Microdosing travel is having a real moment. Research shows that several short breaks can offer more benefits than longer trips abroad. And, if you are a solo traveller, it can be an amuse-bouche rather than a full banquet. As the editor of 101 Singles Holidays, the UK’s only independent singles holidays site, I know that short jaunts are the perfect training wheels for the first-time solo traveller.
A fifth of UK adults are planning solo trips this year, but instead of choosing epic itineraries, many are starting with quick turnarounds that allow them to bank those precious leave days. Whether it is cooking cannelloni in Italy, trekking across the Alps or hopping between Denmark and Sweden, these are my favourite micro-adventures for solos this year.
Balkan Beauty
One of the most underrated regions in Europe, the Balkans always make for a fantastic adventure. I found a four-day group tour aimed at solo travellers to North Macedonia, one of the least-visited spots. Staying in the lively capital, Skopje – think grand neoclassical architecture, atmospheric bars like Rock Bar Garson, and a sprawling Ottoman-era bazaar – the trip includes excursions to beautiful Lake Ohrid and a hop over the border to Kosovo.
How much does it cost? From £995 per person, including flights, B&B accommodation and all tours. Book through Regent Holidays.
Glorious Greece
Make like a god(dess) on a four-night solos trip to Greece. Staying in a four-star hotel in Athens, mug up on history on an expert-led tour of the Acropolis and Parthenon, try sunrise yoga and go sea kayaking around the Temple of Poseidon. Highlights include a hands-on Greek cookery class with a chef, and a boat trip to the car-free island of Hydra for a dip in the Aegean Sea.
How much does it cost? From £1,590 per person, including flights, shared room and all tours. Book through Flashpack.
Alpine Adventure
Perhaps the ultimate micro-adventure, the Trek The Tour Du Mont Blanc trip covers three countries in four days, albeit on foot. After hiking the Alps through Italy, Switzerland and France, you will bed down in Alpine mountain huts along the way. Bragging rights include the ascent to Col de Balme (2,190m) and L’Aiguillettes des Posettes for magnificent views of Mont Blanc.
How much does it cost? From £791 per person, including transfers from Geneva airport, accommodation, all meals, and a mountain guide. Flights are extra. Book through Much Better Adventures.
Veneto Vacation
Are you hungry for adventure or is it a craving for cannelloni? Enjoy both on this four-day foodie holiday in Veneto. Stay in a gorgeous 16th-century Venetian villa (with a pool) near Treviso and enjoy three cookery lessons with a chef, prosecco tasting in Conegliano, and a day trip to Venice for lunch by the canal.
How much does it cost? From £1,199 per person, including transfers, accommodation, all meals (with wine), classes and trips. Flights are extra. Book through Flavours Holidays.
Idyllic Iceland
Get a snapshot of Iceland on this three-day micro-adventure. Start with a Reykjavik city tour, followed by a steamy soak in the hot springs of the Sky Lagoon. Spend a full day on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, where you will visit 8,000-year-old lava tubes, sleepy fishing villages and Mount Kirkjufell. Feeling really adventurous? There is an optional snorkelling trip to Thingvellir Silfra, a natural rift between two tectonic plates.
How much does it cost? From £790 per person, including accommodation, transport and tours. Flights are extra. Book through G Adventures.
Nordic Noir
Waltz around Tivoli Gardens, bar hop along colourful Nyhavn and say hi to the Little Mermaid – wherever you go, Copenhagen is a picture-perfect pocket adventure. Although this three-day solos trip includes a couple of tours, there is plenty of free time to find your hygge. For fans of the Nordic noir drama The Bridge, a highlight is whizzing over the Øresund Bridge for an enjoyable day in Malmö, Sweden’s third-largest city.
How much does it cost? From £1,682 per person, including flights, B&B room and excursions. Book through Solos Holidays.
