By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
One of my favorite things about travel is how you stumble upon revelations – “eureka moments”. One of these came on my Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Coastal Maine trip in which I joined the swelling trend of women traveling solo (bike tours are ideal for this). We stopped at the Seal Cove Auto Museum where the exhibit, “Engines of Change: A Suffrage Centennial.” honored the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage. What was so fascinating was learning that the bicycle, and later the car, were instrumental in the movement’s ultimate victory in winning the right to vote because it gave women the freedom and mobility to travel outside their own cocoons and spread the word. (Mobility is inherent in the very word “movement”.)
Another interesting fact: it was Bertha Benz, inventor, business partner and wife of Karl Benz, who, fed up with her husband’s endless tinkering and reticence to take his invention on the road, on August 5, 1888, grabbed her children and became the first person to drive an automobile over a long distance (65 miles) – an astonishing break with social norms of the time.
Indeed, women are powering a growing movement toward solo travel, and travel companies are adapting – not only creating women-only tours and departures, but suspending single supplements on certain departures, or facilitating a shared room (with same-sex person) to avoid paying the single supplement.
Solo travel – dominated by women travelers – continues to surge in popularity, with more travelers jetting off on journeys alone. In the United States, the Solo Travel market, valued at $95 billion in 2024, is expected to reach $192 billion by 2030 according to Research and Markets.
While women-only travel companies developed early on, when women were uncomfortable traveling alone on a trip that likely would have couples or catered to men, as the culture has accepted that women are independent and as women have come to be independent and confident travelers, they have been seeking out the active, immersive, experiential and adventure travel programs that span the world. Now the active and adventure travel companies (hiking, biking and the like) are catering to solo travelers without distinction, though most of solo travelers are women (and women of a certain age).
These programs open up the world to women, who might like to travel alone, but not actually on their own, and immerse in exotic locales and cultures, get as physical as they like or go at a comfortable pace. Places as far flung as Bhutan, Uzbekistan, the Serengeti, Antarctica are no longer out of reach.
“Solo travel doesn’t have to mean traveling alone,” said Terry Dale, president and CEO of United States Tour Operators Association. “Rather than navigating a destination entirely on their own, solo travelers can join guided tours that let them connect not only with the places they visit, but also with like-minded explorers.”
Many members of The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) cater to solo travelers with dedicated itineraries, programming, and waived solo supplements that remove some of the traditional barriers of traveling on one’s own. Here is a sampling of tours tailored to solo travelers by USTOA tour operator members:
G Adventures’ Solo-ish Adventures have reimagined solo group travel by placing community at the core with front-loaded itineraries to encourage quick connection. All of G Adventures’ Solo-ish Adventures are led by female guides and include a “Me Day” for independent exploration. The trips are designed exclusively for solo travelers aged 18 and up – 68 percent of whom are female. “No more worrying about being the odd one out — you’ll be travelling with a community of people stepping out on their own to welcome whatever the world brings their way.” There is an emphasis on providing security and safety to alleviate the main concern about traveling solo – such as complimentary arrival transfer to your first hotel. The tours also offer a discounted My Own Room option. For example, on the 10-day Solo-ish Cambodia tour, travelers trek through the lush jungles of the Cardamom Mountains, dive into the turquoise waters of Koh Rong, and indulge in local cuisine (from $1,349 pp). Other new tours: Solo-ish Sicily (8-days, $1784); Solo-ish Ecuador (7 days, $1049) as well as programs in Bali, Morocco, India, Belize, Morocco, Costa Rica, Mexico, Vietnam, Jordan, Guatemala, Egypt, Turkey, Nepal, Uzbekistan. “Where’s your heart calling you?’ (https://www.gadventures.com/solo-travel-tours/, 877 982 6201 (24/7), https://www.gadventures.com/)
Goway recently launched a line of itineraries designed specifically for women traveling solo. All trips are tailored for female travelers and the price includes a private room. The 12-day Secrets of India: A Women’s Journey traces northern India’s heritage from Delhi to Agra. Travelers are immersed in Indian culture with small group touring, enriching museum and temple visits, a majestic boat ride in Lake Pichola where white marble palaces frame the shore, and a dining experience at Molecule Air Bar which combines gastronomy with theater. Departures are available in October and November 2026 and January and March 2027, priced from $6,785 pp (goway.com).
EF Go Ahead Tours offers curated trips for solo travelers that include a private room at no added cost, plenty of time to explore independently, as well as group activities designed to maximize bonding between travelers. The Ireland for Solo Travelers tour is a whirlwind cultural immersion with visits to Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, and of course plenty of stops at pubs for pints of Guinness. Each activity is designed to maximize bonding between travelers. Departures available through 2028, starting at $3,409 (goaheadtours.com)
For solo travelers seeking value and fewer crowds, Globus offers Escapes itineraries with off-season savings and no single supplement on most of its departure dates. The eight-day Swiss Escape begins with sightseeing in Zurich and Neuchâtel with its medieval cathedrals and castles. Next up, spend a few days soaking in the grandeur of Lake Geneva before heading to Lucerne. The tour concludes in Lugano, the city famous for its blend of Swiss and Italian culture. 2026 departure dates are available in October, November, and December with prices starting at $1,799 (globusjourneys.com)
Abercombie & Kent offers 50% on single supplements for select 2026 journeys. The company’s nine-day Glorious Gardens of England and Chelsea Flower Show journey centers on the world-renowned five-day extravaganza of brilliant blooms and expertly designed gardens. Guests will visit English castles and estates known for their immaculately designed grounds including an exclusive tour of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, where you’ll tour areas typically closed to the public. Departs on May 13, 2026, price starts at $19,193 with single supplement savings (abercrombiekent.com)
More tour operators offering tours for solo travelers can be found at ustoa.com/blog/national-plan-a-solo-vacation-day.
Travel Companies Respond to Rise in Solo Travel
More than 70 percent of passengers on Wild Frontiers’ small group tours are solo adventurers. Not only will Wild Frontiers match a solo traveler to share a room (to avoid paying a supplement), periodically the company will reduce or waive the supplement if there is no one to match, and, periodically, waives the supplement on select tours booked (a discount up to 100% of the supplement is presently running through March). Examples: Guatemala: Tikal & Beyond,16 days from $4,478; Mongolia: Nomads Of The Steppe,10 days, from $3954;Tanzania: Safari, Serengeti & Maasai Heartlands,10 days from $5499; Oman Desert Adventure: Wahiba Sands & Empty Quarter, 12 days from $5,451; Viva Colombia, 12 days from $5,375. Also: Georgia and Armenia, experience the Silk Road in China, or go to the other end of the trade route to Turkey.
“Traveling solo rarely means traveling alone. On our small-group tours, you’ll share extraordinary moments with like-minded travelers — then retreat to your own space when you need to reflect and recharge. You can travel as a single traveler on any of our vacations, from our escorted tours to our walking vacations.”(wildfrontierstravel.com, info@wildfrontiers.co.uk)
As it happens, because of demographics, the ardent traveling seniors who join Road Scholars (formerly known as Elderhostel) educational and experiential tours are often traveling solo and of these, a majority are women.
In response, Road Scholar has created a special collection of learning adventures for solo travelers. Many of the programs are dedicated to solo travelers, while others have specific dates for solos. Road Scholar’s Go Solo programs include: Explore Delhi, Agra & More Highlights of India, 12 days, from $3,899; The Splendor of Nepal, a new eight-day program, priced from $2,299; Classic Tuscany and the Treasures of Florence, a new 13-day trip priced from $6,999; The Best of Central Europe, a new 18-day program, from $8,799; A Taste of Costa Rica, a new 9-day program, from $2,849; Go Solo: Independent Buenos Aires, a new 10-day program, from$ 2,499; The Best of Bhutan, a new 17-day program, from $7,199; An Exploration of Egypt & Jordan, a new 15-day tour, from $8,399; Peru’s Sacred Valley, Lima & Machu Picchu, a new 9-day program, from $3,349 (https://www.roadscholar.org/collections/solo-only/). Road Scholar, roadscholar.org, 800-454-5768).
Bike Tours, River Cruises Are Ideal for Women Traveling Solo
I have loved traveling solo on bike tours, where inevitably I am welcomed into the group, which tend to be small and caring (it could also be something self-selective about bike tour people). Also the ready availability of e-bikes level the playing field in physical ability to tackle hills or distance. Among the companies: Discovery Bicycle Tours (discoverybicycletours.com), BoatBikeTours (boatbiketours.com), Wilderness Voyageurs (wilderness-voyageurs.com). In addition, special experiences like the annual eight-day biking/camping Cycle the Erie trip organized by Parks and Trails NY (ptny.org) afford a phenomenal solo-but-part-of-group experience.
For a similar reason, river and canal cruises aboard small ships and barge hotels are also ideal for solo travelers..
For 2026, Tauck is removing the biggest obstacle to solo travel – the dreaded “single supplement”. Tauck is removing the single supplement on all Category 1 cabins for all its European river cruises (250+ departures in 2026), and offering up to $1,000 off single supplements on higher category cabins. This includes its new Bordeaux, Paris, & The Seine, sailing aboard the newly launched ms Serene. In addition, Tauck is offering single supplement savings up to $600 across more than 100 land journeys spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and North America trips including the new A Week In… Nova Scotia (tauck.com).
5 Safest Cities for Solo Female Travelers in 2026
Women are embracing solo travel in a big way. Google searches for “solo female travel” jumped 44% in 2025 compared to the year before.
But while more women are eager to explore on their own, safety is still the top priority when choosing where to go especially as global events continue to shape traveler confidence.
InsureMyTrip took a closer look at the safest cities for women traveling solo. Using data from the Numbeo Crime & Safety Index, researchers focused on what matters most to women traveling alone: how safe it feels to walk alone (day and night), and lower risks of mugging, robbery, or physical attack.
The 5 Safest Cities for Solo Female Travelers in 2026
- Taipei, Taiwan
- Tampere, Finland
- Tartu, Estonia
- Lugano, Switzerland
- Hong Kong
(While Muscat, Oman ranked #2 overall in the data, it has been excluded from this ranking due to the evolving situation in the Middle East. The data was collected prior to the current conflict.)
“Women traveling solo aren’t just looking at things like attractions and affordability, they’re asking, ‘Will I feel safe walking back to my hotel at night?’” said InsureMyTrip CEO Suzanne Morrow. “This ranking really zeroes in on the everyday safety factors that shape how comfortable women feel while traveling solo.”
For full rankings and methodology, visit: https://www.insuremytrip.com/travel-advice/travel-inspiration/best-cities-solo-female-travel/
See also:
Going Places: Women-Only Tours Surge in Popularity
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