The Activity You Should Take Advantage Of While Traveling Solo

There is something seductive — and utterly liberating — about traveling on your own. To wake up each day and choose exactly what you want to do without answering to anyone else is an exercise in pure freedom. You can go wherever you want, whenever you want. You can eat and drink according to your wishes alone. No one is weighing you down, and the world presents itself as a dizzying array of possibilities. Solo travel is indeed very exciting stuff.

That said, there can be downsides to heading out with no one else by your side. As the days wear on, you're likely to experience feelings of alienation and loneliness. You may sit at a restaurant or a cafe, taking in yet another meal by yourself, and gaze with longing at all the happy couples and groups enjoying the moment together. Also, when you strike out on your own, all of the responsibilities for planning and logistics are yours alone, which can be a stressful proposition.

Still, for many people, the benefits of solo travel far outweigh the drawbacks, though avoiding these common mistakes is essential. There is also a good way you can minimize the occasional loneliness — not to mention inconvenience — of traveling alone: by taking advantage of small group tours. Not only will you meet other like-minded travelers, but you can also tap into local, on-the-ground knowledge that will only serve to deepen your experience.

According to tour operator GeoCultura, a small group tour averages about 12 members. These are attractive to solo travelers because they offer an intimacy that big excursions lack. Over the course of the tour, you'll probably get to know the others in your group on a first-name basis, which builds an essential sense of camaraderie. You are also likely to share stories about your lives and experiences as travelers, and when it's all done, you may just leave with a new lifelong friend. 

Small group tours are often tailored experiences that take you off the beaten path while also offering a model for sustainable, low-impact travel that benefits local communities. You can choose the tour that suits your tastes, which will lead to a more authentic outing. Unlike a tourist mob, a small group will be able to get a table in that tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant that your local guide knows. It will also be much more flexible, able to adapt to last-minute changes while never getting bogged down, guaranteeing that you can soak in as much as possible during the trip.

Perhaps the best advantage of choosing a small group tour as a solo traveler is the relief it can bring. One of the most stressful things about traveling alone is the fact that you are responsible for 100% of the planning. While the freedom to construct your own itinerary and do all the bookings can bring a sense of satisfaction, as Rick Steves suggests, handing the reins over to a seasoned guide not only lets you see a place from a local's perspective, but also eases that burden, allowing you to just sit back and enjoy it all.

While there are a range of options when it comes to small group excursions, a locally-guided food tour is ideal for a solo traveler. For one thing, it's a time you'll be guaranteed to sit down to eat with others. You'll also be exposed to delicacies and authentic eateries off the tourist circuit, which is arguably the best way to really key into a location and its culture. As Anthony Bourdain said, "Food is everything we are. It's an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It's inseparable from those from the get-go."

Other small group tours to consider are city walking tours, which combine history and culture with exercise. You can also join small tours of markets and museums, pub crawls, wine tastings, as well as nighttime explorations of supposedly haunted locales, such as these spooky jaunts into the cemeteries and underground vaults of Edinburgh, Scotland. Joining a small group tour is also a great way to see local natural attractions such as waterfalls and caves or head out on multi-day outings to hard-to-reach spots with poor roads and little infrastructure. Traveling on a tight budget? These essential tools can help you find free tours and attractions.