New Zealand

New Zealand's #2 Global Peace Index ranking for 2026 puts it in the same safety bracket as Iceland, but it earns its spot on this list through something Iceland can't quite match: decades of mature backpacker infrastructure built specifically around solo travelers. Attic Backpackers and YHA Queenstown are just two examples of hostels offering dedicated women-only dorms, and that pattern repeats across the country rather than clustering in one or two cities. Budgeting here requires a specific caveat: solo travelers pay a real premium, 40-60% above what a couple or group would spend per person, largely because so much of the country's best experiences (campervan rentals, guided hikes, adventure activities) are priced per-unit rather than per-person. That pushes the realistic range to $60-250 a day, with dorm beds at NZ$35-70. It's not Iceland-expensive, but it's not Costa Rica-cheap either — New Zealand sits in an uncomfortable middle where solo status genuinely costs you money. What justifies it is the culture built around solo movement. New Zealand processes 3.8 million tourists annually into a population of just 5 million, and an enormous share of that flow is backpackers moving solo or in loose, shifting groups they meet along the way — at hostels, on Great Walks, in campervan parks. That density of fellow solo travelers means it's unusually easy to link up with informal travel companions for a few days without any pre-planning. Best months are March-May and September-November, avoiding both summer crowds and winter's shortened daylight. For a woman who wants adventure-forward travel with a safety net of established solo infrastructure, New Zealand delivers a version of Iceland's outdoor drama with a much larger built-in social scene.