The Best Destinations for Black Solo Travelers

We’ll do our best to answer this one for you, reader!

We'd also start by saying that you're already doing the right thing. When it comes to prejudice, racism, or concerns about traveling safely abroad, it’s always best to carry out your own research, frustrating and time-consuming though it is.

After all, this is your adventure, not anybody else's, and you want to be sure that you're setting off on your travels feeling confident and reassured.

And as Stephanie Yeboah points out in her ‘Best places for Black female solo travellers’ piece for Lonely Planet, there’s sadly no such thing as a country that’s entirely free of racism.

The risk of having a bad experience can also vary wildly within a country—for instance, Stephanie herself recommends Thailand specifically as a top pick for Black women who are solo traveling thanks to its gorgeous spa hotels, heritage sites and beaches (which is a great recommendation!).

But Thailand is also a country with a complex history of colorism, and some travelers of color—and particularly Black and Indian men—have reported experiences of being blocked from entering Thai nightclubs, receiving poorer treatment in bars, or being turned away from budget hotels when attempting to make a spontaneous booking. So we wouldn't necessarily leap to recommend it for a male traveler who's planning on doing a lot of backpacking or taking in the nightlife.

In short, spending some time reading personal blogs on sites like Travel Noire, which has a fantastic selection of traveller stories, and Black And Abroad while checking those recommendations against first-hand experiences on Reddit (r/blacktravel is a great starting point) or groups like The Black Travelers Network is the best way to make sure you’ve got all of the facts.

It can also be pretty reassuring to read the experiences of experienced solo travelers like Diane Petterson and Jessica Nabongo—officially the first Black woman to have visited every country in the world—whose main takeaway from their experience is that most people across the globe are essentially welcoming and kind.

With all of that said, here are just a few of the countries that we’ve seen come up most often in Black solo travelers’ recommendations. 

Ghana

We’ve written more broadly before about visiting glorious Ghana right here (and we saw a lot of reader responses agreeing that it was a fantastic destination), and we thoroughly think it deserves the top spot!

From Vanessa Kanbi, who moved to Ghana for a year from Edinburgh, here are some specific tips for solo travelers, including hostel and tour recommendations.

Ghana also has a thriving heritage, culture and sankofa (‘return to your roots’) tour scene for travellers from the West African diaspora—Ashanti Tours is one operator with strongly positive reviews that specialises in them. The Culture Trip also has a solo travel guide to Ghana with some helpful hostel recommendations if you’re traveling on a budget!

Every two years in July, the fishing port of Cape Coast also hosts Panafest—a pan-African arts and culture festival where Africans and travelers of African descent are invited to come and celebrate together. And, of course, in December, there’s the AfroFuture festival…

Japan

A few caveats apply here; we have read experiences of Black travelers to Japan and Black ex-pats, particularly in rural and less touristy areas, who’ve encountered unwanted curiosity or attention in the form of strangers on the street trying to touch their hair, or locals making catcalling comparisons to famous Black celebrities (who do not, of course, at all resemble the traveler).

However, most Black travelers (some examples from bloggers here and here, and an interesting Reddit discussion here) speak warmly about the lack of racial hostility in Japan, the kindness and friendliness of locals, and perhaps most importantly for a solo traveler, the firm sense of safety all around them.

The Black Experience Japan is a YouTube channel that shares interviews and news from Black people who are resident in Japan—if you have the time, it’s a fascinating watch!

Portugal

Notably, Portugal is the only European country that comes up time and again across lists of recommended destinations for Black travelers. 

Aside from its fantastic cuisine and all-around good vibes, Nana-Ama Danquah highlights in her piece for National Geographic that Portugal offers something for African American travelers in particular that is rare among former colonizing countries: facing its historical role in the slave trade head-on and actively fostering the deconstruction of racist mindsets. 

The consensus among reddit threads (like this one) as well as the Black Travel View blog on Lisbon is that locals are welcoming and helpful, and there's a genuine sense of blending in. No stares, no microaggressions, no sense of feeling unsafe. Yes, racism still exists among locals; however, visitors are unlikely to experience it.

The large international population from around the diaspora adds another layer to the Portuguese experience, meaning you can actually find yourself immersed in many different cultures during a single trip. Be it soaking up the sounds of Cape Verdean morna or sipping on the finest Brazilian caipirinhas this side of the Atlantic, there's always a fun and friendly spot that'll suit you.

Cuba

We’ve been waiting to mention Cuba on The Detour for a while—so thank you for giving us the perfect opportunity, reader!

One of Fidel Castro’s key ambitions after the 1959 Cuban Revolution was an end to racial inequality and discrimination, implementing a series of policies to radically empower the lives of the Afro-Cubans who’d suffered as second-class citizens under the previous government—and while it didn’t lead to the racism-free utopia that Castro hoped for, it did at least ensure by the mid-1980s that Afro-Cubans were equally represented in the professional sector and the education system. (From Travel Noire, here’s 16 of Havana’s Afro-Cuban-owned businesses.)

Black travellers from abroad have also been a commonplace sight in Cuba since the Revolution itself—one of Castro’s other smart ideas was to advertise Cuba as a tourist destination for the African-American middle class who were still being restricted from domestic holidays due to Jim Crow laws in the USA.

Combine all of this with the Afrocubanismo movement of the 1920s which enshrined Afro-Cuban art, music, dance and culture at the heart of the Cuban identity, and you’ve got a beautiful, fascinating country that is certain to be welcoming and warm to Black solo travellers. (Make sure you head to Havana’s Callejon de Hamel—the rumba shows begin every Sunday from noon.)

Travel writer Amara Amaryah covers her experience of solo travel in Cuba here, and she offers a really lovely quote about why she feels it’s so special:

"Being in a space where I could navigate Havana without being stared at, even being confused as Cuban was refreshing, new … Mostly, I enjoyed the invisibility to enjoy the country without feeling like an impostor, instead I felt seen which allowed for a whole new standard for future solo travel trips."

As of 2026, Cuba continues to suffer a crisis of fuel and food shortages amid ongoing US blockades. Tourism has taken a nosedive since the situation worsened, with many airlines cancelling flight routes to the island altogether. However, some say travelers should continue to visit at this time when the local economy needs a boost most. 

Whether or not you decide to visit now or bank it for later, Cuba and its people are warm and open, and you'll be greeted with a smile regardless.

We hope that's some help, reader! Wherever you choose, we hope you have an absolutely fantastic adventure and safe travels!