Solo female travel is on the rise, with women increasingly embracing independent adventures around the world.
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Solo travel is one of the biggest forces shaping the travel industry, and women are leading the charge. Interest in solo travel has surged in recent years. Searches for “solo travel for women” have increased 30% worldwide over the past five years, according to data cited by the BBC. Meanwhile, a 2025 survey found that almost 40% of female travelers were interested in traveling solo, up 8% from the previous year.
But today’s solo travel movement isn’t just about traveling alone. Many women are looking for experiences that combine independence with community, whether that’s joining a small-group adventure, signing up for a wellness retreat or simply having the confidence to explore a destination on their own.
To find out where women should go next, I tapped six women who have built careers around travel, including CEOs, luxury travel advisors, retreat founders and travel creators. Here, they share the destinations they recommend most, along with the advice they give women taking the leap into solo travel.
The Experts
Maria Gregoriou, founder of Exclusolo.
courtesy of Maria Gregoriou
Maria Gregoriou: Founder, Exclusolo
After nearly 25 years in the software industry, Maria Gregoriou left the corporate world to follow another passion: helping women discover the world on their own terms. The Greece-based founder of the luxury travel company Exclusolo designs bespoke journeys for women navigating everything from divorce and widowhood to retirement and empty nesting. She also runs Kudos, which focuses on inbound travel to Greece.
A certified travel advisor who has visited more than 60 countries, Gregoriou specializes in helping women navigate major life transitions through thoughtfully designed travel experiences, from private cooking classes with a Moroccan chef to sunrise meditation with a Buddhist monk in Kyoto.
Gregoriou believes that the beauty of solo travel is that it allows you to shed your everyday persona. “At home, we are so defined by our roles as colleagues, mothers, partners and friends that we can forget to ask who we are when none of those labels apply,” she told me in an interview. “When you travel alone you might be traveling first to lose yourself, but in the end you end up finding yourself.”
Tip: “Say yes to the table for one,” says Gregoriou. “Solo dining intimidates a lot of women before their first trip, and it becomes one of their favorite parts by the end. Bring a book, sit at the bar or just people-watch. Some of the best conversations I’ve ever had began when a local noticed I was eating alone and decided to say hello.”
Maria Gregoriou’s Favorite Solo Travel Destinations
Japan: Gregoriou recommends Japan for its combination of safety, tradition and quiet hospitality. She especially loves Kyoto, where she suggests staying at the legendary Tawaraya ryokan and booking a private tea ceremony through Urasenke. “The combination of ancient temples, ryokan hospitality, and a culture of quiet respect makes it ideal for women traveling alone.”
Portugal: Portugal is one of Gregoriou’s top recommendations because it’s walkable, welcoming and relatively affordable compared with many other Western European destinations. She recommends exploring Bairro Alto and LX Factory and staying at Vila Foz.
Italy: For an indulgent solo getaway, Gregoriou recommends the Amalfi Coast, especially Ravello. Stay at the Belmond Hotel Caruso and book a private boat excursion to explore sea caves and hidden grottos.
Maria Gregoriou in Peru.
courtesy of Maria Gregoriou
Peru: Peru rewards curious travelers with spectacular scenery and rich history. Gregoriou recommends using Cusco as a base for exploring the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu and staying at Sol y Luna, whose foundation supports educational programs for local children.
Morocco: Gregoriou suggests staying in a traditional riad in Marrakech’s medina, taking a private cooking class with a local chef and venturing farther afield to Dar Ahlam.
Erika Brechtel: Founder, Élanoura
One spontaneous solo trip changed the course of Erika Brechtel’s life. Born and raised in Hawaii, Brechtel grew up with a love of history and culture, but her passion for solo travel began in 2015 with a 48-hour trip from London, where she was living at the time, to Marrakech. She founded Élanoura on a simple conviction: that the women who give so much to everyone around them deserve journeys that give something back. Her retreats pair far-reaching destinations with purpose, bringing small circles of women together to explore the world while supporting girls and women in local communities through volunteering and donations to nonprofit partners.
Brechtel believes travel should leave both travelers and the places they visit better than before. “That is what I love most about traveling alone: It connects you back to a new version of yourself,” she told me in an interview.
Tip: “Plan the edges, then let the middle breathe,” says Brechtel. “Lock in the things that protect you—your arrival, your first night, a way to be reached and then leave real room for the unplanned. Pre-book a few activities you are excited about so each day has an anchor, and keep the rest open for last-minute impulses.”
Marrakech, Morocco
“Marrakech is a feast for every sense,” says Brechtel, who credits the city with launching her own solo travel journey. She recommends staying at Peacock Pavilions, relaxing with a hammam treatment, visiting Jardin Majorelle and hiring a guide to explore the medina.
Mallorca
Forget the party reputation. Brechtel loves Mallorca for its peaceful villages, hidden coves and relaxed pace. She recommends Fontsanta Thermal Spa, Santanyí’s markets and the vintage train from Palma to Sóller.
Athens, Greece
Athens combines ancient history with warm hospitality. Brechtel recommends wandering Plaka, visiting the Acropolis, taking a sunset trip to the Temple of Poseidon and catching a ferry to Hydra.
Hawaii
A Hawaii native, Brechtel recommends skipping Waikiki in favor of Oahu’s North Shore, catching sunset—not sunrise—at Haleakalā and staying in Airbnb or VRBO properties on resort grounds.
Victoria Vesce, founder of The VYB.
courtesy of Victoria Vesce
Victoria Vesce: Founder, The VYB
Travel creator Victoria Vesce has built her career around exploring the world, but her relationship with travel is deeply personal. After surviving a brain tumor and later losing her mother to COVID-19, she turned to travel as a way to heal, rebuild her confidence and embrace life more fully. Now, through her wellness community, The VYB, she hosts events designed to bring women together while encouraging them to step outside their comfort zones.
Vesce believes solo travel offers something unique. “It forces you to rely on yourself in the best way,” she told me in an interview. Traveling alone also creates space to connect with a place, its people and yourself. “That’s when travel becomes more than just a trip and actually starts to shift your perspective.”
Tip: “Stay open but trust your instincts,” says Vesce, who believes that women should research destinations thoroughly before they go. But once they’re on the ground, if something doesn’t feel right, don’t second-guess yourself. “Be open to meeting people and trying new things, but always trust your intuition.”
Diamond Spratling, founder of Girl Plus Environment and author of Sage Sails the World.
courtesy of Diamond Spratling
Diamond Spratling: Founder, Girl Plus Environment
Diamond Spratling is the founder of Girl Plus Environment, a national environmental justice nonprofit that empowers young Black and Brown women and femmes to lead the climate movement. She is also the author of Sage Sails the World, a children’s book series that helps young readers understand the importance of protecting the planet through travel, exploration and environmental stewardship. Spratling has traveled to 18 countries across six continents and has been traveling solo since age 20, when she first traveled alone to South Africa for a service-learning trip. “What I love most about solo travel is the opportunity to spend time with myself,” she told me in an interview. “I love being able to experience a destination entirely on my own terms. I can follow my curiosity, change plans on a whim and immerse myself in the culture without worrying about anyone else’s expectations or preferences.”
Tip: Spratling has three top tips for women traveling abroad. “Download offline maps through GoogleMaps before you arrive—they can be a lifesaver when you’re navigating a new destination without service. Get an eSIM so you’re always connected. And enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) through the U.S. Department of State, so the government knows where you are in case of an emergency,” she says.
Charlotte Lilley: Founder, The Retreat Co.
Charlotte Lilley founded The Retreat Co. after spending more than 15 years building customer communities in the tech world. What started in 2018 as a side hustle organizing ski trips for friends has grown into a business hosting ski, camp and corporate retreats across North America for adventurous women. Over the past eight years, Lilley has hosted more than 1,000 women, and she says about 99% arrive on their own looking for community. “What I love most is the openness that comes with solo travel,” she told me in an interview. “You don’t have anyone else to lean on, so you lean into the experience. You end up doing things you might feel uncomfortable doing in your normal life, because nobody knows you. They don’t know your story and they don’t know what defines you whether self imposed or otherwise.”
Tip: “The 48 hours before the trip are usually the hardest emotionally, and is often when people start questioning their decision to go,” says Lilley. “If this happens, just focus on getting to the airport, arriving at the house or hotel, meeting one person, eating a meal. Remember that you do not need this trip to change your life, fix anything or make you a different person. You only need to arrive open enough to experience it.”
Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, founder of Collette.
courtesy of Jaclyn Leibl-Cote
Jaclyn Leibl-Cote: President & CEO, Collette
As president and CEO of Collette, Jaclyn Leibl-Cote oversees one of the world’s oldest guided travel companies, giving her a front-row seat to the changing ways women are exploring the world. A third-generation leader of the 108-year-old family business, she has watched increasing numbers of women choose to travel independently, often seeking experiences that balance personal freedom with the reassurance of expert planning and local insight. Her advice is to choose the style of travel that fits your personality. “Solo doesn’t have to mean entirely independent,” she told me in an interview. “Small-group travel can offer both freedom and support.”
Tip: “Focus on pace,” says Leibl-Cote. “Giving yourself time to experience a destination often leads to more meaningful travel.”
