I鈥檓 a woman who loves traveling solo. What should I know about India?
Oct 20, 2023 鈥 4 min read
Less-visited corners of India 鈥 such as the south or the northeast 鈥 offer a way for solo female travelers to ease into their journeys 漏 Sudip Bhar / Shutterstock
In this series, 老澳门六合彩开奖记录鈥檚 team of writers and editors answers your travel problems and provides tips and hacks to help you plan a hassle-free trip. We asked Mumbai-based LP editor Akanksha Singh 鈥 a self-confessed control freak who finds traveling solo the ultimate in freedom 鈥 to field this question.
Question: 鈥嬧婭 am 27 years old and have traveled solo on my own in Europe and North America. Next year, I am planning a month-long trip to India, and am wondering if you have any tips for a female solo traveler?
Akanksha Singh: A cheesy quote graffitied on a wall outside a stoner cafe in Rishikesh some has stayed with me over the years: 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 visit India. India visits you.鈥 In other words, India is an experience that aches as much as it thrills. And if you haven鈥檛 traveled much outside the Global North, I鈥檇 say this is doubly true.
Yet from the velvet beaches of Andman and Nicobar to the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, it鈥檚 one of the few places where you can travel at your own pace, at any budget. You can hole yourself away in a lakefront cabin in verdant Maharastra, trek the unspoiled Markha Valley or immerse yourself in mythology in Hampi.
While it鈥檚 hard to condense all the safety dos and don鈥檛s for a country this big and diverse, here are a few tips to get you started.
Sort out your communications right when you arrive
The best safety measure for solo travelers? A local prepaid SIM card. This will help you make train bookings and use transport apps like and Uber (which sometimes offer rides between cities, too), among countless other tasks. Owing to security concerns, there鈥檚 very little free public wi-fi in India. Data plans in India are, however, largely affordable (as low as ), which means you can stay connected throughout your trip without denting your budget.
You can pick up a local SIM card as soon as you arrive in India, even at the airport. To do so, you鈥檒l need to carry an unlocked phone, photocopies of your passport and some passport-sized photos. Despite the country鈥檚 efforts to 鈥済o digital,鈥 getting a SIM is still a paper-heavy process 鈥 so prepare to be patient.
Take note of emergency numbers should you need them: 100 (for the police) and 181 (a dedicated women鈥檚 helpline).
Budget well 鈥 some upgrades are worth it
The sad reality of traveling in India is that you鈥檙e likely to be safer if you pay top rupee for certain essentials, such as accommodation and transport. If you鈥檙e traveling long distances by train, consider splurging out on an air-con first class (1AC) ticket, which comes with seats that convert into beds and compartments with lockable doors.
Before you get into a taxi or auto rickshaw, ensure the driver will charge you by the meter, and don鈥檛 let them pick up strangers to carpool on your ride 鈥 if they do, get off. And your mother was right: never accept rides from strangers.
Dress modestly
Dress codes vary by Indian destination. While it鈥檚 best to take your cue from locals, as a general rule of thumb, if you鈥檙e somewhere hotter, opt for loose-fitting linen and cotton t-shirts and trousers. Also carry a scarf or sarong to cover up further if needed at holy sites, and note that few Indians wear swimwear to beaches (you鈥檒l even see some women swimming in saris).
Consider easing into the more touristy spaces
For your first taste of urban India, start in Mumbai. As a Mumbaikar, I鈥檓 biased, it鈥檚 true 鈥 but I鈥檝e got data to back this up. Mumbai is the (after Helsinki), than other Indian cities and a great place to get your overall bearings.
If you鈥檙e an especially nervous or inexperienced traveler, consider traveling India鈥檚 south and northeast first. I鈥檓 by no means suggesting you restrict yourself geographically; if we women did this, we鈥檇 never leave the safety and comfort of our homes. However, parts of northern India 鈥 particularly more-visited places like Agra, Jaipur and Delhi 鈥 are harder to navigate as a solo traveler.
If you have second thoughts, there are always you can look into joining for part of your time here. I鈥檝e never used one, but friends who have recommend them, and have even formed lifelong friendships through them.
Seek out women-only spaces wherever they鈥檙e available
In an effort to equalize against a largely conservative, patriarchal society, women are offered a few 鈥減erks鈥 in India. Wherever these are available, use them: the ladies鈥 compartments in trains; 鈥渇amily鈥 spaces in restaurants; women-only queues at ticket counters, post offices, etc.
Trust your instincts
It鈥檚 a clich茅 because it鈥檚 true: there鈥檚 no substitute for going with your gut. This is a country of over a billion people, so everything is scaled up 鈥 from scams to incidents of sexual harassment.
For the most part a firm, loud 鈥渘o鈥 can rebuff unwanted male attention. That said, it鈥檚 best to avoid revealing you鈥檙e traveling alone. In fact, if you want to, you鈥檙e welcome to steal one of my many fake male friends and boyfriends I鈥檓 on my way to meet and who I always happen to be on the phone to whenever I鈥檓 on assignment somewhere new: Ravi, Rohan (he鈥檚 trained in jiu-jitsu), Raj, Rishi, Rishabh...