The Best And Safest Destinations For Female Solo Travelers, According To Research

The adage that traveling broadens the mind is as true today as it has ever been. Vacations are often the highlight of the calendar year. And while the annual holiday away from home is as safe an activity as any other, risk assessment is simply something every vacationer must contend with. Political instability usually sits at the top of the list. The state department issues travel advisory notifications, and such warnings should be taken seriously. Natural disasters are another obvious hazard, although one not easily avoided via planning alone. Visiting areas prone to earthquakes, flooding, or other extreme events is just one of many reasons why you should buy travel insurance when going abroad.

Traveling alone complicates matters, and the sad reality is that solo female travelers sometimes face risks that men might comfortably avoid. The risk of theft or other petty crimes knows no boundaries; the risk of harassment, or even sexual violence, falls more heavily on women. Still, women have the right to navigate life unmolested, and guidance on what not to wear or where not to go in any given locale is just that — advice. An acknowledgment that men can safely tread where women cannot is a reality check, not an endorsement of the status quo.

Fear should not deter anyone from traveling alone. Yes, women often have to do a little extra research — the State Department offers excellent advice — and, sure, there are certain spots they might have to avoid. But it's also true that there are places in the world that are safe by their very nature. Thankfully, research into the safety of female travel is plentiful. Various blogs, non-profit organizations, and major studies have gone to great lengths to quantify risk. Amalgamating such data helped produce the list below. 

China is a land of eye-watering statistics. It is home to over 1.4 billion people, and covers an area of 3.6 million square miles, of which nearly a quarter is forested. It is a land of mega-cities and rural backwaters, a place where tourists need to think carefully about what clothes they pack. It's also a safe place to visit. The homicide rate in China is less than 0.50 per 100,000 people . Petty crime is also low and has been declining in recent years. Additionally, parts of the country rank as some of the most heavily policed areas in the world.

General travel tips are mostly a matter of common sense. Black cabs should be avoided. Privately run, they have been known to overcharge unsuspecting tourists; needless to say, a woman traveling solo is often regarded as a particularly vulnerable mark. Sticking to high-speed trains or, if in a metro area, the underground is a better option. Women's fashion leans modest, and while the country is hot and humid through most of the summer, it's best not to wear anything too revealing, as it may draw unwanted attention. Adherence to this mantra takes on new meaning in certain locales: short skirts are forbidden in many temples, and poolside, bathing suits are preferred over bikinis.

Location-wise, solo female travelers are spoiled for choice. Major cities such as Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai are excellent jumping-off points. The countryside is less clear-cut. As is the case in almost all solo travel experiences for women, the more rural the location, the greater the risk of misadventure. Still, China is a land of large-scale tourist groups, and attaching yourself to one of those for a river cruise or trek to the Great Wall will help keep your mind off any potential dangers you may face.

Japan, like China, is a place of low crime, and it is not unusual to find female solo travelers crisscrossing the country. Petty theft is no worse than in any other destination, and lost items tend to be returned. Pickpockets exist, of course, but a face-to-face robbery is highly unlikely. There is, however, one place where Japan stumbles when it comes to female solo travel. The island nation has a real problem with sexual harassment. Foreign women stand out from the crowd and are unlikely to be approached even when walking alone at night, but they may be stared at or even followed. The issue is even more pronounced when it comes to public transport.

Chikan is the Japanese word for inappropriate touching that often takes place on public transport. The incredibly close quarters of rush hour trains in major cities such as Tokyo lend an anonymity that allows prospective gropers to take advantage of the situation to horrible effect. A depressing 75% of all Japanese women report having been groped at some point in their lives. The problem is so severe that some female commuters now carry anti-groping devices that stamp the offender's hand with indelible ink.

Women traveling in Japan can take precautions to minimize such risks. Avoiding travel during the kind of rush hours that see commuters packed like sardines is one obvious way to strip Chikan of their anonymity. In major cities, women-only carriages run throughout the day, even during rush hour. Clearly marked in English and Japanese, they are usually decked out in pink livery of some kind. Such measure helps female travelers enjoy all that Japan has to offer while feeling safe and secure. It is, after all, a land of unmissable destinations. 

Australia is home to some of the world's most dangerous wildlife, and has a reputation for being a perilous place. It is the driest continent — aside from Antarctica — and most of its landmass is composed of untamed wilderness. Known to the locals simply as the bush, survival in the Australian outback requires specialist training, equipment, and planning. Do not travel there alone, regardless of your gender.

Outside of the inherent jeopardy of encountering a venomous snake while wandering the outback without a guide, Australia's reputation for danger is mostly undeserved. Notions that Adelaide is some kind of murder capital are, for example, completely unwarranted; it's a myth. Homicide rates in Australia are low by international standards and tend to be concentrated in the somewhat troubled, far less visited, northern parts of the country. While traveling through major cities, women should take the same level of precautions they would anywhere else. Taxis are safe and preferable to walking home at night. Canberra and the Tasmanian capital of Hobart are generally safer than Sydney or Melbourne, but such precautions need to be kept in perspective. Australians experience fewer crimes than Americans.

Culturally, there are a few things to watch out for. Dress code is generally dictated by the weather, with few restrictions on what you can wear. Nude beaches are a thing, although they are restricted to designated areas. Australian men have a reputation for being a little bit pushy, though; if you find yourself intimidated by such behavior, late-night carousing might not be the best idea. Other than that, the need for women to stay alert to potential dangers while traveling solo is present but rarely pressing.

New Zealand is often thought of as Australia's safer, more picturesque cousin and a safe place to visit. Caveats ensue. To begin with, New Zealand is prone to natural disasters, ranking 30^th globally in terms of active volcanoes and the number of significant earthquakes it receives. It's also home to the world's most dangerous island, but again, such threats stem from natural phenomena. It has nothing to do with crime or harassment.

In almost every metric, New Zealand scores highly when it comes to safety. Women living there consider the crime rate low, giving it a 4.1 out of 5 on the Travel Ladies app. Meanwhile, Numbeo rates the safety of walking alone during the day as high and at night as moderate. It also suggests that Hamilton is the safest city to be in, with Auckland trailing a close second. Indeed, the country itself ranks third on the Global Peace Index, a metric derived from a number of indicators, including homicide rates, incidents of violent crime, and the density of policing.

Harassment on the street is rare, and locals tend to be friendly; many of them will go out of their way to help someone in distress. The North Island is more built up than the South, but the usual precautions to off-grid travel apply. New Zealand is smaller than Australia, and its wildlife is far less deadly, but in the grand scheme of things, that will not count for much if you get lost in the wilderness.

Switzerland is a small country with a long list of things it's known for. It's famously neutral, a hive of private banking activity, a land of lakes and mountains, and it offers some of the best shopping experiences in Europe. It's also a safe place to visit on your own.

Travel Safe Abroad compiled a whole host of metrics that support that very notion. Overall risk is rated low, as is transport safety and the chance of being mugged. Pickpocketing gets a medium, but in truth, there are few places in the world where guarding your valuables isn't an issue. Meanwhile, the Solo Female Travelers Club ranks Switzerland as one of the safest places for female travelers to visit, with a safety index of 1.2. Risk of harassment and attitudes toward women also get positive scores. As with New Zealand, Switzerland also rides high on the Global Peace Index.

The consensus then is that while women should avoid dimly lit areas and keep an eye on their belongings, Switzerland remains a safe option for travel. The public transportation system is one of the best in the world, and the opportunity to explore a land of scenic bridges and endless Alps by train should be embraced. Indeed, Switzerland is not only a remarkably clean place to visit, it's also extremely pro-female traveler. Whether sipping a coffee in Zurich's old town or out on the ski slopes, women are unlikely to be harassed. One hundred percent women-only outdoor activities are in plentiful supply, and options include hikes, cycle trips, and private guided tours of the country.

Iceland is kind of empty; there are fewer than four people per square kilometer spread out across the island. Like New Zealand, it is a tectonically active place with multiple eruptions and fissures occurring weekly. As the name suggests, it's a cold and inhospitable place during winter, but summers can get surprisingly warm. That said, the usual qualifications apply to all travelers. The wilds of the island are filled with hazards, and special attention must be paid to areas of volcanic activity, many of which are subject to evacuation at short notice.

Aside from the usual advice against traveling alone in the sticks, the dangers women face from fellow humans in Iceland are slight. To start with, the crime rate is very low. It maintains a score of just 22.26% and while that figure is somewhat opaque to the non-criminologists among us, it is, in the global scheme of things, an admirable rating. Meanwhile, Iceland topped the Global Peace Index in 2025, marking the small island as the safest country in the world. 

Indeed, Iceland has such glowing reviews that it is one of the few places you can visit where women say they feel safe walking alone after dark. Women traveling alone can enjoy any number of budget-friendly activities on their trip to Iceland, or, if they prefer, splash out and sign up for women-only excursions. If that doesn't appeal, attaching yourself to regular tour groups is a tried and tested way of enjoying the Icelandic experience without worrying too much about your safety.

There are many great reasons to plan a vacation to Norway: Majestic fjords make for some of the most amazing river cruises you'll find anywhere in the world. Cross-country skiing is a national sport and a fantastic way to explore the Scandinavian hinterland. The lack of light pollution and northerly latitude make it a favorite for noctourism advocates in search of aurora. Best of all, Norway is a safe place to be.

Take Bern, for example. It is Norway's second-largest city, an underrated gem, and also just so happens to be the safest place in the country. Its crime rate is low, and women are generally safe to go where they please, although a nighttime stroll through the central Nygårdsparken is probably pushing things a bit too far. The same can be said for much of the rest of the country. In 2023, Bounce ranked Norway the second-safest place for female travelers. In summary, they praised the Nordic nation for its low female homicide rate, high gender gap index, and the overall safety of women walking alone at night.

Meanwhile, the remote village of Flåm ranks as one of the absolute best places to travel to by rail. From the comfort of a heated carriage, women traveling solo can take in the majesty of Norway's fjords and mountain passes without having to watch their backs. Coastal steamers abound, as do group excursions that can take you anywhere from Lofoten Island to Tromso, where you can try your hand at dog sledding during the day and view the Aurora borealis at night.

Denmark is the southernmost Scandinavian country, the oldest monarchy in Europe, and is, according to the United Nations, the second-happiest place in the world. There is no word for "please" in the Danish language. Its capital city is home to more bikes than people, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a single mountain in the country. Although Copenhagen is one of the friendliest cities to visit in Europe, you'll find no shortage of etiquette rules to follow during your visit. Denmark is, in short, something of a strange place. It's also delightful and incredibly safe.

For women traveling alone, Denmark offers many advantages over some other, less civilized locales. To start with, almost everyone speaks fluent English. Public transport is world-class, especially in the capital, where the Metro runs 24/7. Stations are well-lit and policed even during the wee hours. Renting a bicycle is another great way to get around the city, and the taxi system is well-regulated, so there's no need to worry about getting ripped off.

Many under-the-radar destinations that are just as cool as Copenhagen also offer a risk-free experience to women as they explore the country. There are guided tours of Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, the superb art museum in Aarhus, in which to indulge your bohemian senses. Or, you could simply stand between two seas in Skagen during a curated, off-grid expedition.

The tension between China and Taiwan has been broiling over for decades, but the truth is that cultural similarities between the two countries are plain to see. Case in point, when it comes to safety, Taiwan and China are practically twins. The metrics cut across the board.

Numbeo, the Solo Female Traveler Club, and Travel Ladies all give the island in the South China Sea a thumbs up, while the Global Peace Index ranked Taiwan 40^th out of 163 countries. Its capital, Taipei, is safe, modern, and filled with museums, temples, and many other attractions. It's an excellent alternative to Seoul for the budget-minded traveler. Night markets — of which there are many — are especially rewarding, and women are unlikely to receive unwanted attention while they peruse the cornucopia of delights on offer.

Crime is low in Taiwan, and aside from the usual need to keep an eye on your valuables, there is little to worry about, with one exception. Writing from our experience, the quality of driving in Taiwan simply isn't up to snuff: care needs to be taken crossing roads, and renting a car in the capital is as unnecessary as it can be hair-raising. Public transport is a much better option, with the MRT being your best bet. It gets crowded during rush hour, but runs until midnight, and the carriages are clean and safe.

Singapore is a land of efficient public transport, immaculately clean streets, and hassle-free travel. It boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the world, scoring 169 out of 193 countries via a metric that includes low rates of sexual violence and harassment. Women living in Singapore list the city's safety rating as very high, with few concerns about the use of public transport and walking home alone at night.

The MRT system runs until around midnight, and as you'd expect from a city with such low crime rates, stations are well lit, clean, and safe. Taxis are licensed and regulated, but tourists would do well to stay clear of Grab — an Uber-like service — as they have received mixed reviews in the past. There's also plenty for the solo female tourist to see and do. The cuisine is famously world-class, the night markets are an event in and of themselves, and the Botanic Gardens are a UNESCO World Heritage delight. A river-themed wildlife park makes for an excellent day trip , and for those who want to escape the heat of the city, the hidden island of Pulau is filled with unforgettable scenery.

We consulted several sites, studies, and blogs during our research for this article. Many, such as Travel Ladies, allow women to input their experiences, which is transformed into data to create an overall user score. We also examined and cross-referenced major studies, such as the Global Peace Index, to curate an accurate list.