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So you’re dreaming of travelling to India as a solo female traveller, you tell your friends and they go “oh, is that safe?” – so you decided to look it up online and see what the experts are saying.
Your friends are not wrong to be concerned – travelling around India as a solo female traveller presents some challenges, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go.
India is an intoxicating cultural melting pot with a vast and diverse culture. It’s home to over a billion people, thousands of sacrosanct sites, palm-fringed beaches, snow-capped Himalayan mountains, tantalising cuisines, and oodles of spiritual experiences to get you better acquainted with your soul.
India is an adventure.
You need to have your adventurers mindset on to be able to really appreciate it – that’s tip number one.
But as I said, there are also some challenges for women visiting this vast land.
If you want more tips on how to travel India as a solo female travel, particularly on how to stay safe and how to make the most of your experience, here’s how…
What Is It Like To Travel To India As A Solo Female Traveler
Demystifying India is a task that all adventure travellers set out to achieve, but barely do they leave feeling like they’ve fully got India. You could spend months and months here and barely scratch the surface. That’s all part of its charm.
Before I get into my tips on how to stay safe, it’s important to understand what to expect when you get to India.
We’ve all heard horror stories of women being harassed or worse by men, of robberies and pickpockets, of beggars and overly friendly people – not to mention the infamous Dehli Belly food poisoning.
All those things can happen, but rarely do you meet a traveller who has been to India that mentions these things. Instead, you hear things like “Oh, I love India. I just can’t wait to get back. I feel so centred and balanced when I’m there.”
India is intriguing and everyone has a different experience of it. Your experience is what you make of it.
Most people will notice the crowds and the chaos of the cities, such as Mumbai, and it’s hard to ignore the smoggy pollution, but once you get out of the city it’s like travelling into a whole new dimension – it’s peaceful, it’s serene, it’s joyful.
The curries are spicy, the people are friendly (women love dressing you up in saris and taking pictures with you), the weather is not as hot and humid as you’d expect (in some places), the temples are mind-blowing, the traffic is bustling, and the vibe is laid-back despite the throngs of people.
You will either fall madly in love with India, or shrug your shoulders and say “it’s not for me,” and both will be acceptable responses.
How To Stay Safe When Traveling To India As A Solo Female Traveler
India is not as dangerous as the media and the horror stories make it out to be, however you do need to go prepared to India or you will find yourself in sticky situations.
To make sure that doesn’t happen to you, here are my top safety tips for visiting India…
1. Plan your itinerary in advance
I am the kind of “wing it” traveller who likes to rock up and figure it out when I get there. Not in India. Do not leave anything to chance and have your itinerary nailed down before you go.
Some parts of India are safer for solo women travelers than others.
The Rajasthan province is both exciting and easy to explore for solo female travellers.
Most women love Jaipur, and it seems to be one of the few places where sexual harassment isn’t as common. Udaipur and Jodhpur Pushkar are also some of the safest places to visit.
We personally love Bundi, a small town in Rajastan that’s a bit more off-the-beaten-path.
Goa is a lovely beach destination and is very popular with tourists, so if you want a safe beach destination, add Goa to your list.
Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Kasmir in the Himalayas are also widely regarded as safe parts of India to visit.
Then there is Rishikesh, in the Uttarakhand province, the yoga capital of the world, which most women enjoy.
Delhi is loud and chaotic, and not worth visiting for more than a couple of days to get orientated. Agra is a one day/one night trip to see the Taj Mahal.
Try to purchase your entrance ticket or tours to attractions in advance, and definitely book train tickets online to avoid having to hustle with the locals.
Read more: 10 Reasons To Take A Solo Trip To Rajasthan
2. Dress modestly
You absolutely do need to dress and behave modestly when you visit India, not just to thwart off unwanted attention, but also to respect the local customs.
Do not wander around in hot pants and a crop top and expect to not get unwanted attention.
Dress with your shoulders and knees covered and do not wear anything tight fitting.
When swimming, wear swimwear over a bikini. Most women wear swimming costumes, and even their saris over the top, so leave the G-string bikini bottoms at home.
3. Do not give in to advances
Most women will at some point be met with stares and unwanted cat-calling.
It’s common for men to approach women and ask to take a “selfie” with you or just want to shake your hand.
Once you agree to these small, seemingly harmless interactions, you have opened a door to them to harass you for more.
Often if you agree to the selfie they will persist to follow you, possibly ask you where your husband is, or say some obscene stuff to you.
Sometimes men may put themselves between you and the place you want to go, and decide they have to go everywhere with you saying it is to “keep you safe.”
It sounds scary when I say it like this, but if you just say “no thank you” and move on and ignore them from the beginning, they usually get the message and leave you alone.
4. Pack your patience
India is busy and chaotic, and exceptionally large, so it makes planning difficult in many ways.
You can expect delays on trains and buses, expect mix-ups with your accommodation, expect tour companies to get the wrong hotel to pick you up from – there’s likely to be five different “happy house hotels” in a city, everything takes time. So you need to pack your patience.
The great thing about India is there are multiple opportunities to learn patience and practice being present.
After a couple of weeks of visiting India, I bet you’ll never feel road rage again.
5. Join Facebook community groups
A great resource for travelling solo is the facebook groups, where you can connect with other female travelers and get advice and recommendations.
You can join the Solo Female Traveler Community Facebook group, which is a global group with over 400K women, and I also recommend joining the Solo Female Traveler to India Facebook group.
You can join groups for specific regions in India too, if you feel the general group doesn’t get enough active members.
Before taking advice from other people, or agreeing to meet with other women if you think you’ve made a new travel bestie and plan to travel together – check their page first!
Verify they are a real person. How long have they had their profile? If it’s new, it could be suspicious. How many friends do they have? Are they using a photo of themselves? Do they actively post in the group?
Try and get a sense of whether they are trustworthy and follow your gut.
6. Stay in hostels
The best way to meet other travellers is to stay in hostels, so if you feel overwhelmed by India and you want to make new travel friends, this is where to stay.
Hostels in India can be hit and miss. Some might be dodgy or run down, so make sure you read the reviews carefully before booking.
Check reviews from different nationalities, not just Indian travellers. If all the reviews are from Indian travellers then you might find you are the only foreigner there.
Hostels are also generally safer for women than hotels or guest houses, as there are other solo travellers there.
When you stay on your own in your hotel room, the staff and other guests know you are alone and it can feel quite unnerving.
7. Don’t walk around alone at night
The night time brings out all the unsavoury characters, so avoid wandering around alone at night. Avoid unlit areas and stay on the main streets.
Try to find friends in your hostel to go out to eat with you or just try to be back before dark.
If you do need to go out at night, get a taxi with friends and don’t drink alcohol.
8. Be confident and act like you belong there
Try to look like you know where you are going and what you are doing. Avoid looking too lost or like a tourist.
Put the maps away, avoid taking photos every five seconds, and try your best to fit in.
If you look like you’re a tourist you become easy prey and easy to be picked on.
Don’t update your social media/Instagram on the spot, take photos and share later when you get home.
9. Don’t take anything valuable with you
Don’t take any expensive jewelry or expensive camera equipment, as these can often be pinched from your lockers.
My rule of thumb is to not take anything I don’t mind being taken from me.
Always keep your passport on your person, either in a money belt or in a bag.
Wear your bag across your chest and don’t have any pockets that are easily accessible.
10. Trust your instincts
You should always travel with a “yes” attitude and embrace the adventure, but that being said, trust your instincts.
If something doesn’t feel right, don’t ignore that feeling. Your gut is telling you something is wrong because there is some history there. It’s your subconscious trying to protect you, so don’t ignore it.
Approach all situations with a positive mindset, but remember to stay on your guard too.
11. Get a local sim card
Stay connected and get a local sim card. If you can, pay for it before you land and pick it up from the Airport.
You need a local Indian number to connect to the WiFi at Dheli Airport, and you need data to call an Uber, so without data you really are stuck.
Download Google Maps before you leave so you at least have some navigation if data has run out.
12. Join travel groups
It’s true what they say that there’s safety in numbers.
If you are really worried about traveling India solo, then join a group tour and travel with other likeminded travelers.
We love the philosophy behind G Adventures the most. Click here to learn more about their tours.
Watch the solo travel to India webinar
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I spent in total 6 months in India due to my husbands work. I did a lot of explorations on my own, others with my husband.
India had never been on my wishlist, but once there ofcourse I did all I could to make sure that I would have a good time nevertheless. And I succeeded. I made friends and saw and did a lot. India is a country that will amaze, surprise, puzzle you all the time. The colors are amazing.
Do I find India safe (for women)? NO, not at all.
Did I fall in love with India? Absolutely NOT. It is way too overwhelming in every imaginable way. Sensory overload. My pictures are amazing, sure. But on a picture, you don’t smell the odours of garbage, you don’t hear the cacaphony of sounds and noise and you don’t feel being surrounded and/or harrassed by people all the time. (not that ALL locals approach you hostile or unfriendly. Ofcourse not.)
There is a lot of poverty, pain and suffering. Animals and women suffer more, I think. My heart got broken by what I saw day after day.
I too have two friends, women, solo, who love India. I asked them to explain to me what they love about it. I still don’t get it.
Thank you for your honest feedback Anja. There are so many aspects of India that one cannot simply tag India as a place with too much poverty and overwhelming. That may be true for many of the cities, but just driving an hour or so into the rural areas, or wilderness areas, and what you see is village life. Totally different. I believe many of these parts of India are the real heart and soul of India. The same goes with safety and travelling solo. India is so diverse and there are places you would definitely be more cautious and on guard, but that’s a aspect of that part of India, and it’s not the whole and common sense and following your gut is important. I hope you can make it to our call. We will be discussing this further 🙂
I agree! India is a big country and as diverse as you can imagine. I loved living in Ahmedabad (where my husband is from), even if it took me a couple of days to get used to the chaotic traffic, and had a great time in Diu. Not a fan of Delhi. I’d love to take the time to attend the webinar and maybe help with my experience, let’s see (it will be 1 A.M. my time… but I’ll make the effort).
Will the webinar be viewable after it goes live? I’ll be (coincidentally!) traveling at that time and will likely not have reliable internet or be in a time zone where I can watch it.
Yes. We’ll be sending out a replay. you can still register to make sure you get the replay
Can you also send me the replay? 8pm EST I’ll be sleeping here in France 😉
Thank you
Sure. Make sure you’re registered so the replay can find you!
Great idea! I think one of the keys to enjoying and being safe in India is confidence and attitude. India is not so much a place to see, but a place you feel. If you go with a positive attitude, open mind and open heart then India can be the most amazing, rewarding and transformative travel destination. I admit my first time wasn’t easy at first but it gets alot easier, especially once you get adapt the way to travel to suit India – 6 months wasn’t enough for me, I’m already planning my third visit! Women need to be cautious but remember to keep it in perspective – it’s not as bad as the media says! Take it slow and prepare to have your mind blown! I just wrote a whole article about my experiences in India and tips for women travelers which might help others. 🙂 http://www.global-gallivanting.com/safety-tips-for-women-traveling-in-india/
Confidence and attitude is the key to any form of travel or life journey! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences Anna – it’s so helpful for other readers who may be nervous to hear!
Hi! I came across this as I was on lookout for ppl who have travelled to INDIA and mentioned about their various experiences. I am born and brought up in India Mumbai, currently I am based in the UK in Cambridge for my daughters secondary education. And wish to settle back in my home country in 7-8 years time. I know and am aware of all that India has to offer in all its glory. In UK I have lot many asking me about the dos and donts in India during their travel. I am in the process of setting up a web portal a market place online where I want to connect people in the UK to India to experience India in its authentic form. I see this happening more often if people are connected with them lot who have already traveled to India or are bag packers and frequent travellers to India. Please can you email me regarding your views on my web portal venture and how we can collaborate in any way, with a mutual thought of “love for India” 🙂 awaiting response !!!
Hi! I love India! And some things I hate 🙂
But most of all I love the people, culture, nature and everything.
It is a love/hate thing. You hear it a lot and it’s true.
First time I went with a friend, loved it! Second time I went solo for a month. Loved it!! Now planning a third trip with my dad because he wants to see too!!
Do go!! You’ll love it…and hate it a bit 😉
Greetz from Jacomijn
I traveled to India alone when I was 18, and never felt endangered, although I did hear one story about another solo female traveler who was aggressively approached on a train and had to jump off when it stopped.
I found that when I took trains (I almost only traveled by train), I’d go to the tourist reservation offices, where you can get seats reserved only for tourists. This was a good way to meet other travelers.
There were almost always families or college students traveling in the sleeper trains, and I always felt safe with them around. There are way more good people than bad people, so take whatever help you can.
Your blogs are amazing reads. I enjoyed reading each one of them; they are very much informative as well. Also, I would like to invite you to read mine on http://blog.antilogvacations.com/. It would be a pleasure to know your opinion on the same. Thanks!
I haven’t managed to tick India off the bucket list yet, but the other day my girlfriend mentioned us going there. I told her I wanted to go there, but not with her. I then proceeded to explain how it could possibly be unsafe for her and I wouldn’t feel comfortable having to look over my shoulder every second to make sure shes okay. Plus people groping here wouldn’t make me feel particularly happy.
I know I’m probably overreacting and infarct most places in Asia can be dangerous at times, but after reading the AMA by a guy on Reddit who was given a spiked apple (it had been spiked with acid) in India and nearly died after being arrested and left in a mental hospital (cell) with no food or water for multiple days… I think India needs to wait for the time being.
Props to those who travel it. The people who I have met who traveled it successfully and for long periods normally loved it.
I missed the webinar unfortunately, but wanted to comment and give my experiences. I lived in India for close to a decade. I’m white, blonde haired blue eyed. The night I arrived I was assaulted in a taxi. The day mumbai floods killed 1000 people I was assaulted while walking in waist high wAter. Those are the big times, the little times of breast and crotch groping are too numerous to recall.
Did I feel safe in India? Yes. Are all solo female travelers safe there? Not at all.
I applaud the work to inform travelers to India, but it’s also important to be realistic about what can and more often than not will happen. It’s not about how you are dressed (although don’t wear tank tops!), or the color of your skin. It’s a cultural issue that goes deep into the fabric of Indian society, if this is ignored it perpetuates and over time increases the danger for women of all color, class and breed.
I just came across this and guessing I missed the webinar. Can I receive a copy please?
thanks for great post & nice start by you for solo travellers…
Me and my wife are working on our itinerary in India. We both are from Indian but still haven’t seen the length and breadth of it (what a shame).
It’s good to read what other people have to say on their experiences and for all what we have traveled till now (27+ Countries and counting), each country has its own good and bad to offer and i guess that is what makes that country unique.
Keep writing 🙂
I lived nearly five years in India and heard some disturbing tales from both Indian women and foreign female travelers about their unwelcome encounters in transport and on beaches. Here’s to safe and enjoyable travels.
yeah,,India is a best option to spend remarkable moments,, view more about best travel locations in India http://goo.gl/R3CwD4
Well said Caz! Though such mis- happenings are seen in streets and most of the cities, it all depends on the time, place and various other circumstances.
Wise choice of including some lone women travelers and thank you for guiding us further into the to[ic with your researches and links.
Yes very well explained. Actually our security is in our own hands. Really this write-up gives me courage to roam my own city. 🙂 Thanks alot Caz.
every country has some good or bad points India is not a exceptional its all up to you what you see good one’s or bad one’s.
India is a beautiful country having unity in diversity. You will find here a mix of ancient culture and modernization. Here in India, guests are treated as God, so being an Indian girl, I would say India is safe and there is no need to scared about your security, but you will have to be careful about few things as a girl that are gonna help you in India and in other country also:
1. Don’t trust anyone until you know them properly.
2. Try to avoid travelling alone late night.
I hope, next time you will definitely plan your trip to India without any fear or hesitation.
@anja . May be you are only visited north india. Visit south india. Which is absolutely different from other region.
Thanks for the post. We also feel that the country has great potential and our business also supports the travellers by providing bikes on rent for travel.
“INDIA” alludes to custom, its a delightful nation with parts a religions and societies . Its a decent place to visit where regular wind and delightful landscape you can see . Its the spot where yoga and contemplation where conceived . Numerous legends lived place . We arrange safe road trips across india visit our indian road trip blog http://inroadtrip.com
Each country has its own culture and tradition. Few are Good, few are bad, the perspective plays an important role here. There are many places in India which is safe for the solo women traveller. I am not telling this because I am from India but recently we organized a solo traveller meet (more info: http://www.theindia.co.in/blog/solo-travelers-meetup-ahmedabad-201) where many women traveller participated and shared their experiences.
If you are around and would love to connect with fellow solo traveller, Kindly let me know. The next meetup is there in March and would love to see you in the event.
I am Indian, and I don’t feel any kind of security issue here. Before making any comment you need to consider that, it’s a homeland of 1.3 billion people. And like any other country, you can find people of different mindset. But that doesn’t mean that India is totally unsafe for women, and countries like US and UK is totally safe.
I would like to assure single female travelers that traveling in India is as safe as traveling to any other country. You just need to follow some thumb rules…
1. Always choose reliable source of information. For example, hire cabs from professional cab operators like Taxi Guru Solution, Ali Cool Cab or Just Car Rental. You can find information about these car rental companies from portal of CabX.
2. Always reserve room is good hotels, and if required, request for tour guide from the hotel management.
3. Avoid traveling in a crowded zone or slum areas.
If you follow these simple rules, you will never feel unsafe.
I’m a solo female traveler and been in India for a while. I have been exploring this place from long and during that meet many kind of people, but overall my experience is good. Though being an solo female travel it is very challenging on the other side it is very amazing too.. So, I suggest don’t worry come India and live this place they way it serves..
I’m really glad that you wrote this article. I’m from India. Eventhough there are many safety concerns regarding women, many regulations are coming up that has made it safer now than yesterday. India is truly a magical and diverse place. It would be a shame for people to not visit. It’s home for me, and I want everyone to feel what I feel.
Really interesting article. Can I get a copy of the webinar?
I would love to visit India!!!
Wayanadu is perfect for solo travelers! It’s got stunning nature, cool waterfalls like Soochipara and Meenmutty, and awesome places to trek like Chembra Peak. You can also check out tribal villages and try yummy local food. And if you want peace, you can camp under the stars. Wayanadu is all about fun adventures and chilling out! so don’t miss out on visiting wayanad
Nice story. Really interesting.