Group Trips vs Dating Apps: Where Delhi's 25–35s Are Actually Meeting People

Invite-only trips are the new dating apps. It sounds like a joke, and it's half of one. The other half is true, and it says something about how people in their twenties and thirties are meeting people in Delhi now.

Nobody is saying apps don't work. Plenty of people meet their partners on them. But a lot of people are tired in a very specific way: tired of the format. And the alternative many of them are finding isn't another app. It's a weekend in the mountains with eleven people they've never met.

Quick answer: Dating apps put two strangers in a one-to-one interview with a verdict at the end. Group trips put a dozen people in a shared experience for three days, with no pressure on anyone to be anything. You see people as they really are, you make friends whether or not there's a spark, and if something more happens, it happens slowly. That's why many 25 to 35 year olds in Delhi now prefer meeting people on small group trips. Trips like ours are not dating events, though; they're trips.

The problem isn't apps. It's the format.

Think about what a dating app actually asks you to do. Judge a stranger from six photos and three prompts. Message enough people that one conversation survives. Turn that conversation into a two-hour meeting in a café, where both of you are performing, and both of you are deciding.

It's an interview. It's an interview where the job is "person you might like", and both sides are hiring.

That format has three problems:

• Too much choice. When there's always another profile, every person feels replaceable, including you.
• Too little context. You meet someone with no shared friends, no shared activity and nothing to talk about except yourselves.
• Too much pressure. Every meeting has to be a date, and every date has to have a verdict.

Why people connect better in a group

The way people met for most of history looks a lot more like a group trip than a swipe: through friends, at weddings, in college, in the neighbourhood. Groups have advantages no app can copy.

Low stakes. Nobody is on a date. You're on a hike. If you don't click with someone, nothing is lost and there are ten other people to talk to.

You see people as they are. Not their best photos: how they behave when they're cold, tired, hungry, lost or laughing. Whether they help carry the bags. How they talk to the driver. Three days tells you more about someone than ten dates.

There's always something to talk about. The view, the Maggi, the driver's playlist, the dog that followed you up the trail. Shared experience is the easiest conversation starter there is.

Time. A first date is two hours. A weekend away is around 60 waking hours together. Research on friendship suggests that's more than enough to turn strangers into friends; we wrote about it in how to make friends as an adult in Delhi.

Dating apps vs group trips, side by side

What a trip is not

We want to be clear about this, because it matters. Our invite-only weekends are not dating events. There's no matchmaking, no speed-dating, no "singles" label. People come for the mountains, the slow pace and the company. Groups are balanced between women and men because that makes for a better group and a more comfortable one, not to pair anybody off.

What does happen is what has always happened when good people spend real time together: friendships, inside jokes, a group chat that won't go quiet, the occasional pair who keep talking long after the trip. Nobody is promised anything, and nobody is under pressure. That's precisely why it works.

The demand is real

When we opened applications for our first Bir departure, more than 190 people applied for twelve seats. That's not because Bir is a secret; it isn't. It's because a lot of people in Delhi want the same thing: to meet new people in a way that doesn't feel like a transaction.

So where are Delhi's 25–35s meeting people?

Anywhere with repeated time together and a reason to be there other than meeting someone:

• Run clubs and cycling groups, especially the weekend-morning ones that end with breakfast
• Pickleball, football and badminton leagues
• Multi-week workshops: pottery, improv, dance, languages
• Friends-of-friends: house parties and dinners where one person brings someone new
• Small group trips, where three days gets you further than three months of brunches

The common thread is that none of them is about dating. People meet best when they're doing something else.

Try the weekend version

If you're tired of the interview format, try the weekend one. Our invite-only trips from Delhi take twelve travellers, chosen with care, to the mountains for three days, hosted in person by Anna, our founder. These are open now:

Invite-only weekends from Delhi

Where the next small groups are going

Jibhi · Jalori Pass · Shangarh

A fort in the clouds. A village that time forgot.

calendar_month20–22 Nov 20262N · 3D · from ₹10,999

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Bir · Barot

A Weekend Beyond the Group Chat

calendar_month27–29 Nov 20262N · 3D · from ₹13,500

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Read how invite-only trips work, or if the thought of eleven strangers makes you nervous, here's what actually happens on a 12-person trip.

Frequently asked questions

Are group trips a good way to meet people?

Yes. Small group trips give you dozens of hours of relaxed time with the same people, shared experiences to bond over, and no pressure to impress anyone. They're one of the fastest ways for adults to make new friends.

Is Chalo Folks a dating or singles trip?

No. Chalo Folks runs small, invite-only trips for people who want the mountains and good company. There's no matchmaking. Groups are balanced between women and men to make the trip comfortable for everyone, and people come for the experience and the friendships.

Why are people tired of dating apps?

Many people find the format draining: judging strangers from photos, keeping several conversations going, and turning each meeting into a high-pressure date. Meeting people through shared activities feels more natural, and it builds friendships even when there's no romance.

Where can people in their 20s and 30s meet new people in Delhi?

Run clubs, cycling groups, sports leagues, multi-week workshops, volunteering, friends-of-friends gatherings and small group weekend trips out of Delhi are all good ways to meet people with shared interests.

Can I join an invite-only trip on my own?

Yes. Many people come solo. You apply, have a short call with our team, and if it's a fit you get an invite. You can also apply with a friend.