Are Hostels Safe for Solo Female Travellers?
My Experience & Safety Guide

June 1, 2025
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Hostels are a great way to solo travel – they are affordable, you meet lots of other travellers and they usually offer discounted activities and tours. However, as a solo, female traveller, staying in a hostel can sound daunting. After staying in over 150 across the world, here is my opinon, experiences and tips on staying in a hostel as a solo, female traveller.

I completely get it – staying in a hostel for the first time as a solo, female traveller is scary. You have probably heard lots of horror stories and are expecting creaky bunk beds, snorers, gross bathrooms and more. I did too the first time I solo travelled. And honestly, sometimes that does happen (the photo shown above was one of those times).

But more often than not and when you know how to find the right hostels, your accommodation will look a little more like this:

Hostels come in many shapes and forms, but usually have one thing in common: They offer an affordable accommodation option to see the world. That is the reason I have stayed in over 150 hostels in 35 countries. And honestly, there have been very few bad apples, especially over the last few years.

After around 2 years of full-time travel, I have gotten exceptionally good at finding nice hostels. I know exactly where to look, what to watch out for, how to spot red flags and how to stay safe as a solo, female traveller. In this guide, I will share all that with you! Don’t forget to pop any follow up questions in the comments and I’ll get back to you asap 🙂

Table of Contents

My Experience as a Solo Female Traveller in Hostels

My first experience with hostels was in Australia on my first solo trip. Back then, I had just turned 18, had no idea how to search for hostels and hence often ended up in less than ideal places. I spent three months travelling up the Australian East Coast and got travel burnout from the constant switching of hostels and lack of sleep. Since, then I have learned a ton from those early mistakes.

It’s now almost 10 years later and I still stay in hostels regularly. I love them for the social aspect, the tours and activities as well as how affordable they are. On one of my recent trips in Peru, a night in a hostel often cost no more than $5. Nowadays I mix up hostel stays with private rooms in a hotel or AirBnB, just to get a little more privacy and rest in between the hostel stays.

My overall experience with hostels as a solo, female traveller has honestly been good. I have actually had no truly scary experiences, only a few times where I felt a little uncomfortable. I’ve “only” gotten bedbugs once and successfully gotten rid of them too (tips on how to avoid that coming up too!). I have met some of my closest friends in hostels and I have even volunteered in exchange for free accommodation at four different hostels.

Personally, I would highly recommend hostels to other solo, female travellers – at least if you know how to find the right one, which I will tell you all about in this article!

The Reality of Hostel Safety for Solo Female Travellers

Sometimes when I tell other women that I stay in hostels, I get the question: “Don’t you feel worried sleeping in the same room as men? What if they do something”. And honestly, I get it. We have all heard the horror stories and often know first-hand how quickly something can happen.

That being said, I have actually had no issues with this in any of the mixed dorms I have stayed in (though I will always book a female-only dorm if available). The same sentiment is echoed across the travel space and blogging space when it comes to mixed dorms.

However, I do tend to feel a little more wary in mixed dorms. While men will likely just get in their underwear and change right there, I feel like I have to go to the bathrooms to even change an overshirt in order not to give off the wrong signals. It’s not fair but the unfortunate truth of male privilege and ignorance.

Your Ultimate Hostel Safety Guide for Solo Female Travellers

There are quite a few things you can do to maximise your safety while staying in a hostel. From choosing the right hostel to keeping save in the dorm rooms, here is exactly what you should do to keep safe:

How to choose a Safe Hostel as a Woman Travelling Alone

Choosing the right hostel is a very crucial step to staying safe in a new destination. First of all, research your destination by city – what are the safe areas, where do tourists specifically usually stay, what areas have warnings?

Once you have found your area, go to Hostelworld, Google and Booking and search for accommodation. You are looking for places with good reviews in the right area. Make sure to check if any of the reviews are from other solo female travellers – sometimes there aren’t and that’s a big red flag to me. You can also filter by female dorms, which I always feel safest in.

Ideally, you want consistently good reviews across several platforms, so the ones mentioned and then maybe also Trip.com and Tripadvisor. As an example, a hostel may sound great on Booking but then have weird reviews on Google, hence check them all. Some red flags are people talking about stuff being stolen, no women leaving reviews, bedbugs (ALWAYS run a search in the reviews for the word bedbug) and any negative comments about staff. A huge red flag for me is also when a hostel responds rudely to negative reviews– it’s unprofessional and will probably affect you if something goes wrong.

Another thing to know about choosing the right hostel is that there are different types of hostels, e.g. party hostel, surf hostel, co-working hostel,… If you are a little worried about your first stay in a hostel, do not choose a party hostel for example. They are often very social but can be a little less clean and have less safety precautions (rooms being open etc). Reviews will quickly tell you what kind of hostel it is, as well as the hostel description and photos. If you’re looking to meet people, a common room and activities on offer are great signs that a hostel is sociable.

I personally choose my hostels based on reviews and then price, and sometimes on if there is a female dorm available. I don’t mind as much to be in a mixed dorm if all the beds have curtains, but I’d rather be in a female only dorm if it is a more open layout. From experience, I find female dorms a bit quieter (less snorers) and I just feel more comfortable there. Curtains on the beds are also I look for – both for privacy and safety.

How to stay safe in hostel dorm rooms

Choosing the right dorm room once you have found your hostel is also important. If you are a light sleeper, I’d recommend nothing bigger than 6-8 beds in one dorm. For maximum safety, book a female-only dorm! I also love dorms that have either curtains or capsule-style beds.

Another safety precaution I do, that most people don’t, is that I will always choose (or ask for at reception) the top bunk bed – especially in mixed dorms. It just makes it a little harder for people to get to me and I feel safer without people walking right where I am sleeping. On the top bunk I am usually a little more hidden and I would definitely notice if someone was trying to get into my bed.

I also prefer my bed to be away from the door, both for noise and safety reasons. Hostels will have some flexibility with this depending on how busy they are.

Most dorm rooms will have lockers for your valuables, so bring a padlock and keep your stuff in there. If not, I’d recommend to keep your most important items on you when you sleep (passport, money, phone).

A safety precaution to avoid bed bugs is to check your bed before putting anything on it. This doesn’t have to be a massive, awkward mission – simply lift up the covers and check the bare mattress seams. I have caught bed bugs twice this way before ever entering the bed and was able to leave the hostel.

Another sure way to tell if there is bedbugs is a weird smell. Most say it smells musty or sweet, I personally just find it smells a little off. Keep your big bags away from the beds where possible to avoid any cross-contamination if everything fails and there are bed bugs.

What to do when you feel unsafe

Sometimes no matter the prep and research you did, you arrive at a hostel and feel uncomfortable. I recently had that, where I arrived and learned there were no room key cards, only one for the main door. That’s a huge red flag as a solo, female traveller as this means literally anyone can enter your room if they make it through the front door – which is easier than one would think.

I’d urge you to trust your gut feeling here. If you arrive in a hostel and it feels off or the people in your room make you uncomfortable, either talk to front desk and try to switch room or leave. No money in the world is worth risking your safety over!

I have had instances where I arrived in my mixed room and it was just me and a bunch of older men. Personally, I am not comfortable with that. Most hostels will be able to switch you around, unless they are 100% booked. You could also e-mail prior to booking and ask to be put in a mixed dorm that already has some girls assigned to it.

If someone is actively threatening your safety or harassing you, IMMEDIATELY report them to front desk. Don’t think “Oh, I don’t want to make a scene”. Don’t let them get away with it or wait to see if something bad happens – it’s usually too late then. If front desk refuses to help (which I’ve never seen before), call the police.

Conclusion: Are Hostels Safe for Solo Female Travellers in 2025?

We have now discussed how to choose the right hostel, safety precautions to follow during your stay as well as what to do when something goes wrong. Keep in mind that we do all these steps to be EXTRA safe, not because hostels are inherently unsafe.

Personally, I think hostels are safe for solo, female travellers if you do your research. They are a fantastic way to see the world on a budget and meet like-minded travellers. Hostels are also becoming better and better in terms of safety. Many now have a strict key card system, lockers, 24-hour reception and even cameras in common areas. 2025 is THE year to start your solo travel journey 🙂

FAQ about Solo, Female Travel

How do I deal with loneliness while traveling alone?

When I first started solo travelling, meeting people felt super difficult. Even in hostels, everyone already seemed to be in their little groups and I was struggling. I remember being on week 3 of my Australian East Coast trip and calling my mum sobbing because I felt so lonely.

The more I solo travel, the more I have learned about loneliness and making friends. First of all, I am much more comfortable being with myself now. If I don’t find anyone to hang out with, that is okay. FOMO is sometimes still there, but I always remind myself that I am doing my best.

I usually do meet other people though. A good way is booking hostels with activities as it is SO easy to meet others during say a trivia night or a city tour. Another great way is choosing a female dorm – I often find myself bonding quicker with the girls in there. I also use Bumble BFF. That may sound awkward but I have met some of my now closest friends on there and it has been so great while travelling, especially if I am longer in one place. Finally, Facebook Groups – there are hundreds of travel groups out there and so many other solo travellers just waiting to meet you!

Sometimes though, loneliness prevails. Over the years I have learned that when the feeling refuses to leave, it is my time to go home. It’s a sign from my body that I need a break from travelling and constantly meeting new people. I need familiarity and my family. And that’s okay! Trust me, it took me a while to learn this but stopping a trip early is not failure, especially if it has already been a few months.

What are the benefits of solo travel as a woman?

I have grown immensely as a person since I have started solo travelling – in my overall confidence, trust in my own abilities and also people skills. Making friends used to be hard, now I am very comfortable talking to new people and have met so many of my closest friends while travelling. The best part about the people you meet while travelling is that they have a similar mindset to you and also often a lot to share about their own culture and traditions, meaning your worldview opens up a lot.

Travelling solo also means I get to choose where I go when, I can change plans last-minute and if I don’t like something, I will simply leave. These are all things you can’t do as much when travelling with another person. In addition, you get a lot of time for self-reflection but also to take in this new destination. I have noticed that I experience a place much more intensely when I am solo travelling, compared to when I am with e.g. friends.

Overall, I think solo travel truly changes you as a person. Once you have navigated a new country by yourself, you feel like you can do anything. I would recommend any woman to solo travel at least once in her life! Learn to trust yourself and that you don’t need anyone else to do things for you. Obviously it is nice to have someone else to rely on, but solo travel teaches you that it is not necessary – and that will change your whole perspective on life and relationships.