Rooftop sauna at Volkshotel
The Volkshotel in Oost has a barrel sauna on the roof with a view over the city. An hour to yourself after a day in the saddle.
- Oost
Experiences
Wellbeing and time for yourself
18 experiences in 17 cities. Each card is sourced in the city guide.
AmsterdamNetherlands
BerlinGermany
Vabali Spa
Thirteen saunas and steam rooms, with pools and a sauna garden. From October to March it opens daily from 8am to midnight.
- October-March 8am-midnight, April-September 9am-midnight
BudapestHungary
Széchenyi Thermal Bath
Open daily, until 22:00 on Fridays. A day ticket with a locker is 13,200 forints Monday to Thursday (about £30 or $40) and 14,800 Friday to Sunday. A private cabin adds 1,000. Nobody needs company to sit in warm water.
- Állatkerti körút 9-11, District XIV
- 13,200-15,800 HUF
Cape TownSouth Africa
Beach yoga with a cold plunge
One of Never At Home Green Point's free activities. The Atlantic here is cold, and doing it in a group helps.
Chiang MaiThailand
Meditation retreat
One to four days at Wat Suan Dok. The calendar changes monthly, so email the organisers before you plan around it.
CopenhagenDenmark
Harbour sauna at CopenHot
Wood-fired saunas and hot tubs on Refshaleøen, looking over the old shipyard. HotDays sessions are shared, so they work well on your own.
- 350 DKK per person
DublinIreland
Coffee at Bewley's
Bewley's café on Grafton Street, somewhere to sit alone with a book while it rains.
- Grafton Street
EdinburghUnited Kingdom
Water of Leith Walkway
The riverside path, best taken slowly and alone. At Colinton Dell it runs through old woodland.
LisbonPortugal
Cascais and the coast
Same 5.10 euro return as Sintra, from Cais do Sodré. Good for half a day on your own by the sea.
- 5.10 euros return
MadridSpain
Retiro
Open 6am to 10pm from October to March and until midnight from April to September. Free, and the best place for an afternoon alone.
- Free
MontréalCanada
Jardins de lumière at the Botanical Garden
The lantern trail at the Jardin botanique runs from 3 September to 1 November 2026. A slow evening that asks nothing of you socially.
- 3 September-1 November 2026
PalermoItaly
Botanical Garden
An afternoon away from the traffic at Via Lincoln 2. Closes at 17:00 in winter.
- €8
PortoPortugal
Serralves museum and park
All spaces 24 euros, park only 15. Monday to Thursday between 5pm and 6pm entry is 15 euros, and the first Sunday of the month is free.
- 15-24 euros
ReykjavíkIceland
Laugardalslaug and the other pools
Eight council pools, open on weekdays from 6.30am to 10pm. Hot tubs usually sit between 38 and 40 degrees. A full naked shower before you go in is mandatory.
- 1,500 ISK, or 2,770 with towel and swimsuit
TallinnEstonia
Kalma sauna
A public sauna from 1928 in Kalamaja. The women's section is 14 euros Monday to Thursday, the men's 17, a little more at weekends.
- 14-20 EUR
Iglupark at Noblessner
Saunas facing the sea at Lennusadama 7, open 8:30 to 23:00. The Noblessner site stays open until 31 December 2026, with a new location announced.
- Lennusadama 7
TokyoJapan
A neighbourhood sento
Tokyo's public baths have charged adults ¥600 (about £2.85) since 1 August 2026. The water sits around 42°C and is over half a metre deep, and you bathe naked. It's one of the few places where being alone among strangers feels completely normal.
- 600 JPY
ValenciaSpain
Turia Gardens
More than nine kilometres of gardens in the old riverbed, 18 bridges, marked running routes and cycle paths.
- Free