How To Enjoy Nightlife As A Solo Female Traveler?

My experience with solo travel nightlife

I want to give you some context first. I am not the biggest party girl, to begin with.

Yet, I won’t say no to a good night out every now and again. I had my fair share of late nights and walking home at dawn. 

Before I embarked on my first solo backpacking trip, I had so many questions!

What to do if I want to go out and party at my destination? Do I just show up in a club alone? What does going clubbing alone even look like? Should I go straight to the bar or to the dance floor?

But let’s be real here, a girl dancing alone in a nightclub rarely stays alone, and I love the safety of having my friends around or someone to turn to if things get uncomfortable. 

However, once I was on the road, I realized I was worried for no reason! If you want to go out, there are many ways to enjoy nightlife as a solo traveler!

There are cities and events like New Year’s Eve where travel and nightlife go hand in hand.

Bangkok and Krakow are the cities that completely transform and come alive at nighttime. And I am not even talking about European party destinations like Ibiza or SE Asia’s Koh Phangan.

And I would know, I went to Koh Phangan completely alone!

Timing is also everything, if you’re backpacking Europe in summer, you’re almost guaranteed numerous party opportunities.

Best ways to enjoy nightlife as a solo female traveler

I don’t think I will ever be that person who walks into a nightclub alone and strikes up a conversation with somebody on a dance floor. But it is not necessary at all! 

Here are my best travel tips for partying when traveling alone.

1. Stay in a party hostel

Party hostels and party-loving solo travelers are a match made in heaven.

It is the most straightforward way to discover and enjoy the party scene at your destination. 

The only thing you have to do is book a night at a highly-rated party hostel and wait for the party to start.

And it will start! Sometimes even before you are ready!

Yes, I was woken up once by a group of people asking me to take a shot because it was shot-o-clock.

The party usually starts in the hostel, and afterward, the whole group hits the town.

You will meet people and make friends in no time, and you can make a pact with a couple of girls to take care of each other during the night!

The downsides of staying in a party hostel include:

• drunk teenagers screaming throughout the night, 
• no sleep, 
• the possibility of people throwing up in your room or doing it,
• realizing that you are too old for that s**t.

The best party hostels for solo travellers

I stayed in many party hostels throughout my travels, and I always had a fantastic time! 

Some of the best party hostels for solo travelers in Europe are: 

• The Madhouse in Prague,
• Greg & Tom Party hostel in Krakow, 
• The Hive party hostel in Budapest. 

Some of the best party hostels in SE Asia are: 

• Mad Monkey,  all over SE Asia
• Slumber Party, in Thailand
• Bodega hostels, all over Thailand
• Lub D hostels, all over SE Asia

The same rule always applies: check the atmosphere rating on Hostelworld and enjoy!

2. Stay in any hostel!

I admit party hostels can be a bit overstimulating, especially if you are not an 18-year-old on your first backpacking trip.

Also, some hostels have an age restriction, so if you are over 35 you might not even be allowed to book! Or maybe you simply don’t want to be woken up with a bottle of vodka and a hostel animator asking you to drink.

There come the social hostels. My favorite type of hostel!

They organize game nights, family dinners, free walking tours, and many other activities perfect for meeting other people and making friends!

I found that the social atmosphere in a hostel leads to a night out almost every time.

As the activities are not so alcohol-fueled, you make more meaningful connections with people, and you can count on people more than in party hostels.

Stamps Backpackers hostel I stayed at in Chiang Mai took us for a karaoke night! It was also a very social hostel, inviting people who hadn’t stayed there to join in the activities.

During my solo travels in Cambodia, I stayed in several fantastic hostels that organized daily events and tours.

Read my ultimate guide to staying in hostels if you have never stayed in a hostel before or you want to know how to find social hostels!

3. Join an activity during the day and make plans for the night

Daytime activities can be anything you like that is in a group setting. It can be a cooking class, a free walking tour, kayaking, or a bike tour. 

Free walking tours are an amazing place to meet other solo travelers and make plans for the night.

I met many people who were not staying in my hostel on free walking tours, and they ended up joining in the night. 

Alternatively, book a cooking class and make plans with people you meet there! After a Thai cooking class in Chiang Mai, my whole group went out together

4. Going on a pub crawl as a solo female traveler

Going on a pub crawl is the second best way to go out solo if you don’t want to stay in a hostel because you value your sleep and privacy more. 

Also, going on a pub crawl is a great way to go out when your hostel is empty or devoid of any social atmosphere.

The most visited backpacker destinations have different pub crawls to take you to every music scene you could think of.

I’ve joined pub crawls in Paris, Pai, and Krakow. I had fun each time, and it was a great way to discover cool bars with locals.

5. Book a ticket to a party boat, tubing, or another organized party event

Some cities like Budapest and Krakow are well known for their party boats! Similarly to a pub crawl, you buy a ticket and go! 

While it might seem intimidating to walk onto a boat by yourself, there is party staff on the boat ready to make sure that you make friends and have a good time. 

You will spend a night cruising the river, or sea, without worrying about where the best bar in the city is.

Check out this boat party with unlimited drinks in Krakow for example!

Not all boat parties are the same, so remember to read the reviews before booking! 

Similarly, tubing is a popular party activity among Laos and Thailand backpackers.

While it might seem intimidating at first, you will soon find that it is surprisingly easy to make friends while floating in the river sipping on your drink as people get progressively more tipsy.

6. Join Facebook meetup groups

Ever since I became an expat, I learned to appreciate Facebook expat meet-up groups! They are an excellent way to meet locals and other travelers in your destination.

I am a member of our local Girl Gone International group in Bordeaux.

At least once a week, I see girls posting that they are visiting the town and asking if somebody would like to meet up. Likewise, admins organize weekly events everybody can join!

It is a perfect way to get local tips on the best places to go out and places with live music to add to your itinerary.

How to stay safe on a night out as a solo female traveler

I am sure you’ve heard many times from your family and friends that solo travel is not safe. I am not here to tell you that. If I was, I would not be traveling the world solo for the past 6 years!

However, certain dangers are more pronounced if you are a woman traveling alone. Therefore, here are the essential safety tips for partying as a solo female traveler.

Make a pact with another girl to take care of each other

Enjoying nightlife is different when traveling solo vs with friends.

Making a pact with other girls is my favorite strategy as a solo female traveler, and it works like a charm!

Before you start drinking and clubbing, find another girl traveling solo and make a pact to stay together and keep an eye on each other.

If you know you don’t want to stay late, ask people in the hostel who are not planning on staying out long. There will always be someone. Two are better than one!

Take a minimal number of items with you 

The best way to not lose your belongings on a night out is to not take them with you at all.

Take your ID (preferably not your passport), cash or credit card, mirror and lip balm/lipstick, phone, and a key to your accommodation.

I met a girl who got her phone stolen at the Full Moon Party, so you might even leave it in your hostel if you know you’ll be in that kind of environment.

Also, I’ve met several girls who had a rape alarm clipped onto their bags while backpacking SE Asia. If it makes you feel safer, get one as well!

You don’t need to drink

There is this pressure to drink when you stay in a party hostel or go out in general. But the reality is that nobody will force you to drink if you don’t want to. 

If you don’t feel safe while intoxicated among strangers, just don’t drink.

It is perfectly possible to go out, dance, and enjoy your night without alcohol. I’ve done it more times than I can count!

Eat before drinking

I know everybody knows this one. It is an essential rule for drinking at any time. But don’t forget about the food!

Trust your instincts

This one is very important. It isn’t anything tangible but learning to read your body’s reaction to different people and different situations.

If there is something wrong, you might get that feeling in your stomach, or just overall uneasiness when somebody tries talking to you. Trust in what your body is trying to tell you.

You don’t owe anybody your time and energy! If you meet a person that makes you feel uncomfortable, you are not obliged to talk to them.

You are not obliged to be a “nice girl”. It is perfectly fine to say you are not interested and leave at any moment!

Always pay attention to your drink

Always, always pay attention to your drink! Don’t leave your drink unattended when dancing, and don’t accept drinks you did not see being made by strangers.

If somebody offers you a drink and you want to take it because your backpacking budget is low, accompany them to the bar and pay attention to the beverage they are getting you. 

Know your limits

Likewise, don’t drink too much. Know your limits.

At the end of the day, you are alone, and even if you trust the people around you, they are still only the people you just met. 

That is not to say that you are doomed if you go overboard. You will probably be fine and run into good people. I took care of my drunk friends more times than I can count.

Don’t walk home alone

Finally, if it is in any way possible, don’t walk to your accommodation alone in the middle of the night. Grab a taxi and avoid dark alleys.

I always suggest you stay in the city center, as you can easily and cheaply return to your accommodation when you’ve had enough of the party.  

Final thoughts: How to enjoy nightlife as a solo female traveller?

Going out as a solo female traveler and clubbing alone as a female can be intimidating.

However, you don’t have to go out alone just because you’re traveling solo!

There are so many ways to meet people to join you on a night out while on your solo trip, from staying in party hostels to making friends on a day tour.

Now that you know how to party as a solo traveler, which European party destinations are on your bucket list?