16 of the best destinations for solo female travellers
Some 84 per cent of solo travellers are estimated to be female, so you're bound to meet kindred spirits along the way. Here is a solo traveller's bucket list with women in mind — places with high gender equality and low crime rates.
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Best for affordable luxury
You'll meet countless other women along the backpacking trail in Thailand, one of the original solo traveller havens, but that's not the only reason to go. Affordable rooms, cuisine and train journeys mean that you can plot an epic journey, stopping for a few nights — or weeks — in each of your desired spots. Start in the capital, Bangkok, for a great Thai history and culture 101, before hopping on one of the scenic trains out to the coast — perhaps Hua Hin — or down to the ferry points for idyllic islands including Koh Lanta, Koh Muk or Koh Chang. Looking for a place to stay? Oasis bungalows on Koh Chang are a hit with solo travellers.
• Read our full guide to Thailand
Best for laid-back vibes
If you want a taste of Latin America but are concerned about security, then mellow Costa Rica has a tranquil feel (although, like anywhere else, you'll want to take precautions in urban areas and be savvy about your personal safety). Solo travellers rate this naturally bountiful nation's hot springs in Arenal Volcano National Park; wildlife-packed cloud forest; and beach towns such as Santa Teresa and Nosara. Stay at Socialtel Nosara, which has affordable private rooms and budget dormitory bunks.
Best for gourmet travellers
Spain has a lot to offer, whether you want to strap on your dancing shoes or soak up the artworks of Dalí, Picasso and Gaudí. Explore the tapas bars of Barcelona, the toe-tapping flamenco halls of Madrid, the ski-able peaks of the Pyrenees and the wave-raked west coast ideal for surfing. The Women, Peace and Security Index has ranked Spain among some of the safest countries for travellers. For a long weekend in the Catalan capital, Royal Passeig de Gracia is in the centre of the city, near Gaudí's La Pedrera building. It has comfortable rooms and a rooftop bar with excellent city views.
• Read our full guide to Spain• Most beautiful places in Spain
Best for layovers
The skyscraper-clad island nation of Singapore is smaller than some cities, but not only is it consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries in Asia, according to the World Happiness Report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, it's also considered among the safest. With (sticky) summer temperatures all year round and spotless streets, it's a shopping-mall metropolis famed for its cocktails, and one of the few places in the world where street-food stalls win Michelin stars. The luxury Naumi hotel is a great pick — it has a whole floor dedicated to female travellers.
• Best things to do in Singapore
Best for city slickers
Few countries fuse ancient and modern as seamlessly and intriguingly as Japan. Spend one day sleeping in a ryokan (traditional inn), soaking in hot springs or meditating with monks, and the next gawking at neon-lit skyscrapers and sampling first-rate sushi. Japan is consistently ranked within the top 20 safest countries in the world and you'll find women-only subway cars and zero cat-calling. Best of all, dining alone is considered normal. Book a room at the Akihabara Bay Hotel, an all-female capsule property in Tokyo.
• Read our full guide to Japan• Cherry blossom season in Japan: when to go
Best for adventurers
Locals may have Viking blood coursing through their veins, but in 2024 the Global Peace Index, compiled by the Institute for Economics & Peace ranked Iceland as the most peaceful country in the world for the 17th year running. This land of fire and ice is an adventure playground made of black-sand beaches, gnarly lava fields, volcanic geysers and troll-guarded valleys. Come winter, the sky can be streaked with the northern lights while the midnight-sun summers bring festivals aplenty. It's home to only 400,000, so it's easy to feel at ease amid the large-town mindset. Prepare to let go of preconceptions of what a hostel stay might look like — Kex in Reykjavik is the hippest around.
• Read our full guide to Iceland
Best for diverse sightseeing
Frenetic India can feel full-on for solo travellers; Sri Lanka is the calmer, safer, alternative. With eight Unesco world heritage sites — including the ancient rock-top palace of Sigiriya (above) and fresco-filled Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple — it provides tiers of vivid-green tea terraces, sandy beaches, towns lined with British, Dutch and Portuguese architecture and some of the most scenic railway journeys in the world. What's more, the predominantly Buddhist locals are peaceful and welcoming — just be sure to dress modestly. For a female-friendly stay, opt for a room at the four-star Pledge Scape Negombo.
• Best Sri Lanka tours
Best for music lovers
Rated one of the safest countries for female travellers by theWomen, Peace and Security Index, published by the Georgetown Institute, landlocked Austria has a fairytale combo of castles, such as Orth, and palaces set amid Alpine peaks, glaciers and waterfalls. Linger in the coffee houses of Vienna, listen to the strains of Mozart and Schubert (both born here), and indulge in plates of schnitzel and sachertorte. It will all have you yodelling like Maria from The Sound of Music. Meet like-minded guests at the Aviva hotel in Upper Austria, which is exclusively for friends and solo travellers — no couples, no families.
• Safest countries in the world
Best for amazing art
Equality is the calling card of the Netherlands — after all, it was the first country to legalise same-sex marriage — and its crime rates are low. There's much for solo travellers to enjoy: we suggest starting in ever-evolving Amsterdam and biking to and fro between its clutch of world-class art museums: from the Rijksmuseum (filled with the Dutch masters) to the Van Gogh Museum and Rembrandt House. For an affordable base, Hostelle in Amsterdam is a female-only hostel outside the city centre.
• Best things to do in Amsterdam• Best hotels in Amsterdam
Best for outdoor wonders
Switzerland is typically near the top of gender equality surveys and is a very safe destination for solo travel. It's also often heralded for its quality of life, thanks in large part to the spectacular scenery: from the 4,478m (14,692ft)-high Matterhorn and mountain-encircled Interlaken, to the car-free medieval town of Lucerne and the blue Lake Geneva. Spend days hobnobbing with the glitterati in St Moritz, swimming in Bern's city-centre river, or gorging on the world's best chocolate. If you're heading to Zurich, Josephine's Guesthouse for Women is a solid pick.
• Read our full guide to Switzerland
Best for road trips
Consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the world, Norway also ranks highly in gender equality surveys and is very female-friendly. Get steamy in Oslo's riverside saunas (above), explore endless fjords in a hire car, discover Viking ships and visit up-and-coming Bodo, which was a 2024 European Capital of Culture. The Grand Hotel in the capital, Oslo, has a Ladies' Floor designed by women, for women.
• What to do in Norway
Best for getting off the beaten track
Squeezed between its brasher big brothers Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay is often named as South America's safest country — and it's politically stable to boot. Spend days admiring Montevideo's architecture and sinking your teeth into an asado (barbecue); ride horses across flat and endless plains in the company of gauchos; bubble away in hot springs; and drink caffeine-rich mate with locals. For unique accommodation close to Punta del Este, try Club Hotel Casapueblo.
• Read our full guide to South America
Best for hiking adventures
Smaller and cheaper than Australia, and full of Kiwis who are known for their down-to-earth friendliness, New Zealand makes solo travel easy. And when you add in epic scenery — featured in films such as The Lord of the Rings — with fjords, rugged mountains, rolling hills, sandy beaches and glaciers to hike, bike, swim and explore, it's a compelling package. Plus, when you're done you can dine on the freshest lamb and scallops and sip craft beer. Over on Auckland's west coast, you'll find Te Wahi Ora Women's Retreat.
tewahiora.co.nz
• Great things to do in New Zealand
Best for beach breaks
The Polynesians' closeness to Mother Nature has bred a respect for the feminine — and when you live in a palm-tree-fringed paradise there's little need for crime. Don't think it's just a destination for honeymooners, either. Solos can join cruises offering single cabins or even dormitories, rent a car and catch the ferry to Mo'orea, or learn to scuba dive. When it comes to where to stay, pick the private island of Vahine — aka the Island of Women.slh.com
• Our ultimate bucket-list trips
Best for bar hopping
We can't guarantee that the weather won't be wet, but the welcome is always warm — Ireland is frequently hailed as one of the friendliest destinations in Europe. So rent a car and take in the green vistas of Connemara and Killarney national parks, be awed by dramatic cliffs on the Wild Atlantic Way, and look for leprechauns at Carlingford Lough. Finish the day by raising a glass of Guinness in a snug pub as locals gather for a traditional Irish music session. If you'd rather explore on foot, Kelly's Resort Hotel & Spa in Rosslare gives you easy access to Wexford's beautiful walking trails.kellys.ie
• Read our full guide to Ireland
Best for admiring the architecture
Portugal ranks in the top 20 on the latest Women, Peace and Security Index. Get lost amid Lisbon's collision of Roman, gothic and baroque architecture and its riot of 15th-century azulejos (tiles), laze on beaches visited by Atlantic breezes, listen to the evocative strains of Fado music and gorge on delectable pasteis de nata (custard tarts). Staying overnight in the capital? Female travellers rate Zuzabed.
zuzabed.com
• Read our full guide to Portugal• Most beautiful places in Portugal
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