Solo holidays; history, art, architectural tours and more

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In recent years my partner's become obsessed with the triathlon and loves going on tough cycling and activity holidays. I'm someone who likes history, botany, art, gardens and architecture as well as gentle cycling and walking. Now we've reached semi-retirement and are able to take more holidays we've agreed that while we'll have some time away together, it makes sense for us to also holiday separately. I'll organise breaks away with friends and family but I'd really like to go away on my own, preferably in a group, so that I'm not having to look after anyone else or think about their needs.

Can anyone recommend tours or holidays or companies that might fit the bill? Not sure how to put it, but are there any companies that might suit a fit, liberal, academic 60-year-old better than others? My SiL booked us onto a cruise around Italy a couple of years ago and we really weren't on a similar wavelength to most of the other passengers. In the past I would have looked at Exodus and similar, but I do feel I'm getting a bit old for them.

Saga Holidays and One Traveller

I wouldn't recommend Saga ; been on one holiday with them & never again as they are very down-market.

I do understand what you are implying.
I would suggest an independent travel agent could be your best bet.

Slightly odd suggestion maybe but have you tried your university alumni association?

These sound like the right sort of thing for you - www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/travel (I'm looking forward to going on some of these when my DC have grown up)

Try looking at HF Holidays and the Ramblers. Both have diversified from purely hiking holidays and now include gentle walking and cultural holidays. I did a week's holiday in New York with the Ramblers. I think they've created a separate brand for those types of holidays - I can't remember what it's called but you'll find it from their main website.

I've also done HF Holidays in the UK (they do a few foreign destinations too). In the UK they have their own houses around the country and everyone who stays there is doing an HF holiday but not necessarily the same one, eg most people will be doing walking but there are also 'Explorer' or 'Discovery' holidays (not sure what they're called now) which are sightseeing and some short walks. I did the Lake District and Cornwall - both were brilliant. They also do some specialist breaks, eg golf, yoga etc.

Both companies have a mix of couples and singles. HF is quite addictive and has a lot of repeat customers who have been going for decades (on the walking holidays).

There is a company actually called Solos but I don't know if they do cultural destinations. It's definitely for people holidaying by themselves and not a pick-up joint. My friend has done a few and enjoyed them.

For full on culture I've seen Martin Randall Travel advertised. It's quite expensive because they have expert speakers so I imagine it's quite highbrow.

Thanks, all – and thanks for understanding what I meant. It's difficult to describe the kind of thing I enjoy without seeming snobbish. Laburnumtree, that looks interesting, thank you. Possibly a bit too highbrow for me, but there's always so much to learn.

I'm still struggling to imagine myself as a Saga customer; must be in denial about turning 60! My partner and I do things like Headwater self-guided cycling trips, city breaks, walking holidays and long haul driving holidays together but I'm no longer going to torture myself trying to keep up on the more intense Exodus cycling holidays where you have to ride in a peloton and keep up with the rest.

Plumpciousness, thanks for the heads-up on HF. Someone had mentioned Martin Randall to me a few years ago and I winced at the price when I checked his company out but I might try one for the hell of it. Thanks for reminding me.

I'm not a proper academic but I've always loved history and art and architecture and have read and studied over the years. I'd like to keep learning for as long as possible. Loads of other interests, including going clubbing occasionally. I've always loved dancing and don't see why I have to stop just because I've gone grey!

I don't know if the Riviera Travel clientelle are more what you are looking for, but they always have a supplement of interesting looking tours (Seville, Granada, Malaga or Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, plus ones that are somewhere else other than Spain) in The Times on Saturdays.

You could give them a try or just use the tours as inspiration to put together your own itinery, if you decide group travel isn't for you - We did the Andalucian cities plus some tweaks to suit what we wanted for not much more than half what RT were charging.

You could see if Cycling for Softies are still going for more leisurely paced cycling trips.

I'm in a similar position op and last year went by myself to Athens, where I took a guided tour round classic sites such as Mycenae and Delphi. The guide was fantastic and it wasn't a problem being a solo traveller at all.

I've booked to go with Andante Travels to Rome next year. This company specialises in art, history and architecture so their tours have great guides and everyone will have similar interests. Voyages to Antiquity also offer cruises on a small ship to places of historic interest, and they have a large number of solo travellers I believe. I'm not a great socialiser but it is always much easier when you share interests with everyone else.

Also have you considered continuing education courses? Cambridge ICE and Oxford Department for Continuing Education both offer online and short courses on lots of different topics. These are excellent, but do obviously come at a cost.

I don't know exodus, but have been on a few explore trips and there have always been people in their late 60s, even early 70s, so 60 would certainly not be "too old". In fact, a liberal academic 60-year old would be a very typical customer! I always call and ask demographics of itineraries I'm eyeing up because I like a mix of ages. I've not booked a few because I'd have been several decades younger than everyone else (I'm now 40) - never heard of the reverse! Seems to be particularly the case with their European walking holidays.

I've done History of Art with Cambridge ICE and it's fantastic.

Have you also considered joining your local NADFAS? They also do group holidays plus regular meetings with speakers.

I dream of going on a Martin Randall tour but am lucky enough that DH wants to do the same holidays as me so we tend to just nick the itineraries and DIY it. If you google cultural travel there are a few others - we have stolen itineraries from quite a few!

Also the Art Fund and Royal Academy do group holidays with lecturers. Some of the lecturers from ICE went on these, plus Martin Randall.

Wow, so many things to follow up: thank you, that's really helped. Whoever mentioned Explore, cheers, we've been doing Exodus holidays for the last few years and so I'd forgotten Explore. We did a few of those 20+ years ago when we were in our 30s and early 40s and there were always a few older people in the group.

Thanks for the future study ideas, too.

I don't know whether it's just me adjusting to having a free travel pass and struggling with the idea of having made it to 60, or whether there is a kind of grey (literally) area where I feel as if I'm a bit too old for a certain kind of holiday or holiday company but too young for holidays designed for 'older' people.

A quick Google search turned up lots of companies with trips like you describe OP. Exodus seems to actively court the 60+ market, there's Tucan Travel, 101 holidays and many more. You're definitely the lower age range though for many of these companies. My DPs (in their 70s) like Noble Caledonia cruises (i.e. posh and expensive!), but do say that many of their fellows travellers are older than them, so beware the 'senior' specialist companies.