1. Quiet Hotels
One way to travel silently is to look for a quiet hotel. In big cities, that may seem like a challenge with honking cars, busking musicians and constant sirens, but some hotels are using their excellent soundproofing as a selling point for the business person who needs a good night's sleep or a family with little ones who don't want to be up all night.
Airport hotels tend to have above-average soundproofing to mask the sound of planes leaving and arriving at all hours. Rooms overlooking courtyards are also a good choice. Ask for rooms away from elevators and ice machines, too.
Quiet Hotels is a good resource as they have curated a guide of hotels around the world that prioritize silence.
In the city that never sleeps — New York City — Quiet Hotels recommends Hotel Sofitel in Times Square of all places (one of the noisiest
neighborhoods in the world) because they offer rooms on higher floors at the
quieter back end of the hotel.
When in doubt, call hotels directly to find the quietest corners of their bubble.
2. Silent Retreats
Embrace the noble silence at an Insight Meditation Society retreat.
There, they believe silence helps enhance concentration and awareness. They ask
participants not to talk or engage in other forms of communication, like cell
phones or computers. Instead of journaling, reading or other busy work, it’s about
meditation, courses and light chores (like chopping vegetables for dinner). Silence
is broken at the end of courses for conversation and questions in the regular retreats, while their forest
retreats are 100 percent silent.
3. Silent Walking Tours
If an entire quiet vacation isn't your speed, how about a quiet walk? You can join the group in one of the daily silent walks in southeast England. They are around 7 to 12 miles long and there's absolutely no chit-chat — just quiet and the beauty of nature. It's strenuous, but it may just fill up your inner cup.
4. Silent Disco Walking Tour
In the vein of a silent disco, where everyone has their own
headphones and beat to dance to, these U.K. walks lead you through cities like
London and Edinburgh, dancing like no one else can hear your music (because
they can’t). Silent Adventures describes it as a “roaming, rhythmic riot.”
There are seasonal events, bespoke personal tours and Taylor Swift-themed walks, just to name a few.
5. Silent Disco
A silent disco is a gathering where everyone has their own
wireless headphones to listen to music. There's either one channel that everyone
tunes into together or multiple channels, so each person can groove to a
different playlist. One of the benefits of a
silent disco includes avoiding noise ordinance laws since, to the outsider, it
looks like people are vibing to absolutely nothing. Another is that different playlists allow people to customize their experience. Some shy folks also find it less awkward to dance with strangers this way.
At Quiet Events, find gatherings around the country, including bars in New York
and Austin, Texas.
6. Quiet Parks
With land development proceeding at a rapid pace, finding truly quiet natural spaces can be difficult. Quiet Parks International has made it their mission to track down and award
urban and wilderness parks free of man-made noise pollution. In their curated list of parks, you won't find honking horns, chugging trains or whirring sirens so you can immerse yourself in a peaceful experience.
If you can't make it in person, join them online for virtual forest bathing where you enjoy the silence remotely.
7. Silent Disco Walking Tour — Broadway Edition
Combining the idea of both a silent disco and a silent walking tour is Silent Tours' Silent Disco Walking Tours of the West End. As you wind your way through London's theater district, listen to show tunes on your personal headset and hear commentary from your host on the sites that you're seeing.
Though the tour is designed to cut down on noise pollution in the city, it's hard to not make a spectacle with a crowd of people silently dancing their way down the street, mouthing the words to an unheard song.