Solo travel in Italy

Dining solo in Italy is good; sharing is even better. Long, savoured meals that lean on quality ingredients, made with love, are a foundation of Italian culture.

“Italy has such a strong food culture – it bonds communities and it’s healthy,” says Ollie Haenlein, co-founder of our cooking and pasta making specialists Cook, Eat Discover. “And there are lots of producers here thinking sustainably.”

Our cooking and food trips welcome lots of solo travellers who are there for a range of reasons – to follow their passions, learn new skills, experience rural Italy or simply try something different in excellent company. Groups are small – around 10… or about as many as can fit comfortably around a farmhouse kitchen table. There can be six decades between the youngest and oldest guests, and people arrive as families, friends and solos – which means single travellers fit right into the eclectic mix.

“Everyone connects over food and often create lasting friendships,” says Ollie. “We had a group who became friends, coming back for a second trip.”

Cooking and food holidays are also an easy way to experience rural life without losing independence. Visits to local oil and buffalo cheese producers are included – but you can also hop on a bus or train to visit the nearby market town.

“We’re far from the crowds, but still well-connected – you can easily get to the popular areas of Tuscany if you want,” says Marina Caldera, co-owner of our Italian cooking specialists Agriturismo Podere le Olle. Another perk? You’re staying on Marina and partner Gianluca’s farm, where rooms are all yours – and with no single supplements.

You’ll find your posse – or peloton – on our guided hiking and cycling trips. Tuscany, the Dolomites and Amalfi are all popular with our solo travellers.

“We get all sorts of age ranges and all different types of people,” says Vania de Paoli, who leads some of our top walks on the Amalfi Coast. “You get families coming and doing the walking trips, solo travellers… Amalfi has more of a variety of travellers.”

Sardinia and the Apennines are inspired choices too – more challenging scenery best done in the company of a guide. With an experienced guide leading the way, you can take your eyes off the map, put your phone away, and concentrate on enjoying the scenery. Snow-skimmed valleys and mountain huts with crackling fires more your thing? Our cross country skiing adventures in the Dolomites put you in touch with the best trails and a laid-back après-ski scene – and a ready-made gang with whom to enjoy it.

More a lone pilgrim type? Self guided walking is possible too; our experts will tailor the trip to your preferences and share detailed walking routes that point out the most scenic gondolas or tucked-away viewpoints along the way. Plus, they’re on call 24/7 if you need any support.

For an overview of a region, hop on our tours that hit all the highlights while throwing in a few curveballs along the way. You’ll see the Venetian canals and Renaissance galleries – but also get the chance to, say, go truffle hunting or stay in a historic medieval hotel.

Where possible, our tours travel by train. One: because it’s easy. Two: because local people do too, and are inclined to lean over and ask you about your travels.

“One of my favourite things about travelling by train in Italy is the people you meet,” says Giovanna Consonni, from our local partner Stile Italiano Tours, who runs our Tuscany cultural highlights tours. “On long-distance trains, you often sit next to professionals travelling for work, and many of them speak English, so it’s easy to have a conversation. On local trains, you might find older passengers who don’t speak a word of English, yet somehow still manage to start the most random and heartwarming conversations with fellow travellers. It’s very sweet and always makes the journey memorable.”

If you’re not on a small group tour, our specialists like Giovanna will always be there when you need it – and sometimes before you think you need it.

“One of our trains experienced a mechanical issue which caused us to have to get off the train,” says our traveller Heidi Hayes. “Within five minutes, Giovanna contacted us to see if we needed assistance. We intend to book with them again and highly recommend them to other travellers.”

Our solo travellers are an interesting and interested bunch, joining history walks in Sicily, wine tasting in Tuscany, and painting and sculpture retreats amongst the coast and hills of Le Marche. Our photography holidays are a particular hit, with about half the attendees signing up for a space for one. With so many solo travellers, WhatsApp groups created by our partners pre-departure can be invaluable, giving you the chance to start to get to know the group before meeting them in person.

“It’s fabulous,” says Geraldine Westrupp, from Wild Photography Holidays, who runs our Dolomites photography tour. “Over the course of several trips people gradually build relationships with each other and eventually organise to book together... My husband and I have been to stay with friends we’ve met on these trips ourselves.”

Not many of our solo travellers choose a tailor made trip, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible – just a little pricier, as costs can’t be spread through the group. Our Italy experts are more than happy to help, whether your passion is exploring sacred art or sunset chasing down the Ligurian Coast. They’ll sort your transfers, accommodation, give you tips and advice, and WhatsApp you updates and changes if you’d like to stay in touch.

For many, the Amalfi Coast is their first solo walking trip abroad; its reputation for spectacular scenery precedes it, inspiring travellers to pack their boots and go. Our trips usually stay in one spot, so evenings are your chance for free time to wander the cobbled streets of Sorrento, spend time with a book on a bathing jetty, or sign up to one of the many summer concerts.

The landscapes of rolling hills striped with vineyards and cypress trees are inspiring – but our holidays are even more so. The chance to get stuck into the food and wine scene makes Tuscany and Umbria two of our most popular spots for solo travel in Italy. As a bonus, the cities are easy to explore independently. Florence is walkable and welcoming, with a brilliant and easily navigable transport system that is well used to tourists. Plus, it’s just a 1.5-hour train journey to Rome – and two hours to Venice.

The jagged Dolomite Mountains serve up year-round wonder. You could go in any season and feel like you’ve been to a different region each time – summer for buttercup-gilded hills, autumn for bright larch forests, winter for snowy mountains, or spring for pin drop-peaceful paths. The well-signposted trails are well-trod, so self guided walking is an option – and always with the chance to join a guide for trickier trails.

Our small group tours are the easiest way to see Italy’s beautiful south solo. We’ll join you up with fellow travellers and an expert local guide who’ll tell you the stories behind the trulli towns and check you in to the finest masseria farmstays. You’ll travel a good distance, so the transport included is a great boon; public transport gets more unreliable the further south you go.

Fancy some island time? Our solo travellers favour Sicily for a full-circle tour of honey-hued baroque cities and a countryside and coastline scattered with crumbled Roman ruins. Sardinia, meanwhile, embraces its wild side, offering mountain walks and craggy coastlines. It’s ideal for adventurous hikers happy to climb to rugged viewpoints – and reap the widescreen-view rewards that go with it.