Solo travel · Kansas City · United States
Solo travel in Kansas City
How to enjoy Kansas City at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Rex Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Kansas City is easy and friendly for solo travellers: barbecue counters and brewery bars are natural places to eat alone, and the free streetcar ties together the most walkable districts. Many solo travellers base themselves in Downtown and Power & Light.
Key facts
- Base
- Downtown and Power & Light
- Getting around
- Tram
- Emergency number
- 911
- Language
- English
Solo travel tips
- Stay downtown or in the Crossroads to be on the streetcar line and near bars and restaurants.
- Sit at the bar at jazz clubs and breweries; staff and regulars are happy to talk.
- Use rideshares rather than walking long distances between districts at night.
- First Fridays in the Crossroads are an easy way to join a crowd.
- Weekday lunch is the best time to try famous barbecue joints without a long queue.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife and solo travellers
Downtown and Power & Light
Downtown holds most of the city's large hotels, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Power & Light District, a few blocks of restaurants and bars around the KC Live! courtyard where crowds gather to watch Chiefs and Royals games on a big screen. The free streetcar runs along Main Street, so the River Market and Union Station are a short ride in either direction.
- Good
- Largest choice of hotels; On the free streetcar line; Easy walk to the Crossroads
- Watch out
- Quiet on weekday evenings outside Power & Light; Hotel parking adds up
- Nearby
- Power & Light District, Kauffman Center, T-Mobile Center, KC Streetcar
Great on your own
Museum · Crown Center
National WWI Museum and Memorial
Walk out onto the memorial lawn at the top of the hill at sunset; it is free and gives the city's classic skyline view.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
- Views
Museum · Country Club Plaza
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Start in the Bloch Building and finish on the south lawn so you see the Shuttlecocks in late-afternoon light.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · 18th & Vine Jazz District
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Buy the combined ticket with the American Jazz Museum, which shares the same building.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · 18th & Vine Jazz District
American Jazz Museum and the Blue Room
Check the Blue Room's calendar and plan the museum visit for late afternoon so you can stay for an evening set.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours, plus a show
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- After dark
- Art
- Rainy day
Architecture · Crown Center
Union Station and Science City
Walking through the Grand Hall is free; pair it with the WWI Museum across Pershing Road.
- Time needed
- 1 hour; 3 hours with Science City
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
Street · Country Club Plaza
Country Club Plaza
Visit after dark from Thanksgiving to mid-January, when the Plaza Lights outline every building.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Free
- Architecture
- Couples
- After dark
Meeting people
- A barbecue crawl — Kansas City has well over a hundred barbecue restaurants. Split plates between friends and compare a few styles in a day: an old-school pit such as Arthur Bryant's near 18th & Vine, Joe's at the gas station in Kansas City, Kansas, and a sit-down place such as Jack Stack in the Crossroads.
- City Market on a Saturday — The River Market's farmers' stalls, Vietnamese bakeries and Middle Eastern grocers make the city's best breakfast-and-browse morning, followed by a ride on the free streetcar.
- Power & Light District — The busiest downtown option, with the KC Live! courtyard, sports bars and clubs next to the T-Mobile Center.
- Westport — Dense blocks of bars and live-music rooms along Westport Road, popular with a younger crowd at weekends.
Sensible precautions
Visitor areas such as downtown, the Crossroads, the Plaza and Crown Center are generally fine, but some streets between districts are empty at night, so use a rideshare after dark. In spring and early summer, learn what tornado sirens and warnings mean and follow local instructions.
- Emergency number
- 911
- Staying connected
- Free Wi-Fi is common in cafés, hotels and museums, and US carriers give good 4G/5G coverage across the metro.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Kansas City good for solo travellers?
Kansas City is easy and friendly for solo travellers: barbecue counters and brewery bars are natural places to eat alone, and the free streetcar ties together the most walkable districts.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Kansas City?
Downtown and Power & Light: Office towers, the T-Mobile Center arena and a covered entertainment block of bars.