A Guide to Solo Travel in Grand Rapids

Whether you’re a seasoned solo traveler or you’re just thinking of taking your first trip by yourself, Grand Rapids is one of the best destinations to travel alone. It’s safe, friendly and easy to manage, all factors that make solo travel more comfortable and more enjoyable.  

Even more importantly, it’s filled with great things to see and do – take it from CNN, which named Grand Rapids to its inaugural list of the 10 Best American Towns to Visit. From a walkable downtown to endless opportunities for outdoor adventure, Grand Rapids offers solo-friendly activities and adventures for men and women of every age.

Here are some tips for making the most of your solo trip to Grand Rapids.

Getting To and Around Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is serviced by the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), which Airports Council International recognized as providing one of the easiest airport journeys in North America. The airport’s efforts to make the passenger experience as smooth as possible extend to roaming travel ambassadors armed with iPads to provide quick answers and recommendations to arriving travelers. 

If you’re driving to Grand Rapids, it’s easily accessible at the junction of two major expressways, halfway between Chicago and Detroit. The city is also served by Amtrak and Greyhound bus.

Our award-winning Rapid bus service and a full complement of rideshare, taxi and vehicle rental options will get you to downtown Grand Rapids, 20 minutes from the airport, and anywhere else you want to go. You can hop on the free downtown DASH shuttle to get around the city center more quickly, and ebike and scooter rentals are another great way to get around.  

Hotels Perfect for Solo Travelers

With 100 hotels and B&Bs throughout the Grand Rapids area, you can find the perfect place to stay for your budget and style. To really immerse yourself in the Grand Rapids experience, consider booking a downtown hotel. You’ll be within a 10-minute walk (or free bus ride) of 200+ restaurants, shops, cultural attractions and entertainment venues.

There are 13 downtown hotels to choose from, ranging from the historic and elegant Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, to 10 global hotel brands, to two boutique hotels. Most have on-site restaurants and bars conducive to meeting new people, if that’s what you’re into. If not, you might like The Finnley – contactless check-in means you don’t have to interact with a single soul if you don’t want to.

Art Museums and Cultural Attractions

About three-quarters (77%) of women traveling alone prioritize destinations with cultural attractions, according to the 2024 Solo Female Travel Survey. That makes downtown Grand Rapids a very efficient place to stay – you can visit the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids African American Art Museum, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum and Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium within the space of a few blocks.

You can also take self-guided tours of Black history, community legends, street murals, painted ticket booths, “RAD” women, and sculptures & historic buildings, at your own pace and time. If you’re feeling social, take a guided tour exploring local history, art and more. It’s a way to enjoy solo travel group-style.

Downtown also features the city’s highest concentration of performing arts venues. Get your (single) ticket for concerts, theatre, ballet and opera productions, or take in a free live music show at a downtown bar.

If you’re an art and/or nature afficionado, make time to tour Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. America’s #1 Sculpture Park (per USA Today) and one of the world’s 100 most visited art museums is just 10 or so minutes from downtown GR.

Breweries, Bars and Coffee

USA Today has named Grand Rapids America’s Best Beer City and the Craft Beverage Capital of the U.S., and our 75+ breweries, distilleries, cideries, meaderies and wineries are all convivial places that will make you feel welcome. Our social media followers singled out Bier Distillery & Brewery and The Mitten Brewing Company as don’t-miss beverage destinations for solo travelers.

If you prefer a quieter atmosphere (and a less intoxicating beverage), duck into a coffee shop for some locally roasted goodness. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with your fellow patrons, if you like.

Top Restaurants for Solo Diners

Grand Rapids is a Top 20 U.S. Foodie City, boasting a wide variety of cuisines for every taste. Our craft beverage destinations serve up some of the best food in town, and you can often be seated at a bar that makes it easier to socialize. (But don’t hesitate to order a table for one, if that’s your preference.)

With more than 1,000 restaurants in the area, choosing one can be a bit overwhelming. Visit our Restaurants page to search eateries by cuisine category, location and amenities  to find the right one(s) for you. Recommendations from our social media followers include MDRD, a modern Spanish restaurant perched atop the 27^th floor of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel for fine dining; Taco Boy and Tamales Mary for quick Mexican-inspired meals; and Lucy’s for breakfast, lunch and brunch.

Solo Outdoors Activities

One of the unique pleasures of Grand Rapids is that all sorts of outdoor recreation opportunities are just minutes from the bustle of downtown. You don’t even have to leave downtown to fish for salmon and steelhead in the Grand River, stroll along the Riverwalk, visit three riverfront parks and ice skate in winter.

Millennium Park, one of the nation’s largest urban parks, offers a sandy beach, swimming, fishing and 18 miles of paved trails just 10 minutes from downtown. There are 100+ miles of additional paved and natural-surface trails close by for hiking, biking, skiing and snowshoeing. If you’re a golfer, choose from 30+ excellent courses as close as five minutes from downtown – early in the day and early in the week are best for solo play, and you can almost always find someone to pair with if you desire.

The beaches and resort towns of Lake Michigan are 30-45 minutes away, perfect for a day trip from Grand Rapids.

Shop Local

Shop only-in-Grand Rapids boutiques, antique stores, secondhand shops and more at your leisure, without someone else urging you to hurry up. Downtown and Uptown are lined with unique retailers you won’t find anywhere else, from the Grand Rapids Downtown Market artisan foods emporium to the shops on Cherry Street. For famous brand names, head to Woodland Mall and Rivertown Crossings, each hosting 100+ stores, and Tanger Outlets, offering great deals on designer gear at 75+ stores.

Classes, Tours, and Unique Solo Experiences

A solo trip is a great opportunity to explore new and different experiences. Make your own candle at Wax Poetic Candle Bar or your own custom fragrance at The Aroma Labs. Visit an apple orchard or lavender farm. Learn to schuss or snowboard at Cannonsburg Ski Area, take a cooking class, treat yourself to a spa day, get up close to zoo animals, swing dance under the stars, tour the historic Meyer May House by Frank Lloyd Wright, give duckpin bowling or fowling a try, and so much more. It’s your trip, so fill it with activities and experience that make you happy.

Stay Safe

Safety is a major consideration when it comes to solo travel for women, especially. You’ll be happy to know that Grand Rapids was named the #4 Safest Metro in the U.S and one of America’s Top 20 Friendliest Cities. Downtown Ambassadors travers the city center to lend a hand with anything you might need – just look for their bright orange shirts and blue pants.

Solo travel gives you ultimate freedom. You don’t have to make compromises – you can fill your itinerary with things you want to do, eat what you want when you want, spend as much or as little time as you please at a place, and not have to worry if your travel companion is having a good time, too. Visit our Events page and subscribe to our Travel Link enewsletter to see what strikes your solo-travel fancy in every season!