Best Asheville Solo Travel Advice (Especially for Women) 2024
Best Asheville Solo Travel Advice 2024 (Especially for Women)
Hey y’all! My name is Miranda and I’m a pretty experienced solo female world traveler who has lived in the Asheville area since 2017. Here is my best advice for visiting Asheville solo - especially as a woman.
Is Asheville good for a solo trip?
Yes! Asheville is a wonderful place to visit as a solo traveler, especially if you are female. There are plenty of things to do safely by yourself or join a unique group tour/activity to connect with a local and meet other like-minded solo travelers.
You have lots of lodging options for any budget from hostels & camping to fancy, five star hotels. Asheville is famous for its food and drink scene which boasts tons of breweries and all kinds of food for any diet including vegetarian, vegan, keto and gluten-free. And of course there are so many views, trails and waterfalls to explore in the mountains surrounding Asheville.
In this post, you’ll learn more about:
• Hiking near Asheville - Female solo safety on trails
• The Best Free Asheville Hiking Guide for solo travelers
• Book a yoga + hiking + meditation micro retreat™
• Is it safe to walk around downtown Asheville?
• Can you do Asheville without a car?
• Best things to do in Asheville Solo - Travel Itinerary Options
Download my free Asheville travel + retreat guide for more dining, lodging, shopping recommendations and advice for solo travelers!
Hiking near Asheville - Female solo safety on trails
I have personally hiked close to a hundred trails as a solo female and have felt totally safe 95% of the time. That 5% exception was when I went out super early and was on more remote trails all by myself and knew I was the only one around for miles and/or when I encountered surprise storms.
Most of the popular trails that you’re going to want to visit will have lots of other people around which makes it highly unlikely that you will encounter a bear or a mountain lion. (You are actually much more likely to see bears on the side of the road or in the city on trash days.) You are slightly more likely to encounter snakes but again this is pretty rare. They generally avoid people and the majority of them are not poisonous. The ones that you really want to watch out for are copperheads and timber rattlesnakes. Here is a guide to venomous snakes in North Carolina and how to identify them.
Not once have I been harassed by anyone or ever felt like I was going to be abducted by some weirdo dude while I was hiking. I did usually carry bear spray (mace) in my backpack though. Honestly, your biggest hazards spending time on North Carolina trails are poison ivy and potentially harmful insects like ticks, hornets and mosquitos.
The Best, Free Asheville Hiking Guide for Solo Travelers
If you are planning to explore on your own, check out my free asheville hiking guide here. I’ve spent thousands of hours over the past 8 years researching, driving, hiking, filming/editing videos and putting together this list 75+ Asheville area trails - including the best hikes and waterfalls with videos - so you can spend less time planning and more time exploring! In this guide, I also include more tips and resources on how to plan, prepare and explore the mountains around Asheville, NC safely.
Your best option for hiking as a solo female visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, NC…
…is to join a group hiking tour with a local business. You’ll worry and stress less by going hiking with a knowledgeable guide as this will help:
• prevent you from getting lost (while driving or hiking)
• keep you up to date with current weather conditions and information
• guarantees help if you get injured while hiking
And you’ll likely have a more meaningful experience connecting with your local guide (who can share insider tips about her favorite things to do and places to eat - or maybe more importantly things and places to avoid), connecting with others in your group and connecting with the land through stories, information and activities.
Namaste in Nature helps you get the most out of your time in the mountains with our unique 2-3 hour micro retreat™ experiences that combine yoga, hiking and meditation with the best mountain views, waterfalls and vortex near Asheville, North Carolina. All of our guides just happen to be women as well.
Also check out our yoga retreat suggestions if you’re looking for a one day, two day or weekend experience.
We’ve gotten tons of great reviews for our yoga + meditation + hiking micro retreat™ tour experiences from solo female travelers like you!
“This experience was exactly what I hoped it would be and exactly what I needed. Rose was a fantastic guide and such a lovely human to spend time with. The location was perfect, directions and communication were spot on - so important since I am only visiting Asheville. I would readily go on another hike or even the same one again as I believe each time spent in the space would render a different experience. Thank you for creating this opportunity for me.” ~Diane R., July 2023
“Really enjoyed this experience. The guide was great to get to know and taught me a lot about the area we were passing through. The location was breathtaking. Well worth the trip!” ~Kelly F. May 2023
⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐ “This was a cool experience. I loved the hike. I never would’ve known about or would have just stopped at the base of the falls viewpoint without insider information. Our guide, Brandon, was great and did a lovely oracle card reading for us that affected me more than I thought it would.” ~ Juliet M., March 2023
Is it safe to walk around downtown Asheville?
Downtown Asheville is a safe city to walk around in for the most part. You will likely encounter some panhandlers and homeless people; especially in & around Pritchard Park. Just use common sense and be mindful of your surroundings, especially at night. I lived in Asheville for years as a single woman and have personally never had any super scary or negative encounters.
Can you do Asheville without a car?
Downtown Asheville is relatively easy to get around without a car. There are lots of hotels, shops and restaurants you can easily walk to or take the trolly, avl taxi, uber or lyft for longer distances.
I do recommend having or renting a car if you want to travel out into the mountains for some trails, hiking and waterfalls. The best place to rent a car is probably the AVL airport or you can use turo.com or hire a car service like avl taxi or van in black. DO NOT use uber or lyft to get to a trailhead; you might be able to get someone to drop you off but they are most likely not going to come back to pick you up.
Best things to do in Asheville Solo - Travel Itinerary Options
1. Relax/Detox
• Morning: Waterfall micro retreat™ with Namaste in Nature (I also recommend lunch at The Trailhead Restaurant in Black Mountain afterwards)
• Afternoon: Spa time at Sauna House then exploring downtown
• Evening: Sensory deprivation float at Stillpoint Wellness
2. Adventure
• Morning: Energizing morning mountaintop vortex micro retreat™ + pack a picnic or order one from Asheville Picnic Company
• Afternoon: Ziplining at Navitat or hike another trail (I’d recommend Craggy Pinnacle, Mount Mitchell, Rattlesnake Lodge or Crabtree Falls.) See my hiking guide for more suggestions.
• Evening: Foot soak at RU Social Spa after all that hiking OR rent an e-bike or take a downtown bike tour with The Flying Bike
3. Spiritual / Reflective
• Morning: Group sound healing session at Skinny Beats Sound Shop
• Afternoon: Meditation and/or massage in the Salt Cave or Salt Spa
• Evening: Sunset mountaintop vortex micro retreat™ with Namaste in Nature followed by journaling/reflection time in your room
Download my free Asheville travel + retreat guide for more dining, lodging, shopping recommendations and advice for solo travelers!
Best solo trips in North Carolina
I hope you’ve found this guide to be helpful. With incredible food, quirky culture, amazing mountain trails and waterfalls, Asheville is one of the best solo trips in North Carolina!
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