● November 2026 edition

SearchItaliano
An independent guide for people who travel alone

Experiences

Meet people

139 experiences in 30 cities. Each card is sourced in the city guide.

NightlifeEating aloneAdventure and outdoorsWellbeing and time for yourselfCultureEventsOrganised trips for singlesWork and nomad life

AmsterdamNetherlands

Nights at The Flying Pig Downtown

Activities every night, plus a busy bar and tours run by the hostel. The crowd is young and goes out a lot, so it is not the place for an early night.

Every evening
Nieuwendijk 100, Centrum

Stayokay Vondelpark evenings

Game nights and singer-songwriter sets in the hostel bar, plus Vondelpark clean-ups with local residents, which is a different way to strike up a conversation.

Zandpad 5, Vondelpark

Pride Night at Pathé

A different LGBTQI+ film on the first Wednesday of every month. A film and then a drink is an easy evening out on your own.

First Wednesday of the month

Sundays at De Trut

The volunteer-run queer disco every Sunday night, one of the most relaxed nights on the scene.

Sunday nights

Bike hire and guided rides

Bike hire averages 10 euros a day and the city has up to 400 kilometres of cycle paths. A guided bike tour on day one gets you riding in a group while you learn the rules.

About 10 EUR a day for hire

BangkokThailand

Co van Kessel bike tours

Three hours through back lanes and canals in a small group. One departure near Khao San, another from River City in Chinatown. Bike included, lunch not.

Daily, 08:00 and 13:00 or 14:00 depending on the route
Tha Phra Chan or River City
1,250 THB (about £28)

Yaowarat evening food tour

Three hours of tastings in Chinatown with a group, and the easiest way to try dishes you wouldn't know how to order alone.

18:00-21:00
Yaowarat
1,800 THB

Bang Rak food and culture tour

The afternoon slot, three and a half hours of food and local history. Good if you'd rather be back early.

13:00-16:30
Bang Rak
1,700 THB

Khao San hostels

NapPark is dorms only, with capsules for a little privacy, and is set up for travellers to meet. Hostelworld list prices in the area start at a few euros a night.

Khao San

BarcelonaSpain

Paella Night at Yeah Hostel

The hostel's best-known evening, plus group dinners around 9pm. Yeah lists the 5 euro per person per night tax separately.

Evenings, around 9pm
Carrer Girona 176, Eixample

Generator's bar

The Lights of Gràcia bar hosts karaoke, DJs and live music. Open Monday to Friday 12-3pm and 6.30pm-1am, weekends until 2am.

Carrer de Còrsega 373

Gothic Quarter free tour with Runnerbean

Meet by the fountain in Plaça Reial, Liceu metro. About two and a half hours, and you decide what to pay.

April to October 11am and 4.30pm, November to March 11am only
Plaça Reial
Pay what you want

Brunch and tour at TOC Hostel

The hostel runs a brunch for guests and a free city tour.

Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 580

Cooking class at Cook & Taste

Classes on rice dishes and tapas among others, mostly 58 euros; the Plats amb estrella class is 68. Cooking at a table with strangers breaks the ice fast.

Carrer Paradís 3, Gothic Quarter
58-68 euros

BerlinGermany

Berlin Social Club at The Circus

The Circus runs a tour or event every single day. Tuesday is the pub quiz at Rosie's, Monday the bratwurst-and-beer night. Sign up at reception and you sit down at a table of other solo travellers.

Pub quiz Tuesdays 7pm, Bratwurst & Beer Mondays 7pm
Weinbergsweg 1a, Mitte

EastSeven evenings

Something happens every night at 8pm, from a beer-garden trip on Monday to trivia on Tuesday. Sunday is the shared family dinner, the easiest night to end up talking to strangers.

Nightly at 8pm, dinner on Sundays
Prenzlauer Berg

SANDEMANs Free Tour of Berlin

Two hours on foot from the Brandenburg Gate to Checkpoint Charlie, pay what you think it was worth. Good on day one for getting your bearings and finding someone to have lunch with.

Outside Starbucks at the Brandenburg Gate
Tips only

KiezTour Nollendorfplatz

Three and a half hours around what visitBerlin calls Europe's oldest queer neighbourhood, led by drag guides with stops in bars. The first tour each month is in English. Over-18s only.

Thursdays at 5.30pm
Nollendorfplatz, Schöneberg

BEGiNE programme

A self-run women's cultural centre with concerts, readings and a café. A good option for a woman on her own who wants a quieter evening among other women.

Monday to Friday from 5pm, Saturday from 7pm
Potsdamer Straße 139, Schöneberg

BolognaItaly

Ostello Bello evening events

A free event for guests every night with no sign-up, from quiz night and darts to beer pong, karaoke and Sunday football. The aperitivo is paid.

Every evening
Via del Porto 6
Free for guests

Bologna Welcome centre tour

Two hours on foot from the tourist office at Piazza Maggiore 1/e. Until 10 January 2027 English runs on Fridays and weekends; Monday to Wednesday mornings are Italian only.

21/9/2026-10/1/2027, Fri-Sun 10:30 and 15:00
Piazza Maggiore 1/e
18 EUR

Wednesdays at the Cassero

A weekly party from 23:30, free with an Arcigay membership card. On 31 October there is a Halloween party at 7 to 15 euros.

Wednesdays from 23:30
Via Don Minzoni 18

Dinner at the Mercato delle Erbe

The food hall opens for dinner from 18:00 to midnight. You sit where there is room, and the counter is the easiest place to start a conversation.

Mon-Sat 18:00-24:00, Sun 18:00-23:00
Via Ugo Bassi 23

BudapestHungary

Maverick hostel events

The October 2026 calendar runs game night on Mondays at Athenaeum, taco night on Tuesdays at Central Market, free beer pong on Thursdays, karaoke on Wednesdays and a quiz on Sundays. The quickest route to company in the city.

Most evenings, usually from 18:00 or 19:00
Maverick Athenaeum, Maverick Central Market, Maverick Budapest Soho
Free to 5,000 HUF

Trip to Budapest walking tours

Tip-based tours of the city, the Jewish Quarter, communist Budapest, the Castle and Art Nouveau. The company suggests 10-15 euros a head, cash preferred. Booking is optional but recommended.

Erzsébet tér by the Ferris wheel; Batthyány tér for the Castle
Pay what you like

Bingo and karaoke at Why Not Café

An LGBTQ+ bar on the Danube with regular bingo and karaoke nights. Its own site says most regulars are men and everyone is welcome. By day it is a café, so you can drop in just for a sandwich.

Belgrád rakpart 3-4, District V

Hostel yoga

Yoga on Thursday mornings at Maverick Central Market and on Saturdays at Athenaeum. Useful if you don't drink, or want to meet people before the evening starts.

Thursday 11:00, Saturday 12:30
Maverick Central Market, Maverick Athenaeum

Free events at Wombat's

The Király utca hostel has a bar, a café and free in-house events, including the WomBEATS gig series. The programme changes, so ask at reception on the day you arrive.

Király utca 20
Free

Buenos AiresArgentina

Free walking tours

Two operators run at the same times. The Recoleta and Retiro tour starts at 10:30am at the corner of Libertad and Viamonte by the Teatro Colón, lasts three hours and is tip-based. The city centre tour leaves at 3pm from the front of Congress, Avenida Entre Ríos 51.

Daily, 10:30am and 3pm
Teatro Colón and Congress
Tip-based

Asado, tango and football with Milhouse

The hostel runs tango classes, a Thursday asado, ping pong and trips to matches. Sign up at reception, even on the day.

Asado on Thursdays
Avenida de Mayo 1245 and Hipólito Yrigoyen 959

La Bomba de Tiempo

Monday nights at Ciudad Cultural Konex with the percussion ensemble La Bomba de Tiempo. Turning up alone is perfectly normal.

Mondays, 7pm
Ciudad Cultural Konex

Milongas with a class

The city tourism board's milonga finder lists dances by day of the week and flags the ones with a class beforehand. The most natural way to dance with strangers when you cannot dance.

Patio de Tango, Plaza Dorrego

Every Sunday at the San Telmo market people dance tango in the square. Tango has been on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 30 September 2009.

Sundays
Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo

Cape TownSouth Africa

Hikes and activities at Never At Home

Both sites, on Kloof Street and in Green Point, run a group activity every day, including free yoga, beach yoga with a cold plunge, Table Mountain and Lion's Head hikes and market visits. It is also the practical answer to the FCDO's advice to hike in groups.

Kloof Street and Green Point
Many activities free for guests

Green Point parkrun

A free 5k every Saturday at 8am on Green Point Common. Walk, jog, run or volunteer, then stay for a chat.

Saturdays, 8am
Green Point Common Sports Fields
Free

Nights at Long Street Backpackers

Quiz on Tuesdays, beer pong on Wednesdays, karaoke on Fridays and braais in the courtyard. A night out without leaving the hostel.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
209 Long Street

Neighbourgoods Market

The Old Biscuit Mill market on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am, with makers and food stalls. People eat standing or at shared tables.

Saturdays and Sundays, from 9am
373-375 Albert Road, Woodstock

Chiang MaiThailand

Thai Farm Cooking School

Everyone gets their own station, but you cook and eat together. Air-conditioned minivan transfer if you're in the pick-up zone. For same-day or next-day places, call or WhatsApp.

Half day (morning or evening) or full day
1,200 THB half day, 1,500 THB full day

Elephant Nature Park

A sanctuary where elephants don't work and aren't ridden. Day programmes start in the morning with hotel pick-up, or from the office on Ratmakka Road.

Pick-up 07:30-08:45 depending on programme
2,500-6,000 THB

Monk Chat and retreats at Wat Suan Dok

The Buddhist university based at the temple runs conversations with monks and meditation courses from one to four days, plus half-day sessions. A two-day retreat was on the October 2026 schedule.

Wat Suan Dok, Suthep Road

Nights at Stamps Backpackers

Something on every night, from hostel-run activities to group outings. Dorms are for sleeping; the socialising happens at the bar.

Chang Moi

CopenhagenDenmark

Game night at Steel House

Phone-based party games for two to eight players in the hostel lounge. Free, and explicitly pitched at people who turn up alone.

Wednesdays at 8pm
Herholdtsgade 6, Vesterbro
Free

Live music and free walking tour at Steel House

Free live music on Monday nights, and a free walking tour every day leaving from the hostel, booked online.

Music Mondays 9pm, tour daily
Herholdtsgade 6, Vesterbro
Free

CopenHot HotDays

Shared hot tub and sauna sessions designed for meeting people, Danes and visitors alike. Sessions need at least five people, so your booking may be confirmed later by email.

Refshaleøen
350 DKK per person, 1.5 hours

CopenPay harbour clean-ups

Through CopenPay, actions like cycling or helping clean the harbour unlock rewards such as museum entry or a coffee. An easy way to do something with other people.

DublinIreland

Trad sessions at the Cobblestone

Live Irish music every day. Sit near the musicians and listen; within an hour the person on the next stool will probably have told you where they are from.

Monday from 6.30pm, Tuesday to Thursday from 4.30pm, Friday from 2pm, weekends from 2.30pm
North side of Smithfield Square

Meet and greet at Jacobs Inn

The hostel bar is the meeting point, with a meet and greet and live music, plus parties and city tours.

Social groups at Outhouse

The Capel Street LGBTQ+ centre has a café open to all and weekly groups, including a café for gay men aged 18 to 35, a Sapphic Social, T-Time for trans and non-binary people, and GOLD for over-50s.

Tuesday to Friday 11am-9pm, Saturday 11am-6pm
105 Capel Street

The bar at Generator Smithfield

An in-house bar next to the Jameson distillery, an easy place for a first drink with other travellers.

Smithfield Square

EdinburghUnited Kingdom

Pub quiz and live music at the Greyfriars Bar

The Kick Ass hostels keep a fixed calendar. The Wednesday pub quiz is free; there is live music at weekends and karaoke on Sundays.

Quiz Wednesdays 8pm, music Friday and Saturday 7pm, karaoke Sundays 8pm
Greyfriars Bar, Old Town
Free

Kick Ass whisky tasting

Six Scottish whiskies, some stories and a seat at a table with other travellers. The table does the rest.

Tuesdays 6.30pm
Greyfriars Bar
10 GBP

Kick Ass pub crawl

Seven bars in one night, booking required. The loudest option on the list, good if you want a ready-made group.

Every night except Wednesday and Sunday, from 8pm
15 GBP

Edinburgh Ceilidh Club

Weekly ceilidhs since 2005, with live bands and a caller who teaches every dance. Open to everyone, including people who have never danced before.

LGBT Health and Wellbeing groups

Weekly and monthly groups, from LGBTQ+ basketball to a film club for over-50s.

HanoiVietnam

Free city tour with Hanoikids

A club of student volunteers guiding in English. No fee. You pay entry tickets, food and both your and the guide's transport, and individual tips aren't accepted. Bookings get a reply within 72 hours.

09:00 or 14:00, about 2-3 hours
Free, plus tickets and transport

Hanoikids evening food tour

Two hours in the Old Quarter with a student who orders for you and explains what you're eating. Declare allergies when booking.

18:00, about 2 hours
Free, plus the food

Hanoi Hash House Harriers

A group run or walk every Saturday, with a coach out of the city. Walkers and non-drinkers are welcome. Times shift, so check the weekly announcement.

Saturday, pick-up from 13:30
8 Hai Bà Trưng and 12 Đào Tấn
200,000 VND first time (about £6)

Old Quarter hostel nights

Mad Monkey has a rooftop bar and themed nights every evening. Cheers Hostel runs events and has common areas built for meeting people.

Mã Mây, Âu Triệu

LisbonPortugal

Dinners and nights out at Goodmorning Hostel

Solo travellers only, no families or large groups. The all-inclusive package covers dinners, drinks, activities and nights out, and it is cheaper booked on the hostel's own site.

Praça dos Restauradores
29 euros a day, 19.50 booked direct

Mamma's Dinner at Home Lisbon Hostel

A home-cooked dinner for guests. Sign up at reception; the evening event starts at 8pm. The site gives no price or days.

8pm, sign up at reception
Rua de São Nicolau 13, Baixa

Free walking tour from Praça Luís de Camões

Meet by the statue in Camões Square, where the guide wears a name badge. It lasts two hours forty-five, you pay what you like, and GuruWalk suggests 15 to 50 euros in cash.

10am (October 2026 schedule)
Praça Luís de Camões
Pay what you want

Rookie Run Club

Free group runs on Wednesday evenings from Cais do Sodré station and Saturday mornings from Praça do Comércio. An easy way to have company on night one without a single drink.

Wednesday 7.30pm, Saturday 9am
Cais do Sodré station, Praça do Comércio
Free

Mundo Lingo language exchange

A free language night at Contra on the Doca de Santo Amaro, with a welcome for newcomers between 9pm and 10pm. The listing we found had already passed and gave no weekday, so check the organiser's calendar first.

Contra, Doca de Santo Amaro, Armazém 18
Free

Group surf lesson at Carcavelos

Ninety minutes with board and wetsuit included, ages 12 and up, or three hours with transport from Lisbon. Sitting on a board waiting for a wave, conversation happens.

Praia de Carcavelos, Av. Marginal
From 41.95 euros, 62.93 with transport

LjubljanaSlovenia

Tuesday concerts at Hostel Celica

The "Harmony of the World" series brings live music to the hostel almost every Tuesday in October and November 2026, plus a photography exhibition from 3 November. Open events where you sit next to whoever is there.

Tuesday evenings
Metelkova 8

Open Kitchen (Odprta kuhna)

An open-air food market on Pogačarjev trg, every sunny Friday from March to November, 10:00 to 21:00. Shared tables and stalls from different restaurants. On 14 November 2026 there is a special spoon-food edition.

Friday 10:00-21:00, March-November
Pogačarjev trg

City centre and Castle tour

The guided "Historical City Centre and Ljubljana Castle" tour costs 22.04 euros and is included in the Ljubljana Card if you book by email. An easy way to have company on day one.

22.04 EUR

Klub Tiffany events

Run by ŠKUC, the club works to keep its events a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community and has an anonymous form for reporting problems. Listings are on the Kulturni center Q site.

Volunteering with Pride

Društvo Parada ponosa runs an LGBTIQ+ volunteering programme and a youth programme. Worth a look if you are staying a while.

MadridSpain

MadridBabel

A Meetup group for social activities and language exchanges with more than 17,000 members. Just turn up at the bar.

Wednesdays and Sundays at 7pm
Mana bar, Plaza de San Martín 3 (Callao metro)

Language exchange at La Fontana de Oro

Listed by the city tourist board. A long-standing bar in the centre, a short walk from Sol.

Thursdays 7.30pm-10.30pm
Calle Victoria 1

Tandem at Lola09

A free language exchange in Chueca, also listed by esMadrid.

Wednesdays 8pm-11pm
Chueca
Free

Bastardo Hostel events

The October 2026 calendar had rooftop yoga on Tuesdays at 7.15pm, DJ sets, an open mic and a social run to the Retiro with Volta Run Club.

Monthly calendar on the hostel's site
San Mateo 3

Free walking tours

Several operators on GuruWalk, including Free Walking Tours Madrid at 11am and 3.30pm, for about two hours. Check the meeting point on your booking.

Several departures a day
Tip-based

Flamenco classes at Amor de Dios

A school running since 1953 with in-person flamenco dance classes. Times and prices are not on the site.

Mexico CityMexico

Activities at Viajero CDMX Centro

A daily calendar with lucha libre tours, Xochimilco trips, salsa lessons and karaoke, plus mezcal tastings, bike tours and Saturday theme nights. The quickest way to never head out alone in the evening.

San Ildefonso 38, Centro

Tuesday lucha and Spanish at Massiosare

The hostel goes to lucha libre as a group on Tuesdays, holds welcome hangouts on weekdays and Sunday evenings, and runs Spanish lessons. Reviewers describe it as not a party hostel, with people up for doing things.

Tuesdays for lucha
Revillagigedo 47, Centro

Yoga, salsa and food tours at Kuxan Condesa

Day and night activities, from morning yoga to salsa, with a happy hour that works as the meeting point.

Álvaro Obregón 290, Condesa

Lucha libre at Arena México

CMLL stages lucha libre on Tuesdays and Fridays at Arena México. Going with a hostel group and coming back by app is the relaxed way to do it.

Tuesdays 7:30pm, Fridays
Arena México

MilanItaly

Free nights at Ostello Bello Duomo

A different event every evening. Monday quiz, Tuesday darts with karaoke, Wednesday craft lab, Thursday drinking games, Friday beer pong, Saturday karaoke, Sunday football. Welcome drink on arrival; the aperitivo is paid.

Nightly
Via Medici 3

BlaBla Milan language exchange

Free ticket with an optional €2, €5 or €10 tip. Tables are grouped by language and you rotate.

Thursday, 19:00
Henry's Cafe, Viale Col di Lana 4
Free

Don't Be Shy international aperitivo

A Meetup group with more than 7,000 members, every Friday. First drink with buffet for €11, food served until 21:30.

Friday from 19:30
Pacino Cafè, Piazzale Bacone 9
€11 (about £9)

Milano Nord parkrun

A free 5k every Saturday in Parco Nord, run or walk, same format as at home. Register before your first one.

Saturday, 09:00
Viale Giovanni Suzzani 283
Free

Free walking tour from the Duomo

Pay-what-you-want, almost three hours, in English or Spanish. Meet in front of the Museo del Novecento; look for the yellow umbrella.

Daily, 10:00
Piazza del Duomo 6
Pay what you want

Beer Night at Babila Hostel

Craft beer at €3.50 in the hostel bistro on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with live music and karaoke on other nights.

Tuesday and Wednesday
Via Conservatorio 2/A
€3.50 a beer

MontréalCanada

Free activities at Saintlo

The hostel runs free pub crawls and bike tours, and its breakfast café turns into a bar in the evening. Booking a bed there is the low-effort way to have company on night one.

1030 rue Mackay, downtown
Free for guests

Nights at the M Bar

M Montreal's bar has a different activity every night, from karaoke, live music and comedy to games, pasta nights and Latin dance lessons. At midnight it is usually still full.

Every night, 8pm-3am
1245 rue Saint-André, Latin Quarter

Piknic Électronik

Outdoor electronic music parties at Parc Jean-Drapeau. The 2026 season ran from 17 May to 18 October; check the site for 2027 dates.

May to October
Parc Jean-Drapeau

Igloofest

The winter version, outdoors in Old Montréal over four weekends between 14 January and 6 February 2027. Dancing in a parka makes small talk with strangers easier than you would think.

January-February, weekends
Old Montréal
From CAD 49 plus tax

NaplesItaly

Ostello Bello evenings

A different activity every night, quiz, darts, beer pong, karaoke, plus a weekly cooking class. No sign-up needed. In summer the rooftop becomes the hostel's social hub.

Every evening
Via dei Fiorentini 10

FreeID, the queer social bar

Run by Antinoo Arcigay Napoli; events usually need an Arcigay membership card. The 17th season of Poetè, a queer literary series, opened here on 3 October 2026.

Arcigay Napoli Welcome Day and groups

Antinoo Arcigay runs a Welcome Day, a youth group and a senior group. The most direct way into the local LGBTQ+ community if you are staying a while.

Vico San Geronimo 19

The queue at Da Michele

The pizzeria itself calls the long wait part of the experience. In the queue you talk to the people around you more than you would at a table.

Via Cesare Sersale 1

New YorkUnited States

Big Apple Greeter

A volunteer New Yorker spends two to four hours with you in a neighborhood of your choice, for free. Book through the Request a Greeter form, well ahead.

Free

HI New York City Hostel activities

Free welcome parties, comedy nights and city walking tours for guests, plus a game room with a pool table and an outdoor patio.

891 Amsterdam Ave, Upper West Side

Free Tours by Foot

Walking tours with a set ticket or pay-what-you-wish, including Greenwich Village and Lower Manhattan. Full refund with 24 hours' notice.

Pay what you wish or ticketed

The LGBT Community Center

A queer café and bookstore (The Bureau), a free lending library, the Keith Haring bathroom mural and a calendar of groups and meetups. Check which events are open to visitors.

Mon-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 8am-8pm
208 W 13th St

PalermoItaly

Nights at Ostello Bello Palermo

A set weekly programme. Monday quiz, Tuesday beer pong, Wednesday paint and sip, Thursday games with karaoke, Friday DJ, Saturday karaoke, Sunday sport. Free pasta in the guest kitchen.

Nightly
Via Galileo Ferraris 3

Social dinners at A Casa di Amici

The hostel runs social dinners, a cooking class, paint nights and Sicilian tambourine and percussion sessions, plus a surprise nature outing.

Via Dante 57

Street food tour in English

Three hours of markets and stalls in groups of 2 to 12. Book 48 hours ahead.

Daily, 10:30 and 18:30
€30 (about £25)

Free walking tour from the cathedral

Two hours in Italian, pay what you want, cash only, minimum five people. Meet at the cathedral entrance by the small fountain.

Via Vittorio Emanuele 481
Pay what you want

PortoPortugal

Events at Rivoli Cinema Hostel

Walking tours, pub crawls, wine tours, a fado show and screenings. The seasonal rooftop bar opens Wednesday to Sunday, 4pm to 11pm.

R. Dr. Magalhães Lemos 83, Baixa

Events at Gallery Hostel

A hostel with an art gallery, games room and coworking lounge, plus a programme of guest activities. The site does not list days.

Rua Miguel Bombarda 222

Porto Walkers free tour

Starts at Praça da Liberdade by the statue of Pedro IV; look for the red umbrella. About three hours, tip-based. Spanish only and capped at six people, so book ahead.

10.45am
Praça da Liberdade
Tip-based

Tour, Taste and Fado at Cálem

A cellar visit with tasting and, in the evening version, a fado performance. You are seated with other people, so conversation starts on its own. The site does not show prices.

Av. Diogo Leite 344, Vila Nova de Gaia

PragueCzechia

Queer Support Group in English

Prague Pride runs a free English-language support group, plus free legal and one-to-one counselling. Also a way into the local community if you are staying a few weeks.

Free

Thursdays at the LGBT+ Community Center

The centre at Železná 18 hosts debates, screenings, workshops and groups. Open Thursdays from 15:00 to 21:00, September to June.

Thursday 15:00-21:00
Železná 18, Prague 1

Sandemans free tour

A tip-based walk around the centre. The simplest first contact with other solo travellers, and it gets you oriented before you go off alone.

Pay what you like

The bar at Sir Toby's

The Holešovice hostel has a pub on site and runs events, and the Žižkov branch has a bar too. Ask reception for the week's programme.

Dělnická 24 and Dalimilova 10

The bar at Lokál Dlouhááá

Beer from 12 tanks and Czech pub food. At the bar you stand or sit next to strangers, which is the most natural way to start talking. Book if you want a table.

Mon-Sat 11:00-24:00, Sun 11:00-22:00
Dlouhá 33, Prague 1

ReykjavíkIceland

Nights at Loft HI Hostel

Live music, karaoke, pub quizzes, food pop-ups and a daily happy hour. It draws locals as well as travellers, which is not a given in Reykjavík.

Bankastræti 7

The bar at KEX

The first-floor bar is open to non-guests until 11pm. An easy place to sit alone with a beer.

Until 11pm
Skúlagata 28

Kikioke at Kiki

Free karaoke at the city's best-known queer bar on Laugavegur. Downstairs at Bar 22 there is karaoke on Tuesdays too.

Thursdays 9.30pm at Kiki, Tuesdays 9pm at Bar 22
Laugavegur 22
Free

Council swimming pools

Visit Reykjavík describes them as social hubs, with older locals in the morning hot tubs discussing the news and the weather. Sit in a hot pot and ask about the weather; it works.

1,500 ISK

Samflot guided floating

Evening floating sessions in the pool with kit provided, for the price of entry. From 1 November at Árbæjarlaug on the first Wednesday of each month.

8.30pm

TaipeiTaiwan

Tour Me Away free walking tours

Three routes of two to two and a half hours: the old town, Longshan Temple and its folk gods, and Vintage Taipei with a river sunset. Pay what you think it was worth at the end.

Departures every day
Pay what you like

Star Hostel Green Lounge

The common room at the hostel near Main Station, with breakfast and fresh coffee every morning for all guests and an events section on the website.

Huayin St., Datong

Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline groups

Taiwan's oldest and largest LGBTQ+ organisation, founded in 1998, runs groups and gatherings listed on its calendar. In late October 2026 there's a talk linked to the Trans March (29 October) and a youth meet-up on Pride day.

12F, No. 70, Sec. 2 Roosevelt Rd. (Guting MRT, exit 7)

Free half-day layover tour

For a 7 to 24-hour layover at Taoyuan: an 18-seat coach, with the 2pm-6pm afternoon tour covering Dadaocheng and Dihua Street, Liberty Square and Ximending. Leave your bags at the airport storage counter (paid).

Morning 8:30am-12:30pm or afternoon 2pm-6pm
Tourist Service Center, Terminals 1 and 2
Free

TallinnEstonia

Kalma public sauna

One of the city's oldest saunas, built in 1928, with separate men's and women's sections. Conversation in a sauna comes easily, and it is the most local way to spend an evening. On the last Friday of the month the women's section opens at 15:00.

Mon-Fri 11:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-23:00
Vana-Kalamaja 9a
14-20 EUR

The bar at Monk's Bunk

A hostel with its own bar on Hostelworld's list, with some of the cheapest dorms in town. Ask reception what is on that night.

Dorms from about 9 EUR

Balti Jaama Turg street food

Shared tables in the market's street food area, open until 20:00 Monday to Saturday and 18:00 on Sunday.

Kopli 1

Estonian LGBT Association support groups

The association runs counselling and support groups at its centre on Kaarli puiestee. Visits are arranged in advance.

Kaarli pst 5-1

PÖFF screenings

The Black Nights Film Festival reaches its 30th edition, with competition screenings from 13 to 19 November 2026. Cinema alone is the most normal thing in the world, and queues are good for talking.

November

TokyoJapan

Tokyo Volunteer Guides

Walking tours led by two volunteer guides, capped at five guests. The guiding is free; you cover your own transport and admissions plus those of the two guides. There's an Asakusa night route too. Languages include English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Korean, subject to availability.

Book between 3 days and 1 month ahead
Meeting points vary by route
Free, plus guides' expenses

CITAN basement bar

The hostel's B1F bar is open to anyone and runs DJs or live music on Friday and Saturday nights. A low-effort way to be around other travellers if you're staying elsewhere.

Friday and Saturday nights for events
Nihonbashi-Odenmacho

Golden Gai

Around 280 bars across six narrow lanes, many seating five or six. At a counter that size you end up talking. Some bars are members-only and many have a theme, so pick one that suits you and ask before taking photos.

Most open around 8pm
Five minutes from Shinjuku East Exit

encounter by UNPLAN

UNPLAN Shinjuku's underground café-bar, serving specialty coffee and cocktails, with events on the hostel calendar. Handy for a first evening with no plan.

Daily, 4pm to 11pm
Shinjuku 5-chome

ValenciaSpain

Valencia Language Exchange

A Meetup group with more than 9,000 members, weekly exchange scheduled until February 2027.

Tuesdays 8.30pm-11.30pm
Palau Alameda, C/ Arquitecte Mora 2

Nights at Hôme Youth Hostel

Family dinner, Fun Party Tour, Sangria Party on Fridays, Agua de Valencia Night on Saturdays, beer pong on Wednesdays. The family dinner day differs between pages of the site, so ask at reception.

C/ de la Llotja 4

Walking and bike tours from Purple Nest

Daily walking and bike tours, plus a Street Art Tour on Wednesdays.

Plaza de Tetuán 5

Free tour with Spain Free Tours

The old-town tour starts in Plaza de la Virgen, lasts two and a half hours and runs every day of the year.

From 10am
Plaza de la Virgen
Tip-based

Group run in the Turia

The Turia Park Run Meetup group holds runs for all levels; the next one is Saturday 7 November 2026 at 9am. It is not the official parkrun.

Passeig de la Petxina 75
Free

VallettaMalta

Valletta free walking tours

GuruWalk lists several pay-what-you-want tours. Colour my Travel runs at 10am and 5pm for an hour and a half; another guide runs at 9.30am and 4.30pm for two and a quarter hours. GuruWalk suggests tipping 15 to 50 euros.

Several departures a day (October 2026)
Pay what you want

International Meetups by English Cafe Malta

The area's largest Meetup group, with 3,786 members, based in Sliema. It runs Comino and Blue Lagoon trips for 25 euros, hikes for 20 and karaoke for 7.

Sliema

Malta Social

An expats and locals group with 2,237 members, based in Valletta, including a book club at the Cavalieri Art Hotel.

Valletta

Hostel events in St Julian's

On Hostelworld, Follow the Sun lists five events, Marco Polo and Hostel Malti seven each.

St Julian's