How to Make Friends While Traveling: The Secret of Curated Groups

Traveling is better with friends. The laughs, the shared adventures, the “remember that time when…” moments - those are what make a trip truly unforgettable.

But here’s the reality: making friends while traveling isn’t always easy. When you’re young and hopping from hostel to hostel, meeting people is effortless. But once you’ve outgrown that scene, or you’re just craving deeper, more meaningful connections, finding your people gets a lot harder.

That’s what this post is about: exploring the best ways to meet people while traveling, from solo-friendly activities to curated group trips. By the end, you’ll know the pros, cons, and best-fit options, and why curated group travel is becoming the go-to solution for travelers who want to turn strangers into lifelong friends.

Why Making Friends While Traveling Is So Hard

If you’ve ever taken a solo trip, you know the struggle: the views are incredible, the food is amazing, but finding people to share it with? That’s another story.

For many travelers, making friends while traveling feels a lot easier in theory than in practice, especially as you get older or your travel style evolves. Here are some of the most common challenges:

It’s hard to start conversations with strangers. Walking up to someone in a café or at a tourist site feels a lot less natural than it did in your early twenties.
Connections are random. You might click with someone, only to realize you’re heading in opposite directions the next day, or find yourself surrounded by people whose personalities or interests just don’t match yours.
Language or cultural barriers. Even with translation apps, it can be tough to build a real connection when you don’t share a common language or cultural references.
Few consistent opportunities to connect. Sightseeing is great, but beyond brief chats in a line or at a restaurant, there often aren’t built-in chances to meet people in a way that feels natural.

I’ve felt this firsthand. On one solo trip to Lisbon, I spent an entire day wandering the streets and taking photos, but by evening I realized I hadn’t spoken more than a handful of words to anyone all day. The city was beautiful, but without someone to share it with, the experience felt a little hollow.

And that’s the truth about independent travel: you can meet people, but it often takes luck, the right place, the right time, and the right person, for it to turn into anything meaningful.

Possible Solutions for Making Friends While Traveling (Pros & Cons)

If you want to make friends while traveling, there are more options than ever. But not all approaches deliver the same experience or the same quality of connection. Here’s a look at three popular strategies, with the good, the bad, and what to expect.

1. Travel Apps

Pros:

Easy to download and start using right away.
Access to a large pool of travelers looking to meet up.
Great for quick connections or finding people for a single activity.

Cons:

Most apps skew toward late teens and early twenties, which can make it harder to find people in a similar stage of life.
High flake rate - you might chat with twenty people and only meet one.
Lacks structure or direction, so building a real friendship is hit or miss.

2. Hostels and Meetups

Pros:

Hostels are a classic for a reason: they make it incredibly easy to meet fellow travelers.
Many hostels organize group activities like city tours, pub crawls, or cooking classes.
Local meetups can offer a quick way to meet people with similar interests.

Cons:

Hostels can be loud and chaotic, especially if you’re looking for deeper connections or more mature conversations.
Meetups are often one-off events, so friendships can feel surface-level or short-lived.
Not ideal if you value comfort, privacy, or a structured itinerary.

3. Curated Group Travel

Pros:

Designed specifically for meeting like-minded people with shared interests, whether that’s photography, wellness, or cultural exploration.
Built-in structure creates natural opportunities for connection, shared meals, group activities, and downtime together.
Friendships tend to last beyond the trip because you’ve spent real, quality time together.

Cons:

Typically requires planning ahead and committing to specific dates.
Quality varies depending on the company - not every “group trip” is truly curated.

When it comes to building real friendships on the road, curated group travel offers something the other options don’t: intentionality. You’re not just meeting random people; you’re joining a community designed for connection, which makes it easier to form bonds that last well beyond the trip itself.

How Curated Groups Help You Build Real Friendships

The biggest advantage of curated group travel is that it’s designed to make building friendships feel natural, not forced. Instead of hoping for random connections, you’re stepping into an environment where everything is set up for genuine connection and shared experiences.

Built-In Icebreakers

Every curated trip starts with a foundation of shared activities. Whether it’s a photography workshop at sunrise or a cooking class in a local market, these experiences make conversation easy. You don’t have to come up with awkward small talk; shared curiosity and excitement do the work for you.

Values Alignment Without the Awkward Networking

The beauty of a curated trip is that you’re automatically surrounded by like-minded people. If you’re on a wellness retreat, everyone values health and mindfulness; if it’s a photography trip, everyone is passionate about creating beautiful images. This values alignment means conversations flow naturally and friendships form faster, without the forced vibe of a networking event.

Shared Memories Create Lasting Bonds

When you’re exploring a destination together, learning a new skill, or sharing a meal after a full day of adventures, you’re building shared memories that make connections deeper. Those inside jokes, those “remember when…” moments, they’re the foundation of friendships that often outlast the trip itself.

Friendships That Last Beyond the Trip

Many travelers who join curated groups leave with more than just great memories; they leave with new communities. We’ve seen travelers go from being strangers on day one to planning future trips together, starting creative collaborations, and even launching businesses together. That’s the power of spending quality time with people who share your interests and your energy.

Tips for Maximizing Friendships While Traveling

Joining a group trip or putting yourself out there is the first step, but the way you show up can make a huge difference in how meaningful those connections become. Here are a few simple but powerful tips to help you build friendships that last well beyond the trip:

1. Be Open and Curious

Ask questions. Listen to people’s stories. Be willing to share your own. Curiosity builds connection fast, and people naturally gravitate toward someone who makes them feel heard and valued.

2. Participate Actively in Group Activities

The magic happens when you lean in. Whether it’s joining a sunrise hike, hopping into a cooking class, or staying up late for a group dinner, participating creates shared moments that build stronger bonds.

3. Share Your Skills or Help Others

If you’re a photographer, offer to take great pictures of your fellow travelers. If you’re good at planning, help organize a spontaneous outing. Small gestures like this create goodwill and often spark deeper friendships.

4. Stay Connected After the Trip

Some of the best friendships don’t end when the trip does. Start a WhatsApp group, plan a reunion, or even team up on another trip. Maintaining those connections keeps the energy alive and often leads to lifelong friendships.

By being present, engaged, and open, you’ll get so much more out of your travels - not just in memories, but in relationships that add richness to your life long after you return home.

Why Nomara Trips Are Designed for Connection

At Nomara, we believe travel is about more than just the places you visit - it’s about the people you share it with. That’s why every curated group trip is intentionally designed to make meeting like-minded travelers effortless and natural.

Matching Interests and Energy Levels

Before every trip, we learn about your interests, preferences, and travel style. This allows us to build groups where everyone shares a common thread, whether that’s a love of photography, food, wellness, or cultural exploration. This alignment sets the stage for friendships that form faster and feel more authentic.

Small Groups for Real Connection

We keep our trips intentionally small. You won’t find yourself in a group of 30 strangers with a tour guide holding up a flag. Instead, you’ll share the experience with a handful of people you can actually get to know. Smaller groups make it easier to form real connections, the kind that last well beyond the trip itself.

Balanced Itineraries

Our itineraries are built to create natural opportunities for connection. Shared meals, group activities, and downtime between adventures mean you’ll have plenty of chances to bond without feeling rushed or forced.

Join the Waitlist

If you’re ready to travel with a group that feels more like friends than strangers, join the Nomara waitlist for upcoming trips. Spots are limited, and we curate every group to make sure the chemistry is right. Whether you’re looking to build new friendships, deepen your skills, or just share the joy of exploring new places, Nomara trips are designed to make every journey unforgettable.

Join the Nomara Waitlist Here

Conclusion: Travel Is Better Together

At the end of the day, it’s not just the places you visit that make a trip unforgettable - it’s the people you share it with. The laughter over dinner, the inside jokes from spontaneous adventures, the shared awe at a sunrise in a new city -those are the memories that stick with you long after the trip ends.

If you’ve been leaving your travel connections up to chance, it’s time to try something different. Whether it’s joining a local tour, meeting people at a hostel, or taking the leap into curated group travel, there are more ways than ever to make your journeys richer and more connected.

And if you want friendships that feel effortless and authentic, curated group trips are the best place to start. You’ll meet like-minded travelers, share incredible experiences, and come home not just with photos and souvenirs, but with friendships that can last a lifetime.

Travel is better together - and with the right group, it’s nothing short of life-changing.