Whether you’re planning a getaway with former college roommates or your best mom friends, few trips beat a girls’ vacation. A girls’ trip is a great way to reconnect with longtime pals and get to know new friends better, creating fresh memories together, while sharing meaningful travel experiences.
The best girls’ trip locations range from close-to-home spots such as San Juan in Puerto Rico to faraway escapes in Tokyo and Sydney. The best girls’ trips, of course, allow you to disconnect from home to enjoy great food and wine, beautiful scenery, and a little bit of your shared passions—art, history, hiking, shopping, and gastronomy.
From lying on sultry beaches in the Greek islands to indulging in la dolce vita on the Amalfi Coast, here are some of the best girls’ trip ideas to create a wonderful memory-filled vacation. `
Barcelona, Spain
Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona is a destination that includes characterful neighborhoods, a great beach scene, excellent shopping, and some wonderful restaurants.
You could spend the morning touring Gaudi’s famous masterpieces, including the extraordinary Sagrada Família and the mosaic-clad Casa Batlló, and Park Güell. After, wander down Las Ramblas, the city’s thronging boulevard, before enjoying a leisurely lunch and a spot of shopping in the Gothic Quarter.
Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain
This labyrinth cobbled district was first inhabited over 2,000 years ago, with the remains of an ancient Roman city, a striking cathedral, and the city’s Jewish Quarter among the highlights.
For a more relaxing take on Barcelona, pack your swimsuits and head to the shore, where there are miles of golden beaches with watersports and beach bars.
Nice, France
Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France
With an elegant seafront promenade, historic old quarter, and grand architecture, the timeless glamor of Nice is perfect for a girls’ getaway.
Wander Old Nice’s warren of narrow streets. Browse the upscale boutiques, galleries, and shops selling everything from Provencal produce to handmade soaps and jewelry. There are imposing churches and opulent palaces, including the 17th-century Nice Cathedral and the Baroque Musée du Palais Lascaris, with its frescoed ceilings and antique musical instruments.
Old Nice, France
Old Nice is filled with cafés and restaurants, such as Le Frog for classic French cuisine and Chez Acchiardo, a fourth-generation-run restaurant serving Provencal dishes.
One of the best things to do in Nice is to browse the fragrant Marché Aux Fleurs on Cours Saleya, the city’s long-running flower and produce market. This is a perfect backdrop for a group shot against a colorful backdrop of lavender and roses.
After, stroll the palm-lined Promenade des Anglais with its pastel-hued buildings and gentle sea breeze. From Plage des Ponchettes right by the old town to the cliff-hugging Coco Beach, pick out one of Nice’s best beaches for refreshing sea swims, sunbathing, and ice-cold glasses of rosé.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
If you’re considering girls’ trip ideas, how about San Juan, the colorful capital of Puerto Rico? Lying on the island’s north coast, San Juan boasts warm weather, sun-bleached beaches, and swaying palm trees.
One of the best things to do in San Juan is to stroll the cobblestoned Old San Juan, a vibrant hub of galleries, craft shops, souvenir stores, and restaurants. The old town’s characterful landmarks include a sweeping waterfront fortress, San Felipe del Morro, built in the 16th century by Spanish colonizers.
Take your girlfriends on a walking tour of the brightly-colored old town to visit the Catedral Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista, the second oldest cathedral in the Americas and the oldest in the Caribbean. Here lies the tomb of the city’s founder, Ponce de León.
Isla Verde, Puerto Rico
Sip on rum-laced cocktails at the Bacardi Distillery, where you could learn the backstory of this iconic Caribbean drink, or unwind on Isla Verde, a strip of three palm tree-lined beaches in Puerto Rico, with surfing, beach bars, restaurants, and lounge chairs.
For a more adventurous girls’ day out, head to El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Forest System, home to waterfalls, hiking trails, and Puerto Rico’s famous coquí frog.
Cozumel, Mexico
Playa Mia in Cozumel, Mexico
One of the best girls’ trip locations for year-round sun and tropical water is Cozumel, a paradise island off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Cozumel is lined with white-sand shores to suit every type of beachgoer. Try Playa Chen Rio on the east coast for its more off-the-beaten-path feel, wild waves, and relaxed beach bar.
On the southwest coast, you’ll find one of Cozumel’s best beaches. Playa Mia is a lively beach club with outstanding facilities, including a floating adventure park, double kayaks, and water bicycles that are included with the cost of entry.
You and your friends could hire a sumptuous cabana to laze under the sun and rent snorkel gear to witness Playa Mia’s recreated underwater Mayan city, before sipping salty margaritas at the pool bar.
Snorkeling in Cozumel, Mexico
The Mesoamerican reef system is the second-largest in the world, surrounding much of Cozumel, with the island a world-class destination for snorkeling and diving. Don a mask and fins to search for some of the reef’s colorful inhabitants, including green and loggerhead sea turtles, manatees, queen conch, splendid toadfish, groupers, and occasionally, whale sharks.
Your group could also soak in some of Cozumel’s Mayan history. The sacred San Gervasio temple, near the island’s capital, San Miguel de Cozumel, was a pilgrimage for women seeking fertility some 2,000 years ago.
Mykonos, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
There is plenty more to buzzy Mykonos than cocktail bars and glittering restaurants.
Explore Mykonos Town’s Little Venice, with its whitewashed houses balancing on the water’s edge, and tapered streets weaving around the harbor, filled with galleries and boutiques.
Windmills of Mykonos, Greece
One of the best things to do in Mykonos is to gaze at its famous windmills, perched behind Little Venice and once used to grind wheat. Admire the 17th-century Church of Panagia Paraportiani, which comprises five churches joined together.
Mykonos has some beautiful beaches, including Ornos, in the southwest, where travelers are met with a blond sandy stretch with rows of parasols and lounge chairs. Fishing boats bob in the harbor and there’s a stylish beach bar, Aperano Galazio, for lazy lunches of scallops in their shells and steamed clams.
There’s also Paralia Ftelias, a secluded cove tucked into the north shore, and Paralia Elia, a thronging spot with watersports on the south coast.
Bali, Indonesia
Bali, Indonesia
The best girls’ trip locations often include dreamy destinations as rich in culture as they are in nature. Cue Bali, an idyllic island of temples, rice terraces, and dense jungle, its coastline offering dramatic cliffs and breathtaking beaches.
Bali is known for its temples, and one of the island’s most famous is Uluwatu. This Hindu temple rests 230 feet above the ocean on a cliff edge in the southwest of Bali. Spot roaming monkeys swing around the grounds of the small 1st-century temple and drink in the awe-inspiring panoramas.
Close by Uluwatu, Nyang Nyang Beach is an undeniably gorgeous, and typically crowd-free beach in Bali. Kuta Beach, a short distance from Bali’s capital, Denpasar, draws travelers for its soft sand, souvenir markets, surfing, and laid-back vibe. Book an exhilarating surf lesson before kicking back with cocktails on the beach.
Amalfi Coast, Italy
Amalfi, Italy
The Amalfi Coast—hemmed between forested mountains and the Mediterranean Sea—is a string of resorts carved into the cliffs just south of Pompeii, between Punta Campanella and Vietri sul Mare. This UNESCO-listed region has all the cachet of Europe’s most glamorous resorts, making for a sophisticated girls’ sojourn.
The most famous towns are Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello, shimmering between vineyard terraces and lemon groves, dotted with ancient churches, pretty squares, and designer boutiques.
Sorrento, Italy
Marvel at the exquisite Duomo di Amalfi before stopping for sensational gelato and pastries opposite at Pasticceria Pansa in Amalfi. Take a soothing dip from Positano Spiaggia before enjoying a divine lunch of marinated anchovies, fresh oysters, and spaghetti with clams at Ristorante Le Tre Sorelle Positano.
In Ravello, take in some of the Amalfi Coast’s most arresting views from the centuries-old Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, before tucking into outrageously good pizzas and Limoncello spritz at Mimì Pizzeria & Cucina.
Read: Best Things to Do on the Amalfi Coast
Sydney, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Among the world’s best girls’ trip locations is cosmopolitan Sydney, with its gleaming Opera House, striking Harbour Bridge, and dazzling Bondi Beach.
Start by wandering The Rocks neighborhood, one of Sydney’s popular landmarks. The Rocks is the city’s oldest district and its waterfront promenade offers the best views of Sydney Opera House and the magnificent arched bridge, with a weekend market selling street food and handmade arts and crafts. Art galleries, restaurants, and museums, including The Rocks Discovery, which tells the story of The Rocks’ origins, are also here.
Explore the 73-acre Royal Botanic Garden, a verdant oasis beneath the city’s shiny skyscrapers. The garden’s beautiful lawns face the Sydney Opera House and are perfect for a girls’ picnic in the sunshine. There’s a bamboo forest, a succulent garden, tropical species, and ancient trees within the green space.
Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia
Sydney has no shortage of spectacular beaches. Tick off several on a sun-baked coastal hike between Bondi and Coogee beaches, with tidal pools, green parks, and chic restaurants and bars along the route.
Read: The Ultimate Sydney Food Guide
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam, Netherlands
If you’re looking for girls’ trip ideas that include pretty streetscapes, tons of history, and world-beating museums, look to Amsterdam.
This time capsule Dutch city is best known for its procession of attractive canals lined with canal boats and gabled houses. The best way to get around the waterway is by renting a bike or joining a canal cruise.
Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tick off the city’s best museums, including Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum, and Rijksmuseum, and browse the charming shops of the De Negen Straatjes, or the Nine Streets, with bookshops, chocolatiers, fashion boutiques, and art galleries.
After shopping for independent pieces and soaking in the city’s art scene, take a seat at a cozy canalside restaurant, such as Venus & Adonis on Prinsengracht in Jordaan, for sea bass and samphire or steak and French fries.
Paris, France
Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
Paris is home to some of the chicest bars, restaurants, galleries, and boutiques on the planet and who better to enjoy them with than your treasured girlfriends?
Stroll along the Seine or join a river boat tour to see the city from the water with Parisian landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concorde, Tuileries Garden, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Louvre next to the waterway.
Louvre in Paris, France
Shop on the famous Champs-Élysées and marvel at the artwork and architecture of the Petit Palais. Mingle with Le Marais’ hip crowd at galleries and boutiques. In Montmartre, wander the enchanting hilly streets, taking in the views from the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur.
End your day in Paris with a glass of Champagne at Le Bar de La Cave at Paris’ luxury department store, Galeries Lafayette.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland might not first spring to mind when you consider girls’ trip ideas—but that’s exactly why you should head for Reykjavik, as there’s nowhere else like it.
This charming capital city is the most northerly in the world and offers excellent museums, dynamic restaurants, and easy access to the remarkable volcanic landscape that Iceland is known for.
Blue Lagoon, Iceland
Visit the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa nestled amid vast, moss-covered lava fields in the Reykjanes Peninsula. Enjoy a glass of wine and lather on a mud mask as you soak in the lagoon’s warm, milky water.
In the city, stop by Hallgrimskirkja in Downtown Reykjavik, the city’s gray-white church with a tall spire inspired by Iceland’s basalt landscape. You can take the elevator to the eighth floor viewing platform, directly below the church’s copper bells, for 360° vistas of the city.
Browse the shops and galleries lining Skólavörðustígur and Laugavegur and tuck into the myriad cuisines at Hlemmur Food Hall, Reykjavík’s first food hall, with cod tacos and lamb cutlets served alongside stalls selling stone-baked pizza and gelato.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik, Croatia
With its walled old town overlooking the azure Adriatic, inviting beaches, and lush islands, picture-perfect Dubrovnik is one of Europe’s best girls’ trip locations.
Start by exploring the city walls, one of the best things to do in Dubrovnik. Built between the 9th and 15th centuries, the walls envelope the old town’s cluster of terracotta rooftops, church towers, and grand palaces.
Stradun in Dubrovnik, Croatia
Enter Dubrovnik’s Old Town through Pile Gate to visit the 14th-century Franciscan Monastery & Museum, home to a pretty cloister and olde-worlde pharmacy. Discover the Gothic-Renaissance Rector’s Palace, with its Cultural History Museum offering a fascinating history lesson on Dubrovnik. Dedicate time to browsing the gift shops and galleries, and tasting local libations at an old town wine bar.
Alternatively, hop on a 10-minute ferry ride to the pine-scented Lokrum Island to explore the island’s medieval Benedictine monastery, verdant Botanical Gardens, and secluded beaches. The small island is easy to explore on foot, with hiking trails lined with olive and oak trees, and a restaurant at the monastery.
Tokyo, Japan
Sensoji in Tokyo, Japan
This wanderlust-inducing Japanese city boasts temples, shrines, and glorious green spaces, along with modern skyscrapers and immaculate shopping malls that are best explored with your girlfriends.
Gaze across Tokyo from the Tokyo Skytree—the tallest tower in the world at 2,080 feet—with views of Mt. Fuji from its two observation decks on a clear day.
Asakusa in Tokyo, Japan
Explore the first-century Sensoji, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple, featuring a five-story pagoda. Take a break at a traditional teahouse in Asakusa, a quaint neighborhood in Tokyo with craft stalls, street food, and Japanese candy stores, near Sensoji.
You’ll find many of Tokyo’s best museums scattered around picturesque Ueno Park, including Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, and the National Museum of Nature and Science.
For a thoroughly modern take on Tokyo, cross the famous Shibuya Crossing, a frenetic intersection outside Shibuya station.
Paris, France
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