15 Unique Solo Staycation Ideas for Singles

I think it’s safe to say the world has gone crazy lately. Between health, politics, and social justice, there are so many stressors.

Usually, I deal with stress by taking a vacation. But with COVID regulations, it feels impossible to go on a real vacation – one with a plane and jet lag and no quarantine.

I never thought I’d miss jet lag, but here we are.

Fortunately, there’s a solution: staycations.

What are they? How can you take one? And how can you do it without your family?

Read on to find out my top solo staycation ideas at home.

What is a Staycation?

A staycation is a trip that doesn’t involve travel. There are a few variations of staycations developing during COVID: at home, in your city, and in your country.

Basically, as long as you aren’t hopping on a plane and you don’t need your passport, it’s a staycation.

With those requirements, you can see how staycations have started to take off during the pandemic. You don’t have to deal with pesky travel restrictions or risk your limbs trying to sanitize down the sides of your seat.

Staycations are a much safer option – and a way more affordable way to travel! You can save thousands on plane tickets, accommodations, and other travel fees by having a relaxing holiday in your neighbourhood.

15 Solo Staycation Ideas

Staycations aren’t likely to leave our lives anytime soon. You’ll probably need a few more before the year ends. Even after the worst of the pandemic is over, many of us will need to recover financially and emotionally before we start travelling again.

That’s why you need multiple solo staycation ideas at home!

There are so many different types of staycations that you can take from the comfort of your home. I’ve included a variation for every type of solo traveller to enjoy.

Don’t be afraid to try different solo staycation ideas at home to see what works for you. You may end up combining a few options, especially on longer staycations, or changing partway through if you decide you need something else.

There are no rules!

That’s one of the best parts about staycations: you’re free to do them however you want!

Here are my top 15 solo staycation ideas at home:

1. Set Up a Retreat

What kind of retreat? That’s up to you!

Finally go on that writing, yoga or meditation retreat you’ve always wanted to try. Follow online classes or prompts to help guide you during your staycation.

If you’re not sure how to set up a retreat, google some existing retreats you’d like to visit. They’ll tell you about their generic daily itineraries so you can plan something similar. If you need some motivational help, ask a friend to do it with you (virtually of course).

My pick would be a yoga retreat. So I would create an area to do my yoga, complete with a Spotify relaxing yoga music playlist. If you need guides, find a free class on Youtube. Try changing it up with different types of yoga, like Yoga Nidra for sleep and Hatha to get better at holding positions.

2. Pamper Yourself with a Spa Day

Spa days are a classic solo staycation idea if you’re at home. They’ve basically become synonymous with self-care.

Plan to pamper yourself as best you can. Get some nice products for face masks, body scrubs, mani/pedis, and bubble baths. If you don’t have a bath, get a nice eucalyptus shower spray or some massage oils to help you relax.

Go all the way by making some DIY cucumber or fruit water and wearing a fluffy robe with slippers. Download a relaxing Spotify playlist to take you right into the spa environment.

I highly recommend getting an ice eye mask to help relax your eyes after months of staring at screens.

If you can afford it, get a massage thumper. If not, go lower-tech and get a foam roller or massage ball to do some self-massage.

Treat yourself to a totally zen staycation with your own at-home spa.

3. Cook Your Way Around the World

We all know banana bread and sourdough took over the world this year, but there are so many other foods to try!

Since food is one of the best reasons to travel, treat your tastebuds to an international feast.

Work your way through a continent’s cuisine. Create high-class favourites like British high tea or follow along with cooking show challenges, like the Great British Bake Off. Learn how to make authentic Mexican tacos or make fresh pasta with an Italian nonna.

If you’re not a cook, check out some local food tours. Either take yourself on one to new restaurants or find a local company with guides. The guides will share bits of history while helping you discover hidden bites in your neighbourhood.

Check out some of my favourite London-based food tours and cooking classes:

4. Take a Photo Tour of Your Neighbourhood

Instagram has changed the travel industry forever. But that’s not always a bad thing!

Map out some nearby Instagram hot spots and follow the tour, taking photos of yourself along the way.

Don’t forget your handy tripod so you can get some epic shots for the gram (or for yourself)!

Find places with popular graffiti, cool cafes, a natural attraction, and the most photogenic food item near you. If you search for your city’s location tag or a hashtag with your city’s name, you’ll find thousands of options. Or google your city name + “Instagram spots” for some helpful guides.

I also found some local bloggers to help plan my Insta tour of Toronto for next week. Based on my favourite photos of theirs, I figured out a great map for the most Instagrammable places in Toronto.

5. Turn Your Room into a Hotel

Just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean your staycation can’t be luxurious.

Recreate the luxury of a hotel without leaving your house. Order some silky sheets, buy some new toiletries, wear a fluffy robe, get a comfy bath sheet, and stock your room with snacks and alcohol.

Use food delivery apps as room service and be sure to have a TV or laptop so you can binge-watch from your bed.

Are there any other amenities you love from hotels? Find a creative way to recreate them at home!

I love fancy hotel soap, so I went out and got a lovely smelling bar of soap that reminded me of the scents from the Ritz Carlton-Millenia Hotel in Singapore.

6. Be a Tourist In Your Own City

Were you planning a trip to Greece that got cancelled? Did you have plans to explore Beijing’s cultural history? Was there a dream trip that corona put on hold?

Don’t wait!

Recreate your cancelled vacations with a themed staycation.

Eat meals from the country’s cuisine. Take virtual city tours of the city’s attractions and museums. Download Duolingo and start to learn the language. Watch TV or movies from the country. Put up photos or sheets with culturally-themed patterns. Dress for their weather (which may involve some extra heating or a fan).

Think of what your itinerary would have been like and incorporate those elements into your staycation. Turn your daily walks into sightseeing tours. Stock up for an all-inclusive vacation. Lounge in a bikini in the sunlight.

Your solo staycation ideas at home shouldn’t limit you from exploring the world!

7. See Your Town in a New Way

Maybe you’re new in town. Maybe you’ve had to return to a hometown that you haven’t been to in a while. Or maybe you’ve lived there forever.

There’s always a new way to see your town or city!

You could play tourist and take in your city’s classic attractions. Try a different mode of transportation, like cycling instead of driving. Get up early to see the sunrise. Head to neighbourhoods you haven’t explored. For example, find a nearby hike, like the Scarborough Bluffs hikes in Toronto.

Find the parts of your town you don’t know and start to uncover them. It’ll help you love the place you’re in and will doubtless uncover even more for you to learn.

If you’re unsure how to do this on your own, join a local Get Your Guide tour:

8. Plan Day Trips to Charming Towns

Yes, this is a post about solo staycation ideas at home. Day trips can be a great add-on that lets you return to your home at night without worrying about additional fees.

Some day trips will require cars or trains to get to, like going to Stratford-upon-Avon from London. Others you can reach by cycling or on foot, like my trip to the Toronto Beaches Neighbourhood from Etobicoke.

You’ll find many options within your means to help you get a change of scenery.

Look to Google and travel bloggers for help finding day trip ideas near you. I love searching for hikes or unique geography that make me feel like I’m in a different world from Downtown Toronto.

Find some European-esque towns in North America, or a farming village nearby. Maybe head into the city for a change.

Treat your day trip like a vacation: explore wholeheartedly and discover its unique culture.

9. Have an At-Home Adventure Staycation

I love adventure travel, but it was hard to do when I was living in a second-story Airbnb in Toronto for months.

But I learned that there are ways to overcome this pesky limitation.

Find nearby places to hike or camp. Buy a bike and start venturing further. Stay up late and stargaze from your windows. Rent a canoe or paddleboard to see things from the water.

You can book guided tours, like my Sunset Canoe Tour of the Toronto Islands, for help planning your adventure staycations.

10. Go Off the Grid for a Digital Detox

You can go off the grid to whatever degree you’d like. Maybe you turn off notifications. You can set your phone on airplane mode. Or turn off your wifi altogether. You can disconnect from TV, too.

Find a balance that works for you and give yourself a digital detox after months of relying on our electronics for social connections.

I try to take a phone-free day once a week to help me destress.

Pick up a non-digital hobby. I got really into cross stitch and embroidery recently, which are perfect activities to enjoy when you’re offline. Pick up some travel podcasts and an amazing adventure travel book to enjoy while avoiding going online.

11. Digital Retox with Media Marathons

Because not all marathons need to involve running!

Choose your media of choice: books, podcasts, music, movies, TV. Then get marathoning!

Shut off your anxious mind for a few hours or days by losing yourself in entertainment. Join the thousands of people in the 31 days of Halloween horror movie challenge. Or start a solo staycation read-a-thon to clear out your Goodreads library.

12. Virtual Board Game Night

How can you do a board game night solo?

Easy: use the internet!

Almost every board game from your childhood has an app now where you can play online with strangers or with friends. Spend a night reliving classics like the Game of Life, Clue, Scrabble, Connect Four, and more.

You can get some newer games, like app versions of classic game shows, video games, and card game apps.

Don’t forget a classic board game!

Find some games that you enjoy and put aside a night (or morning, or afternoon) to play them.

13. Build One of a Kind Experiences

Do you love drive-in movies? Are you missing the gym? Do you want a high tech camera to do your photo tour?

Design your dream experience with the help of rental websites like Ruckify or buy used items from Kijiji/Craigslist. (Use my code NINACLAPPERTON for $25 free towards your first rental.)

Set up a movie projector in the backyard for a picnic-style drive-in. Rent gym equipment to get back to strength training. Rent a mirrorless DSLR to shoot the best RAW photos of your photo tour.

You can find everything from inflatable paddle boards to RVs on these sites to give you a truly one of a kind solo staycation experience at home.

14. Go to Broadway from Your Couch

Get the luxury of a broadway show without leaving your couch.

Sign up for Disney+ to watch Hamilton – but don’t stop there. Start with a fancy dinner that lets you finally wear that gorgeous dress in your closet. Treat yourself to a nice drink, and settle in for a night with a musical on demand.

Are musicals not your thing? Stream a play, a symphony, or a sporting event and go all in.

Pretend you’re really going to the event.

What would you wear? What would you eat? When would it be?

15. Go Back in Time

Instead of moving through geographies, move through time.

Go back to childhood and remember your favourite things to do. Then do them!

Build forts. Eat junk food you haven’t touched since you realized ketchup shouldn’t be purple. Listen to music that makes you nostalgic. Try finger painting or colouring again. Try out an old hobby – or pick up a new one that makes you feel carefree.

Let your stress melt away with your child-like staycation at home.

How To Take a Staycation

It’s simple: book time off of work like you would to travel.

That’s it!

If you can’t get time off work, have your staycation on a weekend. The only requirement is having no obligations during the trip. You don’t want to interrupt your relaxation for a conference call or to rush through homework (students need staycations too!).

After that, it’s up to you to decide if you want to stay home or venture further. Some people like to check into hotels in their city or take a small getaway outside their city limits. Others make it even simpler by staying at home.

Those of us who stay at home have it easy. We don’t have to make any bookings, check any restrictions, or deal with packing when we don’t like our bodies (which is a godsend when most of my pants no longer fit from the whole banana bread craze).

What Do You Do on a Staycation at home alone?

There are no rules. You can do whatever you want!

As a quick guideline, these are some ideas of what you can do on a home staycation alone:

• Turn off your cell phone and email
• Have a spa day
• Stay in your robe
• Cook food from global destinations
• Put on music from a location you love
• Go for a hike or local adventure
• Camp indoors
• Themed movie nights
• Read all day long
• Tan in the backyard or at the park
• Make your bed and turn it down
• Have your food delivered

How to have a good staycation

• Set a budget so you don’t overspend
• But do set aside money so you can treat yourself with some luxury
• Put work entirely out of your mind and your space. Lock up the work phone and power down the work email.
• Set up a relaxing space. Maybe move your desk over or relax in an area of the house you don’t usually hang out in
• Create a backyard paradise or set up a hammock/couch by the windows to pretend you’re somewhere else
• Plan some activities. Don’t just watch TV all day

How to make a Staycation feel like a Vacation

• Do your chores ahead of time so you won’t be cleaning in between vacation activities. Get the vacuuming out of the way.
• Set up a budget.
• Stop working! Just because you’re in your home doesn’t mean you’re not on vacation. I find “out of sight out of mind” is best for me, so I actually cover my desk with a sheet or hide my work computer.
• Pick a theme. Maybe it’ll change each day or maybe it’ll last the whole vacation.
• Plan! Don’t just wing it or you’ll fall into the habit of lounging around without enjoying it.
• Tell your family you’re going “away”. Put normal vacation rules in play. If they wouldn’t pay long distance to call you in Iceland, then they shouldn’t call you now.
• Remember to go outdoors. You still need sunlight and some exercise. Find ways to create a balance of indoor and outdoor time.
• Be a tourist in your own city.

How to Have a Solo Staycation When You Don’t Live Alone

Many solo travellers have had to face this issue: how do we have a solo staycation at home when we don’t live alone?

I don’t own a car. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on a hotel. But my solo travel spirit is still burning bright.

Ideally, you could kick your family out and send them on their own holiday. Obviously, that’s not really feasible.

I definitely couldn’t kick my family out of the house, since I’m their guest.

So, how did I manage to have a solo staycation at home when I don’t live alone?

Tell Your Housemate(s) What You Need

Your roommates or family can’t help you if you don’t tell them what you need.

You have to start by sharing your need for some alone time to relax and recharge.

Ask your housemates not to bother you during your staycation. You can’t deny them their ability to live, but you can stop them from knocking on your door or invading your solo time.

Define a Staycation Zone in Your Home

For me, this was my bedroom and the rarely used family room couch (you know the one that’s really only for company? No? Just my WASP-y family?).

I chose specific spaces and asked my family to respect my boundaries in those areas. If they needed to access them, I let them, but I asked that they not disturb me or take over the space.

Try to pick a room outside of your bedroom to use part-time. If you’re stuck in one room, you’ll start to get antsy or struggle to sleep later.

If you live with a partner in a one-bedroom flat, ask them to switch rooms with you. Perhaps one of you has the morning shift in the bedroom and the other has the afternoon. If they need to work in a certain area, find space around them.

If you live in a flat with a single common area, talk to your roommates about having a time when you can have it to yourself. Ask for a solo movie night or a few hours in the morning that you can do as you please.

If you live in a house, try to pick a room that’s comfy but also not inconvenient. Don’t claim the kitchen for yourself and ban your family from it. Don’t choose your haunted basement (ghosts definitely ruin the solo staycation vibe).

Choose a room that’s out of the way but will let you relax.

Leave the House

Although you’re having a solo staycation at home, you don’t have to be quarantined inside.

Leave the house to go for walks, find nearby adventures, get a takeaway, and to have a change of scenery.

Pop in some headphones and pretend you’re wandering a foreign city. Listen to a travel podcast to take your mind to another country. Take yourself on a solo picnic. Cycle your neighbourhood to see it in a different way. Or go on a day trip to a nearby town. Do whatever you want to get away from your designated area for a while.

This is the time when you can be truly alone, without people you know around you.

Accept that Interruptions Happen

You can’t control your family. Sometimes people will forget about your boundaries or question what you’re doing. It might interrupt your idea of what a solo staycation at home should be, but don’t dwell on it.

Remind your family that you need this for your mental health and wellbeing. Or lie and say you have a migraine (that’s what I used to do when I was too embarrassed to say I needed some me time).

I like to think about these interruptions, like when I run into your family in the kitchen or the TV in the living room is too loud, as things that would happen when I travel. The accidental meet up in the kitchen is when I’d call home to check-in. The TV too loud is from the thin walls of an exotic Airbnb.

Reframe these into things that would happen on a solo vacation. It’ll make your solo staycation at home feel more like your usual trips.

Plan Like it’s a Vacation

Create a staycation itinerary. Pack or set aside a staycation wardrobe (even if it’s pyjamas). Set a budget to stick with.

Make sure you’ve cleared the time with your boss, and that your friends and family know what you’re doing. Set aside chores for before or after your staycation.

Then settle in to relax and follow your self-created guide.

Not sure how to travel plan and create an itinerary? Check out my guide to how I travel plan, complete with a free itinerary planner.

Closing Thoughts

Have you ever thought about planning a solo staycation at home but you had no ideas? Or maybe you thought it wasn’t possible because of all the people in your home.

As a dedicated solo traveller and expert-level introvert, I can tell you that it is possible.

Use my 15 solo staycation ideas at home to relax and charge after a stressful 2020. Remember that it’s important to set boundaries and take care of yourself.

Just because the world is going to pieces, doesn’t mean you have to.

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