The best singles holidays for over-60s

By Tracey Davies, Editor of 101 Singles Holidays

Travelling solo is not just for the young and the restless. As the editor of 101 Singles Holidays, I've always been a big advocate of exploring the world at your own pace. And in my experience, the older we get, the more adventurous we become. As I attend more and more of my friends' 60th birthday parties – and my own is not that far away – I've realised that 60 really is the new 40.

Increasingly, travellers in their sixties are looking for easy-access adventure, and many find that small-group tours – which are largely designed with ease and comfort in mind – are the way to go. Whether you’re into archaeology, Tuscan cookery or bagging Munros in the Scottish Highlands, UK travel companies are curating some amazing experiences for solo travellers of all ages.

It could be a walking holiday with a bunch of rambunctious ramblers, a cruise along the Rhine, a cultural city break with fellow art lovers or learning to roll the perfect cannelloni with fellow foodies, there's a solo holiday for everyone. Here are some of my personal favourites.

Bucket list adventures

A specialist in small-group tours, Cox & Kings cover almost every corner of the globe from India to Peru, Sri Lanka to Costa Rica. One of their most popular solo trips is Exotic India, a 14-day holiday which includes bonding experiences like seeing the Taj Mahal at sunrise, a ride on Deogarh’s metre-gauge train and a chance to see Bengal tigers on safari in Ranthambore National Park.

China is another big-ticket trip which attracts adventurous folk. Wendy Wu Tours have been a market leader in trips to China and Japan for more than 25 years and offer regular dedicated solo departures – with no single supplement. Why not go to town and book this fully inclusive 21-day Magnificent China tour, which includes the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army in Xian, a Yangtze River cruise, and giant pandas in Chengdu.

Special interest trips

Holidays can also be a time to indulge our hobbies and interests, and many tour operators specialise in art or archeology trips. Founded by archaeologist and TV historian Peter Sommer, Peter Sommer Travels offers incredible expert-led cultural tours. Combining experts and education with top-notch hospitality, it has itineraries such as Walking and Cruising the Lycian Shore, a 15-day gulet cruise and walking tour along Turkey’s sun-drenched Lycian Coast.

Offering an array of cultural tours, many focusing on art, architecture, music and gastronomy, Martin Randall Travel also feature holidays led by art historians, lecturers and other experts in their field. For example, this 10-day Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity tour explores the UNESCO World Heritage towns of Berat and Gjirokastra and visits ancient sites of Greek, Roman and Ottoman cities.

Short tours and city breaks

Solo holidays for 60-plus travellers don’t have to be big-ticket trips. There are plenty of short break and weekend trips to sate your wanderlust. Kirker Holidays have some brilliant themed weekend trips. This five-day art and architecture break to Ravenna, Urbino and Ferrara in Italy explores the 'Garden of Italy' with its leaning towers and 14th-century palaces. Meanwhile, Regent Holidays offer some great short breaks to Iceland, Latvia and Sweden. This fab Uppsala Mini Break includes castle tours and a boat trip around the Stockholm Archipelago.

Learning holidays

A solo trip is also the perfect excuse to learn a new skill. Aimed at travellers who love good food, nice wine and meeting new friends, Flavours Holidays offer some amazing small-group holidays and creative retreats in Spain, Italy and Morocco. For instance, this seven-night Pilates holiday in Puglia includes a private room in a gorgeous villa, daily Pilates classes, all meals (with wine) and lovely days out to Otranto and Lecce.

River cruising and rail trips

Delivering the world’s first dedicated solo ship in 2027, Riviera Travel knows the popularity of cruising is showing no signs of slowing down. River cruises are an excellent way to explore Europe –and further afield– as a solo traveller. It's amazing what you can see on an 8-day itinerary like this one along the Danube, which ticks off three countries and six cities. Singles holiday specialist Just You also offer solo trips with their partner Nicko Cruises, including this gorgeous 8-day cruise through the Douro Valley in Portugal.

Rail tours are getting increasingly popular with solo travellers. Saga Holidays have several solo rail trips, including this 8-day tour of Switzerland exploring the Alps on the Glacier Express. While Solos Holidays offer a slightly shorter trip with their 5-night Italian Lakes and the Bernina Express tour which takes in Lake Como and St. Moritz.

Walking holidays

Walking is one of the best ways to keep our fitness levels up as we head into the golden years. Which is why a walking holiday is one of the most popular solo trips for travellers in this age group. For the sheer breadth of itineraries on offer, my go-to tour operators are HF Holidays, Britain's only walking holiday co-operative, and Ramble Worldwide, a walking holiday specialist for 80 years. Both offer guided and self-guided walking holidays all across the globe, ranging from scenic strolls in the Lake District to tough treks through the Dolomites. Ramble Worldwide offers this six-night Gardens of the Channel Islands tour which explores the coastal trails and sun-drenched gardens of Guernsey, Sark and Herm.

For something a little different, check out Hedonistic Hiking, which offers all-inclusive trips, combining guided hikes with gourmet meals in destinations like Tuscany, Umbria and Slovenia. This nine-day hiking holiday in Slovenia and Friuli starts in Ljubljana and winds through the Julian Alps, Lake Bohinj and the vineyards of the Collio hills before ending in Venice.

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