Solo Female Travel Over 50: The Deeper Journey! How Exploring 80+ Countries Led Me Back to Myself

There’s a moment that happens somewhere between boarding your flight and watching the clouds drift beneath you. A moment when you realise: I did this. On my own.

Being asked to 'cover up because I was a woman' was not an easy thing for a freedom seeking Kiwi girl like me, but sometimes, being happy is better than being right and I would much rather have had the experience of these places and cultures than not go because of my pushing against another's beliefs. It certainly made me appreciate my own country!

If you’re a woman over 50 contemplating solo female travel, let me tell you something from the heart — this season of life is not the winding down. It’s the opening up.

I know because I’ve lived it.

I’ve travelled to 80+ countries across six continents. I’ve wandered through the ancient streets of Rome, watched the clouds rise over the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, danced to African vibes in Zimbabwe, conversed and laughed with many people from all cultures, and stood in awe of the pyramids in Egypt, silently asking them of their origins.

And after all those kilometres, stamps, and stories, the greatest discovery wasn’t a place on a map.

It was me.

Why Solo Female Travel Over 50 Is So Empowering

There’s something deliciously rebellious and exciting about booking a ticket at 52, 58, 63, or 70+ and saying, “Why not?”

For many of us, our 20s and 30s were about building careers and achievements, raising children, supporting partners, caring for parents, uplifting others. We were everything to everyone.

Then one day, a whisper starts:

What about me?

That whisper is powerful.

Solo female travel over 50 isn’t about running away from life. It’s about running toward it — with wisdom, confidence, and a deeper sense of self than we ever had before.

For me it was about looking at a photo of a great painting in a book, and wondering how I could fully appreciate it on a page; how awesome it must be to actually stand before it and fully appreciate the size of the work, the detail of the brushwork, the thickness of the paint, and feel the feelings that the artist must also have felt as he too had stood before it; first with just an idea, a blank canvas, a story to tell, and his tools of creation.

And then, I was actually standing there!

At this stage in life, we too have before us a blank canvas, we too have the tools, we:

* Know what we like

* Trust our intuition

* Have resilience

* Value meaningful experiences over ticking boxes

And most importantly? We finally give ourselves permission to create and explore.

80+ Countries Later: The Unexpected Transformation

When I first started travelling solo, I thought I was chasing adventure. I thought I was collecting experiences. I thought I was proving something — perhaps to the world, perhaps to myself, perhaps to beliefs that no longer existed in me.

But somewhere between my 30th country and my 60th, something shifted. Standing alone at the edge of the Sahara Desert in Morocco, watching the golden dunes stretch endlessly, I felt a stillness that went far beyond sightseeing. In that silence, I realised: Travel wasn’t expanding my world, it was reflecting my inner world back to me.

Every culture I encountered showed me a different way of being.

Every challenge revealed my strength. Every wrong turn strengthened my trust.

The more I travelled, the more I understood something profound:

The outer journey was a mirror of the inner journey.

The battles and conflicts that I had thought were on the outside, and in foreign lands, were really just a reflection of an inner battle and conflict over my own self ... over the authorship of 'me'.

Travel as a Reflection of My Connection to Source Energy

Here’s the part that surprised me most. The more I travelled, the more I felt connected — not just to people and places, but to something greater.

Call it Source Energy.

Call it God.

Call it the Universe.

Call it whatever you want, just call it ... because it is calling you.

On a quiet morning in a campervan, watching the sun graciously rise and bask Te Papa-Kura-O-Taranaki in its light, at Mt Egmont National Park in New Zealand, I felt IT.

On a boat drifting along Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, I felt IT again.

Sitting alone, at a waterhole in a camping ground at Okaukuejo in Namibia, watching as first an elephant wandered up, drank alone, and wandered off only for a lion to saunter past and once out of view emit a roar that vibrated through my whole being, and I realised that IT had found me.

That deep knowing that we are part of something vast and beautifully orchestrated. The vibration was Life Itself.

Solo travel strips away distractions. There’s no one else’s schedule. No one else’s expectations. No familiar identity to cling to. It’s just you and the present moment. And in that presence, I began to understand that my desire to explore new countries wasn’t about escaping home, it was about remembering who I truly am.

Each border crossed became a layer shed.

Each unfamiliar language taught me surrender.

Each spontaneous decision strengthened my trust in life itself.

Each wrong turn became an acknowledgement that I could choose again, and choose differently.

Travel became a spiritual practice.

Not in a dramatic way.

In a grounded, everyday, joyful way.

Overcoming Fear of Solo Travel After 50

Let’s talk honestly, I'm not really a person who gets afraid, but for some, I appreciate that the fears are real.

* Is it safe?

* Will I get lonely?

* Am I too old?

* What if something goes wrong?

I have asked every one of those questions, I just haven't dwelt on them, and here’s what I discovered:

Courage isn’t the absence of fear.

It’s booking the ticket anyway.

I was learning how to trust life! I was learning that the real gems are indeed hidden in the unknown places, that spontaneity was refreshing, and that trusting a bigger purpose in life is the best investment anyone can make, and it all came with my airline ticket.

In Amsterdam, I decided to book a bus to London instead of flying so that I could enjoy the scenery, so I thought, only to find that it saved me from being caught up in a major closure of the London airports which delayed travellers for weeks.

On the Mediterranean Sea, I explored Law of Attraction workshops onboard a cruise ship where talking about spirituality, Source Energy, and Mind power was as natural as ordering a cocktail or dancing at a silent disco, and I felt at home.

Through Turkey I felt called to do a 'Foodies' Tour, even though I'm not really a 'Foodie' person ... and had one of the best experiences of my life amidst a small group of ladies that got along with each other like I've never known before; no dramas, just fun, whilst enjoying a fabulous country.

I was living being in the right place, at the right time, and it felt really, really good!

Every “what if” eventually became a “look what I did.”

Safety? I plan wisely and trust my inner guidance.

Loneliness? Rare. Solitude is delicious. Inner peace becomes a valued companion. There's always someone to talk to, even if it's your Self.

Too old? Absolutely not. How do you measure eternity ....?

In fact, I believe travel after 50 is better. We are more present. More appreciative. Less rushed. Looking for experience in a new way.

The Joy of Reinvention Through Travel

One of the most magnetic aspects of solo female travel over 50 is reinvention.

When you step off a plane in a new country, no one knows your past. No one labels you. No one expects you to behave in a certain way.

You are free.

Free to:

* Try new foods

* Wear bold colours

* Start conversations

* Take up space

In Marrakech, I learned to haggle in markets and found my voice getting stronger.

In Muslim oriented countries, I turned pre-conceived notions around and opened myself up to seeing humanity anew, and through my own experiences rather than what others had told me.

In Jordan, I floated in the salty waters of the Dead Sea and felt that heavy, sinking feeling fall away as my body disappeared, becoming one with the water and salt, as I was supported by an unseen force of nature.

In Santorini, I journaled about the dreams and ideas that I was beginning to understand — and about bringing them to life.

In the Holy Lands, I watched and wondered about it all, and if we really even know what the ancient battle is all about, and why we still feel the need to fight for it, when clearly It is freely given to all.

Travel reminds us that identity is fluid. We are not fixed. We are evolving. And, that it is kinder to choose happiness over the need to be right.

And at 50+, that evolution can be exhilarating; that happiness is reawakening.

Practical Tips for Women Over 50 Travelling Solo

If you’re searching for “best solo travel tips for women over 50,” let me make it simple and empowering:

1. Start Where You Feel Excited: Don’t pick a destination because it’s trendy, choose the place that makes your heart flutter.

2. Invest in Comfort: At this stage, we don’t need to backpack on $10 a day, unless we want to! A comfortable boutique hotel or guided tour can enhance confidence and ease.

3. Build Confidence in Layers: Try a short solo weekend trip first. Then expand. Confidence grows through action.

4. Trust Your Intuition: After 50, our intuition is razor sharp. Listen to it. It's the still, quiet voice!

5. Stay Curious: Curiosity dissolves fear faster than anything.

The Inner Journey Mirrors the Outer Journey

Here is the truth I am discovering after all of my travels:

The transformation wasn’t about geography.

It was about alignment.

Every time I said yes to a new destination, I was really saying yes to growth.

Every time I navigated an unfamiliar metro system, I strengthened self-trust.

Every time I sat alone at a café watching the world go by, I felt whole.

Every time I joined a group or tour, I felt part of something bigger.

I began to understand that the world isn’t separate from us. It reflects us.

When I felt expansive inside, the world felt expansive.

When I trusted life, life supported me.

When I connected to Source Energy — God, the Universe — travel flowed with synchronicity and magic.

Opportunities appeared.

People showed up.

Doors opened.

Not because I was lucky. But because I was aligned. My thoughts were creating my reality, like was attracting like.

Why This Is Your Time

If you’re reading this and thinking:

“I wish I had done that when I was younger…”

Let me gently say:

"Now is perfect!"

You are wiser now.

You are more grounded.

You have stories behind you, ideas in the present moment, and freedom ahead of you.

Solo female travel after 50 isn’t about chasing youth. It’s about celebrating depth. It’s about choosing vitality. It’s about standing in an airport, passport in hand, and feeling the thrill of possibility again.

And let me tell you — that thrill never gets old. So why should you?

The Joy Is Contagious

When women see other women over 50 travelling solo, something lights up. I’ve had women approach me in cafés, airports, on cruise ships, even on cycle trails asking, “Are you travelling alone?” When I say yes, their eyes widen — not with pity, but admiration. And often, they whisper: “I’ve always wanted to do that.” And my reply is always the same, "You can! You absolutely can!"

The world is not reserved for the young. Adventure is not limited by age. Spiritual awakening does not have an expiration date. In fact, it deepens.

Final Thoughts: The Journey Is Calling

After 80+ countries, countless flights, trains, and buses, breathtaking sunrises, awesome sunsets, mischief, and soul-expanding encounters, I can say this with absolute certainty:

"The greatest destination you’ll ever explore is yourself."

Travel is not about escape. It is about return.

Return to courage.

Return to curiosity.

Return to connection.

Return to Source.

And the beautiful irony?

The further you travel across the globe, the closer you come to your own essence.

So let me ask you, woman to woman:

"If your passport could reflect not just where you’ve been, but who you’ve become…

.... where would you choose to go next?"

I hope to see you there!