Feeling brave? These are the best solo adventure travel destinations to visit in Europe

By Dianne Apen-Sadler Published on 12/05/2026 - 6:00 GMT+2 Share Comments Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp

From whale watching in the Azores to kayaking Norway’s fjords, here’s all the solo trips you should be booking.

Choosing to travel solo is brave enough, and if you’ve already taken the plunge to travel sans friends, there’s nothing you can’t do.

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Perhaps your flavour of adventure is to do with wildlife, and you want to spot bears and wolves in their natural habitat? Or maybe you’re more about hiking, and it’s the via ferratas of Italy calling your name?

Can’t decide where to go? Luckily for you, Much Better Adventures has come up with a list of the very best places for solo adventure travel this year.

Each one has been evaluated based on numerous factors like its Global Peace Index score, the average cost of a meal for one, the biodiversity proxy score and the number of hiking routes while taking into account insight from experts and customer booking trends.

Here’s all the solo adventure travel destinations they came up with for Europe.

Italy

For many of us, a trip to Italy means lying by a beach during the day followed by pizza and pasta paired with a Hugo Spritz by night. But the varied landscapes have a lot more to offer if you’re willing to move inland.

The Dolomites are a popular choice among hikers for a reason, and walking the 125 kilometre Alta Via 1 from hut to hut is on many a bucket list. For the truly adventurous, be sure to climb a via ferrata while you’re there.

You can find routes around the Dolomites on hiking apps, or in various guidebooks published by Cicerone. Alternatively, many tour operators offer guided hikes in the area – solo travel means you arrive alone, it doesn’t mean you have to shun other people while you’re away.

If your definition of adventure involves wildlife, you can also visit the Apennines. In the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, you’ll be able to spot bears, wolves, chamois and other species.

Portugal

Another destination best known for its beaches, it’s Portugal’s archipelagos that offer plenty for the adventure traveller.

In the Azores, hiking is a must – there are trails of varying distances and difficulties, all of which can be found on the official Visit Azores website.

If you’re more comfortable at sea than on land, there are scuba diving spots too, and you can also go whale watching.

Madeira offers hiking trails aplenty (which can also be found on the official tourism board website), and visitors can also try canyoning or coasteering.

Spain

Much of Spain’s overtourism problems are to do with distribution: Over the course of 2025, some 90% of the country’s 96.8 million visitors went to just six of its 17 autonomous regions, according to the National Statistics Institute.

Yet there are still plenty of hidden gems to be found – particularly for adventure travellers.

While everyone will have heard of the Camino de Santiago, other trails include the Caminito del Rey, which was once considered the most dangerous in the world (until it was carefully restored), the Garganta de los Infiernos through the Jerte Valley, and the Camí de Ronda along the Costa Brava shoreline.

Norway

Norway in the winter is an adventure lover’s dream, with everything from snowmobiles and dog sledding to snowshoeing and skiing.

Plus, if you’re really keen on going off-the-beaten-track, you can get a guide to teach you bushcraft so you know how to survive in the wilderness.

Having said that, the summer months can be equally adventurous, with hikes or bike rides under the midnight sun, and the opportunity to kayak among the fjords.

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