International Women's Day: Solo Travel & Mountain Escapades On Female Minds, Reveal Travel Trends

International Women’s Day is an annual celebration of women and their hard-won rights and achievements. Held on March 8 every year, the day is a clarion call to push for gender equality and policies that support women’s visibility, opportunity, and resilience across all levels of society. This year is extra special because it marks the 30^th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—the most progressive and widely endorsed blueprint for women’s and girls’ rights worldwide.

In India, more women are being educated, finding formal employment, and chasing their dreams. This is reflected in the travel industry too, with women planning group trips and solo expeditions across the country and overseas. In time for International Women’s Day 2025, Outlook Traveller ran a poll asking women a variety of questions about how and where they travel. Here’s what we found.

Women Prefer Mountains And Beaches

India’s varied landscape and cultural gems make choosing just one destination an impossible task, and this was reflected in the responses we received. Women were asked to name the destination that matched their travel personality the most. 45 per cent of respondents wanted to be a “mountain explorer” (think places like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand), which was closely followed by “beach bliss” (such as trips to Goa) at 30 per cent; a “cultural enthusiast” (think Jaipur and Hampi) at 20 per cent; and a “jungle queen” (national parks like Jim Corbett and Kaziranga) at 5 per cent.

On a related note, when respondents were asked about which women-only trip they would take first, a vast majority (47 per cent) opted for a road trip to Ladakh—a place with towering mountains—followed by a BFF beach getaway to Goa (35 per cent), a solo wellness retreat in Kerala (12 per cent), and a cultural tour of Rajasthan (6 per cent).

This preference for being out and about in the more-than-human world was also reflected in the type of women-centric activities that excited our respondents the most. A nature trek in the Western Ghats garnered a whopping 69 per cent of votes, followed by a yoga retreat in Rishikesh (25 per cent), and a cooking class in Puducherry (6 per cent).

BFFs Make For The Ideal Travel Companion

There’s nothing quite like travelling with loved ones and having someone to share those experiences with. When questioned about their ideal travel companion, a majority of women opted for trips with their best friends (71 per cent), followed by solo excursions (14 per cent), travelling in women-only groups (8 per cent), and taking their mother along for the ride (7 per cent).

Solo Travel Is On The Rise

Despite the popularity of travelling with someone, women are just as likely to travel on their own, and fresh data backs this up. According to an “Aquaterra Adventures Report: Decoding Women” survey, women between the ages of 45 and 55 are most likely to travel solo in India. These adventurers either join a group or travel solo with other women friends. The reason behind this is that most women in their 50s have a higher disposable income and a reduced familial burden. Their main goal is to explore life on their own terms and feel liberated.

Another survey, this time by IntrCity SmartBus, found that Gen Z women (18-25 years of age) accounted for 40.7 per cent of solo female travellers travelling by bus, basis a 2024 analysis of booking trends and travel patterns of solo women travellers. Destinations like Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Amritsar saw increased traction among spiritual travellers, while Goa remained the most sought-after leisure spot for solo women travellers. The survey also found that from 2022 to 2024, there was a steady 3 per cent year-on-year increase in solo female passengers choosing buses to complete their journeys.

Furthermore, according to Atlys data, solo travel accounted for 20.6 per cent of international travel applications in 2024. Driven by a desire for self-discovery and independence, women were opting for destinations known for their safety, affordability, and cultural richness, such as Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and parts of Europe.

On the other hand, group travel made up 35 per cent of applications, with women embarking on trips to celebrate milestones like bachelorettes, birthdays or career achievements. Destinations like Dubai, Bali, Bangkok, Singapore, and Malaysia were the top choices because of their vibrant nightlife, diverse cuisines, and seamless connectivity.

Additionally, 28 per cent of applications were linked to experiential travel, including international concerts, cooking or yoga retreats, and immersive cultural explorations. Younger women, particularly those under 35, were drawn to spontaneous and adventurous itineraries, while women aged 35 to 45 often planned structured trips around work or family commitments.

Offbeat And Budget Trips Are Popular

Many of us dream of being able to afford a luxurious getaway one day, but our respondents’ travel habits were more closely aligned with going on a budget backpacking trip (28 per cent) or a sustainable and offbeat tour (28 per cent) as compared to a luxurious holiday (22 per cent) or a road trip adventure (22 per cent).

Curiously, self-driven road trips were the most preferred form of travel at 40 per cent, followed by scenic train journeys at 33 per cent and flights (27 per cent).

Once at the destination, respondents’ favourite mode of local transport was their own legs, with the majority preferring to walk the streets and hidden lanes (42 per cent), followed by taking local trains (33 per cent) and opting for auto rickshaws (25 per cent).

Discovering Their Travel Superpower

You can only uncover your travel superpower if you make trips frequently. Thus, most of our respondents found that they were superb at finding the best hidden gems at their destination (40 per cent), followed by taking the most aesthetic photos (30 per cent), mastering budget travel hacks (20 per cent), and packing light like a pro (10 per cent).

Locking Travel Memories

Whether you buy a souvenir, take photos for your Instagram or write in your journal, there are multiple ways to capture the memories and experiences of your holiday. For our respondents, taking stunning Instagram Reels and photos was the most preferred way of documenting a trip (44 per cent), followed by scrapbooking or writing in a travel journal (31 per cent), collecting local souvenirs (19 per cent), and pinning locations for future trips (6 per cent).

The preference for taking photographs is also reflected in our respondents’ go-to travel essentials. A camera was the top pick (53 per cent), followed by a mini make-up kit (24 per cent), a good book for the journey (12 per cent), and a first-aid kit (11 per cent).