21 Ideas for Solo Dates this Fall
1. Wine Tasting Tour
The best solo date always starts at a winery. I recommend booking a solo visit to a local vineyard. This is the perfect excuse to put on that cute outfit you’ve been meaning to wear and have a peaceful afternoon all to yourself. Bring a book and a journal, or bring your Airpod Max’s and listen to your favorite podcast, or simply sit in silence. I can assure you a glass of red or a crisp glass of white will make the experience all the more memorable.
2. Spa Day Retreat
Set a whole day aside and spend it at your favorite spa. Start off the day with a refreshing shower, and indulge in a massage and/or a facial, and hit the steam room and sauna before spending the rest of the day at the lounge area. Some of my best ideas come to mind when I’m at a spa. Let your mind wander while you’re here. You’ll leave feeling so replenished, clean, and ready to take on the week.
3. Head to your Local Bookstore
Grab a coffee to go and head to your local bookstore to pick up some new books to read for the season. I personally love to go to independent bookstores, however any bookstore will do. Why not pick up a few poetry books, some new books about self care and wellness, and even some books that pertain to the industry you work in? I love the smell of bookstores, oh how they smell so homey and inspiring at the same time.
4. Visit an Art Gallery
Living in San Francisco has its perks, and having an abundance of museums and galleries is one of them. I personally love to have a solo museum day. It helps to nurture the creative side of me and spark up some inspiration. I recommend spending an afternoon at a local gallery or a museum, and just sitting in silence while staring at an art piece you adore. Perhaps you can bring an art journal and draw some sketches. Let the art inspire you.
5. Solo Movie Night at Home
Fall screams cozy. So why not have your own cozy movie night? You can order in from your favorite Thai spot, pick up some snacks from your local general store, and have a bottle of wine. You can watch your favorite comforting movies, or watch something new that just went on Netflix or Hulu. Solo movie nights are truly the best!
6. DIY Gourmet Cooking
I don’t know about you, but to me, cooking is incredibly therapeutic. There’s something about the act of doing it: picking out a recipe from a book or from a blog post you saw online, going to the farmer’s market/local grocery store, prepping, cooking and putting it all together, plating, and of course – eating it! I dare you to challenge yourself with a brand new recipe and pair it with a bottle of wine. Perhaps you can try to recreate that dish you love so much at your favorite restaurant, or you can try to create one of your granny’s comforting meals, or you can choose from a cookbook that you bought a few years back.
7. Solo Picnic at the Park
Here’s a good solo date idea: a solo picnic at the park! A hack that I’ve recently discovered is buying rugs at Marshall’s, Ross, or TJ Maxx rather than picnic blankets. They’re so much more durable and cuter. You can call the shots for your solo picnic. You can pack a cute basket filled with charcuterie or something you cooked from home, bring a bottle of wine, and some books/journals/your laptop. You can bring a portable speaker or a small grill. This is your solo date. Have fun with it!
8. Join a Pottery Class
Sign up for a pottery making class at a local studio near you. You can create a small trinket dish or a bowl for your pet, or a mug, or even a vase for you to proudly display on your kitchen counter. Pottery is both therapeutic and offers a great creative outlet.
9. Hop on a Scenic Train Ride
One of my favorite memories that I’ve done solo is I did a solo train ride from Seattle to Los Angeles. I would hop off on different cities that I wanted to explore, and go back on the train and head south. I had a bike with me so I can get around from place to place, and I made plenty of unforgettable memories along the way.
Perhaps you can do a day trip out to a small town by you and do a cute getaway, or a wine tasting train ride for the afternoon, or even go as far as to taking a couple weeks by yourself and train hopping – this is such a great way to spend time with yourself and explore new sights.
10. Sunrise Yoga
Sunrise yoga is the perfect way to start your day. Whether it’s doing it outside on your backyard or balcony with a Youtube video of a 15 minute flow, or signing up for that early morning yoga class at your studio – there’s truly nothing better than starting your day with yoga. I love the peacefulness and relaxation that it brings me. It helps you stay grounded and set your day up for success.
11. Luxury Bath Experience at Home
Treat yourself to some new bath bombs, candles, soaps, and oils. These will be your companions when pampering yourself with a home spa bath. Play some ambient music with a portable speaker or play something on your iPad and lay it on a bedside table. Baths are truly the best. If I could, I’d take one every single day!
12. Coffee Date
Ready to get caffeinated? Go on a cafe hop day! Definitely start early, and end it by the early afternoon, or you’ll probably end up staying up all night. Unless that’s your jam!
You can take this day to hop between cafes, go to cafes that offer coffee flights, or cafes that have a certain charm to them. Get that perfect cup of coffee, people watch, read the local newspaper, or even work on your blog while you’re at it. This is such a perfect day in my book.
13. Go on a Solo Weekend Getaway
Now, who doesn’t love a good solo weekend getaway? Solo getaways are so good for the soul. You get to leave everything behind just for a short moment. You can go to a coastal town and stay at a cozy bed and breakfast, or go to a new city and stay at a super posh boutique hotel, or go on a drive and just decide right then and there where you’re going to stay.
14. Start Gardening
Whether you live in an apartment like I do or you have a backyard/front yard to play with, I recommend starting your garden now, so that you can experience the abundance it’ll provide for you in the spring. You can do a small herb garden, or plant some wild flowers, or even grow some cat grass for all the cats in your neighborhood. Gardening helps you tune out the world and just keeps you in the moment. Some say it’s a form of meditation for them.
15. Go on a Concert Date Solo
Go to your local jazz bar and watch a band perform, or go to an indie concert venue and watch a local band play, or just go to a bar that’s known for having live music. This is such a great way to get a glass of wine, dress up, and lose yourself to the music!
16. Go on a Silent Retreat
This could be a day long retreat or a weekend affair. A silent retreat is a great way to withdraw from regular life, to hit the pause button, and just do some deep introspective thinking. It could be a guided silent retreat or something you just do on your own. Go into the retreat with an intention. Do you want to discover something more about yourself? Are you pondering on a big life decision? Are you planning something big for yourself? This is the best form of self care you can do for yourself.
17. Join a Creative Workshop
Pottery, candle making, calligraphy, creative writing – these are all forms of creative workshops. You can do a different one once a week or stick to one activity and do it weekly to strengthen your skills. These workshops can serve as a creative outlet but can also be a great way for you to create gifts for the people you love for the holiday season! You can create candles for all your best friends, or write beautiful handwritten letters to your loved ones, or even start a side business from your newly acquired skill!
18. Nature Hike
Take the opportunity to go on a hike and experience all of the new fall colors. Bring a thermos full of coffee and maybe fill another one with some bone broth. Bring some yummy snacks. Make it a whole thing. When you get to the end of the hike, you can use this time to meditate, journal, or read!
19. High Tea Experience
Go to your local tea room or use this as an excuse to visit that upscale hotel in your city that hosts high tea experiences. Wear your favorite dress, bring a book, and just enjoy the afternoon all to yourself. Maybe bring an old digital camera you have lying around and take photos of the experience.
20. Write a Letter to your Future Self
This is something I think we should all do often. Write about what you’re currently struggling with, what areas of your life you’re currently winning in, what you’re dreaming about, and what you’re currently successful in. Hindsight is the best gift that comes with growing older. Writing a letter to your future self helps you piece your life together when you read them in the future. You can see the juxtaposition of who you used to be versus who you are at the present moment. It’s a very fulfilling practice and one that should be practiced yearly!
21. Indoor Botanical Garden
Pour some tea in a thermos, bring some sandwiches, and spend your afternoon at an indoor botanical garden. Perhaps bring a sketchbook and try to draw out the pretty plants that stick out to you. Listen to a podcast while walking through the garden.
21 Fall Activities to do Alone
There you have it. 21 fall activities that you can do solo! These fun solo date ideas are perfect for introspection, for wholesome adventures, and for nurturing a deeper sense of self-appreciation and love. While these are fall related, take some inspiration and try to do these things all year round.
Wishing you so much love and happiness this season.
