The best countries for women travelling solo in 2026

“I found everyday interactions to be warm and welcoming here,” said Gagnon, who also visited Vietnam solo last year. “Simple moments, chatting with a café owner, joining a street food table or taking a sleeper bus create organic social opportunities. It’s a place where your ‘social cup’ gets filled naturally.”

She recommends joining one of the country’s many small-group tours, which focus around everything from cooking to food to riding motorbikes, as an easy entry point for solo travellers. But she also recommends reaping the rewards of spending time with locals.

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“I’ve returned to Vietnam multiple times, trekking in Sa Pa with a Hmong guide, staying in homestays in the Mekong Delta and spending Tet in the Central Highlands with a local family,” said Tracy Smith, author of The Purpose of Getting Lost: A Story of Finding Myself. “I was struck not only by the beauty of the country but by how safe and welcomed I felt travelling alone. I’m returning this spring to attend my former guide’s wedding.”

Her advice: move beyond checklist tourism. “Work with local guides, consider homestays and be open to slower, more relational travel,” she said. “Vietnam rewards curiosity and respect, it’s a country best experienced through connection.”

Uruguay

Uruguay has also climbed sharply in this year’s WPS Index, rising from 59th to 35th, driven by strong scores in justice and security, including low rates of violence against women. It is also ranked as the second most peaceful country in South America (just after Argentina) on the Global Peace Index.

“I immediately noticed the easy-going vibe,” said Claudia Tavani, who wrote about her experience at her blog. “Uruguay is incredibly chill with very welcoming people. I visited in mid-March when there weren’t many tourists around, so I got to meet many locals who were always ready to chat and share interesting stories about the country, its history and its culture.”

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