I’ve done over thirty solo trips as a woman. Some places are easy, some require a different posture, some I won’t go back to.
Here’s the honest ranking. No State Department platitudes.
Tier 1: Felt safer than my own city
Japan. Tokyo at 2am alone on the subway. Kyoto at 6am for a solo run. Osaka in alleys you couldn’t read the signs of. The cultural enforcement of public order is something foreigners genuinely don’t believe until they’re there.
Singapore. Tiny, hyper-regulated, no street crime worth speaking of. Hawker centers at midnight are populated by 70-year-old women eating noodles.
Iceland. Population 350,000 across an entire country. Everyone knows everyone. Walking back to your guesthouse at 1am from the bar feels safer than anywhere else I’ve been.
Taiwan. Underrated. Cleaner than Japan in some ways, friendlier, English is decent in Taipei. Solo dinner at a night market is the perfect evening.
Tier 2: Easy if you’re paying attention
Portugal. Lisbon, Porto, anywhere on the Algarve. Catcalling exists but it’s mild. Late-night walks fine in tourist areas.
Slovenia. Ljubljana feels like a small Austrian town. The Julian Alps for hiking. Crime is virtually nonexistent.
Vietnam. Surprisingly easy. Northern (Hanoi) more reserved, Southern (Saigon) more chaotic but locals look out for solo travelers.
South Korea. Like Japan but louder. Seoul nightlife runs late, solo travel is normal, public transport is safe past midnight.
Tier 3: Manageable with awareness
Mexico City. Specific neighborhoods only – Roma Norte, Condesa, Polanco. Don’t take street taxis (use Uber). Don’t flash anything expensive. With those rules, easier than NYC.
Spain. Madrid and Seville are fine. Barcelona has more pickpocket issues than violence. Catcalling is heavier than Portugal.
Greece. Mostly easy. Athens has some sketchy areas (Omonia square at night). Islands are extremely safe.
Bali. Easy in tourist zones. Need to learn to navigate sales pressure (which isn’t safety but is annoying).
Tier 4: Where I traveled but wouldn’t tell a first-time solo traveler to start
Morocco. Egypt. Turkey (Istanbul yes, eastern Turkey – have a plan). India in most places. Brazil. South Africa.
I went to all of these solo and was fine, but they require more research, more boundaries, more pre-arranged transport, and more “I’m not interested” practice.
Universal solo female travel rules
- Tell two people your itinerary. Update them at city changes.
- Pre-arrange your airport-to-hotel transport. Always.
- Local SIM card on day one.
- Trust your gut faster than you trust strangers’ reassurances.
- Single room costs more than a hostel dorm. Pay it.
- If a place doesn’t feel right, leave. You’ll never see those people again.
The thing nobody tells you
Confidence is more important than location. A woman who walks like she belongs and knows where she’s going is safer in Lima than a woman who looks scared in Stockholm. Practice the posture.