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Safest Solo Trip Destinations for Women
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Safest Solo Trip Destinations for Women

14.08.202616 min read

For many women considering their first solo trip, the question isn’t “Where do I want to go?” It’s “Where will I actually feel safe being there alone?”

Because travelling somewhere beautiful is one thing. Feeling comfortable walking back to your hotel, getting on public transport alone, sitting in a restaurant by yourself or arriving somewhere after dark is another. And when you’re travelling without someone beside you, those things matter.

The good news is that there are destinations where solo travel can feel surprisingly easy — including places where excellent infrastructure, low levels of everyday crime, reliable transportation and a strong sense of social order remove many of the things first-time solo travellers tend to worry about.

Several of the destinations on this list also perform exceptionally well on international measures of peace and women’s wellbeing. New Zealand and Switzerland, for example, are among the world’s most peaceful countries in the 2026 Global Peace Index, while Denmark ranks first out of 181 countries in the 2025/26 Women, Peace and Security Index.

There is no such thing as a completely safe destination

A country can have very low crime and still have neighbourhoods where you should be more careful. A city can feel incredibly comfortable during the day and require more awareness late at night.

And safety isn’t only about crime. It includes transportation, local laws, cultural expectations, political circumstances, natural hazards, your accommodation location and whether you understand what to expect before you arrive. Official travel guidance for women specifically recommends researching local culture, gender-specific risks and current destination advice before travelling.

So rather than calling anywhere 100% safe, think of these as destinations that can remove a significant amount of the mental load associated with travelling alone. And that matters. Because if you’re constantly wondering whether you’re okay, it becomes very difficult to enjoy the independence you travelled all that way to experience.

Here are six destinations I particularly like for women looking for a solo trip where feeling secure is a priority.

1. The United Arab Emirates

Best for: the woman who wants her first solo trip to feel comfortable, polished and predictable.

If one of your biggest concerns about solo travel is simply “What happens when I’m completely on my own?”, the UAE can be a relatively gentle place to find out. Especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, travelling alone doesn’t automatically mean doing things the difficult way.

You can stay in a beautiful hotel, order reliable transportation, spend the afternoon at the beach or a spa, explore museums, go shopping, join a desert experience and take yourself somewhere lovely for dinner — without needing an especially adventurous travel style.

And psychologically, that ease can make a huge difference. When you’re already pushing yourself outside your comfort zone by travelling alone for the first time, you don’t necessarily need every other part of the trip to challenge you too. There is nothing wrong with choosing comfort. In fact, for an anxious first-time solo traveller, removing unnecessary logistical uncertainty can be one of the smartest ways to build confidence.

But safety in the UAE comes with an important caveat: feeling personally secure and understanding the country you’re travelling in are two different things. The UAE has laws and cultural expectations that may be considerably stricter than those in your home country. Travellers should familiarise themselves with rules around medication, alcohol, behaviour, photography, social media, relationships and public conduct before arriving. Current UK travel guidance also advises travellers to monitor regional security developments, which can change independently of everyday street-level safety.

So the UAE is a good example of why safety vetting isn’t simply checking a crime rate. You need to understand the destination.

The UAE might suit you if:

A Grounding to Go-style UAE trip might look like: a carefully chosen neighbourhood matched to your taste and close to all the activities you want to do. Restaurants and cafés recommended according to your mood. A mix of beach time, culture, and wellness. And clear information before you leave explaining local customs and what you should know.

Because sometimes knowing what to expect is what makes you feel safe. The UAE is for the woman who wants to practise independence without giving up comfort.

2. Taiwan

Best for: the woman who wants Asia, but isn’t ready for chaos.

Taiwan deserves considerably more attention from solo female travellers than it gets. If you are fascinated by Asia but feel slightly intimidated by the idea of navigating somewhere completely unfamiliar alone, Taiwan offers an interesting middle ground.

Taipei is energetic without necessarily feeling overwhelming. You have night markets, temples, cafés, mountains, hot springs, design, food and neighbourhoods that are genuinely enjoyable to explore without another person beside you.

And from a practical safety perspective, Taiwan performs particularly well in terms of everyday crime: current UK government travel guidance describes crime rates there as extremely low, while still advising normal vigilance. That last part matters. Low crime does not mean switching off your awareness. But it can reduce one layer of anxiety. And once that layer comes down, your attention can move towards something much more interesting: “What do I actually feel like doing today?”

Night markets are almost made for solo travel. You’re not sitting through a formal three-course dinner wondering what to do with your hands. You’re wandering. Trying something. Watching something being cooked. Moving on. The same applies to cafés, temples, neighbourhood walks and public transport. There is a natural structure to the day without needing someone else to create it for you.

Taiwan can therefore be particularly good for women who worry that travelling alone will mean constantly looking alone. In places where everyday life naturally happens out in public, being by yourself often feels much less conspicuous.

Taiwan is also a useful reminder that travel safety isn’t synonymous with crime. Travellers need to consider typhoons, earthquakes and broader geopolitical circumstances, and should always check current advice before travelling. Current official guidance also recommends familiarising yourself with emergency preparedness information. Again: different destination, different kind of preparation.

Taiwan might suit you if:

A Grounding to Go-style Taiwan trip might look like: a Taipei base in a neighbourhood where you can comfortably explore on foot. Night markets and food experiences when you want atmosphere. A tea house or hot spring when you need quiet. A day outside the city for nature. And enough structure that you never wake up thinking “Okay… now what?”

Taiwan is for the woman who wants to discover how capable she is somewhere genuinely different.

3. Denmark

Best for: the woman who wants calm independence.

Denmark — and Copenhagen in particular — is one of my favourite options for women who don’t necessarily want their first solo trip to feel like a massive personal challenge. Sometimes you don’t need to conquer anything. You just want to go somewhere lovely by yourself. Walk. Have coffee. Browse beautiful shops. Visit a gallery. Sit beside the water. Eat something good. Come back to your hotel. Repeat.

There is something very appealing about solo travel in a place where ordinary life itself is part of the experience. And there is strong evidence behind Denmark’s reputation as a comfortable environment for women: Denmark currently ranks first out of 181 countries in Georgetown’s 2025/26 Women, Peace and Security Index, which looks at women’s inclusion, justice and security.

That doesn’t mean Copenhagen is crime-free. You still watch your belongings. You still think about where you’re walking late at night. You still use the same judgement you would anywhere else. But the overall environment can make independent travel feel remarkably normal.

And that is exactly why Denmark works. Your first solo trip doesn’t necessarily need constant stimulation. For some women, particularly after a stressful period of life, what feels restorative is something much simpler: existing somewhere where nobody needs anything from you.

You can spend an hour in a café because you feel like it. Walk through a neighbourhood with no destination. Go to dinner early. Go back to your hotel at 9pm. You don’t have to negotiate any of it.

Denmark might suit you if:

A Grounding to Go-style Copenhagen trip might look like: a walkable neighbourhood. Slow breakfasts. One meaningful activity each day rather than seven. Museums and design when you want stimulation. Waterfront walks when you don’t. A couple of carefully chosen restaurants where dining alone feels completely natural. Perhaps a sauna or wellness experience. And plenty of space between everything.

Denmark is for the woman who needs to remember that being alone can feel peaceful rather than lonely.

4. New Zealand

Best for: the woman who wants to prove something to herself.

New Zealand is a different kind of solo trip. This one is for the woman who is looking at her life and thinking: “I need an adventure.” Not necessarily an extreme one. But something that makes everyday life feel very far away.

New Zealand ranks among the very top countries globally in the 2026 Global Peace Index, and it is also one of the highest-performing countries in the 2025/26 Women, Peace and Security Index.

And then there is the landscape. Mountains. Lakes. Beaches. Forests. Roads where the view becomes part of the trip. If cities make you feel more overstimulated rather than less, New Zealand gives you another version of solo travel entirely. You don’t have to spend your reset rushing between restaurants and attractions. Your itinerary can revolve around nature.

But here’s the important part: New Zealand may feel peaceful, but a nature-based trip comes with its own safety considerations. Long drives. Changing weather. Remote hiking routes. Limited phone reception in some areas. Water. Mountains. Choosing a trail that is appropriate for your experience.

This is why I would never recommend somewhere simply because it has a high safety ranking. The itinerary determines part of the risk. A four-day city break and a two-week solo road trip through remote landscapes are not the same travel experience just because they happen in the same country.

New Zealand might suit you if:

A Grounding to Go-style New Zealand trip might look like: a realistic route rather than trying to see both islands in twelve days. Beautiful accommodation surrounded by nature. Hikes appropriate for your confidence and experience. A few structured activities where you’ll naturally meet other people. Slow mornings. Proper rest days. And enough planning around transport and distances that the road trip feels freeing rather than exhausting.

New Zealand is for the woman who needs space big enough to hear herself think.

5. Switzerland

Best for: the woman who is anxious about logistics.

There is a particular kind of anxiety that isn’t really about travelling alone. It’s about everything that could go wrong while travelling alone. “What if I miss the train?” “What if I can’t figure out how to get to the hotel?” “What if I’m stranded somewhere?” “What if I choose the wrong area?”

If that sounds like you, Switzerland can be a wonderful confidence-building destination. It combines extraordinarily beautiful landscapes with highly developed infrastructure, and Switzerland ranks third globally in the 2026 Global Peace Index.

You can experience mountains, lakes and small towns without necessarily needing the confidence required for a remote wilderness trip. And that gives Switzerland an unusual advantage: you can feel adventurous without always needing to travel adventurously.

Take the train. Ride a cable car. Walk beside a lake. Have lunch overlooking the mountains. Return to your hotel. There is a gentle competence to this kind of solo trip. You are still navigating another country by yourself. You’re still making all of your own decisions. But the environment doesn’t have to fight you at every turn.

Switzerland might suit you if:

A Grounding to Go-style Switzerland trip might look like: one or two carefully chosen bases rather than changing hotels constantly. A scenic train journey. Accessible hiking. A mountain spa. Slow evenings by the lake. A day where you deliberately don’t have anything major planned. And transportation mapped out beforehand so you’re not standing on a platform trying to work out your entire day.

Switzerland is for the woman who wants to feel adventurous without feeling unsafe or out of control.

6. Japan

Best for: the woman who wants to experience being truly anonymous.

Japan can be magical alone. Partly because so many things that can feel awkward in other destinations simply don’t need to feel awkward here. Eating alone. Taking a train alone. Walking around alone. Exploring a neighbourhood alone. Sitting quietly alone.

You can spend an enormous amount of time in your own company without feeling as though you’re doing something unusual. Japan also ranks among the world’s most peaceful countries in the 2026 Global Peace Index.

And for some women, that combination — personal independence alongside an enormous amount happening around you — creates one of the most interesting forms of solo travel. Because you are alone. But you rarely feel like you’re somewhere empty.

Japan is particularly good when you need perspective. There is so much visual and cultural input that your attention naturally moves outward. A tiny ramen counter. A temple. A convenience store snack you’ve never seen before. A train you need to figure out. A stationery shop that somehow consumes an hour of your life. A neighbourhood you weren’t planning to visit.

Sometimes that is exactly what you need during a life transition. Not endless introspection. Just enough novelty to interrupt the loop in your head.

But safe does not mean risk-free. Official travel guidance still recommends ordinary precautions in Japan and warns that some nightlife districts — particularly areas involving bars and clubs — carry greater risks of extortion, robbery and assault.

This is important because online discussions about Japan sometimes swing too far in the other direction: “Japan is so safe you can do anything.” No. You are still travelling alone. You still remain aware. You still vet where you’re staying. You still understand the neighbourhood. You still don’t blindly follow someone into a bar because you were told the country is safe.

Japan might suit you if:

A Grounding to Go-style Japan trip might look like: not ten cities in twelve days. Instead, enough time to actually settle into Tokyo or Kyoto. Neighbourhoods chosen around your personality. Restaurants where solo dining feels comfortable. A mixture of stimulating days and deliberately quieter ones. One or two day trips. Clear transportation instructions. And plenty of space to follow the unexpected things that catch your attention.

Japan is for the woman who wants to disappear into somewhere new for a little while — and perhaps come back seeing her own life differently.

Which of these is actually safest for you?

This is the question I would rather you ask. Because a safety ranking can tell us useful things about a country. It cannot tell us how you will behave in it.

If you become extremely anxious when you don’t understand transportation, Switzerland might feel safer to you than a destination requiring complicated transfers. If huge cities overwhelm you, Tokyo’s low crime levels won’t necessarily stop you from feeling stressed. If isolation makes you uncomfortable, a beautiful New Zealand road trip might actually make you feel less secure than Copenhagen. If cultural differences make you nervous, Dubai may require more preparation before you feel completely relaxed. If travelling somewhere very unfamiliar excites rather than scares you, Taiwan might give you exactly the confidence boost you’re looking for.

This is why at Grounding to Go, safety is not treated as a checkbox. It is part of the trip design.

Feeling safe and actually being safe are both important

There is a psychological side of solo travel that isn’t discussed enough. You can be in an objectively low-risk environment and still feel anxious. And when you’re anxious, your brain starts scanning. Was that person looking at me? Am I on the right street? Should I be out this late? Was booking this trip a terrible idea?

Some of that naturally settles once you gain experience. But thoughtful planning can remove a surprising amount of it beforehand. Knowing:

That information creates predictability. And predictability can give your nervous system one less thing to worry about. Which leaves more room for the reason you travelled in the first place.

So, where should you go?

If I simplified these six destinations by the type of security they can offer, I’d think about them like this:

None is universally better. The right destination is the one that gives you enough security to stretch beyond your comfort zone without spending the entire trip outside it.

Not sure which one feels like you?

That’s where Grounding to Go comes in. We don’t simply recommend destinations because they’re trending or because another woman had a wonderful trip there. Your trip is built around:

Because perhaps what you’re craving is adventure. Perhaps it’s confidence. Perhaps you need quiet. Perhaps you’ve spent the last year looking after everybody else and would quite like five days where the only person whose preferences matter are yours. Those women should not necessarily receive the same itinerary.

If you need help deciding where to go

The Solo Trip Direction Package is for women who want to travel alone but aren’t ready to commit to a full trip yet. For €35, it includes:

We’ll look at what you want from your trip, what you’re nervous about, the environments you tend to enjoy and which destinations could realistically work for you. If you later decide to book the Grounding to Go Full Package, your €35 is deducted from the final price.

Or let us plan everything

The Grounding to Go Full Package creates your complete personalised itinerary for €40 per day of travel. Your plan includes:

You can also add a private printable diary with guided prompts to help you reflect on the experience while you’re travelling.

Because being nervous about your first solo trip doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t go. Sometimes you simply need to know that someone has thought through the things you’re worried about before you get there. And once those worries become a plan, travelling alone can start feeling a lot less frightening — and a lot more exciting.

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