Should You Visit The Loneliest Places In The World?

Many people enjoy traveling to places where there are tons of other people. Whether it’s the most-visited city in the world or just a bustling city with more tourists than residents, there is something to be said for seeing places that have a reputation for being bucket list travel destinations. But what about visiting the lonelier places on the planet where there are far fewer people and much more space?

There are many places around the world that you can visit all by your lonesome, either because people rarely travel there or because there is a low population compared to how much land there is. Read on for the loneliest places in the world.

11 Botswana

Botswana has 4.23 people per square kilometer

Elephants on the plains in Botswana

Botswana is the least lonely of our lonely countries, with 4.23 people per square kilometer, despite having a populaton of more than 2 million spread across the country. Botswana is a fascinating place to visit, but it’s not always on the top of travelers’ bucket lists, especially due to travel warnings from the US government.

• How lonely is it? 4.23 people per square kilometer
• Population: 2.63 million
• Should you visit? Perhaps; the U.S. Department of State recommends exercising increased caution in Botswana due to crime, primarily theft.

10 Guyana

Guyana has 4.01 people per square kilometer

Georgetown, Guyana

The CIA’s World Factbook points out that Guyana is the only South American country that is English-speaking, but that doesn’t mean tons of American tourists flock there. The country is one of the loneliest given its low population density and a low overall population. However, Guyana is also not an ideal travel destination, per the U.S. Department of State.

• How lonely is it? 4.01 people per square kilometer
• Population: 808,726
• ​​​​​​​Should you visit? Perhaps not; the U.S. Department of State recommends reconsidering travel to Guyana due to crime.

9 Libya

Libya has 3.95 people per square kilometer

Car driving in the desert in Libya

Libya is a rather lonely place, despite having a population of more than 6 million people. Unfortunately, high crime rates and terrorism have plagued Libya for some time, and it’s not an ideal travel destination for those reasons. In this case, it being “lonely” is not a good thing.

• How lonely is it? 3.95 people per square kilometer
• Population: 6.812 million
• ​​​​​​​Should you visit? No; the U.S. Department of State states that you should not travel to Libya.

8 Suriname

Suriname has 3.79 people per square kilometer

Suriname is the smallest country in South America, but it also has a very small population. As a result, the country has a low population density and is a fairly lonely place. It’s not a popular travel destination compared to other places in South America, perhaps partly due to the high expense of traveling there.

• How lonely is it? 3.79 people per square kilometer
• Population: 618,040
• ​​​​​​​Should you visit? Yes, if you have the budget for the adventure!

7 Iceland

Iceland has 3.69 people per square kilometer

Unsurprisingly, Iceland is one of the loneliest places on the planet. Iceland has the world’s loneliest house, too, which is also surprisingly Instagrammable. Although Iceland is pretty lonely, tourism is a big ‘thing’ there, and it’s well worth visiting for exploring volcanoes, viewing the Northern Lights, and dipping in hot springs.

• How lonely is it? 3.69 people per square kilometer
• Population: 382,003
• ​​​​​​​Should you visit? Yes, for the natural sights.

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6 French Guiana

French Guiana has 3.62 people per square kilometer

Cayenne, French Guiana

French Guiana is a beautiful destination, but it’s also very lonely. The territory is home to picturesque island destinations, zoos, beaches, and interesting towns, but there aren’t a ton of people there. French Guiana being a department and region of France means it’s generally counted as part of France, but it’s a relatively untraveled part of the country.

• How lonely is it? 3.62 people per square kilometer
• Population: 295,385
• ​​​​​​​Should you visit? Possibly; French Guiana is not very tourism-friendly simply because it lacks the infrastructure to support tons of travelers.

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5 Australia

Australia has 3.35 people per square kilometer

Kangaroo at Lucky Bay in the Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance, Western Australia

Australia is a well-known travel destination, but it’s also — technically — one of the loneliest places you can visit. Why? Well, Australia’s population of over 26 million residents is spread over a large part of the landmass. Plus, around 40% of Australia is uninhabitable because it gets so dry.

• How lonely is it? 3.35 people per square kilometer
• Population: 26.01 million
• ​​​​​​​Should you visit? Yes, for history, culture, wildlife, and more.

4 Namibia

Namibia has 3.14 people per square kilometer

Skeleton Coast, Namibia

Namibia is an interesting travel destination, partly because of its unique geography, but also because of how widespread its large population is. Namibia is home to one of the deadliest beaches in the world due to wildlife and rip currents, but it’s also not considered the safest country for travelers, according to the US government.

• How lonely is it? 3.14 people per square kilometer
• Population: 2.567 million
• Should you visit? Possibly not; the U.S. Department of State recommends exercising increased caution in Namibia due to crime.

3 Mongolia

Mongolia has 2.14 people per square kilometer

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As far as large countries go, Mongolia is one of the most populated with one of the lowest population densities. Despite having over 3 million people, Mongolia has plenty of open space to explore. One of the world’s largest deserts lies within Mongolia, but it’s not just sand that’s the main attraction. You can also view wildlife and explore Mongolia’s rich history.

• How lonely is it? 2.14 people per square kilometer
• Population: 3.398 million
• Should you visit? Yes, if you enjoy history and culture.

2 Greenland

Greenland has .14 people per square kilometer

Greenland has the lowest population density of any country in the world, meaning there’s plenty of wide open space. Greenland is also one of the countries where the sun doesn’t always set. Sure, it’s cold there, and that might be why it’s considerably lonelier than many other countries. But Greenland is also a great place to view the Northern Lights from, and it’s full of outdoor adventures involving snow.

• How lonely is it? .14 people per square kilometer
• Population: 56,661
• Should you visit? Yes, if you enjoy cold weather sports and long but chilly days.

1 Alaska’s Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area

The Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area has a population density of .0173 people per square kilometer

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Alaska is one of the loneliest places in the US, and one territory is perhaps the loneliest in the world. The Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area has a staggeringly low population density; you won’t run into another person for kilometers, depending on exactly where you are. Alaska is still a worthwhile travel destination despite being lonely, so consider making a once-in-a-lifetime trip to see it all.

• How lonely is it? .0173 people per square kilometer
• Population: 5,179
• ​​​​​​​Should you visit? Yes, if you like the cold, nature, and history!

References: Worldometer, KRCG, U.S. Department of State