The Surprising Way Group Travel Builds Your Solo Confidence

Jessica Seiders
May 18
7 min read

We’ve all seen those dreamy photos – one person, a back-to-camera silhouette against a crushingly beautiful sunset with the tagline: “Find yourself.”

female travelers looking at the sunset — Source

Solo travel has its perks, no doubt. But traveling in a group doesn’t mean you’ve traded authenticity for Instagram-ready clichés.

In fact, when women join forces on a thoughtfully curated adventure, magic happens.

Group travel can reignite your independence, spark fresh insights, and deliver those adrenaline-rush moments you crave, without the isolation.

Guatemala, with its volcano-rimmed landscapes, centuries-old markets, and warm-hearted locals, is one of the most perfect proving grounds for this type of adventure.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you have to go it alone to grow, read on. I’ll show you why the best solo trip you take might be one with friends you haven’t met yet.

The Myth of Solo Travel Being The Only Path to Self-Discovery

There’s this persistent myth that if you’re not solo traveling or exploring the world by yourself, you’re somehow missing out.

Sure, there are many perks to solo traveling, most of them involving personal growth. But the truth is that our reality is more nuanced.

Solo travelers often face loneliness while staying in cheap hostels and wasting a lot of mental energy making every tiny decision by themselves, “Do I take the bus or the tuk-tuk?” “How do I get to the hotel from the station?” There’s even a heightened anxiety about safety for female solo travelers, especially in unfamiliar areas.

In contrast, being in a group often creates a safety net. While you can still chart your course, you just do it with teammates who share your pace and passion for exploration and self-discovery.

This special collective energy helps reframe independence — you’re given a chance to trust yourself all the more because you’re comparing notes, witnessing each other’s triumphs, and stepping up when someone else falters.

How Group Travel Gives You Independence

It sounds odd, even counterintuitive, doesn’t it? In order to gain confidence, you have to surrender control over everything. You surrender your itinerary, your plans, and you suddenly gain freedom.

Traveling with a curated group of like-minded people exposes you to opportunities you might never choose on your own.

Think about it, can you imagine participating in an early morning Mayan blessing ceremony at Lake Atitlán? All alone, you might have hesitated approaching a shaman or just been completely unaware that it was even possible.

women sitting on a log by a creek in group travel

But in a group, you share that leap of faith, then savor that moment of quiet reflection as the sun sparkles beautifully on the water.

A lot of travel groups, including Traveling Women Official, weave these special pockets of downtime into the itinerary, like dedicating an afternoon to wandering around Antigua’s pastel-hued streets or just allowing you to enjoy delicious coffee around the many quaint cafes in the area.

This structure of exploration allows you to grow through new experiences while still leaving room for experiences where you can carve out some “me time” where needed.

Building Your Confidence By Sharing Experiences

Doing something that scares you is one of the fastest ways to build confidence. Oftentimes, doing it alone has its moments, but it’s thrilling and encouraging to hear people cheer you on.

For instance, hiking through Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano. It’s a classic, steep climb, and those last few hundred meters? Completely challenging as the air gets thinner and your legs feel like giving out.

But in a group, when one traveler wavers, the rest rally: “You’ve got this,” “Halfway there,” “Look at that view!” Those voices of encouragement are valuable.

Right when you’re about to give up, you know people are counting on you to keep going. And once you spot that stunning view in the distance, you know that ounce of strength you mustered through the many cheers and encouragement is well worth it.

This shared victory seeps into other parts of the trip.

women laughing together during travel with mountain and sea in background — Source

Navigating through the winding stalls of Chichicastenango Market suddenly feels manageable, and bartering with textile vendors becomes fun. Before you know it, you’re offering encouragement to someone new on a zip-line run, too.

Confidence compounds when it’s communal.

Making Lasting Friendships in Group Travel

Travel isn’t just about the places you visit, it’s about the people you meet.

In a group of eight to twelve women, you quickly go from strangers to your built-in support system. Over pre-dawn coffee, you swap life stories, sharing stuff about careers, breakups, and bucket-list dreams.

At dinner, laughter erupts as someone tries to pronounce “chile relleno” in K’iche’. Impromptu salsa lessons by the lake spark inside jokes you’ll text each other about months later.

These aren’t surface-level travel pals you are making, they are companions who’ve helped you navigate a foreign land.

And yes, while it’s sad that travel has to end. Once you get back home, you’ll likely keep in touch. WhatsApp threads buzz with future trip ideas and “remember when” memes.

You’ll look back on these friendships become a mirror, reflecting your strength, curiosity, and the joy of shared discovery.

The Practical Benefits of Group Travel – Safety and Support

Traveling alone can be magical, but it can also come with its fair share of stress.

When you’re in a new country, especially one where you don’t speak the language or know the customs, it’s comforting to have a group of people who have your back.

In Guatemala, for example, exploring the vibrant chaos of a market is way more fun (and way less overwhelming) when you’re weaving through the crowds with travel sisters instead of navigating solo.

If someone’s bag comes unzipped or you get turned around, someone’s there to gently point you in the right direction or cover your blind spot.

Then there’s the after-dark peace of mind. Wandering the romantic, lantern-lit streets of Antigua at night feels exciting, not nerve-wracking, when you're strolling with a few friends from your group.

Safety isn’t just physical, though; it’s emotional too. If homesickness hits, or you’re just feeling off, it helps to have someone nearby who gets it.

And let’s talk logistics. With a group, you’re not stuck figuring out shuttle times, converting currency rates, or decoding Spanish menus alone.

Your trip leader and local guides handle the details so you can just enjoy being present, whether that’s soaking in hot springs in Quetzaltenango or figuring out how to wrap your new handwoven scarf without Googling it first.

Exploring Guatemala — A Group Travel Gem for Women

Guatemala isn’t just a destination, it’s an open invitation to transformation.

There’s something about Guatemala that feels like it opens its arms to you the second you arrive. It’s not just the volcano views or the vibrant markets, it’s the energy.

Looming volcano in the streets of Antigua Guatemala

This country invites you to slow down, look around, and really connect with the place, with the people, and maybe even with a part of yourself you haven’t seen in a while.

In group travel, every part of the journey is intentionally built to mix awe with authenticity. You’ll try new things, push a few boundaries, and still have time to simply be.

And that balance? That’s where the magic lives.

Balancing Group Dynamics with Personal Time

Even the most social butterflies need room to breathe. The beauty of a well-designed group trip is that it respects your rhythm.

Want to join the morning hike through a coffee plantation with the group? Amazing. Prefer to sip an espresso alone in a quiet courtyard while journaling? Also perfect.

There’s no pressure to be “on” all the time. You can chat, connect, laugh until your face hurts, and then slip away for a solo walk through Antigua’s cobblestone alleys or find a sunny spot to sketch, read, or just people-watch.

You’re part of something bigger, but you’re always in control of your own pace. It’s not about being alone or together, it’s about having the freedom to do both, on your terms.

The Power of Shared Stories

By the end of the trip, it won’t just be your camera roll that’s full, it’ll be your heart. Because what sticks with you the most isn’t just the volcano hikes or the colorful textiles. It’s the stories shared over lakeside dinners and fireside hangouts.

It’s learning that the woman across the table, who seemed so confident on day one, was terrified of trying the zip line, but did it anyway. It’s hearing someone talk about quitting a job, ending a relationship, or starting over, and realizing you’re not the only one figuring things out.

Travel like this brings out a kind of honesty that’s hard to find in daily life. You show up as you are. You get real. And in doing that, you permit others to do the same.

Those stories you swap over tortillas and tamarind sauce? They become part of your story too.

A reminder that growth doesn’t always come from going it alone, it often shows up in the spaces where we open up to each other.

Wrapping Up

Solo travel has its own kind of magic, sure. But traveling with other women, especially in a place as rich, raw, and beautiful as Guatemala, unlocks something different.

It’s not about giving up independence. It’s about expanding it. It’s about knowing you’re strong enough to go alone, but wise enough to know you don’t have to.

So if you’re on the fence, wondering if a group trip might dilute your experience, think again. This is your adventure, your growth, your joy. Group travel just gives it a few extra voices cheering in the background.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.