What makes a city female-friendly?
A truly inclusive destination for women and solo female travelers integrates safety and empowerment into its DNA.
Inspired by the UN Women’s Safe Cities Global Initiative and the Georgetown Institute’s WPS Index, our list combines Wego travel data with our Female Safety Index.
Our index evaluates seven key criteria: nighttime walkability & safety, public transit safety (surveillance, women-only options), women’s healthcare access & hygiene standards, solo traveler community & digital connectivity, legal rights, social inclusion, and accommodation security.
How the Wego female-friendly score is calculated
Wego’s Female Safety Index generates the Wego Female-Friendly Score (out of 10)
Pillar | What it captures |
Safety & mobility | Walkability and transit security |
Infrastructure & care | Healthcare access and hygiene |
Empowerment & vibe | Community, legal protections, and an overall female-friendly atmosphere |
1. Bergen, Norway
Female-friendly credentials:
- Built on pro-equality systems: Norway is consistently a top performer on gender parity, ranked 3rd in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2025.
- “You belong in public space” culture (with policy behind it): The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act is framed around promoting equality and preventing discrimination based on sex/gender.
Norway’s laws actively shape a public mindset of equality, removing barriers to ensure women can navigate the city with clear protection and confidence.
Wego Female-Friendly Score: 9.9/10
Before you go
- Recommended base: Nordnes if you want a quieter, village-feel peninsula that still sits right by the city centre.
- Pack like a local: Bergen’s weather can change fast, so pack for sun and rain. Bring a waterproof jacket, waterproof shoes (umbrella optional), and consider a wool base layer in colder months.
- Safety & SOS tools:
- Key numbers: Police 112, Ambulance 113, Fire 110.
- For non-emergency urgent care, Legevakt 116 117.
- For easier location-sharing in a medical emergency, consider the Hjelp 113 app.
2. Reykjavík, Iceland
Female-friendly credentials:
- Built on pro-equality systems: Iceland tops the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 (for the 16th year in a row).
- Iceland’s Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights Irrespective of Gender (No. 150/2020) sets a clear objective to prevent gender-based discrimination and promote equal opportunities.
Equal treatment is written into Iceland’s law, with official routes to raise a complaint if you face discrimination.
Wego Female-Friendly Score: 9.9/10
Before you go
- Recommended base: 101 (downtown) for a walkable “everything close” stay, great if you want to minimise late-night transit hops.
- Pack like a local: Wind and sudden rain are common. Bring a waterproof shell, warm base layer, and grippy shoes.
- Safety setup: Download the 112 Iceland app so you can contact emergency services without calling and share key info faster.
- If you’re doing nature trips during the day, consider the official SafeTravel tools, which are designed to help share location info with emergency services in case of trouble outdoors.
3. Helsinki, Finland
Female-friendly credentials:
- Built on pro-equality systems: Finland ranks #2 on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025.
- Finland’s Act on Equality between Women and Men (609/1986) aims to prevent gender discrimination and promote equality, alongside the Non-Discrimination Act (1325/2014), to promote equality and prevent discrimination more broadly.
In Finland, equality in Helsinki is an everyday expectation, backed by dedicated jurists and panels that provide public services so women travelers have clearer protections while moving through Helsinki.
Wego Female-Friendly Score: 9.8/10
Before you go
- Recommended base: Kamppi, right in central downtown, with easy connections and a “middle of everything” location.
- Pack like a local: If you’re visiting in the colder months, plan for layering (Helsinki’s winter is all about adjusting layers) and watch out for slush/black ice. Add a small clip-on reflector, a very Finnish visibility habit when it’s dark.
- Safety & SOS tools:
- Finland uses one emergency number: 112.
- Download the official 112 Suomi app. Calling via the app can automatically transmit your location to emergency services.
4. San Marino, San Marino
Female-friendly credentials:
- Equality is written into the system: San Marino’s Declaration of Citizens’ Rights guarantees equal social dignity/rights, frames the family around the moral and legal equality of spouses, and explicitly states that mothers have a right to community assistance and protection.
- Gender-based violence is addressed in domestic law: San Marino has a dedicated framework law on preventing and repressing violence against women and gender violence.
- Women’s safety is reinforced by European standards: San Marino ratified the Istanbul Convention (in force since 2016), committing to prevention, protection, and justice measures around violence against women and domestic violence.
San Marino reinforces civil rights with strict European safety standards, ensuring women travelers have robust legal protection and clear, official channels to report any abuse.
Wego Female-Friendly Score: 9.8/10
Before you go
- Recommended base:
- Città di San Marino (Old Town) for a “wake up inside the views” stay.
- Borgo Maggiore for easier access/parking + quick connection up to the Old Town via cable car.
- Pack like a local: Expect steep lanes + cobblestones + sudden wind (you’re on Mount Titano). Pack grippy walking shoes, a light waterproof layer, and one warm layer even in shoulder season.
- Safety & SOS tools:
- Emergency (Interforce control): 112 / 113 / 115 (official).
- Medical emergency: 118 (San Marino emergency medical service / central).
- Useful backup contact: Save the Tourist Office contact details (helpful if you need directions, services, or local guidance).
5. Hobart, Australia
Female-friendly credentials:
- Built on pro-equality systems: Australia rose to 13th in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025.
- The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 makes sex-based discrimination unlawful across many areas of public life and also makes sexual harassment / sexist harassment unlawful; Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 further prohibits discrimination at the state level.
Equality in Australia is an everyday expectation, backed by national and Tasmanian anti-discrimination bodies, so issues like discrimination or harassment are harder to ignore and easier to report.
Wego Female-Friendly Score: 9.6/10
Before you go
- Recommended base: Battery Point / Salamanca for a charming, walkable stay that’s about 10 minutes on foot from Hobart’s city centre.
- Pack like a local: Hobart runs cool and can feel windy. Pack layers, plus a windproof/waterproof outer layer and comfortable walking shoes.
- Safety & SOS tools:
- Emergency number is Triple Zero (000) (for police/fire/ambulance).
- Emergency+ helps you share precise location details using your phone’s GPS when calling for help.
6. Quebec City, Canada
Female-friendly credentials:
- Rights-based public space (federal): Canada’s Canadian Human Rights Act lists prohibited grounds, including sex and gender identity or expression (among others).
- Rights-based public space (Québec): Québec’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms protects against discrimination based on sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, and more.
- Why this matters for women travellers: A strong, explicit rights framework helps set social expectations (“respect is normal”) and provides recourse if a traveller ever needs it.
Respect in Quebec City is a legal baseline protected by federal and provincial human rights bodies, giving women travelers the confidence of having real recourse against unfair treatment.
Wego Female-Friendly Score: 9.3/10
Before you go
- Recommended base: Old Québec (Upper/Lower Town) if you want the most walkable, “everything close” stay (historic core, easy sightseeing on foot).
- Pack like a local: Québec City can be icy cold in winter. Prioritize insulated boots with grip, thermal layers, and a windproof coat; in shoulder seasons, bring a rain layer.
- Safety & SOS tools:
- Emergency: 911.
- For non-urgent health advice in Québec: Info-Santé 811 (nurse line; they’ll advise and direct you).
7. Basel, Switzerland
Female-friendly credentials:
- Built on pro-equality systems: Switzerland ranks 17th in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2025.
- Women-centred ways to explore the city: Basel has dedicated, feminist-leaning city walks like “Basel’s strong women” (Basel Tourism) and Frauenstadtrundgang Basel tours that spotlight women’s history, labour, care work, and feminist protest in the city.
- Equal rights are guaranteed in Switzerland’s Constitution, and the Gender Equality Act prohibits gender-based discrimination in the workplace.
Switzerland celebrates women’s stories out in the open through women-focused city walks, and equality is also backed by Switzerland’s legal protections and a dedicated Basel-Stadt equality office that can point you to support to raise concerns if treated unfairly.
Wego Female-Friendly Score: 9.3/10
Before you go
- Suggested base: Grossbasel (Old Town) if you want a central, walkable base close to sights; Gundeldingen if you want a local neighbourhood feel with super-easy access via Basel SBB (great for day trips).
- Pack like a local: Basel is “layers weather” (cool mornings/evenings, warmer afternoons). Pack a light waterproof shell, comfortable walking shoes (cobbles + river paths), and a Type J plug adapter for Switzerland.
- Safety & SOS tools:
- Emergency numbers: Police 117, Ambulance 144, Fire 118, Poison Control 145, European emergency 112.
- Smart safety add-on: Download Alertswiss for official real-time alerts/warnings from civil protection authorities.
8. Graz, Austria
Female-friendly credentials:
- Built on pro-equality systems: Austria is placed in the global middle tier for gender parity in the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2025.
- Protection against violence is built into the system: Austria’s Protection Against Violence Act empowers police to issue an immediate barring order/eviction for an endangering person.
- Austria ratified the Istanbul Convention (signed 2011; ratified 2013; in force 2014), committing to prevention, protection, and justice measures around violence against women.
Women’s safety in Austria is designed to be immediate, giving women travelers a clear, official path to get help if something feels unsafe.
Wego Female-Friendly Score: 9.3/10
Before you go
- Suggested base: Innere Stadt / around Jakominiplatz for a walkable, “everything-connects-here” stay (it’s Graz’s key public-transport hub).
- Pack like a local: Think layers and comfy walking shoes (historic streets), plus a light rain layer. Graz runs warm in summer with summer storms.
- Safety & SOS tools:
- Key numbers: 112 (EU emergency), 133 (police), 144 (ambulance), 122 (fire), 141 (medical emergency number).
- If calling isn’t easy: DEC112 supports text-based emergency contact (and even a “silent” alert option in acute danger).
- Women-specific support: Women’s helpline against male violence: 0800 222 555 (24/7, free, anonymous, multilingual).
9. Aarhus, Denmark
Female-friendly credentials:
- Built on pro-equality systems: Denmark ranks 3rd in the EU on the Gender Equality Index 2025 (EIGE).
- Denmark’s rules on equal treatment in employment explicitly prohibit gender-based discrimination at work.
- Gender is part of the city’s cultural story: Aarhus is home to KØN – Gender Museum Denmark, a dedicated museum centred on gender and equality narratives.
Denmark treats equality as an everyday standard reflected in its cultural landmarks while guaranteeing women travelers a formal, legal channel to challenge unfair treatment.
Wego Female-Friendly Score: 9.2/10
Before you go
- Recommended to base: Frederiksbjerg (Aarhus C) for a local, walkable feel close to the centre (great cafés + easy access back into town).
- Pack like a local: Coastal Denmark = wind + quick weather shifts. Bring a windproof waterproof shell, layers, and grippy walking shoes (streets can be slick in rain).
- Safety & SOS tools:
- 112 for emergencies; 114 for non-emergency police.
- For out-of-hours medical help in the Central Denmark Region, call Lægevagten.
- Public alerts can also come via S!RENEN (Denmark’s mobile-based public warning system, no app needed).
10. Galway, Ireland
Female-friendly credentials:
- Built on measurable equality: Ireland ranks 6th in the EU on the Gender Equality Index 2025—a strong baseline for women navigating day-to-day life, including solo travel.
- Rights in public-facing spaces: Ireland’s Equal Status Acts (2000–2018) protect people from discrimination (including on the gender ground) in services and accommodation, and cover harassment.
- Feminist culture you can actually plug into: Galway has an active feminist ecosystem via the University of Galway (including the Centre for Global Women’s Studies and feminist programming like FemFest). You can even book a women’s-history walking tour for a women-centred lens on the city.
In other words, Ireland combines a vibrant feminist culture with robust legal protections for services and accommodation, ensuring travelers have both a welcoming community and a formal path to justice.
Wego Female-Friendly Score: 9.2/10
Before you go
- Recommended base:
- Eyre Square/city centre for max walkability + immediate access to buses/trains.
- Salthill for a calmer seaside base that’s still close to the centre (walk/bike/bus).
- Pack like a local: Galway’s climate is mild, moist, and changeable—bring a waterproof jacket, windproof layer, and shoes you’re happy to get rained on.
- Safety & SOS tools:
- Emergency: 999/112 (Ireland runs both in parallel).
- Women’s support (24/7): Women’s Aid National Freephone Helpline 1800 341 900.