Solo Travel for Women: Where to Go, How to Stay Safe and How to Meet People

The short answer

Traveling alone as a woman is mostly about the same things as traveling alone as anyone: getting around, paying for a room by yourself, and finding company when you want it. What's different is a short list of risks that official travel advice singles out for women. The UK Foreign Office (FCDO), for example, warns about groping on crowded commuter trains in Japan, harassment of women on public transport in Mexico, and assaults around full moon parties in Thailand. None of that is a reason to stay home. It's a reason to read the advice for the country you're going to, because it tells you where and when the problems happen.

For a first trip, pick somewhere that makes the basics easy: a simple journey from the airport, public transport or guided tours instead of driving, and places where eating alone is normal. Japan, Portugal, Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand and Singapore all fit. Vietnam and northern Thailand make it easy to meet other travelers. Mexico City, Costa Rica and India take more planning, and the official advice for them is more specific about risks to women.

To meet people, women-only options include group trips such as Intrepid's Women's Expeditions and Road Scholar's programs for women over 50, and the women-only app NomadHer. Hostels, walking tours and classes work for everyone, and so do mixed travel buddy platforms like Trespot, where you can see who's going to your city on your dates.

Is it safe for a woman to travel solo?

It can be. In most of the places on this page, the risks for a woman alone are close to the risks for anyone alone. Where they differ, official travel advice is the most useful guide, because it's specific. This is what the FCDO's safety advice says about women in some popular destinations, as of 30 September 2026:

Rankings help with the bigger picture, as long as you know what they measure. The Global Peace Index scores countries on conflict, crime and militarization; Iceland has topped it for 19 years running, and New Zealand is second in 2026. Georgetown University's Women, Peace and Security Index ranks 181 countries on women's inclusion, justice and security, including how safe women feel in their own community. Denmark came first in the 2025/26 edition.

Both describe life for the people who live there. Neither can tell you about a particular bar at 1am or the last train home, which is why the country advice matters more when you're planning.

Best places for women to travel alone

There's no single safest country for a woman traveling alone, and a place that suits one trip may not suit the next. These picks use the same test as our guide to solo travel destinations: easy to get around alone, easy to eat and sightsee alone, and a way to meet people when you want to. Then we added what the official advice says about women.

For a first trip

Japan: Tokyo and Kyoto. So much of Japan is set up for one person: counter seats in restaurants, single rooms in business hotels, and trains that reach almost everything. The issue for women is crowded commuter trains. Tokyo Metro runs women-only cars on several lines during the weekday morning rush, until about 9:30am, and the boarding spots are signed on the platform. If someone touches you, the FCDO passes on the police's advice: shout at them to draw attention, and ask another passenger to call staff. In Tokyo's nightlife districts, including Kabukicho, Roppongi, Shibuya and Ikebukuro, it warns of drink spiking followed by huge bills on the victim's credit card. More in our guide to solo travel in Japan.

Portugal: Lisbon and Porto. Both cities are walkable, a fast train links them, and plenty of hostels run group dinners and walking tours, so meeting people takes little effort. The FCDO calls sexual assaults rare but says the risk is highest late at night around nightlife areas, and suggests not letting a friend walk back to their accommodation alone. Pickpockets work crowded trams and stops, often in teams.

Ireland. A good first trip if you'd rather not deal with a new language: pubs where it's normal to sit alone, and small-group tours to the west coast if you don't want to drive. The FCDO's Ireland advice has nothing specific to women and mentions bag-snatching and pickpocketing.

Singapore. The easiest stopover in Asia. Public transport is simple, hawker centers are full of people eating alone, and the FCDO says violent crime and theft are rare. The catch is price: a room for one is expensive, so two or three nights is plenty.

For nature, without driving alone

Iceland. First in the Global Peace Index, and the FCDO calls crime levels low. The risks are natural ones: weather that changes quickly, cliff edges, hot springs and long empty roads. Base yourself in Reykjavík, see the country on day tours, and leave your plans with SafeTravel before any hike or drive.

New Zealand. Second in the 2026 index. Hostels and Great Walk huts make it easy to meet other hikers, and intercity buses reach most places, slowly. Before a hike, tell someone your route and when you expect to be back; New Zealand's Outdoor Intentions form exists for exactly that.

For meeting people on a budget

Vietnam. The route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is so well traveled that you keep running into the same people. According to the FCDO, women have reported indecent assaults including groping, and British nationals have reported rape and sexual assault in the main tourist areas, so the usual rules about drinks and late nights matter here. It also warns of methanol in drinks bought in licensed bars, shops and hotels. Two habits help: carry your bag on the side away from the traffic, because thieves on motorbikes snatch them, and book taxis through Grab or your hotel, checking the car matches the app.

Chiang Mai, Thailand. Cooking classes, meditation courses and a low-key traveler scene make Chiang Mai easy to settle into for a week or a month. The FCDO says sexual assaults in Thailand are most common at full moon parties and near bars late at night, and advises arranging your ride home before you go out. If smoke bothers you, avoid the burning season, roughly February to April.

Once you've done a trip or two

Mexico City and Oaxaca. The food and museums are worth the extra planning. Mexico City's Metro keeps cars for women and children, boarded from the section of platform marked for women, though NPR reported in 2024 that harassment on the system is still common. The FCDO says women traveling alone on public transport have been harassed, robbed and sexually assaulted, and that unlicensed taxi drivers have robbed and assaulted passengers. Use "sitio" taxis from official ranks, or ask your hotel to order one.

Costa Rica. National parks and tourist shuttles make it easy to see wildlife without a car. The FCDO's wording here is unusually direct: rapes and sexual assaults "have increased, some of which appear targeted toward tourists". Take guided tours to remote places, use official red taxis (orange at the airport) or radio-dispatched ones, and don't walk alone in poorly lit areas at night.

India. Of the places on this page, India needs the most planning for a woman alone, and the FCDO's advice is the most direct: female travelers "often experience verbal and physical harassment", and it advises against traveling alone and hailing taxis on the street, especially at night. App cabs such as Uber and Ola are available in every airport terminal, and the Delhi Metro reserves the first coach in the direction of travel for women. For a first visit, a women-only group trip takes care of much of this. Our guides to solo trips in India and a solo trip to Goa cover specific places.

Getting around, especially after dark

Much of what the FCDO describes happens on the move: crowded trains, unlicensed taxis, the walk back late at night. A few habits cover most of it.

• Arrive in daylight when you can. If your flight lands late, book a transfer, or know exactly where the official taxi rank or app pickup point is before you board.
• Use licensed taxis or ride-hailing apps, not drivers who approach you in arrivals or cars hailed on the street at night. The official advice gets specific: sitio taxis in Mexico, red taxis with a triangular sticker in Costa Rica, metered taxis from larger firms or Grab in Vietnam, Uber or Ola in India.
• Check the car and driver match the app before you get in, and share the trip with someone. Most ride-hailing apps have a button for it.
• Use women-only carriages if you'd like to, where they exist: Tokyo during the weekday morning rush, the Mexico City Metro, the Delhi Metro.
• Plan the way back before you go out. The FCDO's advice for Thailand works anywhere: "Pre-arrange your transport home so you do not have to accept lifts in unlicensed vehicles."
• Keep your bag on the side away from the road in places where thieves on scooters snatch bags, such as Vietnam.

"Honestly, sharing my live location with someone back home helped a lot, especially if I was going out at night or travelling between cities. I also got into the habit of arriving somewhere new during daylight rather than late at night. Sounds small, but it made me feel way more comfortable."

Ashley Rourke, solo traveler, 15 countries in 4 years

Where to stay as a woman traveling alone

Where you sleep decides how you get home at night, so spend on location before anything else.

• Stay central, near transport. A cheaper room that means a long walk or a taxi every night can cost more in the end, and it's less relaxing.
• Look for 24-hour reception. It helps with a late arrival, a lost key, or just someone to ask.
• In hostels, choose a female-only dorm or a private room. Many hostels offer female-only dorms, and a private room still gets you the common areas and the group dinners.
• Read reviews from other people traveling alone. Several booking sites let you filter reviews to solo travelers. A comment about the walk from the station at night tells you more than a star rating.
• Keep your room number to yourself. If it's said out loud at the desk, ask for it to be written down instead, or ask for a different room.
• For private rentals, check how you get in and what the street is like after dark before you book.
• Keep your own room for the first few nights if you're traveling with someone you met recently.

Meeting people, including other women

Plenty of women travel alone so they can choose when to be sociable. These are the main ways to find company, from the most organized to the least.

Women-only group trips

A company handles transport, rooms and a local leader, and the group is put together for you. Two examples, as of September 2026:

• Intrepid Travel's Women's Expeditions are small, women-only groups with female leaders, in India, Nepal, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Bhutan, Turkey, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Peru. If you join alone, you share a room with another traveler of the same gender unless you pay for your own.
• Road Scholar's women-only programs are aimed at women over 50. It says most programs offer single rooms to solo travelers, or it can pair you with a roommate.

Our guide to women's travel groups covers more operators and the big online communities.

Women-only apps

NomadHer is a women-only app for finding other women going to the same place at the same time, with meetups and tips from members; it describes its members as verified. Tourlina began as a women-only app and has been open to all genders since September 2024, but you can set your profile to be visible to women only, and every profile is checked by hand. For the wider field, see our guides to travel buddy apps and finding a female travel companion.

Hostels, tours and classes

A walking tour or food tour on your first full day, a cooking or language class, a group day trip, a hostel dinner. You meet people through something you're both doing, and it's easy to leave when you've had enough.

Travel buddy platforms, including Trespot

Trespot is open to everyone, so it isn't a women-only space, and its Find Travel Partner board filters trips by city, not by gender. What it does do is show you who's going where you're going. You post your route and dates, look through other travelers' trips to the same place, and message the ones whose dates overlap with yours. Cities on Trespot's list also have a group chat for everyone heading there. On a free account, full access to a city group needs a ticket or booking check, which shows someone really has a trip but not who they are. You can report or block anyone, and it all works in a browser or the app. Our guide to searching for a travel buddy explains how it works, including what's free.

However you meet someone, the same rules apply: keep the first chats on the platform, video call before anything longer than a meal, meet somewhere public, and make your own way there and back.

What it costs to travel alone

Traveling alone costs more per person than traveling as a pair, whoever you are, because rooms, taxis and private tours are priced per booking, not per person. On top of that, some of the choices that make a trip feel safer cost a little more: a central room instead of a cheap one with a long walk back, a taxi at midnight instead of the night bus. Put some money aside for those rather than deciding on the night.

• On group trips, a single supplement can add a lot. Intrepid pairs solo travelers with a roommate unless you pay for your own room; Road Scholar offers single rooms on most programs. Our comparison of travel groups for solo travelers covers how a dozen companies handle rooms.
• In Japan, business hotels sell single rooms, typically ¥7,000–15,000 a night according to japan-guide, which keeps the cost of going alone down.
• For the cheapest places to travel alone once you count the solo penalty, see the budget section of our destinations guide.

Health, clothes and local customs

• Check that the healthcare you might need is available, and buy travel insurance that covers treatment and medical evacuation. The FCDO notes that in some countries, pregnancy outside marriage may invalidate medical cover, and that access to abortion can be severely restricted, even when a life is at risk.
• Take enough of any medication for the whole trip, contraception included. The FCDO points to the UK's travel health service, NaTHNaC, for guidance on traveling with medicines.
• Dress to the local norm at religious sites, which often means covered shoulders and knees. Beyond that, the FCDO suggests finding out about the local culture and whether women traveling there have had unwanted attention. Recent posts by women who've just been are useful for this.

If something goes wrong

Save these numbers before you go, and send your itinerary and accommodation details to someone at home, as the UK government's foreign travel checklist suggests.

Your embassy or consulate can help if you're assaulted, robbed or arrested:

• British nationals can call the FCDO at any hour on +44 (0)20 7008 5000. Its guidance for victims of rape and sexual assault abroad says it can help arrange a medical examination, by a female doctor if possible and if you'd prefer, and ask for you to be interviewed by a female police officer if one is available. It also points out that in most countries you have to report the crime before you leave if you want it investigated.
• US citizens can enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), so the nearest embassy can reach you in an emergency.
• Indian citizens can ask for consular help through the Ministry of External Affairs' MADAD portal.

If you suddenly feel "strange, sick or drunk after only drinking a small amount", the FCDO's advice is to get help straight away: tell a friend you trust, or call the police or emergency services. Spiking drugs are usually colorless and tasteless, and they can be put in soft drinks too.

Out of town, the risk is more often the weather than other people. Before a hike or a long drive, leave your route and your expected return time with someone, or use a service like Iceland's SafeTravel.

A first solo trip as a woman, step by step

1. Pick a place from the first-trip list, and read your government's advice for it, especially the safety section.
2. Book your first two nights somewhere central with 24-hour reception.
3. Choose a flight that lands in daylight, or book your airport transfer in advance.
4. Send your itinerary and where you're staying to someone at home, and agree when you'll check in with them.
5. Save the local emergency number, your embassy's number and your accommodation's address where you can see them offline.
6. Book one group activity for your first full day, such as a walking tour, a food tour or a class.
7. Set aside money for a taxi home that isn't part of your daily budget.
8. Decide your drink rules before you go out: buy your own, keep it in sight, and know how you're getting back.

"Don't try to prove anything by making it difficult. Pick somewhere with good public transport, stay somewhere central, and book the first couple of nights properly. You can be spontaneous once you've settled in."

Ashley Rourke, solo traveler, 15 countries in 4 years

Our first solo trip guide covers the planning in more detail, and solo travel safety goes further into habits that work anywhere.

FAQs

Is it safe for a woman to travel alone?

In most popular destinations, yes, with the care you'd take at home and a few extra habits: buy your own drinks, plan your way back at night, and use licensed transport. Official travel advice tells you which risks apply where, and for some countries, such as India and Costa Rica, it's far more specific about risks to women than for others.

What is the safest country for a woman to travel alone?

There's no single answer. Iceland tops the 2026 Global Peace Index, and Denmark tops the Women, Peace and Security Index 2025/26, which measures women's lives in each country. For a first solo trip, Japan, Portugal, Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand and Singapore combine low crime with an easy arrival and little or no driving.

Where should I go on my first solo trip as a woman?

Somewhere that's easy to reach from the airport, with good public transport or guided tours, and a culture where eating alone is normal. Lisbon, Tokyo, Dublin and Singapore work well for a city trip. Iceland and New Zealand suit a nature trip if you use tours or buses rather than driving.

How can women traveling solo meet other women?

Women-only group trips, such as Intrepid's Women's Expeditions or Road Scholar's programs for women over 50; women-only apps such as NomadHer; female-only hostel dorms; and women's travel communities online. Walking tours, classes and mixed travel buddy platforms work too.

Is solo travel more expensive for women?

Not in itself. Anyone traveling alone pays more per person for rooms, taxis and private tours, and many group trips charge a single supplement. Women may choose to spend a little more on a central room or a taxi late at night, so it's worth budgeting for that.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Advice for women travelling abroad (updated 8 September 2026) and Victim of rape and sexual assault abroad (updated 28 April 2025)
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office safety and security advice for Japan, Portugal, Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, Costa Rica and India (accessed 30 September 2026)
• GOV.UK, Foreign travel checklist
• Institute for Economics & Peace, Global Peace Index 2026 top ten (15 June 2026)
• Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, WPS Index 2025/26 (6 November 2025)
• Tokyo Metro, women-only cars; NPR, Mexico City's women-only Metro cars (June 2024); Business Standard, Delhi Metro's women-only first coach (January 2019)
• Intrepid Travel, Women's Expeditions; Road Scholar, women-only adventures; NomadHer; Tourlina (all accessed 30 September 2026)
• japan-guide, Business hotels
• SafeTravel Iceland; US State Department, STEP; India's Ministry of External Affairs, MADAD
• Trespot features: checked in the Trespot web app (version 2.3.0004) on 30 September 2026