Solo Female Travel Success Stories | Empowering Journeys from Women Around the World

Solo female travel is an empowering and transformative experience. From overcoming challenges to embracing new cultures, it’s a journey of personal growth and self-discovery. In this article, we’ve collaborated with six inspiring women who have ventured into the world solo, each with their own unique success story.

Whether they conquered fears, navigated unexpected situations, or simply embraced the freedom of solo exploration, their experiences offer both motivation and encouragement to fellow female travellers.

So, if you’re thinking about embarking on your own solo adventure or you’re simply in need of some inspiration, these incredible stories are here to show that you’re capable of more than you ever imagined.

Raksha Nagaraj from SOLOPASSPORT

One of the most memorable solo trips I’ve ever taken was a scuba diving trip to the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns. Growing up in a culture where solo travel wasn’t the norm, I knew this would be something truly different for me. The idea of diving into the vast, unknown ocean filled me with both excitement and nerves—after all, this was my first time tackling such an adventurous experience alone.

I wasn’t a strong swimmer back then, but I didn’t let that stop me. The moment we approached the dive site, my heart raced—was I really about to dive into the deep blue, all on my own? But as I took that first plunge into the water, I found myself surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the reef. That’s when the fear melted away. It wasn’t just about the colorful corals or the fish darting by; it was about discovering a new level of courage within myself.

This trip wasn’t just another dive—it was a turning point. It taught me to face my fears and embrace the freedom that comes with solo travel. That sense of empowerment has stayed with me, fueling many more adventures since then.

Maja Proescholdt from Away With Maja

I’ve been traveling solo for over a decade now, but the best experience of my life was driving a Lap of Australia – 36,000km around the entire country – on my own. I spent 11 months living in my car, a Nissan X-Trail, as I navigated my way around the incredible landscapes of the Land Down Under.

I faced lots of challenges along the way: living without a fridge, going a week between showers, a car crash that left me homeless and stranded in an instant, the intense isolation of my long drives through the Australian outback, going without phone signal or any way to communicate with friends and family for days at a time.

But these lows pale in comparison to the extreme highs of my adventure: living on an island paradise for five weeks, a scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef, swimming with a whale shark, hiking the most spectacular landscapes around the country, meeting an untold number of new friends along the way.

I learned how to live with less – we really don’t need as much stuff as we think we do – and relied solely on myself. After this experience, I know I can do anything; whatever life throws my way, I’ll be able to handle it. It’s extraordinarily empowering to know that I could do all of this alone. Driving a Lap of Australia, solo, is the greatest accomplishment of my life!

Soumya Nambiar from Travel, Books and Food

As someone who has been solo travelling for over a decade, nothing prepares you for solo travelling more than getting pickpocketed. This was during my early days of solo travelling, back in 2016. Even though I had done multiple short term solo trips prior to that, it was the first time I was on a 6-week trip on my own. In a continent and country (Madrid, Spain, Europe) where I knew no one.

This happened just over a week into my trip. I still had 5 weeks left and I barely had any cash nor credit cards on me. I almost packed up and went home. But then after crying in front of police officers, none of whom understood me at 2 AM in the morning, I decided to sleep on it. Finally composed myself and figured my way out of a tough situation in the morning, with the help of my family who was very far away.

I learned so much from the experience. Nowadays, I always carry backup cash, credit cards and an extra phone with me in another wallet tucked away. I have learned to ask people for help when I need it. And I have figured that 90% of people around the world, especially strangers, are always ready to help you. And I have learned so much from my solo travelling experiences that I am confident I can get myself out of any pickle I land in.

Since then, I have traveled to over 45 countries on my own, driven solo in almost 20 countries, done many hikes on my own, and so much more.

Bella Falk, Passport & Pixels 

I’m a documentary producer-director, and part-time travel blogger, writer, and photographer. In late 2020, midway through the Covid-19 pandemic, I was hired to produce and direct a documentary about the Maya civilization in Central America. All throughout the winter lockdown, I worked endlessly against ever-changing travel rules to do the research, write the film, and set up a 5-week shoot in Mexico and Guatemala. I was so excited to see this come to fruition, and to travel again after so many months stuck at home, but then, just a week before departure in March 2021, I caught Covid.

Banned from travel, I was devastated, and another director had to take the trip in my place. I promised myself that I would snatch victory from this defeat and go to Guatemala anyway, and so, once the film was completed, that’s exactly what I did. Rather than going with a team and a filming schedule as planned, I found a volunteering opportunity, rented out my London flat for 3 months, and set off by myself to travel around Guatemala and see the people and places I’d spent so long looking at in the footage sent back by the crew.

I traveled the country solo, met so many interesting people, and took thousands of photos. When I returned, I pitched ideas to publications and landed stories in National Geographic Traveller, Wanderlust, BBC Travel, and many more. At the time, catching Covid and being unable to go on the trip felt like the worst thing that could have happened, but being forced to face my fears and have solo adventures has opened so many doors for me that I now think the universe did me a favor!

Mikala Whitaker from The Unanchored Passenger

I thought I would be close to celebrating one year of marriage. Instead, I found myself hiking solo through Spain after a shocking and devastating end to my engagement the year prior.

When the engagement ended, I knew I had to do something to help myself heal. That meant finally embarking on a month-long hike through Spain called the Camino de Santiago that I had been dreaming of experiencing for years.

I was nervous about many things before I departed—the safety of hiking the Camino solo, how my body would handle carrying a pack with all my belongings, and more. Regardless, I was excited to take the time to truly focus on healing through the peace, simplicity, and escape from the day-to-day that the Camino offers.

Each day I woke up and hiked from one town to the next throughout Northern Spain. Day after day of hiking caused my feet to swell up, and I was in pain hiking most of the time.

I found relief in meeting other hikers and making friends of a lifetime along the way. I’ll never forget moments I’ve shared with my Camino friends, including singing with nuns, having a pool party, and sipping tinto de verano in the sun.

After hiking almost 500 miles across Spain over 33 days, I finally reached my destination. Now I know I’m stronger than I’ve ever believed. I can do hard things, and I can move on from extreme heartbreak and make happiness for myself again.

Lo Lee from Carry Oner

Just 2 hours before a solo trip to Iceland, I found out that someone I had been seeing for a year had been lying to me. I sobbed for the entire 5 hours and 40 minutes from NYC to Reykjavik. Heartbroken, I arrived at my hostel and sat in the lobby when an Icelandic guy started chatting with me, offering tons of Reykjavik recommendations. He mentioned he was heading to Sky Lagoon and invited me along. An hour later, we were there and happened to meet several other solo travelers who were staying in our hostel.

As we soaked in the lagoon, each of us kind of broken for different reasons, we started sharing our stories. It was amazing how a bunch of strangers from different walks of life connected so deeply. We spent all night bonding over the desire to heal, and by midnight, we decided to rent a car to explore Iceland the next day! The vibe of our group changed, and the trip became filled with shared laughter, adventure, and moments of peace that each of us desperately needed.

Through this experience, I realized that no matter how alone we feel, when we open up to new people and experiences, we find connection in the most unexpected places. By the end of the trip, I had let go of the lies I was so upset about, and my mind was filled with the new memories I shared with an unusual group of strangers.

These six stories are just a small glimpse into the amazing possibilities that solo female travel can offer. Whether it’s scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, driving across an entire continent, overcoming the challenges of pickpocketing, making solo travel dreams come true in Guatemala, or healing from heartbreak on a long trek through Spain, each woman has proven that solo travel is not just about exploring the world but also about discovering personal strength.

Wherever your next adventure takes you, remember: you’re never truly alone—because the world is full of opportunities, connections, and unforgettable experiences waiting for you.

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