This Destination Was Just Named the No. 1 Place for Solitude — and It Has Stunning Mountain Ranges and Desert Landscapes

Mongolia was just named the top global destination to find solitude.

By Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca

Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeared in print or online for Travel + Leisure, Time, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, and many more. You'll usually find her in an airport. If you do see her there, please say hello. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on December 11, 2024

Close A horse rider in the sand dunes of the Zavkhan province of Mongolia. Photo:

Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images

Sure, you probably have a travel buddy you love exploring the world with, but sometimes, you just have to go it alone. And when you're ready for those trips where you not only want to explore on your own but really be all alone, Book Retreats has a suggestion. 

Book Retreats released its Holiday Relaxation Report, which detailed the best destinations around the world where travelers can find peace and quiet, including uncovering the top destinations for solitude. In the No. 1 spot is Mongolia.

To determine the rankings, the team created a seed list of 76 destinations, which it selected based on their "safety, solitude, serenity, nature, and wellness." The team then ranked those selections using nine data points, including the percentage of protected area, forest coverage, crowd density, noise and light pollution, peacefulness, and total wellness experiences. The team then gave each destination a score of 1 to 100 to reveal its top picks. 

"Mongolia stands apart as the world’s least crowded destination for travelers seeking genuine solitude," Book Retreats wrote in its report. "While France receives 100 million tourists annually and Spain finds room for 85 million, Mongolia hosts just 590,000 visitors."

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The low number of travelers, combined with its vast landscape, equates to an estimated 2.19 people per square kilometer, it added. 

“Here, travelers regularly find themselves with entire valleys, mountains, and desert landscapes to themselves, sharing the space only with nomadic families, free-roaming horses, and diverse wildlife,” Book Retreats explained.

Joining Mongolia at the top of the list of best places for solitude is Australia in second, followed by Namibia, Iceland, and Canada, rounding out the top five. 

As for the most peaceful and calming destination of all, that honor went to Australia thanks to its wide-open wilderness, fantastic wellness offerings, and lower tourism numbers, too. "Australia leads this change, topping the index at 73.8 out of 100. As the most relaxing vacation spot for 2025, Australia offers what crowded European destinations have lost: space to breathe," Book Retreats wrote. "While Italy struggles with tourism overflow, Australia hosts 50 million fewer annual visitors across an area 25 times larger. Adding in locals, this translates to just 3.4 people per square kilometer compared to 198.3 in Italy and 626 in Mauritius — the most crowded destination in the report." 

Still, a trip to Mongolia, where no one can bother me, sure does sound perfect.