For many women, India may seem like a daunting place, especially if you are considering a solo trip. India can be overwhelming to the senses, with its cacophony of sounds, smells, colors, and the constant movement of people and vehicles, especially for new travelers. As a woman travelling through India (and this goes for foreign visitors and Indian women alike), this may make you feel as if you need to stay hyper-alert and pay close attention to your surroundings and belongings, which is sound advice anywhere, but especially when getting your bearings here. But I’m here to also break a few myths and put your mind at ease, speaking from my own experience as a young woman traveling India by herself throughout her twenties. If you’re thinking about going to India as a solo female traveler but are doubting whether to go because you’re concerned about your safety, this post is for you.
The first time I travelled to India, I was 22, curious about the world, new to solo traveling (especially 7,500 miles away from home), and extremely naive. I had accepted a six-month volunteering position teaching English to children in the popular city of Jaipur, widely known as “the Pink City”. One of the many things I realized right away is how much attention you receive as a foreigner, especially as a woman. Being stared at constantly (by both men and women), approached for selfies (which I later learned it is okay and absolutely necessary to be able to say no to most of the time), and persuaded into buying a good or service, are common experiences for tourists, men and women alike. But apart from the occasional persistent haggling of goods from an impatient merchant, a few instances of catcalling (which actually was significantly less in comparison to some European countries I had visited), or an Uber driver trying to convince me to pay him in cash after I had already paid through the app, I never encountered the extreme scenarios sensationalized in international headlines (which is all of a sudden the one source that people stick to when they try to convince you India isn’t safe) or the one too many “you’ll get kidnapped” speeches I kept hearing from family members and friends. If anything, in conversations with other solo female travelers I met along the way, we consistently echoed each other: “oh, I’m so glad I never listened to those fears”.
On my second and third trip to India, I travelled to southern states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, which, in my opinion, felt relatively easier and more relaxing to navigate as a woman. Here, I was inspired to see women working as bus or taxi drivers, selling bus tickets, or working as guards, roles which you rarely saw women taking on in some of the northern states. In tourist-friendly coastal spots, I didn’t hesitate to walk around in my shorts or midi skirt during the daytime or wear a two piece bikini at the beach. I even felt as if the staring and asking for selfies was significantly less. While the energetic chaos of India was still present, I found that locals in these areas were more accustomed to tourists and generally went about their day.
Now, it is important for me to share that yes, India is a densely populated country where deep-rooted patriarchal norms still shape society and concerns regarding the justice system for crimes against women are a very real issue (Pooja et al., 2024). Saying this, I do believe women travelling to India should be aware of the local social and conservative norms in different regions, and should tread with awareness rather than paranoia. My biggest rule is to follow your gut, our most important and best innate alarm system as women. If something doesn’t feel right, listen to your intuition, firmly set boundaries, and say no.
At the same time, things in India are changing. In the last few years, India has seen a powerful wave of young advocates and university student movements speaking up against gender-based violence and demanding accountability. India has also expanded Tourist Police Units across several different states, almost all hostels now have secure female dorms, and public transportation networks feature dedicated “women-only” coaches and reserved seating. Reported numbers of solo female travelers in India have seen massive double- and triple-digit growth across platforms, reflecting an increasingly confident shift in how women are exploring the country (ET TravelWorld, 2026; Hotelier India, 2025).
I hope by sharing my experience, I’ve been able to shed some light on the truths about traveling as a solo female through the beautiful country of India. India is such an amazing place and has so much to offer, and I’ve never regretted my decision to live and travel there over the last five years. If you’re thinking about visiting India this year or sometime in the near future, this is your sign to go!
References
Pooja, B. S., Guddattu, V., & Rao, K. A. (2024). Crime against women in India: district-level risk estimation using the small area estimation approach. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, Article 1362406. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1362406
ET TravelWorld. (March 9, 2026). Zostel Reports Significant Growth in Solo Female Travel, Surpassing 92,000 Bookings in 2025. The Economic Times. https://travel.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/research-and-statistics/research/zostel-reports-significant-growth-in-solo-female-travel-surpassing-92000-bookings-in-2025/129227603
Hotelier India Staff. (August 14, 2025). Solo women travellers in India see 135% growth. Hotelier India. https://www.hotelierindia.com/operations/solo-women-travellers-in-india-see-135-growth-ahead-of-78th-independence-day
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