Usually people try to find a group to do something: whether it's clubbing, going to a concert or travelling. It's natural and understandable: the more the merrier after all! But sometimes during my stay in Japan I had some free time while all my friends were busy so I had to choose: sit in my room by myself, or go out and do something. Every now and then I went sightseeing on my own. After a while I realised that while sightseeing in a group has a lot of perks, doing it alone has some advantages too, and I learned how to enjoy it to it’s fullest. In the end, it’s all about the attitude. 

When you're alone it's you who decide about everything. There's no debates, no trying to reach compromise when deciding where to go, what to see, what to eat or when to take a break. You're hungry and want to eat in that restaurant - you do. Nobody would tell you they are not hungry or they don't like ramen or maybe you could go later.  If you have to choose between two places to go, you just think what you want to see and decide, no need to persuade anyone.

It’s your timetable, your pace, your rules. It's you who decide how your trip should look like to suit you. And you are free to change it anytime. If you're walking down the street and see something interesting, nothing stops you from changing plans and checking it out. If you’ve become amazed by the view, you can stare as long as you want. If you don't feel like going today because it got windy, you can reschedule. If you want to go somewhere earlier than planned, go ahead. It's you who decide whether you wake up at 6 am or 11 am. It's all up to you and the schedule should suit you in 100%.

When a moment comes to make a decision it's just a matter of how fast you choose. There's no need to consult with anyone, explain to them what's the deal and try to find a solution that everyone likes. No need to make sure everyone knows all the information and took part in the decision making process. But at the same time you can think about it and hesitate as long as you want, there's no rush and nobody will rush you.

Culture is a tricky thing. You might study it for half a century and you still won't know everything. So it's understandable that sometimes you will make mistakes or do something embarrassing. When you travel alone you're the only want to know (well except local people all around you who don’t know your name...). You don't have to apologise for disappointing the rest of the group because you weren't able to find this place you agreed to go to. Nobody has to hear the stories you don't want to share, like the one when you tried to eat something not edible or went to a place you shouldn't enter. Lots of people make mistakes and when they are in a group they often become ashamed of them and it ruins the rest of the trip for them. Not going to happen when you're alone: you've been there, you've done that and you learned from your mistake. End of story if you don't feel like sharing.

Compromise is a key to communication. And because of that when travelling in a group you all have to make it. Time is limited and people have different interests so nobody can do everything they want. So sometimes you could get stuck climbing a mountain to see something you're not interested in because you've been outvoted or didn't want to wait alone. Not gonna happen when you're travelling on your own: you chose where you want to go. Period.

The main disadvantage of planning any group activity is how hard it is to fit it with everyone's schedule. Everyone has some plans, this person can't go on that day, so maybe next week? Then someone can't again and next week is pushed into next month and so on. Of course, that's not always the case, sometimes it can be worked out, but sometimes one waits a long time to finally do something. Or you all simply made a dinner break, you’re done with your meal but this one person insist on trying every thing in the menu and you all have to wait for them. You don’t wait for anyone when you decided to go alone (and nobody will complain about how long you eat too). 

One thing to remember while sightseeing alone is to stay safe. There are also some other details to consider - travelling alone has its cons too, after all! More about it coming soon.

To sum up: if I were to choose between sightseeing alone or with a group I would go with my friends. But if I were to chose whether to go see something alone or sit in my room and wait for "someday" when my friends would come with me, well, then I'm going on my own.