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Women’s Adventure Travel Activities Every Explorer Should Try: Adventure Tripr
Women’s Adventure Travel
Inside this article:
Adventure travel is about discovering what you’re truly capable of. Whether traveling solo or with a group, rafting on gushing waters or chasing the northern lights, hiking rocky terrains or snowboarding in freezing temperatures, women's adventure travel is as exciting as you want. And it's not just about the destination. It’s about a journey—outward and inward—that resonates with you and stays with you as long as you live. If the adventurer inside you is ready to embark on this journey, here are 15 activities you must put on your bucket list.
Top 15 Women’s Adventure Travel Activities
Hiking
Running
Trekking
Cycling
Kayaking
Surfing
Rock Climbing
Camping
Skiing
Scuba Diving
Mountaineering
Mountain Biking
Kiteboarding
Sailing
Horseback Riding
Hiking
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
It's hardly surprising that hiking is one of the most accessible forms of women’s adventure travel. You usually don't need special equipment or training, and many national parks around the globe have great trails that are pretty safe for women hikers. You only need a decent fitness level and basic hiking skills to start hiking.
How It Helps Women:
Apart from building physical stamina, hiking aids in sharpening mental clarity. Hikers also admit it helps in reflection and stress relief. Tackling new terrain boosts independence and self-confidence, especially if you’re a beginner.
Stat Insight:
In the U.S. alone, 29 % adult women participated in hiking, and 7.4 % went backpacking in 2002.
Running
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Even more accessible than hiking is running. A good pair of sneakers, good stamina, and a safe path are all you need to enjoy this activity. You can jog through a park, hit a scenic trail, or do a charity 5K, and become a part of an excellent runner's community that keeps you going.
How It Helps Women:
Running is great for cardiovascular health, whether you're perimenopausal or menopausal. It boosts your stamina and sharpens mental focus. Even starting with short distances can build resilience over time and give you a sense of freedom.
Stat Insight:
As of 2024, women made up approximately 45% of marathon runners. Also, women often maintain a steadier pace throughout a marathon than men.
Trekking
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
When it comes to women's adventure trips, trekking is one of my favorites. It is highly accessible and versatile. Whether exploring the rugged backcountry in the Rockies or hiking Himalayan trails, women tend to make a great tribe on the way.
How It Helps Women:
Trekking is a great way to strengthen physical stamina and to clear the mind. It reinforces independence as you navigate the terrain and gives a sense of triumph as you rise to new summits.
Stat Insight:
According to one of India’s largest trekking organizations, approximately 32–35% of trekkers are women, and notably, about 80% of those are solo or traveling with female friends.
Cycling
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Cycling is a low-barrier way to dive into women’s adventure travel. All you need is a decent bike and start with paved paths. Slowly, you can upgrade to gravel roads or scenic trails. You'll find some of the most beginner-friendly routes across North America where you can ride solo and in groups.
How It Helps Women:
Cycling helps with cardiovascular stamina and lung capacity. It also allows you to immerse yourself in fresh air and build independence, especially when navigating new routes. Such a simple activity can even be part of adventures for women over 50.
Stat Insight:
Over the last five years, women’s involvement in competitive cycling has grown by 35%.
Kayaking
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Even if you don't have prior experience with kayaking, you can still easily hire a guide, rent a kayak, and set out on your first adventure. This, and so many lakes, rivers, and coastal bays within and outside North America, make kayaking a popular activity in women's adventure retreats.
How It Helps Women:
Kayaking isn't just thrilling, but also builds upper-body strength and improves stamina. It is also known to relieve stress with the sight and sound of the water and give mental calm through rhythmic paddling. The independence of steering your own boat is also quite empowering.
Stat Insight:
In 2019, women comprised as much as 36% of the whitewater kayaking community, highlighting their growing presence in this traditionally male-dominated sport.
Surfing
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
While surfing is not as easy to start as running or hiking, it is still an iconic staple in women's tour activities at beach destinations. It requires nothing more than a board, a safe break (beach or resort), and the ocean. You can easily start with lessons available at surf camps, and surf rentals are available at beaches worldwide.
How It Helps Women:
Like most water sports, surfing also strengthens the body. It also adds to your mental focus since you need to sharpen your balance. Every successful ride boosts independence and confidence, creating a powerful sense of accomplishment.
Stat Insight:
Today, women represent roughly 20% of surfers worldwide, and the number is steadily growing as more women embrace the sport.
Rock Climbing
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Rock climbing has been picking up as a solo female adventure travel activity during the last decade. It requires minimal gear to start, but you must put your heart into learning it properly to ensure safety. You can start with a guided climb on a beginner-focused trip and upgrade as you gain more experience.
How It Helps Women:
Rock climbing builds muscular stamina, sharpens problem-solving skills, and clears the mind as you focus on each hold. Conquering new routes empowers women with independence and self-trust.
Stat Insight:
Approximately 25% of registered climbers in the U.S. are women, highlighting the growing inclusion of female adventurers in this dynamic sport.
Camping
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Camping as an adventure activity might raise concerns in women's minds. But when we see it as a women-only adventure travel activity, it makes more sense. With campgrounds available in national parks, forests, private sites, and even glamping retreats, it’s safe and easy to get started, especially when you become part of a community.
How It Helps Women:
Setting up an outdoor camp on your own will enhance physical stamina and a sense of independence, especially after a hike. It also promotes mental clarity by unplugging from everyday stress.
Stat Insight:
As of 2020, women accounted for 45% of campers in the U.S., making camping one of the most popular women’s tour activities.
Skiing
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Skiing gives you the much-needed thrill as you carve down groomed runs at resorts or try cross-country trails in hidden forest valleys. It is relatively easy to take up with intro lessons, rental gear, and beginner-friendly slopes.
How It Helps Women:
Along with physical strength, skiing also improves balance and coordination. Gliding through the crisp alpine air can clear your mind more effectively. Each descent gives you confidence and a sense of triumph.
Stat Insight:
At present, women represent approximately 44% of alpine/downhill skiers and 44% of cross-country skiers in the U.S.
Scuba Diving
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Scuba diving does not require any prior diving experience, but the reward it offers is unparalleled. Most scuba diving destinations offer beginner-friendly dive centers with guided lessons and rental gear. With just one guided lesson, you can explore reefs, shipwrecks, and more.
How It Helps Women:
It is not a sport that requires a lot of physical strength or skill. Calm and captivating underwater environments provide the most surreal form of relaxation and wonder, which is no wonder it is a popular activity in women's adventure retreats.
Stat Insight:
Women make up less than 40% of all divers worldwide.
Mountaineering
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Mountaineering is an adventure sport that's becoming increasingly popular among women. Women choose it for the immense sense of independence and victory it provides. With guided expeditions and improved gear, women have more accessible opportunities to explore the mountains safely.
How It Helps Women:
Mountaineering is excellent for building and sharpening decision-making in demanding conditions. Every climb grants you more independence, resilience, and confidence than before.
Stat Insight:
15%–40% of the members of varied mountaineering and trekking clubs (such as Everest, American Alpine Club, Swiss Alpine Club, etc.) are women.
Mountain Biking
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Mountain biking is for you if you're a risk-taking solo female adventure travel enthusiast. Starter gear is straightforward, and many areas offer guided tours or beginner clinics, making it easy to hit the trail.
How It Helps Women:
Riding through natural landscapes builds physical stamina and coordination, sharpens mental clarity as you focus on the trail, and fosters independence and resilience as you confidently navigate challenges.
Stat Insight:
As of 2020, 46% of mountain biking participants were female, a proportion that has remained steady over the past eight years.
Kiteboarding
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Kiteboarding is a thrilling choice for women’s adventure travel. Beaches and coastal hubs offer lessons, rentals, and supportive communities, making it approachable. However, it is still not as popular among women yet.
How It Helps Women:
Kiteboarding is great for building your core and sharpening focus. The rhythm of wind and waves acts as a stress reliever. From steering your own kite to handling varied water conditions, each ride nurtures self-confidence and control.
Stat Insight:
Only about 10% of kitesurfers worldwide are female, highlighting the exciting opportunity for female adventure travelers to make their mark in this dynamic sport.
Sailing
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
Sailing is a popular sport for adventure holidays for women. It is accessible with proper planning. Beginner classes, gear rentals, and adult education programs are widely available at most sailing destinations.
How It Helps Women:
Sailing is a great choice no matter your physical fitness and skill level. Navigating a boat fosters independence and confidence, from trim adjustments to charting courses, each maneuver reinforcing self-reliance.
Stat Insight:
Female membership in clubs stands at about one-third that of male membership, meaning women make up roughly 25–35% of club sailors.
Horseback Riding
Why It’s a Top Choice for Adventure
At first, it may seem like horseback riding is not so popular as an activity on adventure holidays for women, but you'll be amazed at how approachable it is. With riding schools and beginner lessons easily available across North America, this sport is your ticket to the outdoors in style.
How It Helps Women:
Riding strengthens core and leg stamina, sharpens focus through synchronization with a powerful animal, and nurtures independence, trust, control, and self-awareness.
Stat Insight:
80% of those participating in horseback riding are female, underscoring how this sport has become notably popular among women.
Conclusion
These women’s tour activities open doors to empowerment, resilience, and joy in the great outdoors, from hiking trails to horseback riding. Each adventure builds strength and confidence while creating unforgettable memories. Wherever the journey leads, women’s adventure travel is ultimately about discovering freedom and embracing life on your own terms.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Question 1: Which adventure activities are beginner-friendly for women travelers?
Answer 1: Hiking, camping, cycling, kayaking, and horseback riding are beginner-friendly adventure activities for women travelers.
Question 2: Do women need special training before trying adventure travel activities?
Answer 2: Most women’s adventure travel activities don’t require special training, though basic lessons or guided tours can help build confidence and safety for beginners.
Question 3: What are the health benefits of women’s adventure travel activities?
Answer 3: Women’s adventure travel activities boost physical stamina, improve mental clarity, reduce stress, and enhance confidence and independence.
Question 4: How popular are adventure travel activities among women?
Answer 4: Adventure travel activities are very popular among women, with millions participating globally each year in hiking, trekking, camping, and water sports.
Question 5: Which travel style is better for women adventure travel: guided tours or self-guided trips?
Answer 5: The better travel style depends on personal preference. Guided tours suit women seeking safety and companionship, while self-guided trips are ideal for those craving independence and flexibility.
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