Women are increasingly travelling without men, and who can blame them?

It’s that time of the year again. No, not Valentine’s Day, but Galentine’s Day, which is celebrated on February 13, a day ahead of the romantic chocolates-and-roses event.

Haven’t heard of it? Galentine’s Day is an annual festival of sisterhood, an invention of the scriptwriters of the hilarious TV comedy Parks and Recreation. Leaving no commercial opportunity unturned, American retailers pounced on the popularity of the show to sell merchandise and holiday packages to gal pals wanting to celebrate together.

It’s not really a thing in Australia. But in some ways, every day is potentially G-Day, as increasing numbers of women are choosing to holiday with their female friends and leave the men behind.

Maybe there’s security in women travelling together. Travel photographer Lisa Michele Burns has been running photography tours since 2016 to destinations such as Iceland, Japan, and Greenland. While they’re not promoted as exclusively for women, she says that she almost always only ever has women booking. The draw of travelling with a group of like-minded women while enjoying a creative adventure is a lot more appealing to her clients than going solo, particularly in more remote areas, she says.

For some women, it’s a relief to travel without a man harrumphing in the background while they shop or complaining about the number of times they disappear to the spa. Girlfriends’ weekends at a health retreat or staycation pyjama parties at city hotels are all becoming popular, but many women are starting to venture further afield to do their gal-bonding.

On the pulse of this trend, Insight Vacations is relaunching its Women’s Only Tours in March. Intrepid Travel has a range of Women’s Expeditions in countries such as Morocco, Turkey and India, which can explore culturally sensitive places and experiences where mixed sex groups aren’t encouraged. Travelling Divas programs build nail parlours, massages and shopping into its adventures to destinations such as Ireland, Italy or South Africa.

What’s interesting is that apart from cultural tours and sybaritic experiences, there’s a strong trend toward groups of women connecting through physical challenges such as kayaking, swimming and hiking.

UK-based The Wilderness Group has long offered women-only departures for some of its guided wilderness adventures, taking guests to some of the wildest corners of the UK and Ireland. The trips are designed to encourage more women to explore their wild side while travelling in “a relaxed and inclusive environment”. There are several Women Only trips departing in 2024, including a wilderness retreat in the Cairngorms, with plentiful yoga and wild swimming opportunities.