Trying to decide where the best destinations to visit as a solo female traveler are? One of the number one questions I get asked is whether particular destinations are safe or manageable to travel to as a solo female. So, I thought it would be helpful to put together this list of what are, in my opinion, the best places for solo female travelers!
This may not be a comprehensive list, but these are ALL places I have personally traveled to solo and can vouch for. You’ll notice that this list is heavily weighted toward East Asia and Europe. That is mostly because these are parts of the world I have become most familiar with while traveling on my own. There are absolutely other places you can and should visit as a solo female traveler!
I’m not going to lie, there are definitely places I’ve visited that I would not recommend for solo female travel. However, that certainly should not deter you from traveling on your own as a woman. For me, traveling solo as a female feels incredibly empowering, and has challenged me to become more confident in myself and my abilities. By picking the right destination, particularly for a first-time solo female traveler, you can ensure that your solo trip is both safe and fun. Without further ado, here are my top 10 recommendations for the best places to travel as a solo female traveler.
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10. El Nido, Philippines
El Nido on the island of Palawan in the Philippines is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. I wasn’t sure what to expect visiting El Nido as a solo female traveler, but ended up finding it quite easy to meet a group of other travelers at my hostel, even though I visited in the off-season. Getting a group of travelers together definitely made it easier to book boat trips for the day, although you can also join group trips as an individual.
El Nido is not a particularly easy spot to get to. To get there from Beijing, where I was living at the time, required two flights, a 6-hour van ride through the jungle, and a motor tricycle ride through the pouring rain. For this reason, I would say El Nido is a somewhat more challenging solo destination, and may not the best pick for a first-time solo trip. If I could have done one thing differently, it would have been to arrange the airport transfer to El Nido in advance. Luckily, a super nice couple I met on the plane took pity on my and let me join their van transfer to El Nido.
9. Prague, Czech Republic
Another destination I enjoyed visiting as a solo female traveler is Prague, Czech Republic. Although I only visited Prague for a few days, I had a great time exploring the city and all of its interesting architecture. Prague is a popular destination for backpackers, so if you stay in a hostel there are lots of opportunities to meet other travelers.
8. Jeju Island, South Korea
Jeju Island in South Korea was one of the first solo trips I ever did. While I was living in Shanghai, my Chinese visa required me to leave and reenter the country every 60 days. Since Jeju was one of the closest places outside of China to fly to from Shanghai, I ended up visiting for a quick weekend trip.
Jeju is filled with stunning waterfalls, beautiful volcanic beaches, and cute coffee shops—the perfect combination! As a small island, I found Jeju to be manageable to visit and quite safe. I was able to get around the island fairly easily on public transit as the various waterfalls and beaches are somewhat spread out. However, I also found myself occasionally waiting on the side of the highway when I’d missed the bus, and ended up having to walk to the airport from my hostel because I ran out of money. I also accidentally ordered enough fried chicken for a family of 4 at dinner.
Needless to say, visiting Jeju as my first solo trip was an incredible adventure, and totally whet my appetite for solo travel!
7. Bratislava, Slovakia
I visited Bratislava, Slovakia on a solo day trip from Vienna, and had so much fun exploring for a day. The old city is very walkable with lots to explore. Bratislava would be a great destination to try out a “mini” solo trip if you want to try visiting somewhere on your own just for the day.
6. Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan is another great city to visit as a solo female traveler. I found Taipei to feel quite safe, yet filled with interesting things to do. Taipei is famous for its night markets, which are perfect to visit as a solo traveler. There are tons of interesting foods to try that come in one-person portions. Plus, if you’re nervous about dining on your own in a restaurant (which in my opinion you don’t have to be!), eating street food at a night market is one way to avoid that. Night markets are also bustling with people, which personally makes me feel safer, especially when out exploring on my own at night.
5. Seoul, South Korea
Seoul, South Korea is another fantastic spot to visit as a solo female traveler. I didn’t have too hard of a time finding people who spoke English, and found tons of fun things to do as a solo traveler, including cool cafes, great shopping, and stunning historic sites. When I visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, there were even English-speaking high school students volunteering to show people around the site. Seoul also has tons of amazing street food, which in my opinion offers the ideal portion size to try lots of different foods when you’re traveling solo.
4. Copenhagen, Denmark
Another one of my favorite cities to travel to solo is Copenhagen, Denmark. Copenhagen is a super cool city and is very bike- and pedestrian-friendly, making it easy to get around. I found Copenhagen to be a really fun place to explore as a solo traveler. I love that there are a ton of cafes in Copenhagen that will allow you to make your own brunch combo of 5-6 different items, allowing you to try a wide variety of options even when brunching on your own.
3. Singapore
Singapore is one of my top recommendations for solo female travel. Singapore is very safe and most people speak English, yet it is a fascinating melting pot of different cultures. If you love street food, you need to add Singapore to your bucket list. Some of the best street food I’ve ever had was at hawker centers in Singapore!
For more info on visiting Singapore, be sure to check out my Guide to the Best Photo Spots in Singapore!
2. Australia
One of the best places to visit as a solo female traveler is Australia. My 12-day trip up the East Coast of Australia from Sydney to Cairns is one of the longest solo trips I’ve ever done and was such a fun adventure. Not having a language barrier definitely made things easier logistically. The Australians I met were super friendly and often willing to help me out or show me around. I also found that Australia’s cafe culture lent it self well to solo dining.
There are lots of fun group tours or boat trips you can do to meet other travelers. My favorites were sailing in the Whitsunday Islands and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns. I managed to meet several other women traveling on their own in Australia, which definitely made my solo trip feel less lonely.
1. Tokyo, Japan
Last but not least, one of my absolute favorite places I’ve visited as a solo female traveler is Tokyo, Japan. There is so much to love about Tokyo: fantastic food at all price points, beautiful cultural sites, and tons of interesting neighborhoods. Although the language barrier was a bit of a challenge, Tokyo is so organized and efficient, and everyone I met was friendly and willing to help. I wandered around Tokyo during the day and night and personally felt safe everywhere I went. In my opinion, Tokyo embodies the two most important features for a solo travel destination: a high level of safety, but tons of interesting things you can do on your own.
Thanks so much for reading my guide to the Top 10 Travel Destinations for Solo Female Travelers! I hope this post will inspire you to consider undertaking your own solo travel adventure.
Happy travels,
Kelsey
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so helpful & beautiful photos!!!!
Thank you so much! 🙂