10 Great places to take your first steps as a solo female traveler

Last updated on May 21st, 2026 at 07:14 am

Considering flying away for your first solo female travel – but not sure how you will like it?

Worried about being lonely, unsafe, or having to do it all alone?

Don’t worry – it’s the same for most of us that set off on our first solo journey. And solo female travel has that added dimension of extra safety precautions that the guys don’t have to think about so much – so I get it!

To combat loneliness and thoughts about safety, I have made a list of 10 (actually 11) great places for first time solo female travel – where I keep friendliness and safety as a high priority. There are plenty more options but these are some key places where you should find it easier to meet locals and other travelers and feel safe while you travel.

I have aimed for some variety in size, culture and cost. So without further ado – here’s my list!

1. Japan – an exotic but easy place to start

The iconic Mt Fuji, rituals of tea houses, temples, bamboo forests, cherry blossoms, bullet trains, thermal ‘onsens’ to soak in, great skiing for the sporty ones, and a surprising amount of hiking and wildlife – not least the clever snow monkeys soaking in their own hot pools. This is a perfect place to start for a solo-female-traveler.

Japan is always in the top lists of safe places to travel, and it is very easy to get around. These days most signs and information is written in English as well as Japanese. There are hostels to meet others in the locals are friendly and very helpful.

2. Canada – a very friendly place for solo female travel

What doesn’t Canada have? Incredible mountain scenery, lakes and forests and wildlife, and amazing displays of natures reds and golds on the trees during the fall season! I even found tropical like beaches in the far and untrammeled east on the Magdalen Islands.

The further east you go the friendlier it seems to get. The maritime provinces in eastern Canada like New Foundland, PE island, the Magdalen Islands are super friendly and the locals will make you feel at home whether you meet them in a cafe, bar, on the roadside, at a train station or wherever. It is really refreshing! Canada is not cheap but generally safe and very friendly – again, perfect for a solo-female-traveler.

3. Ireland – a beautiful and easy destination

The weather may only be occasionally sunny, but on a good day the scenery is superb – the Cliffs of Moher, Giants Causeway, pretty villages in the south west, the book of Kells and of course Guinness and music and the famed Irish pubs – where you simply can’t go wrong.

Its friendly and generally safe – with the usual precautions. It will be easy to meet people in pubs and hostels and its easy to travel around the country with or without a car. A perfect fun place to start your solo travels.

4. Australia – great fun for solo female travelers

“Aussie” and its cute koalas, kangaroos, emus, echidnas, platypus, beaches, deserts, forests, more beaches and generally friendly folk is a great place for a solo female traveler.

There is a well worn tourist trail that makes it easy to get around whether you have a car or not, and its also easy to meet up and journey for a few days or weeks with others in hostels. The country is safe on the whole – with normal precautions for females!

5. Singapore – a great intro to Asia for you

Known as the ‘Garden City’ they really have filled every spare space with gardens. Its not just a city though – there are some fantastic treats if you like beaches, hills, wildlife and flowers. Read The 12 best places to take a walk on the wild side in Singapore to get you going. Popular places are the National Orchid Gardens and the Gardens by the Bay with the famous SuperTree Grove.

Best of all, its very safe with a very low crime rate and a perfect introduction to Asia for a solo female traveler. There are plenty of hostels to help you meet people, and getting around on public transport is easy and safe.

6. The Galapagos Islands – perfect for solo female travel when you love wildlife

Think animals and Darwin – seals, whales, sharks, iguanas, tortoises…… We all know about the Galapagos wildlife and there is plenty to do there for a great holiday or start to your travels. There are three main islands you can visit and stay on – Isabela, Santa Cruz, and San Cristobal, and all are worth visiting. You can also go on a cruise around the islands which will be a safe and no doubt friendly environment. Read my proposed itineraries and decide how long you need!

The good news is that you can even visit on a budget with plenty of hostel type accommodation where you will meet others. It is a very safe place – even on the roads as there are huge fines for hitting any wildlife on the roads so drivers keep their speeds down!

7. New Zealand – a very beautiful place for solo female travelers

Known for its natural beauty – stunning beaches, volcanoes, thermal pools, fjords, mountains, birds that can’t fly, and of course sheep!

Like anywhere, there is crime in New Zealand but it is still one of the safest countries to travel in, and has plenty of hostels to meet people in. The locals tend to be friendly and helpful. The biggest problem is the lack of public transport – you really need a car to get anywhere off the main tourist trail. Its still a great place for the solo-female-traveler.

8. Norway – another stunner for solo female travelers

Like New Zealand, Norway is full of natural beauty with fjords, rugged coastlines, mountains and gorgeous townships in the Lofoten Islands to explore.

It is a very safe country for the female traveler, is very efficient, and there is plenty of information in English, plus most locals speak some English. The only negative thing is the high price tag that travel in Norway has. But it is worth it!

9. El Salvador – a very surprisingly safe and friendly place!

A land of volcanos, rivers, and thermal rivers, flowers, and pupusas! Read my suggested itineraries and see what appeals – it really is a great place to travel and a favorite of mine!

This might come as a shock, and no on global indexes El Salvador doesn’t rate as safe. But, things have changed dramatically in the last few years and it is now decidedly the safest place to travel in Central America and one of the safest across the Americas. There are a few places to avoid – notably parts of San Salvador, but that is the same in most major cities. The locals are super friendly, super honest, and super happy to have you there. Things may change but right now is a great time to go while tourism is still growing in the country. It does help if you speak at least some Spanish!

10. Madeira Island – a small bite of beautiful Portugal for solo female travel

Beautiful beaches, remote rocky hiking trails, relaxing thermal pools, beautiful flowers, and swimming with whales and dolphins. Sound good? Then plan a trip to Madeira. Its not too expensive if you are coming from Europe and easy to get to with plenty of direct flights from the main airports in Portugal as well as many cities across Europe including key hubs like London, Frankfurt and Paris.

Madeira is a Portuguese island sitting in the Atlantic Ocean with a lot of steep hills and hiking! Not that you need to do that. Importantly it is considered safe with a low crime rate, and lots of solo female travelers come here, so you are likely to meet others you can join on excursions. The locals tend to be friendly and many speak good English as a bonus! This is a great small place to try your hand for the first time as a solo-female-traveler.

Bonus: Antarctica – easy peasy for solo female travelers

Penguins, icebergs, whales, sea lions, albatross, and more penguins!

If you can afford a cruise in Antarctica, then its about as safe as it can get. And it should be easy to meet others on a cruise! Of course it comes with a price tag, but you can get last minute deals that are much cheaper, so it is worth considering!

Related Posts

How to meet people and make travel friends as a solo traveler

Worried about traveling solo for the first time?

Handy tips for a first time solo female traveler

How to sleep for free and meet the locals when you’re traveling around the world!

and if you’re on a budget

12 top tips to travel on a budget in expensive places

40 fantastic countries for travelers on a budget in 2025

and if you do decide to buddy up with someone for a while then this should help keep the relationship on good terms

12 tips to travel together and stay friends

Planning for your trip

These links will help you plan your trip. They are affiliate links, but I use them all for my travels and if you do too it will help me keep producing this content. Cheers!

Flights – use skyscanner or booking.com to find and book your flight – I often find the same flight for a lot cheaper than booking direct with the airline!

Insurance – Use EKTA or SafetyWing. TBH I usually use EKTA – they accept any nationality, any age and its ok if you are already traveling – which is perfect for me!

Accommodation – use booking.com or for a hostel – Hostelworld. I use both.

Internet – buy a yesim eSim or Airalo before you go. I use both depending on where I am going.

Buses, trains, ferries – 12Go is always my first option for buses, ferries and trains.

Car rental – use DiscoverCars – they are my ‘go-to’ car rental site

Hiking – I use AllTrails for online and offline hiking trails – it means you know exactly where you are on the trail and makes getting lost a lot harder!!

Tours and Activities – book with Viator, GetYourGuide, or Eatwith.

Thanks so much if you use one of these links to book any part of your holiday – it costs you nothing but helps me keep writing!