Solo travel isn’t a niche anymore. It’s mainstream. Interest in women traveling alone has jumped nearly 30% globally over five years, and a recent survey found that almost 40% of female travelers are drawn to going solo, an 8-point rise from just the year before.
But “solo” rarely means truly alone these days. Some want a guided small group. Others want a retreat with structure built in. Many just want the confidence to explore somewhere new on their own terms. So we went straight to the source: six women shaping the travel industry, founders, a CEO, retreat leaders, a content creator, and asked where they’d send a woman traveling solo.
Maria Gregoriou, Founder, Exclusolo
She used to work in tech. Now she designs trips for women in transition, after a divorce, a loss, a retirement, an empty nest. Her list:
- Japan. Safe, quiet, deeply respectful of guests.
- Lisbon. Walkable. Affordable. Having a moment right now.
- Ravello, for those who want the Amalfi Coast without the Positano crowds.
- Peru, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and a sunrise at Machu Picchu.
- Skip Santorini. Try Naxos or Paros instead.
- Norway, for fjord cruises from Bergen and the Northern Lights over Tromsø.
- Botswana, still relatively undiscovered as a safari destination.
- Slovenia. Ljubljana’s cafés, then Lake Bled.
Her advice is simple: don’t dread the solo dinner table. It’s often the best part of the whole trip.
Erika Brechtel, Founder, Élanoura
Her retreats do double duty, travel plus giving back, connecting guests with local women and girls. Marrakech. Mallorca. Athens. Her home islands of Oahu and Maui. And Japan, through a small guided group. What matters most, she says, is locking down the essentials first, how you’ll arrive, where you’ll sleep that first night, how someone can reach you. After that? Let the trip breathe.
Victoria Vesce, Founder, The VYB
She survived a brain tumor. She lost her mother. Travel became something she turned to, not away from. Granada. Bali. St. Lucia. Sri Lanka. Singapore. Ha Long Bay. Galway. Her rule: research hard before you go, then trust your gut once you’re actually there.
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Diamond Spratling, Founder, Girl Plus Environment
Eighteen countries. Six continents. She knows what she’s talking about. Her picks are Xàbia in Spain, Kenya, Sydney, Phnom Penh, and Durban. And her checklist is non-negotiable: download offline maps, grab an eSIM, and register with the State Department’s STEP program before wheels up.
Charlotte Lilley, Founder, The Retreat Co.
Most of her guests show up alone. Her retreats, built around skiing and camp culture, draw them anyway. Lake Tahoe. Nevada City. Jackson Hole. Sun Valley. Breckenridge. Sugarbush. Stowe. The hardest part, she says, isn’t the trip itself. It’s the 48 hours right before you leave. Just get to the airport. Everything gets easier after that.
Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, President & CEO, Collette
She runs a company that’s been guiding travelers for 108 years. Her recommendations: Japan, African safari circuits, Italy, places where independence and shared experience sit comfortably side by side. Her advice cuts against instinct: don’t try to see more. Slow down instead.