Group travel can be a special experience no matter the tour company or destination, but for many women travelers a tour designed just for them is often much more than just a memorable vacation. Women-only travel groups tend to be great options for women who want to see the world but may not have a travel companion at the ready. They offer the chance to explore destinations with like-minded travelers and serve as safe spaces for trying new activities like whitewater rafting or rock climbing.
“When women travel together, something magical happens,” says Janet Scalzo, owner of Canyon Calling Adventures for Women. “We inherently start to open up and trust each other. As we explore unfamiliar locales and try new things together, our guards come down. We have each other’s backs. We share our stories with one another. We laugh until we cry. And we bond into a tight tribe. You’ll begin the trip surrounded by strangers, but you’ll end it with friendships that last a lifetime.”
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“The support of the other women is just amazing,” says Debra Asberry, president of Women Traveling Together. “There’s no pressure to participate, but if you’re willing to kind of step out of your comfort zone, they’re there to support you. It’s just an amazing thing to watch.”
The Best Tour Companies for Women Travel Groups
Tours that specialize in travel groups for women range from active excursions to national parks and other rugged and remote destinations to cultural immersions, culinary tours, and wine-focused itineraries in countries around the globe. Some even offer experiences that wouldn’t be possible in mixed-gender groups. Here are the best travel groups and tour companies for female travelers.
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1. AdventureWomen
Since 1982, women’s only travel group AdventureWomen has offered tours that encourage female travelers to explore the world and experience different cultures in active and meaningful ways. The company offers almost 50 tours in more than 65 counties (with future expansion likely) and is not simply one of the best travel groups for women, but one of the best overall tour companies in the world.
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AdventureWomen’s tour guests run the gamut from solo travelers to women traveling together with friends to sisters, mother-daughter pairs, and more. The women-only tours take guests to venues where trying new activities is encouraged, and they often include opportunities for cultural exchange with women in the destinations visited, such as the chance to learn from female artisans or enjoy a meal in a local home.
Popular women-only tours include a Galapagos Islands wildlife cruise by private yacht, a journey along Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, and a wintertime tour of Iceland to view the Northern Lights. Other tours bring women off the beaten path in locations like Mongolia and Oman. Tour descriptions outline the activity level required for the itinerary and offer plenty of information on what to expect for accommodations during the tour.
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The company’s women’s only tours include lodging, ground transportation, most meals and activities, guides, and some gratuities. AdventureWomen tour guides, called Managers, handle all of the details so travelers can focus on having fun. The small group sizes of 12 to 15 women allow for conversation and camaraderie.
Quick Facts about Tours with AdventureWomen
- Average guided tour group size: 12 to 15 women
- Price range: Upscale (from about $4,500 to $6,500 a person)
- What’s included: Accommodations, most meals and activities, ground transportation during the tour, guides, some gratuities
- What’s not included: Pre- and post-trip transportation, alcoholic beverages, some gratuities, some meals
- Primary audience: Women travel groups
- Destinations: The Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East
- How to Book: AdventureWomen reports that nearly all of its participants book directly with the company, either by calling, filling out the online outreach form, or by clicking through directly from a tour description page.
2. Road Scholar
A longtime travel tour company that began as Elderhostel in 1975, Road Scholar offers educational travel opportunities geared mainly toward senior travels. More than 60 percent of its tour participants are women, and between 25 and 30 percent of its tour-goers are solo travelers, among which an overwhelming number are are women. Some are widows, and others are women whose partners aren’t interested in traveling.
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Road Scholar offers a handful of women-only wellness-focused experiences in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. While most of its other tours aren’t female-only, women still enjoy the ability to safely travel as a solo participant and have Road Scholar tour guides lead the way. The company has a Women of Road Scholar Facebook group and a Facebook group for retired teachers for virtual meet-ups and discussions of all things travel.
The company’s most popular tours for women include an excursion to Utah’s Grand Circle , a nature-focused tour of Costa Rica, a tour exploring the Civil Rights movement in Georgia and Alabama, and a journey through New Mexico.
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Tours include all accommodations; most meals; expert-led lectures, field trips, and hands-on experiences; and transportation and gratuities. Another plus? Participants receive coverage under the Road Scholar Assurance Plan that provides 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency, as well as insurance for emergency medical evacuation. Road Scholar’s Travel Services Department can also book airfare for international tours, adding an additional level of convenience and ease for travelers.
Quick Facts about Tours with Road Scholar
- Average guided tour group size: 22 people
- Price range: Budget to luxury (from about $699 to $21,999 per person)
- What’s included: Accommodations, most meals, expert-led experiences, transportation, gratuities, and the Road Scholar Assurance Plan coverage
- What’s not included: Pre- and post-trip transportation
- Primary audience: Women travel groups
- Destinations: Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Australia and South Pacific, and Antarctica
- How to Book: Directly through Road Scholar; via Travelstride, a tour specialist OTA (online travel agent) that offers more than 1,500 Road Scholar trips; or through a travel agent such as AAA
3. Adventures in Good Company
Women-owned and operated Adventures in Good Company has offered active travel groups for women since 1977. The company offers more than 100 adventure itineraries around the world catering to “women of all ages and life stages” and led by female wilderness guides. Travelers on these tours tend to be women ages 40 to 70, and many are solo travelers in search of adventure with similarly inclined female companions. About 60 percent of travelers each year are repeat guests.
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The company’s tour offerings include a Colorado horseback riding and hiking trip, a tour of Guyana’s natural wonders, a writing retreat with active elements in Maine, and an excursion through Iceland. Tour descriptions provide information on the level of physical activity the trip will entail and answer common questions travelers might have about both the destination and the tour itself.
These female-only tours average about 12 people, which allows Adventures in Good Company to foster authentic and fulfilling experiences. Prices include all lodging, meals, transportation during the tour, gear and equipment for the activities on the itinerary, and certified and experienced guides.
Quick Facts about Tours with Adventures in Good Company
- Average guided tour group size: 12 women
- Price range: Budge to upscale (from about $1,595 to $7,395 per person)
- What’s included: Lodging, meals, transportation for the duration of the trip, experienced and certified guides, luggage transport, group gear, and equipment for activities
- What’s not included: Pre- and post-trip transportation, alcoholic beverages, guide gratuities, and travel insurance
- Primary audience: Women travel groups
- Destinations: The Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and New Zealand
- How to Book: The vast majority of travelers with Adventures in Good Company book directly through the company’s website.
4. Intrepid Travel’s Women’s Expeditions
Though not an exclusively women’s tour operator, Intrepid Travel first launched a limited number of women’s only travel groups in 2018. They were so popular that the company added more, and now its Women’s Expeditions help female travelers explore Iran, Peru, India, Morocco, and Jordan.
Local women tour leaders help participants learn about female culture and daily life in these destinations off the usual tourist track in ways they might not be able to on a mixed-gender tour. Connections between women of different backgrounds are made while tour-goers learn how to prepare traditional Indian food during a home-cooking class in Jaipur, for example, or while observing female weavers creating colorful textiles in Peru.
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Tours average about 10 women per trip, and each tour description shares info on the kinds of immersive cultural experiences women will have on the trip. There’s also plenty of insight to help female travelers determine if a tour is the right fit for them based on factors like the activity level and the local climate and terrain.
Around 65 percent of Intrepid’s guests are female overall, and about 60 percent of the company’s staff around the world are women. Female staffers are leading efforts within the company, like its climate commitment plan and diversity initiatives, that aim to make travel more inclusive and sustainable and empower women both within and outside of the company.
Quick Facts about Tours with Intrepid’s Women’s Expeditions
- Average guided tour group size: 10 women
- Price range: Budget to Moderate (from about $925 to $2,840 per person)
- What’s included: Accommodations, tour activities, most meals, and transportation during the tour
- What’s not included: Airfare and mandatory travel insurance
- Primary audience: Women travel groups
- Destinations: Iran, Peru, India, Morocco, and Jordan
- How to Book: Directly through Intrepid; via Travelstride, Tourhub, or TourRadar all which are tour specialist OTAs (online travel agents) that offer hundreds of Intrepid trips; or through a travel agent such as AAA
5. Wild Women Expeditions
For 30 years, Wild Women Expeditions has been helping female travelers get out into the wild and enjoy the natural world. Tours are offered in more than 30 countries on all seven continents and include environmental education and community projects to give back to the destinations visited. An active Facebook group of more than 22,000 participants helps women stay connected and discuss their favorite travel topics before and after trips.
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The female-founded and owned firm not only helps women travelers see the world, but it also employs women as tour leaders and in-destination guides. Additionally, Wild Women Expeditions chooses lodging, dining spots, and experiences owned or run by female entrepreneurs or women-led cooperatives on the itineraries. The company’s beginner-friendly Baja kayaking adventure in Mexico ranks as its most popular tour and tends to sell out. Other much-loved tours include a two-week journey through Morocco (including a camel ride), a horseback-riding tour in the Golden Circle of Southern Iceland, and an Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu.
Wild Women Expeditions also offers excursions to the Arctic and Antarctica in partnership with Adventure Canada and Quark Expeditions. While these specific expeditions are not 100 percent female-only, the women’s only travel groups from Wild Women Expeditions do partake in some experiences exclusive to them on these cruises.
All tours include accommodations, most meals, one or two female guides (depending on tour size), safety equipment and gear for all activities, ground transport, and park/temple entrance fees. Tour descriptions include an FAQs page and an “Is this trip right for me?” section outlining the physical requirements needed to enjoy the experience. The minimum age to book is 18 years old, but girls ages 15 to 17 may accompany a paying adult for a mother-daughter experience.
Quick Facts about Tours with Wild Women Expeditions
- Average guided tour group size: 6 to 12 women
- Price range: Moderate to Upscale (from about $2,795 to $3,995 per person); Arctic/Antarctic experiences are more expensive
- What’s included: Lodging, most meals, female guides, gear and safety equipment for activities, ground transportation, and park/temple entrance fees
- What’s not included: Airfare and gratuities
- Primary audience: Women travel groups
- Destinations: All seven continents
- How to Book: Directly via Wild Women Expeditions
6. Trafalgar
Led by an all-women team of travel directors, Trafalgar’s women-only travel tours help female travelers forge connections whether they join the tour as a solo traveler or in the company of friends or family. The tour operator also provides roommate matching to help women traveling alone find a new friend to share a room with (and save a little money too).
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Popular women’s travel itineraries include Highlights of Turkey, which features visits to landmarks like Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar; and Best of Egypt, where guests enjoy a Nile cruise and a day exploring the Valley of the Kings. Trafalgar offers roughly a dozen female-only tours.
The company’s travel groups for women feature visits to female-owned businesses and other opportunities for travelers to learn from and talk with women in the destination. That might mean a dinner at farm in Ireland or Norway or a lesson in soap making from female artisans in Jordan. Local specialists add further cultural insight throughout the excursions.
Tour prices include accommodations, transportation during the trip, and most meals and activities. You can also add on optional experiences to further explore a destination.
Quick Facts about Tours with Trafalgar’s Women-Only Travel Tours
- Average guided tour group size: 20 to 30 women
- Price range: Moderate to Upscale (from about $1,800 to $5,580 per person)
- What’s included: Accommodations, transportation during the trip, most meals and activities, and some gratuities
- What’s not included: Airfare, some meals, and optional experiences
- Primary audience: Women travel groups
- Destinations: Europe, Africa, and the Middle East
- How to Book: Directly through Trafalgar; via Travelstride, Tourhub, or TourRadar, all which are tour specialist OTAs (online travel agents); or through a travel agent such as AAA
7. Women Traveling Together
Founded in 1997, Women Traveling Together specializes in solo travel opportunities for women. Tours offer built-in companionship and a safe and supportive environment for female travelers to explore destinations in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Antarctica. And the formula works, as more than 500 women have taken 10 tours or more with Women Traveling Together, according to the company.
Though tour-goers tend to be in the 45 to 75 age range, female travelers of all ages are welcome, and Women Traveling Together does not specifically identify itself as a senior travel provider. The company’s “We’re Not for Everyone” page on its website stresses how tour participants need to be nimble, flexible, have a sense of adventure, and be physically fit enough to keep up on foot and handle their own luggage.
Women Traveling Together offers more than 100 tours a year. Its U.S. national parks tours are popular options where travelers can explore sites like Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks and Death Valley National Park. New experiences are added often. Recent additions include a Disney for adults tour; a visit to Asheville, North Carolina; and a tour of Texas Hill Country. International excursions include women-only tours of Ireland, Switzerland, and Brazil and Argentina.
Groups tend to be about 20 travelers or less, and tours include all meals and activities on the itinerary, plus a Women Traveling Together tour leader, gratuities for local guides, and shared lodging with another solo traveler. Becoming a Women Traveling Together member provides access to member pricing for tours, an online directory of other members passionate about travel, and WTT’s member magazine.
Quick Facts about Tours with Women Traveling Together
- Average guided tour group size: 10 to 22 women
- Price range: Moderate to Upscale (from the high $2,000s to the mid $5,000s per person)
- What’s included: Shared lodging with another solo traveler, all meals and activities on the itinerary, tour leader, and gratuities for local guides
- What’s not included: Pre- and post-tour airfare, airport transfers, luggage handling during tours, tour leader gratuities, and travel insurance
- Primary audience: Solo women travelers
- Destinations: The Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Antarctica
- How to Book: Directly via the Women Traveling Together website
8. Canyon Calling Adventures for Women
Offering small group tours for women for more than two decades, Canyon Calling understands that something special happens when women come together to share a travel experience. Whether it’s moms in need of a break from the daily grind, solo female travelers looking for companionship, or women interested in trying new activities in a non-competitive way, participants in these travel groups for women tend to forge bonds while seeing the world in the company of other women.
Canyon Calling’s tours travel throughout the North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, and New Zealand, and incorporate the local culture through learning experiences and other activities. The company’s American Southwest tours are always a favorite, like an excursion around Sedona, with lots of hiking plus massages for tired muscles; the “Desert Dreams” tour through California and Nevada; or a trip around Northern New Mexico that includes visits to hot springs, galleries, and ancient ruins. Other tours take travelers to locations like Costa Rica, Panama, Norway, and Alaska.
Tour prices include van transportation during the trip, lodging, meals and nonalcoholic beverages, activities and permits/passes, guides, and gratuities. Canyon Calling’s FAQs page answers questions about everything from required fitness levels to packing tips.
Quick Facts about Tours with Canyon Calling Adventures for Women
- Average guided tour group size: 8 women
- Price range: Moderate to Upscale (from about $1,695 to $6,495 per person)
- What’s included: Lodging, van transportation during the trip, meals and nonalcoholic beverages, activities and permits/passes, guides, and gratuities
- What’s not included: Airfare, alcoholic beverages (unless included on an itinerary), and optional trip leader gratuity
- Primary audience: Women travel groups
- Destinations: The Americas, Europe, Africa, and New Zealand
- How to Book: Directly via the Canyon Calling website
9. REI Women’s Adventures
With Women’s Adventures from REI, the co-op that’s been providing gear and advice for outdoorsy types since 1938, travelers can sign up for women-only backpacking, hiking, kayaking, biking, and rafting trips around the United States. All-female guides lead small travel groups for women who want to connect with nature and each other without having to handle all the planning details themselves.
Tour descriptions detail the activity level of a tour, the kinds of accommodations to expect, the gear needed (and any provided), and the weather in the destination. REI members get access to discounted tour prices, and all travelers are connected with a female Trip Specialist after booking a trip, who can answer any remaining questions they have.
Among the tours offered are a backpacking excursion of Joshua Tree National Park, a hiking and camping adventure at Pinnacles National Park, a biking tour on the San Juan Islands, and a backpacking trip on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. Tours include guides, meals, group gear, transportation during the tour, and accommodations, plus access to national parks.
But you won’t be totally roughing it. The San Juan Islands biking trip, for example, features locally inspired dinners paired with regional wines each evening. Morning coffee is brought to the tents each day during the Bryce Canyon hiking and camping trip, and there’s also a relaxing outdoor yoga session during the tour.
Quick Facts about Tours with REI’s Women’s Adventures
- Average guided tour group size: 16 women or fewer
- Price range: Moderate to Upscale (from about $999 to $3,400 per person)
- What’s included: Accommodations (often camping tents), guides, meals, group gear, and transportation during the tour
- What’s not included: Airfare, airport transfers, insurance of any kind, guide gratuities, and personal gear
- Primary audience: Active women
- Destinations: Areas within the United States
- How to Book: Directly via the REI Adventures website.
Whether you’re looking for a tour that hits city sights or goes deep into nature, there’s likely a women-only tour option. And like all tours, price varies wildly depending on accommodations, style of travel (luxury, budget, etc.), modes of transportation, and number of meals included. But what unites all women-only tours is the chance for women to travel together in a supportive, supported environment.