Escorted tours for women?

October 17, 2005 7:04 PM

Does anyone have any recommendations of guided/escorted tour companies that run tours geared towards women? I'm looking to go on vacation, and I'll be by myself. I'd prefer to travel in a group so I have people to talk to, and I don't want to be on a bus with 19 year old college students or 55 year old couples. The tours geared for singles look a little dodgy.

I'm not looking to discover the goddess within or some backcountry adventure, like so many women-centred travel companies seem to think. I'm 35, and ideally would like an escorted tour where I honestly don't have to really plan anything, but just sit back and enjoy. Like a Trafalgar tour type of thing.

posted by Salmonberry to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

I don't know if this exists. If you're willing to go coed, Trafalgar does some 21-38 tours and Contiki does 18-35 (but skews older if school is in session). Neither are aimed at singles in my experience, and have about half couples. Contiki are bigger drinkers. Any open age tour will run mostly 40-65 and more couples.
posted by smackfu at 7:53 PM on October 17, 2005

Journey Woman might be a good resource for your research. The site is *always* recommended by other travel sites and guides.
posted by occhiblu at 8:11 PM on October 17, 2005

Butterfield and Robinson used to have Women Only trips when I worked there but I'm not sure they still do. Worth an email or call though, I suppose. They're expensive, but very good at what they do.
posted by dobbs at 9:06 PM on October 17, 2005

Olivia Cruises and Resorts offers a great variety of lesbian-oriented vacations for women.
posted by Carol Anne at 4:35 AM on October 18, 2005

I've heard that Rick Steves Tours are quite comfortable for women travelling alone.
posted by Melinika at 6:34 AM on October 18, 2005 [1 favorite]

If you like photography, there are some interesting vacations/photo workshops available that attract neither "singles" nor "couples" but individuals who like travel and are interested in photo. A single female friend of mine went to Morocco with one such group and made lots of like-minded friends (mostly, but not exclusively female). Some reputable organizations I know of that offer these trips are: ICP, the Workshops at Rockport College, Santa Fe Workshops.
posted by xo at 1:21 PM on October 18, 2005