EF Go Ahead Tours and Alpaca Expeditions are tapping into the growing demand for women-only travel experiences. With 86 percent of women interested in female-only group travel, according to a recent survey by EF Go Ahead Tours, these operators offer unique itineraries designed to foster connection and empowerment.
Women Trekking Together
EF Go Ahead Tours has launched its first-ever women-only travel experiences, responding to the growing demand for female-focused travel options. These tours are available in 2026 and 2027.
The tour operator’s recent survey also highlighted key preferences among women travelers. Connection emerged as a primary focus, with 65 percent believing travel is the most effective way to form meaningful friendships. Additionally, 92 percent expressed interest in discovering stories of remarkable women in history while traveling, and 75 percent valued connecting with local culture through museums, cuisine or unique landmarks.
Solo travel within a group setting is also appealing to many women, offering a balance of independence and security. Sixty-five percent enjoy alone time without feeling pressured to participate in every activity. While nearly 50 percent feel uncomfortable doing adventurous activities alone, 61 percent feel more confident exploring in a group setting.
Travel also serves as a means of self-rediscovery for women. Sixty percent feel they are the best version of themselves when traveling, and 59 percent express a need to get away from their families to rediscover themselves.
Women-only tours across various destinations, including Italy, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Greece, Thailand, Peru and Egypt, celebrate women’s history. The itineraries, led by female tour directors, connect travelers with local women, support women-owned businesses and offer unique opportunities to learn about women’s history.
Highlights include a Scottish Storytelling Experience in the UK and Ireland tour, where a female storyteller shares stories about women’s experiences in Scotland. In Greece, travelers can enjoy wine tasting at the female-owned Domaine Pateriankakis winery on Crete. Meanwhile, the Thailand tour includes visiting Songdhammakalyani Monastery, one of the few Buddhist monasteries with only female monks.
Other experiences include learning ancient weaving techniques from Andean women at Awamaki in Peru, making authentic Bolognese ragu at Podere San Guiliano in Italy and exploring the family-owned Bodegas Coloma winery in Spain, run by three siblings.
For more information, visit goaheadtours.com.
High-Altitude Treks
Alpaca Expeditions aligns with National Women’s History Month by offering a unique women-only journey to Machu Picchu: The 7-day Sacred Valley and Salkantay Ultimate Hiking Tour, led exclusively by female guides and porters.
The Salkantay Trail provides an alternative to the classic Inca Trail, featuring diverse scenery, terrain and exclusive accommodations. Trekkers will experience a secluded journey through the Andes, encountering fewer hikers along the route.
This tour combines cultural immersion with adventure, including Peruvian wine tasting, a cooking class, visits to a weaving women’s collective and a coffee tour. Accommodations vary from glass cabañas with panoramic mountain views to exclusive “Hobbit Houses” inspired by Lord of the Rings. These unique lodgings feature hot tubs, showers and proximity to a glacial-fed river.
The itinerary includes two nights of tent camping—one in the Salkantay Mountains and another at an exclusive site overlooking Machu Picchu ruins at Llactapata. The final night is spent in a hotel in Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu.
Priced at $995 per person, this Sacred Valley and Salkantay Ultimate Hiking Tour accommodates groups of 8-12, with custom tours available for parties of six or more. Tours run from May to October 2025.
For more information, visit alpacaexpeditions.com.
