Why more women are choosing solo travel and how it's changing the game

Sydneysider Leonie Huxedurp has lots and lots of friends. So many that she thought it'd be a snip to find a travel companion when she impulsively booked a bargain air fare to Tassie a year ago.

Turned out, though, that none could join her on a recent six-day gallivant to the Apple Isle. So the 59-year-old made a plan: she'd split her time between jaunts around Hobart, the Huon Valley and the Tasman Peninsula, and a three-day Bruny Island group tour with the Tasmanian Walking Company. "I thought, 'I'll just travel on my own - I've done it before and I can do it again'," she says. "I speak the language and I have some social skills - what more do I need?'"

Nothing. Huxedurp had a fabulous time, even scoring a tent to herself on the walking tour as there wasn't another solo traveller. She's one of countless women who are packing their bags and bounding off to new places without as much as a backward glance. In 2024, Google searches for "solo female travel" rose by 131 per cent from 2023. Trends forecaster Globetrender has dubbed these adventurous travellers "wander women" - and travel companies are responding to the demand with more targeted products such as women-only tours and women-only cruises.

One of these wander women, Jenny McConnell of Sydney, recently returned from hiking the Snowy Mountains with Canberra-based hiking company The Adventure Gene. The 41-year-old's seven-day adventure took her through more than 125 kilometres of rugged backcountry while carrying everything including her sleeping set-up. With her partner having other commitments back home, McConnell signed up as an enthusiastic solo guest, keen to learn more about bush navigation, water-finding and ultra-light gear.

"I quite like walking alone or quietly - the ideal for me is that you can walk on your own for a bit during the day but then you have people to hang with in the evening for dinner and to compare experiences," she says. "You have company but then you have good head-space time. You feel your reactions [to the surrounds] more because you're not talking or chattering or distracted - you can stay present.".

Although safety and vulnerability can be issues for solo female hikers, McConnell says she experienced the opposite when she solo-hiked the Six Foot Track in the NSW Blue Mountains. "I kept coming across groups who fell over themselves to help me," she says.

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So what holds women back from buying that plane ticket, boarding that ship or jumping in the car to embark on a solo adventure? On one Facebook group that supports women aged 50-plus planning solo travels, imagined barriers range from what some might consider minor to monumental.

Dining alone, particularly at dinnertime, is a common fear. Others worry about their safety or not being great at navigating unknown cities. Many have held back from travelling solo because they have (or recently had; post-divorce travel plans are common) a partner who doesn't like travel or whose interests completely differ from theirs. Some are empty-nesters, recently widowed or liberated from caring duties.

Once they've pushed themselves out of their comfort zone and hit the road, many still tap into the online hive-mind for wisdom on everything from a destination's must-see sights to the best mobile data plans. Afterwards, almost everyone says they're glad they took the leap.

So what advice do solo women travellers have for those wondering if it's for them? Huxedurp says: "Just do it. There's really no barrier to doing things on your own except for potential extra costs such as [a single supplement for] accommodation because you're not sharing a room. It's very freeing. You do meet more people when you're alone than when you're with somebody."

As for practical tips, she advises that a bum-bag helps to keep valuables safe while wrangling baggage at "pressure points" in your journey. You should also weigh up how much luggage to bring in the first place - but include a scarf, which can do double duty as an accessory and as a "reserved" sign for a table or chair while you duck to the toilet.

McConnell says when you're exploring alone, "you don't have to please anyone but yourself and you can be exactly who you want to be - you can be someone different if you want". "You can go at your own pace and you're open to seeing things and exploring in a way that you're not when you're with another person or a group and you're compromising," she says. You can also wing it, she says, when it comes to deciding where to eat. "A single person can usually squeeze into places," she says.

Sometimes, it's easier to be "alone together" or to travel with only other women - and more tour companies now cater to those desires. Sometimes, particular departures might be designated women-only, such as Uniworld's women-only French river cruise this August and Chimu Adventures' 10-day Antarctic women's expedition in 2027.

Other companies have gone a step further. G Adventures, for instance, late last year launched Solo-ish - a brand catering for solo travellers who want the ease, safety and comfort of group travel. G Adventures' Oceania regional marketing manager, Adelle Clements, says Solo-ish guests are mainly women aged over 45. "From what we've heard, they just didn't want to be waiting around for other people [before booking a trip]," she says. "And the cool thing about these trips is that everyone's in the same boat - there are no pre-existing relationships and you're all arriving on the same level playing field."

After launching with tours in core destinations such as Peru, Italy, Greece, Morocco, India and South Africa, another wave of destinations including the Philippines, Mexico, Colombia and Egypt were added so that there are now 26 Solo-ish itineraries - all led by female guides. "Itineraries are structured a little bit differently where we heavily weight a lot of activity within the first few days of the tour to really emphasis that community-building within the group - we call it a 'fast-friender'," Clements says. "On day one or two, we'll have what we call a dinner party but that could be a cooking class - you're up and about and moving around talking to other people. It encourages that cross-communication with everyone."

While Solo-ish tours are officially mixed-gender, Intrepid Travel has found great success with its women's expeditions, which were launched on International Women's Day in 2018. Senior product manager, Jenny Gray, has driven the design and development of these tours, which currently head to India, Nepal, Morocco, Turkey and Saudi Arabia - in other words, countries that women might perceive as "challenging" destinations.

"When we first launched it was not far off the #MeToo movement and I feel like it's boomed off the back of that," says Gray. "I read that around the 45-plus demographic, women are calling it 'my next best life' and they want to do something for themselves." Women taking these trips, she says, range from those embarking on their first overseas trip to the extremely well-travelled.

More and more tours are catering to women with niche interests. Painting and writing retreats in exotic locales have long been popular, along with sport-oriented experiences. In Aspen, Colorado, female skiers can finesse their skills in small-group, multi-day clinics run by ski champion Kim Reichhelm. Later this month, women keen to hoist their sailing skills skywards will join sailor Wendy Tuck on a Blue Water Expeditions' round-trip all-female expedition between Sydney and Lord Howe Island.

Yet choices grow ever more specific: some people now holiday with their favourite influencer. In 2023, Canada-based travel and body-positivity creator Hannah Logan urged her followers to join her on a cruise to Antarctica. They did, with further trips bringing them together to sail in Greece and go on safari in Africa. In early 2026, they'll join forces again to go gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda and Uganda.

Logan says influencer trips like hers are popular because "you have a better feeling for the type of people that the trip will attract compared to just joining a random group trip". "You aren't going in totally blind," she says.

"When I started my group trips, my intent was to offer really fun itineraries to adventurous places that maybe people wouldn't feel comfortable going to themselves," she says. "However, on top of being a travel creator, I also talk a lot about body image and I've been happily surprised to see how much that has come into play during my trips.

"I've had women tell me they bought a bikini for the first time for my trips. I've had women who always hated having their photo taken ask if I could take pictures of them. I almost always get comments about how nice it is to be out with a group of women and go for a drink or a meal and not get drawn into conversations about what they should or shouldn't eat or how they look.

"As someone who has struggled with body image, it means a lot to me to see that I have created a safe space where people feel more comfortable and confident."

Now that you're pumped, pop these places on the to-do list.

South Korea: Seoul mashes the ancient with the futuristic. Dress up in rented hanbok (traditional clothes) complete with hair accessories and dainty white shoes to explore photogenic sites such as historic Changdeokgung Palace. Hit chain stores such as Olive Young to stock up on viral K-beauty products (snail serum face mask, anyone?) or head to cool neighbourhoods such as Seongsu for fantasy bakery goodies.

Japan: Bathing nude with strangers might not be everyone's cup of (green) tea but Japan's onsen culture is a great equaliser. In the onsen town of Kinosaki Onsen, join locals in clip-clopping around to all seven of its public onsen while wearing geta (wooden sandals) and a yukata (light robe). Adhere to strict rules such as washing before slipping into the hot baths.

Ireland: The Irish know how to have a really good time. After ticking off atmospheric landmarks such as the Giants Causeway, Trinity College Dublin, Blarney Castle and more, relax into a local pub. Many feature live music played on traditional instruments, making it easy to wander in solo, order a bowl of Irish stew and a Guinness, and join the craic.

Saudi Arabia: With tourism here still in its infancy (the kingdom opened its borders to international tourists only in 2019), this is the place to feel like a VIP. Chat to local women (many were educated overseas and speak excellent English) for insights into their daily lives and see stunning sites such as Hegra's desert burial tombs in the AlUla region.

New Zealand: You might have to steel yourself for not-so-friendly weather but everything else about tramping New Zealand's hiking tracks will make your spirits soar. With no snakes to keep watch for, you're free to soak up the ultra-dramatic scenery, spy native birds and flora, and enjoy friendly encounters with other hikers.

Pictures: Getty Images; Shutterstock; G Adventures; supplied