesOklahoma CityFree galleries, a monthly Paseo gallery walk and a park walking club that anyone can join.
- United StatesOmahaAn art museum that is free to all, free galleries in the Old Market and two nonprofit cinemas.
- United StatesOrlandoLakes, a Sunday market at Lake Eola and small museums in Loch Haven Park, away from the theme parks.
- United StatesPalm SpringsFree Thursday museum evenings, a tram up the mountain and desert gardens at your own pace.
- United StatesPhiladelphiaA free Liberty Bell, a market open from 8 am and a Friday museum that stays open until 8:45 pm.
- United StatesPhoenixCentral Avenue museums, a desert garden open until 10 p.m. and city-park trails, all in the cool season.
- United StatesPittsburghAn incline open until 12:30 am, 700 city stairways and a cafe with over 1,000 board games.
- United StatesPortlandChrysanthemums at Lan Su, a Japanese garden by bus, Saturday markets and a walk up to Pittock Mansion.
- United StatesPortland (Maine)Year-round island ferries, free Friday evenings at the art museum and Maine's oldest lighthouse.
- United StatesProvidenceFree RISD Museum hours, a pay-what-you-can Athenaeum, a monthly gallery bus and a public printshop.
- United StatesRaleighA state capital where the museums, Capitol and an art space are free to walk into.
- United StatesRenoTruckee River walks, public art, free city galleries and a late-Thursday art museum.
- United StatesRichmondRichmond, Virginia: free art museums, a river island in the city and a 52-mile trail.
- United StatesSacramentoOld Sacramento, a free Capitol, late Thursdays at the Crocker and Capitol Corridor trains.
- United StatesSalt Lake CityWednesday late museums, monthly free art days, a Saturday winter market and a ski bus.
- United StatesSan AntonioFour mission sites on one trail, a free garden and a Sunday market with free yoga.
- United StatesSan DiegoA free Sunday organ concert, a $9 ferry to Coronado and fall low tides at Point Loma.
- United StatesSan FranciscoAdults-only Thursday museum nights, a ferry to Sausalito and a glasshouse in Golden Gate Park.
- United StatesSan JoseA VTA light-rail day: tech museum, Japantown, a river greenway and a market hall for dinner.
- United StatesSanta BarbaraA free courthouse tour and clock tower, first-Thursday museum nights and two market days a week.
- United StatesSanta FeMuseum evenings on the first and final Fridays, a Saturday market all year and a $1 bus.
- United StatesSavannahA zero-fare shuttle and river ferry, a seven-day museum ticket and a Saturday market in Forsyth Park.
- United StatesScottsdaleThursday gallery nights, November light art on the canal and Frank Lloyd Wright's desert home.
- United StatesSeattleA library open until 8pm, Pike Place stalls, First Thursday museum nights and a 35-minute ferry ride.
- United StatesSpokaneA waterfall in the middle of downtown, free gardens at Manito and a museum open late every last Wednesday.
- United StatesSt. LouisA free zoo, science centre and sculpture parks, plus two free art museums on Washington Boulevard.
- United StatesSt. Petersburg (Florida)A free trolley to the Pier, Thursday-late Dalí and fine arts museums and free waterfront events.
- United StatesTampaA fare-free streetcar from Ybor City to the aquarium, Thursday-late art and Riverwalk museums.
- United StatesTucsonFare-free buses and streetcar, a UNESCO food city, a historic mission and a free university art museum.
- United StatesTulsaWoody Guthrie and Bob Dylan archives, Art Deco walks, a free park and a Route 66 food hall.
- United StatesVirginia BeachOff-season Virginia Beach: an aquarium, WWII aircraft, free historic houses and a winter wildlife refuge.
- United StatesWashington, D.C.Free museums, but know which ones need a timed pass; late Thursdays and Fridays on Capitol Hill.
No city guide matches that search. Try a country or a shorter word.
Before you pick a city
Distances are long, so pick one city and go deep rather than covering several. The first solo trip tips help with the basics, and the full directory lists every other region.
Frequently asked questions
Which cities in North America are covered?
Every city with a guide is listed below, first by country. Use the search box to find a city or state.
Do the guides cover seasons?
Yes. Seasonal hours and markets are only given with their dates from the official source.
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.
