Global travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller revealed the very best places to visit for solo travellers in 2024, and our wee city made the list as the perfect place to make friends.
Solo travel has taken the world by storm, with more and more people choosing to set off on their lonely adventures every year.
If you’re thinking of setting off and want to know where the top destinations to check out solo are, Condé Nast Traveller has ranked some of the best.
Whether you’re on a journey of self-discovery or just want to step out of your comfort zone, solo travel is undoubtedly one of the very best ways to learn and grow.
From proving that you can go it alone to enjoying quiet moments of solitude in some of the world’s most beautiful places, there’s really nothing quite like it.
Perhaps surprisingly, our wee city managed to make Condé Nast Traveller’s ranking of top destinations for solo travellers in 2024.
Each destination was mentioned for an individual reason and Belfast was named the best city for making friends in 2024.
Get to know the locals – we’re a friendly and social bunch
With lots of lively pubs and social events taking place around the city, the people of Northern Ireland are all about getting out and meeting new people.
After all, we are endowed with the gift of the gab, and we need someone to be on the receiving end of our endless chatter.
Condé Nast Traveller journalists Anna Prendergast and Anna Hart were impressed by the city’s social side, commenting that the city has flourished since its days of being a destination shunned by travellers because of sectarian violence.
They wrote that Belfast “has emerged as one of the most culturally vibrant and friendly city break destinations in Europe.”
Belfast named the best city for making friends in 2024 – a great way to experience the city to its fullest
Explaining that any solo traveller to the city will be welcomed with open arms, they continue, “This a big-hearted town where a lone traveller can turn up alone at a Cathedral Quarter bar like The Spaniard and find a few new friends before they’re halfway through that pint of Guinness”.
Offering plenty of recommendations for things to see and do, they highlight the sophisticated Merchant Hotel as the perfect place to treat yourself.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for something slightly more affordable but still swish, they recommend the fantastic Bullitt Hotel.
They also make mention of the city’s fantastic food scene, highlighting popular spots such as The Muddlers Club and Mourne Seafood Bar as places you can’t miss.
Add Belfast to your 2024 bucket list – a spot you simply can’t miss
So, if you’re a solo traveller looking for a fun and social experience, you need to add the Northern Irish capital to your 2024 bucket list.
We can think of nothing better than visiting the city’s top sights, such as Titanic Belfast, the Ulster Museum, and Botanic Gardens with your new troop.
We can’t guarantee you’ll find it easy leaving when you have to bid farewell to your new pals. After all, Belfast was named the best city for making friends in 2024, but we guess that just gives you all the more reason to plan a return trip!
Check out the full Condé Nast Traveller article on the best solo travel destinations here.
