The theme behind most of the questions I get about solo travel is safety. So if you’re planning a solo trip, you may be wondering what the safest countries in the world for women are!
I totally get it! I’m with the majority of people who can’t have fun if they don’t feel safe— we go on vacation for the warm fuzzies of adventure, not to be anxiously looking over our shoulder for whatever trouble we’re expecting to find us. However, I also believe that a sense of safety anywhere is an illusion.
Things can go wrong or be “dangerous” no matter where you are– it’s just as easy to get robbed in London or Paris as it is in Istanbul. One person is just as likely to face discrimination Pakistan as another person is in Eastern Europe.
Unless you knowingly enter an active war zone, safety is in the eye of the beholder and depends on how you prepare, the precautions you take, and what you do while you’re there.
Looking for other ideas for travel destinations? Be sure to check out the cheapest European travel destinations and the 9 best destinations for your first solo trip!
Another factor that makes picking a “safe” solo travel destination hard is the many unsolicited opinions that friends, family, and the media are committed to pushing on you, however well-meaning.
For example, I felt safer in Cappadocia, Turkey than I feel at home walking around Chinatown in Washington DC, but when I told people I was going to Turkey solo, they freaked out about my decision to go to the Middle East alone. Everyone warned me that locals in Vietnam are vehemently anti-American, but I found every person we met friendly and excited to share their culture and stories with a genuine and curious listener.
The problem with generalizing dangerous and risky travel destinations is that if you look hard enough, you’ll find reasons to be afraid of every destination in the world— in fact, some lists of “dangerous” destinations that I’ve seen have included:
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Destin, Florida (sharks)
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Death Valley National Park CA (heat)
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Atlanta, Georgia (car accidents)
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Cliffs of Moher, Ireland (danger of falling)
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Rome, Italy (travel scams and pickpocketing)
The list goes on and on— the bottom line is that there’s some kind of risk everywhere. Just like with getting too many opinions on your wedding dress or on the house you want to buy, paralysis by analysis can happen all too easily. You’ll never actually end up going, finding the ‘perfect’ house, dress, or destination.
That said, some travel destinations are generally safer and more tolerant than others and can offer a greater sense of psychological safety for new solo travelers just getting their feet wet. This list has special focus on places that are great for women solo traveling— places with advanced gender equality, low rates of violent crime, and other factors that women simply have to think about more than men do.
Here are the 10 safest countries for women traveling solo in 2023.
10 safest countries in the world for women to travel to alone
1. Iceland
2. Singapore
3. Finland
4. Norway
5. Switzerland
6. Denmark
7. Japan
8. Canada
9. Australia
10. New Zealand
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Sarah is the passionate solo female travel blogger behind Wait, Where is She? She’s a full time traveler, scuba diver, foodie, and adventure seeker with a deep love for sharing the special places and bucket list destinations that she’s found herself in.
She LIVES for tasty street food market grills, quiet ocean sunrises, pour over coffee, long train rides with a Taylor Swift album, that feeling when you shower after a salty beach day, and living with an insatiable curiosity for the wonders of the natural world and all of its vibrant cultures.
Wait, Where is She? serves people with the information and inspiration to confidently seek out their own adventures and make the joys of travel easier, more accessible, and budget-friendly. Come along for the laughs while she makes all the mistakes (so you don’t have to). Let’s go!
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