Women's safety in India: all 32 destinations ranked

Most India travel writing answers “is it safe for women?” at the level of the whole country, which is close to useless — it's a country of 1.4 billion people and the honest answer differs enormously by place. So here is every destination we cover, scored separately for women travellers and ranked.

Read this before the table

These scores are editorially researched by us, based on local reporting and traveller accounts. They are not official statistics, not crime data, and not a crowd-sourced average.
They describe general patterns, not your trip. A high score is not a guarantee and a low one is not a warning to stay away — plenty of women travel every destination on this list without incident.
The spread is narrow — every destination here sits between 3.5 and 4.5. Treat the bands as meaningful and the exact ordering within a band as noise.

Rated highest

4.3 and above · 8 destinations

Places where solo and group women travellers most consistently report feeling comfortable.

Alleppey, KeralaPeaceful and safe, though houseboats are pricier solo — consider sharing or a homestay.4.54.6 Coorg, KarnatakaSafe and relaxed, though a car is needed to get between sights.4.54.5 Kumarakom, KeralaPeaceful and safe, though it leans toward couples and family resorts rather than a backpacker scene.4.54.6 Chikmagalur, KarnatakaSafe and popular with trekkers, though a car helps reach the peaks.4.44.4 Gangtok, SikkimOne of India's safest and most welcoming state capitals for independent travel.4.44.5 Munnar, KeralaSafe and easy, though a car or taxi helps cover the spread-out estates.4.44.5 Havelock Island, Andaman & Nicobar IslandsSafe and increasingly popular solo, especially among divers, though it leans toward couples travel.4.34.5 Udaipur, RajasthanVery safe and easy to navigate, with a strong traveller infrastructure.4.34.5

Rated well

4.0 to 4.2 · 16 destinations

Broadly comfortable, with the usual situational care after dark.

Amritsar, PunjabSafe, welcoming and easy to navigate, with free community meals for every visitor.4.24.4 Darjeeling, West BengalSafe, walkable and easy to explore alone, with a strong tea-tourism infrastructure.4.24.4 Leh, LadakhA major draw for solo travellers and bikers, with an established backpacker scene in Leh town.4.24.4 Mussoorie, UttarakhandSafe and easy, with a compact walkable centre.4.24.4 Nainital, UttarakhandSafe and walkable, with plenty to see around the lake and nearby viewpoints.4.24.4 Ooty, Tamil NaduSafe and easy, with a well-developed tourist infrastructure.4.24.4 Rann of Kutch, GujaratSafe and welcoming, though the distances make it more expensive alone without a shared car.4.24.4 Shimla, Himachal PradeshVery safe, walkable and well-connected — an easy solo hill escape.4.24.4 Hampi, KarnatakaA relaxed, popular backpacker stop that's easy to explore alone by bicycle.4.14.3 Ranthambore, RajasthanSafaris are shared-jeep by default, making it easy and safe to visit solo.4.14.3 Shillong, MeghalayaSafe, welcoming and increasingly popular with independent travellers exploring the Northeast.4.14.3 Gokarna, KarnatakaA well-worn backpacker circuit with plenty of fellow travellers to meet.4.04.2 Jaipur, RajasthanWell set up for independent travel, though bazaar touting takes patience.4.04.2 Jaisalmer, RajasthanWell set up for tourists; book safaris through reputable operators.4.04.2 Manali, Himachal PradeshA major backpacker and trekking hub with an easy social scene, especially in Old Manali.4.04.2 Rishikesh, UttarakhandOne of India's best solo-travel hubs — yoga courses, hostels and easy social scenes.4.04.3

Worth extra care

Below 4.0 · 8 destinations

Still visited by solo women, but more travellers report harassment or discomfort. Read the destination page before deciding.

Goa, GoaExtremely well set up for solo travel, with hostels and an easy social scene.3.94.1 Pushkar, RajasthanA well-worn, easy solo destination with a strong traveller café scene.3.94.2 Gulmarg, Jammu & KashmirWell set up for skiers and snowboarders travelling solo, with gear rental readily available.3.84.0 Vrindavan, Uttar PradeshStraightforward to navigate, though the crowds and touts take some patience.3.84.0 Agra, Uttar PradeshStraightforward and well-trodden, but expect persistent guides and touts.3.73.9 Varanasi, Uttar PradeshA rewarding, well-trodden solo destination; a guide helps on day one.3.74.0 Srinagar, Jammu & KashmirGenerally welcoming, though solo travellers should stay updated on the current local situation.3.63.8 Delhi, DelhiEasy to get around by Metro, though the touting and scale take some adjusting to.3.53.8

What the two numbers mean

The figure is the women's safety score — specifically how comfortable solo and group women travellers tend to find a place. The figure is the general safety score, covering crime levels, road conditions and how easy it is to get help. Both are out of 5. They often differ: somewhere can be low-crime overall and still draw more harassment reports, which is exactly why we score them apart.

The line under each destination is our note for solo travellers generally, not for women specifically — we'd rather show you a note we can stand behind than invent a gender-specific one we can't.

Going deeper

The scores here are a starting point, not a substitute for reading about the place you're actually going.

Solo female travel in IndiaThe long-form, destination-by-destination version Safety HubEmergency numbers, scams, transport, health