Taking trips with your girlfriends is always a good idea. Whether you can sneak away each year or you have to wait five years until all calendars align, it’s healthy to take some time away with your nearest and dearest to explore new spots and soak in quality time. The planning conversations can be just as fun as the trip itself, so we wanted to share ten vacation ideas for girls trips that can help start the conversation. Choose one or two types of adventures that speak to you and get your friends on the phone to start discussing.
Ten Vacation Ideas for Girls Trips
An Easy Rental House with a Pool
When life is insane, you might just need an easy, carefree escape. There are some nice, warm destinations where your group can find a rental house with a pool. Spend a long weekend just lounging, snacking, watching movies, and catching up. These two spots offer some fun places to adventure if you need a break from the house.
Palm Springs, California
This classic girls’ getaway has a huge collection of rental houses with pools in a valley with beautiful weather year-round. You’ll be surrounded by mid-century modern homes and all the bright colors. Play a round of golf, soak in a natural hot spring, or take a day trip to Joshua Tree. You can also rent a bike and cruise around the neighborhoods. Palm Springs is a great spot for a laidback escape.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Vegas is more than just the Strip. There are many neighborhoods in the surrounding hills with gorgeous homes, pools, and sunshine to enjoy. The perks are that the flights are cheap from anywhere in the country. You can have a day on the Strip if you want a little excitement or book a spa appointment. With so many visitors to the city, it’s easy to coordinate just about any experience you want right in the comfort of the rental home.
Coastal Escape
The ocean is healing and relaxing, so why not consider visiting the coast with your friends to unwind and enjoy the power of salt water and ocean breeze? Consider an ocean destination that is a little less wild than Miami with these two options.
Cannon Beach, Oregon
Just 90 minutes from the Portland airport, Cannon Beach is a beautiful oceanside destination. Visit spots where the Goonies were filmed, hike in the surrounding state parks and enjoy stunning sunsets near Haystack Rock. There are great local shops and all the good seafood restaurants and everything is within walking distance.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Take the fast ferry from Boston to Provincetown or explore the Kennedy stomping grounds in Hyannisport. Cape Cod has beautiful coastal views and great seafood, plus you’ll get a little slice of Americana that will make you feel like you’ve jumped into one of Taylor Swift’s Fourth of July parties.
Live Music and Nostalgia
Sing-alongs and dive bars are best enjoyed with a group of close friends. Grab a mic and find a karaoke spot, or just snag a front-row spot at a local music venue and discover some up-and-coming talent. These two cities are perfect for any music-loving group.
Austin, Texas
Just because it’s Texas doesn’t mean it’s just country music. Austin loves to proclaim itself as “weird,” but we just think it’s cool. There are many incredible restaurants, bars, breweries, and music venues to explore. Stay on South Congress and explore East 6th. Enjoy the BBQ, Tex-Mex, and even some incredible vegan food in this vibrant city.
Memphis, Tennessee
Nashville gets a lot of attention, but it can be a little overwhelming with bachelorette parties. Memphis has an incredible, laid-back vibe. Beale Street is packed with blues bars and live music venues. Take a day trip to Graceland, on the outskirts of town, and enjoy some fascinating music history.
Apres with a Side of Skiing
Ski trips are a fun way to mix exercise and coziness, as long as you take some time to relax at the ski lodge. These destinations offer a great blend of fun runs, après parties, and calming, cozy lodges.
Whistler, British Columbia
This resort is huge and there are ski runs for all levels. The views are breathtaking, especially from the gondola that connects the two peaks. When you need a break from the slopes, there are dozens of top-notch restaurants and bars where you can hang out. There are plenty of non-skiing activities year-round, so you won’t run out of things to do.
Big Sky, Montana
Big Sky ski resort is a fun escape just an hour outside of Bozeman. Rent a ski-in/ski-out townhouse on the mountain and enjoy the wide range of runs. The town is fun to explore, and on a non-ski day, you can do the easy Ousel Falls hike.
Escape to an International Destination
Grab your passports and take a long weekend to a fun destination just across the borders. Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico offer many incredible spots that won’t require a flight across an ocean.
Montreal, Canada
This Canadian city will make you feel like you’ve flown to France but in a fraction of the time. Montreal is a stunning historic city where you’ll hear a perfect blend of the French and English languages. You can even soak in this city’s version of Notre Dame. Enjoy tours, restaurants, and wine tasting with your besties.
Todos Santos, Mexico
Just an hour north of Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos is a fun little town on the beach. Enjoy sunshine, tacos, and margaritas without all the chaos of the busier resort cities to the south. There is a paved highway, making it easy to get here from the airport. You can even volunteer to help release sea turtles on the beach during certain seasons.
Big City Walking
One of the best ways to explore with friends is on foot. Plus, you’ll save on a rental car. There are many cities in the US, but these two are at the top of our list in terms of being pedestrian-friendly (with great public transportation options).
New York, New York
New York City has everything. Stroll through Central Park, get tickets for a show on Broadway, watch a stand-up comedy show, and eat as much as possible in between. It’s impossible to get bored in the city that never sleeps.
Chicago, Illinois
Visit the Windy City in the summer months, and you will be treated to some of the best city walking for you and your girlfriends. Shop the Magnificent Mile, head to Wrigley Field for baseball, and check out the views at the Hancock Tower’s bar overlooking Lake Michigan. It’s a centrally-located city, too, so if everyone comes from different parts of the country, this will be an easy meeting spot.
National Park Cabins
Take advantage of the country’s gorgeous National Parks with your friends. Grab your hiking boots and spend a weekend exploring and soaking in nature at these two spots.
Zion National Park, Utah
Visit Zion in the off-season, and you’ll have the hiking trails to yourself. In the vicinity, you can rent cabins of all sizes with views that will make the perfect group photo backdrop. There is a small town near the park entrance where you can stock up on necessities. And then go offline and enjoy the nature.
Olympic National Park, Washington
Rainforests, rocky coasts, and majestic mountaintop viewpoints are all easy to explore in Olympic National Park. Stay in an oceanfront cabin managed by the park system, or rent a place in the town of Port Angeles. This park is packed with unique ecosystems and such a variety of adventures.
Wine Country
Sampling wine has always been a popular vacation idea for a girls trip. While Napa and Sonoma have topped the list of the most popular places to taste wine, why not try a lesser-known wine destination with your girls?
North Fork Long Island, New York
Just a stone’s throw from the Hamptons, the North Fork is a fabulous wine destination. Despite being close, its vibe is completely different from that of the popular beach summer destination. Rent bicycles or hire a driver to explore the unique vineyards and wineries on the Sound. Snack on seafood and take in the views of this destination, which is extremely convenient from a few major airports.
Paso Robles, California
In Central California, there’s a lesser known wine destination that specializes in some red wines. Paso Robles has rolling green hills covered with picturesque wineries. There are a few that offer lodging onsite so that you can sleep at the vineyard with your whole group. Sounds like a perfect sleepover destination.
An Educational Retreat
Are you a group that loves to check out a museum when you travel? Learning together can be so fun, plus you’ll have plenty of discussion topics if you visit one of these destinations and get a little education.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
This artist’s escape is packed with cool, historic buildings and stunning art museums and galleries. You’ll be treated to some of the best enchiladas in the world and can explore the life of Georgia O’Keefe, an ultimate feminine icon. The surrounding mountains are perfect when you need a fresh air break.
Washington DC
The Smithsonian museums are all free admission, so it’s a perfect place to get lost with your best friends. Cruise through a different museum each day on your trip, and in between your educational field trips, you can enjoy the culinary scene in the Nation’s capitol. You never know who you might be dining next to.
Foodie Retreat
On any kind of trip, it’s important to include good food and conversation. Why not take your friends to a city known for its food scene? Try one of these cities and make reservations to try a different place daily. It’s always fun to order many dishes and try a little sample of everything.
San Francisco, California
Walking the hills of San Fran will definitely make you hungry. Enjoy the incredible tastes of Chinatown or the incredible seafood options that California is known for. There are 28 Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, but hundreds more serve incredible food that has not yet received recognition.
New Orleans, Louisana
Southern food is comforting and meant to be shared. New Orleans has all kinds of specialties, including jambalaya, beignets, and grilled oysters. Between the food stops, you can enjoy the live music or take a walking history tour through the French Quarter or Garden District. This city is filled with flavor and would be a perfect destination for a girl’s trip.
Start Planning Your Next Girls’ Trip Now!
Let us know what destinations you’ve visited with your girlfriends. Is there anything we should add to our list of vacation ideas for girls trips? We are currently planning our next girls’ trip and cannot wait to share more about the destination afterward.
