There’s a moment that shows up on women-only hiking trips, and it’s never the summit photo.
It’s something smaller. Someone hesitates on a rocky step, slows down on a steep descent, or looks unsure about what’s coming next, and without anyone making a fuss, another woman reaches out a hand and says, “Here.” That’s it. That’s the whole moment. But it changes everything.
That simple gesture is why so many women choose women-only travel in the first place. Not because they can’t do it alone, but because they don’t want to have to. They want support that doesn’t feel like pity, and encouragement that doesn’t feel like pressure.
And if you’ve never tried an all-women adventure before, I want you to know this: it might look like “just a hiking holiday” from the outside, but it often becomes something much bigger on the inside.
So let me show you what these trips really feel like, from the first awkward hello to the last dinner where nobody wants to say goodbye. And somewhere in this story, I think you’ll recognize yourself.
Why women-only adventures feel different (in the best way)
People sometimes ask me why women choose women-only hiking trips. The question usually comes with a curious tone, like it’s a niche thing, or a passing trend.
But when you’ve spent enough time guiding groups of women outdoors, you start to understand that it’s not a gimmick. It’s a response to real life.
A good all-women adventure tends to feel different because the pace of the trip is designed around the group, not the fastest person in it. There’s usually more patience built into the day, more willingness to adapt, more checking in, more time given when someone needs it.
And that doesn’t mean the trips are “easy.” It means the trips are supportive.
Support changes how you move through the world. You walk differently when you know you won’t be judged for slowing down. You try differently when you know you won’t be laughed at for being a beginner. You breathe differently when you’re not bracing yourself to keep up.
That’s what women-only travel can give you at its best. It’s not about excluding anyone. It’s about creating a space where women can take up room, relax into the experience, and feel safe enough to be fully present.
And that’s exactly why an all-women adventure can feel so refreshing compared to other types of group travel.
The hidden reasons women book these trips
Of course, some women book an adventure trip because they want the scenery, and I can’t blame them. The landscapes we hike through are stunning. But if you listen closely to why women join these trips, you’ll often hear something deeper underneath the practical reason.
More than scenery
Sometimes it’s a big life change. A bereavement. A divorce. A health scare. A milestone birthday that suddenly makes time feel very real.
Sometimes it’s not dramatic at all, just a slow build of responsibilities until someone finally says, “I need to get away.”
I’ve met women who’ve spent years caring for parents, partners, children, everyone else, and they come on an all-women adventure not because they want to “escape,” but because they want to remember what it feels like to have time that belongs to them.
I’ve met women who are confident at work and capable in every way, but feel uneasy about traveling alone, especially in places where they don’t know the language or the terrain.
And I’ve met women who are simply lonely. Not in a sad way, but in that quiet modern way where life is full, but connection is thin. They want a holiday where they don’t have to eat dinner alone or hike alone or pretend they’re fine with being alone.
Women-only travel meets all of those needs in a way that feels natural.
You’re not joining a group to be “fixed.” You’re joining a group to be held by the experience, and an all-women adventure often becomes the easiest way to find that kind of belonging.
My own turning point: when travel stopped being simple
I grew up in Lincolnshire in the east of England, very rural and very outdoors, so walking has always been in my blood. I was happily living in London until my life changed in 2013.
My partner was diagnosed with stage four cancer, completely out of the blue. Suddenly life became hospital visits, giving up work, and trying to live inside a reality I hadn’t chosen. Two years later, she died. And I remember thinking, very plainly, “What is my life now?”
We’d always travelled together, so after she was gone, it wasn’t just grief, it was also this strange loneliness of not knowing how to holiday anymore.
I needed space, so I did something unusual. My sister-in-law suggested we drive to Mongolia and raise money for the hospital that looked after my partner, and that trip gave me time to think.
When I realized the group matters
When I came home, friends encouraged me to try a women-only walking holiday. I resisted at first and booked a group swimming trip to the Galápagos instead. We were told to swim as a group because of sharks, but the stronger swimmers sped ahead and left me behind.
I still remember someone shouting from the boat, “Ginny! Ginny! Get out of the water!”
I was furious, but it taught me something I didn’t expect: I didn’t just want adventure, I wanted the right kind of group. That was what pushed me toward an all-women adventure in the first place, and it changed everything.
The biggest benefit of women-only travel: you’re never left behind
There are a lot of reasons women love women-only trips, but if I had to name the one that comes up most often, it’s this: women feel safe.
And “safe” doesn’t only mean physical safety, although that matters too. It also means emotional safety. The safety of knowing you can show up as you are, not as the version of yourself who always has it together.
On women-only hiking trips, people tend to look out for each other in a very practical way. There’s more waiting at trail junctions. More “Do you want a quick break?” More “Let’s take it steady on this descent.” More checking in without making it awkward.
And there’s often more laughter too, which I think is underrated as a travel benefit. Laughter is a kind of nervous system reset. It’s how you realize you’ve actually relaxed.
When you’re not worried about being judged for your pace, you start enjoying the trail. When you’re not worried about being alone at the back, you stop rushing.
When you’re not worried about proving you belong outdoors, you actually start belonging outdoors, and that’s when an all-women adventure becomes something you want to repeat.
What are good adventure trips for women
This is the question I love, because it’s where women realize they have options.
A good all-women adventure isn’t defined by one type of terrain or one kind of fitness level. It’s defined by the experience you want to have, and how you want to feel while you’re having it.
Some women want a trip that’s all about connection and restoration, with beautiful walks and plenty of time to slow down. Others want a proper challenge, long trekking days, big elevation, and that deep satisfaction of doing something hard.
And a lot of women want both. They want to work their bodies during the day and then relax properly afterward.
Here are a few styles of adventure trips that tend to be especially good for women-only groups, because they bring out the best parts of traveling together. If you’re searching for adventure travel for women, this is where I’d start.
1) Gentle hiking holidays for rest, confidence, and connection
These are the trips I recommend to women who want movement, but don’t want to feel like they’re in training for something. You’re walking every day, but the pace is relaxed, the routes are chosen to be enjoyable rather than punishing, and there’s usually more time built in for culture, food, and simply sitting together at the end of the day.
These trips are brilliant if you’re coming off a busy season of life and you want to come home feeling lighter, not flattened, and they’re often the perfect first all-women adventure for someone who hasn’t traveled in a group before.
That’s why I often recommend them to anyone browsing adventure holidays for women and thinking, ‘I want something active, but I also want to actually feel rested when I get home.’
2) Flatter walking trips that are kinder on knees
A lot of women ask me about dodgy knees, and I always say the same thing: downhills can be harder than uphills.
So trips with flatter terrain, like coastal paths, forest trails, lake walks, and low rolling landscapes, can be a fantastic way to stay active without the constant pounding of steep descents.
These trips also tend to be more social, because you’re not so breathless you can’t chat. You get that lovely rhythm of walking and talking, which is where connection builds quickly, and it’s a big reason why adventure vacations for women can feel so much more fun than people expect.
3) High mountain treks for women who want a real challenge
If you want to climb high, trek through dramatic landscapes, and feel that “I can’t believe I just did that” pride at the end of the day, mountain trips are for you.
What I find interesting is that these trips often appeal to older women. Many are retired, many have more time, and many still want to challenge themselves. They don’t want their adventurous years to be behind them.
They want to prove, quietly and powerfully, that they’re still capable of big days.
And they are.
4) Winter adventures like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing
Winter trips are a special kind of magic. Snow changes everything. It makes the landscape feel quieter, brighter, and more peaceful.
Snowshoeing is one of those activities that surprises women. Someone will join thinking it’s going to be difficult, and then they finish the week absolutely glowing because it’s exhilarating and fun and it feels like being a kid again.
Cross-country skiing is another brilliant one, especially if you want something new and different. It’s challenging, yes, but it’s also a skill, and learning something new in a supportive group is one of the best feelings in the world.
It’s the kind of adventure for women that stays with you long after you’ve unpacked.
5) Unique adventures like gorge walking
If you want something that feels like a proper story, gorge walking is unforgettable.
You’re hiking in a river, moving through narrow rock corridors, stepping through water, and laughing because it’s not what most people picture when they think of a “hiking holiday.”
It’s adventurous, it’s a little bit wild, and it’s exactly the kind of thing women often love doing together because you’re all in it as a team, which is why adventure women tours are so popular once you’ve tried one.
What a day on an all-women hiking trip actually feels like
People always ask what a typical day looks like, and the truth is, it depends on the trip. But there’s a rhythm that makes these adventures feel both exciting and easy to settle into.
You start with a good breakfast. Proper fuel. The kind of breakfast that makes you feel ready for a full day outside.
What happens after breakfast
Then you set off together. That matters. Even with bigger groups, you begin as one, and you move as a group. The guide sets the pace, and the pace is chosen so the day feels enjoyable, not stressful.
As you walk, the guide brings the place alive. She’ll point out plants, landmarks, small details you’d never notice on your own. Sometimes it’s a standing stone with a hole in it, something you’d walk right past without a second glance, but in a group it becomes a little moment of wonder.
You stop for breaks, snacks, photos, and chats. And then you finish the day and you get the best part: boots off, food, warmth, and that deep exhale of having done something good for yourself.
Sometimes it’s a hot tub in the Alps.
Sometimes it’s feet in a cold river.
Sometimes it’s a sunset that makes everyone go quiet.
Those moments aren’t extras. They’re part of why the trip works, and why an all-women adventure can feel like such a complete reset.
The community effect: strangers in, friends out
One of the most beautiful things about women-only adventure travel is how quickly connection forms.
Women arrive from different places, different lives, different backgrounds, and within a day you can feel the group shifting into something cohesive.
There’s something about walking side by side that makes conversation easier. You don’t have to hold eye contact the whole time. You don’t have to perform. You can talk naturally, pause naturally, laugh naturally.
And because you’re sharing something physical, something real, the bonds form faster. By day two, people are swapping snacks, sharing blister tape, and saving each other a seat at dinner.
Many groups stay in touch for years. Some women travel together again. Some end up visiting each other’s homes.
It’s one of those rare types of travel where the best souvenir is often the people, and that’s another reason an all-women adventure can stay with you long after you’ve unpacked.
The kind of confidence women take home
I’ve watched women come on trips thinking they’re “not fit enough” or “not adventurous enough” and leave with a completely different story about themselves.
They don’t come home bragging. They come home steady.
With the quiet confidence of knowing what they can do, because they’ve just done it.
And that confidence doesn’t stay on the trail. It follows them back into real life. Into work. Into relationships. Into decisions they’ve been putting off. Into the way they hold themselves.
Sometimes the most life-changing part of an all-women adventure is simply realizing you’re still you.
Still capable. Still strong. Still allowed to take up space.
What to pack so weather doesn’t steal your joy
I can’t talk about hiking without talking about kit, because the truth is, the weather is changing and it’s less predictable than it used to be.
I’ve seen hailstones in southern Spain. I’ve seen Norway raining in August. I’ve seen thick fog in Switzerland in July. I’ve seen rain every day in England for a full week.
If you have the right kit, you can still walk every day and have an incredible trip.
If you don’t, you can end up cold, wet, miserable, and in the worst cases, unable to continue.
So my advice is simple. Bring layers. Bring a proper rain jacket. Bring warm layers even if you think it’ll be hot. If you only do one thing, pack for the coldest, wettest version of the forecast, not the nicest.
And always read the trip notes carefully, because a good guide will tell you exactly what to expect for that location and season.
The wow moments you can’t plan (and why they matter)
Every trip has its wow moments. Sometimes they’re obvious, like spotting the Northern Lights. Sometimes they’re quieter, like a group of women lying back on the ground because the guide says, “Just look.”
I once took a group far into Arctic Norway searching for the Northern Lights and we saw nothing. Not a flicker. Then back home, the Northern Lights appeared somewhere completely unexpected.
That’s travel. You can’t schedule magic.
But you can create the conditions for it. You can slow down enough to notice. You can give yourself enough time outside that your mind stops racing. You can walk with women who are open to wonder, and that makes you open to wonder too.
So, could an all-women adventure change your life?
It might, yes.
Not because a hiking trip fixes everything, but because walking does something to the mind and body that’s hard to replicate anywhere else. It clears space. It rebuilds confidence. It gives you a rhythm that feels human again.
And when you do that walking alongside other women, women who encourage you, wait for you, laugh with you, and reach out a hand when you need it, you come home feeling different.
More yourself.
More alive.
More connected.
And if you’ve been searching for a women only adventure holiday but weren’t sure it was ‘your thing,’ I’d say this: you don’t have to be fearless, you just have to be willing to show up.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign that you’re allowed to take an all-women adventure like this, I’ll give it to you plainly: you are.
You don’t have to be the fastest. You don’t have to be the bravest. You don’t have to have your life perfectly sorted. You just have to take the first step.
And once you do, you won’t be walking alone.