7. Portugal
So don’t let any of your fears stop you from flying to this popular destination as you finally witness the majestic Eiffel Tower, visit the Louvre Museum, explore the fantastical castle island of Mont Saint Michel, drive through the French Riviera, and more!
I was actually surprised that this was not included in the previous top 50 list; nevertheless, New Zealand or ‘Middle Earth‘ (for Lord of the Rings fans) is the perfect destination for those who love adventure, sports, and nature. It is one of the safest countries in the world for solo female travelers and backpackers too given that it is the 2nd most peaceful country in the world according to the Global Peace Index. Photo by: Shutterstock
- Safe to walk alone at night
- Intentional homicide for women
- Non-partner sexual violence
- Intimate partner violence
- Legal discrimination
- Global gender gap
- Gender inequality index
- Violence against women attitudes
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So don’t miss out on this country’s beauty and consider booking yourself a tour of the Plitvice Lakes or a sailing experience. I went solo on a 7-day sailing trip from Split to Dubrovnik before and I met a lot of amazing people, ate a lot of amazing Croatian delicacies, and did a lot of amazing experiences. True enough, it was one of the most amazing Eurotrip activities that I’ve done!
Aside from such promising beauty, Switzerland is the seventh (7th) most peaceful country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index. Thus, it’s an incredibly safe country for a woman to travel alone. The country even performed very well when it came to street safety and low crime rates — I can attest to this fact because of my personal experiences.
This came as yet another surprise for me because I regard Iran as one of the safest countries in the Middle East (I guess it just scores low as compared to the rest of the top 50 most-visited places worldwide). Though for you, you might have expected this because of how the media portrays this country; however, I urge you to do your own research so you can see how a lot of solo female travelers had no problems journeying through this country alone. You just need to prepare for some things first (e.g. knowing how wearing a hijab is mandatory in the country, knowing how there’s gender segregation in public, etc.) and you’ll be fine.
Photo by: Shutterstock
» Safest Countries for Solo Female Travelers «
Of course, let’s not forget the other stunning cities of Florence, Venice, Naples… aaah, I can go on and on about Italy! All in all, there is just so much to see in this country and as a solo traveler, you will be indulging in a lot of rewarding experiences. There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
There is much to see, after all, in this amazing country: the Charles Bridge along with the grand Prague Castle, the quaint town of Český Krumlov, and many others.
So it truly came as a surprise to me to see that in the Women’s Danger Index, Japan ranked 20 out of 50. But then I realized that indeed… Japan has some problems when it comes to gender equality and attitudes toward women given that its society is still fairly misogynistic (which is deeply rooted in its old traditions and history).
I gotta admit, I expected Japan to be ranked higher on this list because it’s truly one of the safest countries for solo female travelers. Case in point, I’ve been traveling to this destination solo for probably more than 15 times now; I’ve walked through tiny alleys by myself in the wee hours of the night, and yet I have never felt unsafe nor encountered dangerous individuals.
Aside from being one of the safest countries for solo travelers, Austria is truly a must-see destination for those who have a taste for fine culture.
6. Finland
» Other Safe Destinations «
6. Finland
» 5 Worst Countries for Women Traveling Alone «
- DISCLAIMER: The countries in this list are those that ranked the poorest on the Women’s Danger Index that collects the top 50 most-visited countries worldwide. Naturally, this does NOT mean that you shouldn’t travel to these countries — in fact, it’s the opposite.
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You should still go especially if you want to, BUT just take note that you must exercise caution due to the country’s bad record or attitudes toward women. If you’re still not confident, it doesn’t hurt to travel with a companion!
Like I previously mentioned, you should always expect Scandinavian countries to be on the list of safest countries for solo female travelers. Visitors will have little to worry about when it comes to crime, and women travelers also don’t have much to worry about when it comes to harassment. Crimes still occur, that’s a fact, but common sense should keep you out of trouble.
10. Poland
Photo by: Shutterstock This Scandinavian wonder earns its place in this list of safest countries for solo female travelers due to its secure and progressive environment for women. The reason why Sweden scored lower than the other Scandinavian countries is mainly due to its low rating for non-partner and intimate partner sexual violence, as well as global gender gap.
Rates of violent crimes are low in the Czech Republic, and even most of Prague’s areas are safe to walk around even after dark. The country just so happens to be low on the list given the bad rating for its global gender gap. But as per usual, just use common sense much like how you would in any place in the world (even your home country) and you’ll be fine here as a solo female traveler.
9. Canada With that said, it’s a must to try and do a road trip through this wonderful European city and chase the northern lights, hike to the famed Trolltunga or explore Arctic fjords!
If I say so myself, it comes as no surprise that Norway (or any of the Scandinavian nations) is regarded as one of the most female-friendly countries in the world. With high standards of living, crime rates are found to be extremely low even in major cities such as Oslo and Stavanger. Photo by: Shutterstock
16. Czech RepubliC To measure safety abroad, one cannot look at only data on street safety, rape, or violence. It also depends on the general attitude of the culture, the minutiae of the legal system, and the systematic oppression of local women. These issues can affect everything, from easily getting a taxi alone to having your voice be heard in a conversation, to even needing a male escort for your personal safety.
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This small island nation is considered the safest Asian country on the planet! The country scores high in more than half of the factors, with 92% of women claiming that they feel safe when walking alone at night — which I also personally find to be true. This is truly a favorite destination in Southeast Asia and while Thailand is generally safe, you should still be wary of your surroundings, as well as some of the cultural norms (e.g. some temples don’t allow women, you shouldn’t sit beside Buddhist monks in public transport, etc.). There’s much to be said about attitudes toward women, but still, it’s a relatively secure destination for females.
For many travelers, Austria is an almost perfect country and they even say that Austrians enjoy some of the best quality of life in Europe. This notion trickles down and reveals itself in the study as it shows how Austria has some of the lowest levels of sexual violence and lowest gender inequality among the countries reviewed.
Thankfully, journalists Asher and Lyric Ferguson helped make my research a lot easier when they created the “Women’s Danger Index“. They basically ranked the top 50 countries with the most international tourists in order to see which are the worst and safest to visit. To do this, they utilized 8 danger factors as they put more weight on street safety and intentional homicide: