19 Best Places to Solo Travel for Women in 2024

Get your posh self to the city that gave us India Amarteifio and the scotch egg. Public transportation is super easy—you can take the tube for a quick trip or the TootBus for a hop-on-hop-off experience to see sites like the London Eye and Buckingham Palace—and constant festivals and airfare deals are great excuses for even just a weekend visit. Sleep on the plane or at The Londoner in Leicester Square, where you’ll be close to everything you want to do in town (eat, shop, and people-watch while gossiping about the Royals, duh).

A culture of omotenashi (a Japanese term that translates to “wholeheartedly looking after guests”) makes Tokyo a prime spot for solo missions. Spend your mornings strolling through the peaceful Shinjuki Gyoen National Garden, which dates back to Japan’s Edo Period, before planning to get lost in the 10-floor Shibuya109 shopping mall, close to the Shibuya Stream Hotel. Robot sushi and slurpy soba noodles are acceptable options at all times of the day.

You could do nothing but eat tacos and drink coffee in Santa Cruz and you’d understand why so many people love this laid-back yet super-progressive city. Surfing is a big deal here, which is cool if that’s your thing, and even better if it’s not because that means you’ll get delicious Verve Coffee Roasters all to yourself in the morning while everyone else is out on the water. A stay at Dream Inn has the beach, bars, pool, restaurant, and boardwalk all in one spot, but you’ll need to head inland a bit for Yōso Wellness Spa’s dreamy “skin to soul” treatments (the massage might change your life).

Low crime and high vibes make Sydney one of my favorite spots for solo travel. You won’t likely see a kangaroo or koala in this capital city, but you might see whales in the Sydney Harbor if you come between May and November. Fresh oysters at Gowings (where you should grab a room!) are always a good choice, but you might need to step out of your comfort zone a bit for one of Caitlin Erica’s “Strip Her” events—women-only pop-up strip shows that, according to the website, are designed to give you “a night of soulful, sensual sisterhood, and divine feminine mischief.” Intriguing!

Prepare to plop your little sun-screened hiney down into the powdery white sand beaches of this U.S. territory. While you’re there, stay at Lovango Resort & Beach Club—so many female travelers were coming that the hotel created an entire solo travel package, which includes airport transportation and a ferry for island hopping while in town (plus a ton of other on-resort perks!). Their restaurant, The Sandpit, has communal seating and live music, but so does The Beach Bar (its actual name) down in Cruz Bay, if you want to spend some time off the resort.

Costa Rica’s beaches are for honeymooners and surfers, but you can find solo travelers chillin’ with the birds way up high in the misty, cool cloud forest. And, just saying, phone service is actually really good up in the clouds, especially at Hotel Belmar, where you should def stay. Keep that OOO on the entire time though, because you’ll be super busy doing things like monkey spotting from your balcony hammock, getting outdoorsy on a canopy tour, and learning what cascara coffee husk tea tastes like.

It can be tempting to just stay in Auckland after an ungodly long flight to New Zealand, since that’s likely where you’ll be landing. Take it from me: Auckland is cool, but if you’re already going that far, you might as well keep going so you can experience the mind-blowingly beautiful South Island. There’s a definite backpacker vibe around Queenstown, but that just means super-friendly people who will be down to meet up for drinks or day drift on the Kawarau River with you. I love the QT Queenstown hotel for its views and the 24-hour room service (you know, for those nights you’re not feeling social or just want midnight fries).

If you like animals and adventure, this Southern African city is where you wanna be. Book with Sanctuary Retreats and you’ll get a personal guide, which still counts as solo travel if you ask me…especially because you’ll be the only one soaking in that luxurious candlelit bubble bath after an evening safari drive. You can pick just one of their “camps” or hit all three for better odds of seeing the “Big 5”: lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos (oh my!).

You’d think not knowing the language would be the hardest part about visiting this capital city, but you’ll be fine—simply point to whatever street food you want to eat, pay for it, and enjoy the best meal of your life. (And definitely top it with whatever fresh herbs and paste-y sauces are sitting out on the table.) The actual hardest part? Crossing the street—it’s a sea of mopeds! Stay at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi and venture out to check plenty of cultural and historic experiences off your bucket list.

You don’t have to be into hiking, skiing, or biking (or even walking, TBH), to appreciate the raw beauty of this Canadian resort town. The downtown is super cute, and has incredible shops (like Paper Den), restaurants (like Nourish Bistro), and bars (like Dancing Sasquatch) that are often filled with other solo travelers. The Rundle Bar at the Fairmont Banff Springs (a beyond iconic hotel) is a favorite low-key hang, with plenty of space at the bar and great nooks for some alone time. Visit anytime between September and early April for your best chance to also see the Northern Lights.

Planning a trip to NYC can seem overwhelming, and that’s exactly why I love it as a solo trip. When you’re not trying to please a crowd, you get to do New York your way…which, let’s be honest, is the best way to do anything. The Ace Hotel New York has single rooms with free wifi, so use this Midtown location as your home base and wander through different neighborhoods—Chelsea, Williamsburg, and Greenwich Village are some iconic ones—until you find the bars, restaurants, and boutiques that feel right for you. Here are our favorites if you need some inspo to start.

There are nine islands that make up Portugal’s Azores region, but this is the largest and the best for setting off on your own. There’s a friendly nightlife scene in Ponta Delgada—which is within walking distance of the stunning Hotel do Colégio—with vibey bars and restaurants that spill out to the cobblestoned streets. The island is known for its super sweet pineapples and volcanic hot springs, and if I were you, I’d enjoy both at the same damn time.

Everyone is raving about Iceland right now, and for good reason. Reykjavík, the capital, has once-in-a-lifetime sights, spas, and natural wonders. You can absolutely explore them alone, but if you’re down to meet some new friends check out Explorer Chick, an all-women tour company geared towards solo female travelers. They’ll bring you straight to the country’s best spots—think: into the Secret Lagoon, across glaciers, and behind so (so!) many waterfalls.