You might be travelling solo but on an Intrepid trip, you’re never really travelling alone.
Breathtaking natural landscapes? Check. Fascinating cultural experiences? Check. A group full of adventure-hungry travellers to explore it all with? Check. A solo tour in Australia just keeps ticking all the boxes. From snorkelling the brightly coloured coral systems of the UNESCO world heritage listed Great Barrier Reef to walking through the red rock gorges found in Western Australia’s Karijini National Park, savour shared experiences and create life-long memories with friends that started off as strangers in a country that’ll soon feel like home.
Our Australia solo tours
14 Days
From
3490
See the natural wonders of Queensland and New South Wales on an adventure through the...
4 Days
From
758
Discover the history, culture and incredible landscapes of Australia’s Red Centre on a...
4 Days
From
644
Discover the history, culture and incredible landscapes of Australia’s Red Centre on a...
4 Days
From
732
Tour the best bits of Australia’s Top End, exploring Kakadu National Park, Litchfield...
13 Days
From
3670
Bask in the beauty of north-east Queensland on an adventure that takes you to the Great...
Tailor-Made trips
Take four or more on an exclusive trip and tailor your itinerary
7 Days
From
1324
Explore the Hunter Valley, Port Macquarie, Dorrigo National Park, Coffs Harbour, Byron...
8 Days
From
2032
From Brisbane, you’ll visit Noosa Heads, K’gari (Fraser Island), Hervey Bay, Airlie...
4 Days
From
1232
Visit the natural wonders of Litchfield National Park and Kakadu National Park,...
4 Days
From
1232
Visit the natural wonders of Litchfield National Park and Kakadu National Park,...
6 Days
From
1492
Discover Australia’s Red Centre with spectacular sights of the Tjoritja-Western...
5 Days
From
1027
See the best of Perth, including the Margaret River region and its wineries, Fremantle...
5 Days
From
1027
See the best of Perth, including the Margaret River region and its wineries, Fremantle...
The perks of solo travel in Australia with Intrepid
A local leader
Whether you want to know exactly what life is like in the outback or which hikes in Cradle Mountain are worth doing, travelling on a group tour with a local guide not only ensures you’ll get a deeper understanding of the places you visit but also all of the best recommendations on how to spend your free time there. For once, you don’t have to rely on the internet.
Safety
Australia is known to be a pretty safe country for travellers so you shouldn’t run into any major problems, however, you can never be too careful. Whether it’s making sure your luggage goes wherever you do to letting you know which natural swimming holes to avoid, our leaders are expertly trained to handle any unexpected situations that may arise so that you don’t have to.
Ready made friends
It can be a bit daunting embarking on an adventure by yourself but from the very first day of your tour, you’ll meet like-minded travellers who are just as excited to explore the destinations on your itinerary as you are. From chatting over the breakfast table to heading out for a night on the town (and every little moment in between), create real-life connections with people from all over the world.
Logistics and convenience
Not the type of person who wants to worry about confirmation emails, activity tickets or transport timetables? No problem. Our small group tours have pre-organised itineraries, so we’ve already mapped out how to get from A to be B, applied for national park permits, booked the trip’s accommodation and thought about all the other (sometimes finicky) travel logistics. All you have to do is show up.
Reviews
FAQs
From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises). However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.
Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.
It’s completely up to you. On our trips rooming is organised on a twin-share basis and we pair up solo travellers with another traveller of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports. But if you'd like your own room, an individual room is available on the majority of our trips (it’s just a small extra charge). Just mention this to our customer service team when booking your trip and they'll arrange it for you.
As a responsible tour operator, we strive to create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. In the case that your gender identity differs from what is indicated on your passport, please contact us so that we can discuss rooming options with you.
On a small selection of itineraries some accommodations are booked on an open gender, multi-share basis (for example on a felucca in Egypt or an overnight train in Vietnam). In those instances it will clearly be stated in our Essential Trip Information prior to booking and travelling.
Whether you’re travelling solo or with a partner, our trips have a set itinerary. But within that there’s time set aside for your own exploration (if you want to – no pressure). The amount of free time depends on the travel style - you can ask your guide for a few tips then head out alone, or hang out with the group and see where the day takes you.
You sure do. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their tour. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.
Mobile phone coverage is excellent in most parts of Australia, especially in large cities and urban areas. Remote, rural and mountainous places may have limited to no coverage, so be aware of this before venturing away from the city. Ensure global roaming is activated before leaving your home country if you want to use your mobile, or you can purchase a sim card when you arrive. The provider that will have coverage in the majority of Australia is Telstra, secondly Optus and then Vodafone. A hot tip – when you are in remote areas and don’t have mobile phone signal, turn your phone to flight mode which will conserve battery and prevent your phone from using data trying to search for internet signal.
Intrepid is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. That’s why we do our best to help as many people see the world as possible, regardless of any physical or mental limitations they might have. However, we’re always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them towards the most suitable itinerary for their needs and where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.
Our solo travel safety guide
Good advice for us all, but particularly for people travelling solo. Make copies of your itinerary, contact details, passport and travel insurance, then email them to yourself and to one or two friends/family at home. Check-in on social media when you can so people can keep track of where you are.
If you’re arriving late in a city by yourself, book a hotel with a front desk or concierge service (many hotels also offer private transfers that don’t cost the earth from the airport or train station). If you're travelling with us, we can help you organise an arrival transfer. Read your maps before you head out for a walk (you can use a map app on your smartphone – or take screenshots of where you’re going if you don’t want to use up your precious data). If you need to check your map when you’re out and about, duck into a shop or café to do it. Leave the blingy jewellery, wedding rings and designer clothes at home, and aim to dress like the locals do – hit up the local markets if you haven’t packed the right outfits. Aim to keep track of travel times, so you’re not caught out after dark.
Most mobile/cell providers now offer travel passes to help manage your international roaming costs (which, let’s face it, are expensive!). For a few dollars a day, you’ll have access to data, which means you can log into your apps (like Skype, email and WhatsApp) when you’re out of WiFi zones and quickly get in touch with someone – a friend at home, someone in your group, or the police – if you need to. It might also be worth checking out the local cell/mobile providers as these can be quite cost effective.
Solo travellers are way more likely to be ‘taken for a ride’ at the airport by unscrupulous taxi drivers, so do your research before you arrive. Make sure you get a cab from the airport/station taxi rank – if you’re not sure where to go, just head to the information desk for help. Touts tend to hang out in the arrivals area and promise cheaper rates, but can often be dodgy. When you get to the cab rank, ask the driver to use the meter or request a cost estimate before you hop in the car – if it’s way higher than it should be, pick another vehicle. A lot of airports have train stations attached as well, so consider public transport if you want to save a dollar or two.
It’s one of the advantages of travelling solo on a group tour: safety in numbers. The big, 50-person bus groups stand out on the road, but a small Intrepid group of eight or nine people, with a local leader showing the way – including areas to avoid and getting around safely – won’t draw much attention. Plus, it’s a great way to see parts of the world you may feel uncomfortable exploring on your own. If you want to do things on your own, consider a day tour to familiarise yourself with a city and get to know the local way of life.
Solo travel is all about confidence. If you’re relaxed and self-assured on the street, you’re more likely to blend in. When you meet new people, don’t assume they’re all out to get you, but be sensible too and trust your gut. If it feels wrong, it probably is. Remember: the popular tourist areas are often the most well-lit and secure, but they’re often a juicier target for pickpockets and scammers. Just use your common sense; half of travel safety is simply being aware of your surroundings.
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