This Popular Travel Trend Is Empowering Women To Be Adventurous And Explore The World

Women traveling alone still face challenges, but many are feeling more empowered than ever to start tackling their travel bucket lists. Booking trips with friends, family members, and romantic partners can sometimes be challenging due to busy schedules or conflicting travel styles, so women who are sick of planning trips that never make it out of the group text phase are opting for solo travel instead. According to a travel trends study by Future Partners, 40% of female travelers are considering traveling alone in 2025. Even though solo female travel is becoming more normalized, it can still be intimidating. 

If you're an experienced globetrotter, you're likely aware that traveling isn't without its risks, and if you're a first-time tourist, you might not even know where to start when it comes to planning an international trip. There may be destinations that you long to explore but feel nervous about visiting alone. Sadly, many women considering solo travel may feel apprehensive due to very valid safety concerns. Small group tours provide the perfect alternative to traveling by yourself. 

Small group tours are becoming a popular travel trend, and they're perfect for solo female travelers looking to explore the globe. There's safety in numbers, and embarking on a structured group tour with like-minded women can help mitigate travel anxiety. For women hoping for a safe, rewarding, and empowering experience, small group tours are an excellent choice.

Group tours empower female travelers. Imagine stepping off the plane in one of your bucket-list destinations and being greeted by a group of inspiring women from all walks of life. Your travel jitters will quickly give way to excitement as you connect with your new travel companions. Over the days that follow, you might explore historic sites, take cooking classes, go snorkeling, climb mountains, or spend a night out on the town together. By the end of the vacation, you'll have made life-long friends and shared the kind of life-shaping experiences that only travel can provide. You may even return home with a new sense of self-confidence, independence, and sisterhood.

Booking a group tour takes the stress out of travel planning. The best group tours offer an itinerary that's designed to excite and delight a variety of travelers. There's something for everyone to enjoy, and the hard work is done for you. Accommodations and experiences are carefully selected by the tour organizer so that all you have to do is show up.

Safety stands out as one of the top concerns that keep women from traveling alone. Group tours help women feel safer while traveling. They can allow you to visit destinations and attractions that you might otherwise skip due to safety concerns. Since you'll be traveling with an expert guide, you can rest assured that you're in good hands. Group tour guides and hosts are well acquainted with the places you'll visit on your trip and will know to avoid risky spots. The dangers of exploring a city after dark or visiting off-the-beaten path places are decreased by traveling in a group. Plus, your guide and fellow tour attendees will have your back if something does go wrong.

When it comes to embarking on a small group tour, your biggest challenge is probably going to be choosing which itinerary to book. There are so many wonderful tour companies and destinations to choose from, with co-ed and female-only options. If you're looking to make friends, you might choose something with group accommodations, or a tour with private rooms if you like more privacy. Whether you're into exploring cities, outdoor recreation, wellness, movement, or gastronomy, you'll certainly find an option that works for you.

With the rising popularity of group tours, there are tons of companies to choose from. G Adventures has been in the group tours business for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of different itineraries to choose from, and the company prioritizes safety for female travelers. If you're a travel lover, you likely have a travel guidebook (or ten) sitting on your bookcase, but did you know that the teams behind your favorite travel guidebook might also offer group tours? Rick Steves is a bestselling author, but his company also takes thousands of travelers on group tours in Europe each year. On a Rick Steves tour, you'll explore plenty of his favorite hidden gems. Lonely Planet also offers group travel experiences.

Social media is a great place to turn to for travel inspiration, and you may be able to travel with your favorite influencer on a curated trip. Maria Jacob, who you may know as @MariaTheWild on Instagram, recently founded Wild World Tours and offers epic small-group tours all over the world. She's currently planning her first female-only group tour to Thailand in 2026.