Credit: Charanjit Sindhu
Summary:
- More women in their 50s and 60s are embracing solo travel to rediscover themselves, with global trends showing that older females make up a significant share of solo travellers.
- Safety, planning, and staying connected are key priorities, with travellers relying on research, reviews, local tours, and constant phone access to navigate destinations confidently.
- Supportive online communities and women-focused travel groups provide guidance, encouragement, and curated tour options, helping older women gain confidence to travel independently.
When Lai Zhiwei told her friends she was planning a solo trip, they were shocked and worried.
Thankfully, as she started travelling by herself more often, her friends were assured that the young silver took sensible precautions – like not venturing into back alleys, especially at night – and they soon relaxed their guard.
The thought of travelling solo can be daunting, especially for women of a “certain age”. For myself, a 61-year-old, I have been thinking of holidaying in Europe on my own for months now, but have yet to book my flight. Reports of pickpocketing and worries over not being able to manage my luggage are among my concerns.
Yet these fears have not stopped the likes of Zhiwei and droves of other women in their senior years from happily traipsing across the world solo.
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Credit: Lai Zhiwei
In fact, according to Virtuoso’s 2024 trends report (via Euronews) – a global network specialising in luxury and experiential travel – 71% of solo travellers are female, and within that, 25% are aged 65 or older.
Immersed in taking care of the family, work, and other responsibilities in their younger years, many females may have put travel on the back burner. For women entering their 50s and 60s, and who now free of certain obligations (at least somewhat), they are taking the bull by the horns to explore the world and rediscover themselves through travel.
Among them is 58-year-old Charanjit Sindhu. While she misses a companion to share experiences with and help carry her luggage, Charanjit has not let that get in the way of traversing the world on her own.
"I enjoy discovering new places, cultures, and ways of life," says the self-employed functional medicine certified health coach, adding: "When I hit my 50s, I decided I should try to travel at least twice a year, if not more."
Funnily enough, Charanjit discloses that in the last five years, she has become more adventurous with her destinations.
Where previously she would choose a place based on whether she had a friend living there, these days, that doesn’t figure in her travel decisions at all. Instead, she focuses on ticking off her bucket list of destinations, which recently included Madrid, Cancun, and Texas.
Solo travel does not mean being lonely
Loneliness is not something that plagues Charanjit when she travels.
Credit: Charanjit Sindhu
Even so, she sometimes joins classes or group tours which allow her to meet people. In Madrid, she signed up for a cooking class that comes with free-flowing wine, which helps as a social lubricant. While in Cancun, she joined a tour organised by the hotel she was staying in.
Shabnam Manan, a 52-year-old, similarly enjoys travelling solo, but joins travel groups at various locations.
For Shabnam, she befriends fellow travellers to feel connected. Meanwhile, others like Zhiwei handle loneliness on the road by facetiming her family or calling them.
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Staying safe is a priority
All three ladies agree that it is important to choose a destination that is safe for a female solo traveller. It is crucial as well to stay in accessible and comfortable accommodation that allows them to move around conveniently.
With age, Charanjit spends more time researching and planning for her holidays.
The importance of doing thorough research was reinforced when she ended up staying in less-than-ideal accommodation in Madrid.
Credit: Lai Zhiwei
Zhiwei makes it a point to be aware of her surroundings. For some of the more logistically challenging locations or where there is a language barrier, she would book a local day tour. On a trip to Laos, she got her homestay host to book a tuktuk for the whole day and gave the driver a list of places she wanted to go.
"I also booked a day tour for places that were not accessible by tuktuk," she says, adding "a lot of sign language and Google Translate had to be used."
Another non-negotiable is ensuring mobile phone connection.
Support groups for female solo travellers
For female travellers who wish to take the leap but have planning or confidence issues, there are Facebook groups they can turn to for inspiration.
One such group is Solo in Style: Women Over 50, Travelling Solo and Loving It!. It was started 15 years ago by UK-based Deborah Ives.
"We share tips and advice on how to travel solo as women over 50 – or how to get started – and also provide encouragement and support to each other as we explore the world."
Credit: Deborah Ives
Spurred by members’ enquiries, Deborah started small group tours.
"It took me about a year or so to get them ready, as I had specific ideas of what was important. No room sharing, small group size, unique experiences, supporting women-owned businesses, and slower pace."
Their first tour was to Italy in May 2024. Since then, Solo in Style has been to Croatia, Japan, Mallorca, South Africa, Tanzania, Vietnam, Cambodia, and India. On the itinerary for 2026 are Greece, Sicily, Morocco, Thailand, and Ireland.
According to Deborah, the demand for these tours is “big”.
"Older women are not just travelling solo, they are looking for different kinds of travel experiences: more cultural depth, purpose, and connection."
Many in the group credit it for having given them the courage to take the plunge. Charanjit, who is a member, says it’s been insightful on providing pointers on where to go, off-the-beaten path suggestions, must-visit restaurants, and at times, real-time on-the-ground knowledge.
Other female-friendly groups are Women Travelling Together and Venus Adventures. The latter offers trips for women over 50 to off-the-beaten-path destinations like Bhutan, Nepal, Morocco, and Borneo. Meanwhile, non-gender specific travel companies like Trafalgar and Insight Travel have also set up women-only tours.
With the resources available these days and encouragement from silver sisters readily available, it seems like there’s no excuse for me to put off planning a trip on my own.
