5 benefits of solo female travel

29.07.2024 - 15:21 / lonelyplanet.com

Jul 27, 2024 • 4 min read

Solo female travel is on the rise and showing no signs of slowing down. The chance to escape your comfort zone, meet new people and discover more about yourself are just some of the well-known reasons to give traveling alone a go – but what are the benefits for women specifically? 

From shaking off stereotypes to finding a sense of sisterhood, here’s why solo travel for women is a balm for the soul.

Traveling alone is the ultimate confidence boost and the rewards can be game-changing for women. Lugging a heavy backpack from place to place, navigating new cities and learning to handle touts and hustlers, all – shock horror! – without a male companion or "safety in numbers" can reveal strengths you never knew you had. You’ll also defy stereotypical gender norms in the process. 

Straight, white, cis men aren’t the only ones who can conquer mountains, road trip through deserts or tag a few days of luxury onto a high-stakes business trip. Through their very existence, solo female travelers are giving the metaphorical middle finger to archaic ideas that define what women can, can’t or shouldn’t do – and that feels incredibly liberating. 

If you’ve traveled on your own or are considering your first solo trip, chances are you’re reasonably bold and assertive. These are characteristics of natural leaders, which, when possessed by women, can bamboozle certain types of people. (Hint: the types who are quick to use labels such as "control freak" and "bossy.")

Even traveling with close friends and partners can be a challenge when your travel styles clash. The joy of independent travel? You get to choose exactly how to spend your day, guilt-free, without fear of judgment. You’re free to stick to your own hour-by-hour action-packed itinerary, or laze by the pool for two weeks. You can eat, sleep, spend money and socialize however and whenever you want. You make the rules – and get to break them too.

Think solo travelers are lonely? Think again. While loneliness is a reality of life on the road from time to time, it’s not as common as you might expect. It’s easy to meet people in hostels, on local tours and guided trips, or even on public transport, and you may find that you’re hardly ever on your own. As a solo woman, people are, rightly or wrongly, likely to perceive you as non-threatening and approachable. This results in the occasional irritating encounter, but it can also work in your favor when it comes to finding travel buddies.

If you’re still unsure about solitude, research social events and meetups in your destination ahead of time so that you can meet local women on the ground, or consider a female-only tour or group trip if you want to meet like-minded travelers. Intrepid’s woman-led,