“You can’t go alone, it’s incredibly unsafe.”

“As a woman, you’ll get lots of unwanted attention.”

“There will be more chaos than you know how to handle.”

These assumptions and stereotypes didn’t stop me from doing something that most people in my life seemed to think was a questionable idea: being a solo female traveler in India.

And looking back, I have absolutely no regrets about taking on this challenge. Did I feel uncomfortable at times? Of course. But did I meet incredible people, learn so much about a new culture, and have some of the coolest experiences of my life? Absolutely.

When my high school friend invited me to her wedding in Hyderabad, India, I knew I couldn’t travel all the way to India without seeing a bit more of the country. At least the Taj Mahal, right? Aware that India is a huge and diverse country, I decided that with only a week available, I would go for the tried-and-true Golden Triangle route: Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. This would give me the chance to enjoy a snapshot of India’s rich culture in just a few days.

And yes, I planned to do it alone. Although I had previously stayed in hostels, joined walking tours, and explored with other backpackers in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Central America, I knew India would offer its own unique flavor of adventure and challenges. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect — but that was part of the excitement.

Thankfully, I channeled my nerves into excitement and had the most incredible adventure.

Delhi

After an overnight flight, I was jittery and a bit overwhelmed, but I headed straight to Joey’s Hostel to get the fun started. When the receptionist told me they were hosting a walking tour of Old Delhi in 10 minutes, I made the quick decision to dive right in!

Alongside three other solo travelers and a local guide, we learned how to take the metro and tuktuks, made chapati and ate a free lunch on the floor of a Sikh temple, got lost and then got chai in the Spice Market, and browsed the many shops full of colorful clothes and jewelry. My adrenaline kept me going, and thankfully, it also kept me with the group amid the massive crowds of people.

After a hectic but amazing afternoon of sights, smells, and tastes I had never experienced before, we tuktuked back to the hostel to enjoy some local food and beers with other travelers from India and around the world. The hostel was super basic: no curtains on beds or locks on doors, but it was designed to be a safe and supportive community for travelers, which is exactly what I had wanted. I realized that just by being there, everyone was doing something that people back at home thought was ridiculous, and suddenly, I didn’t feel so crazy anymore.

Day two in Delhi began with some sightseeing. I visited the India Gate, as well as Humayun’s Tomb. While I was a bit more intimidated now that I was alone, I also knew that the stares, photo requests, and sometimes-pushy greetings were not meant to be aggressive. I found that putting on my sunglasses, wearing a mask, and tying up my hair also helped me go a bit incognito, and most of the unwanted attention disappeared.

The India Gate was interesting to see, as it’s such a major symbol of the city, but Humayun’s Tomb, a recommendation I had received from the tour guide the day before, was truly incredible. A gorgeous building, an interesting history, and even a grassy lawn where I could hang out and journal in complete peace.

Then, back to the hostel, just in time for that day’s tour: a visit to the local Tibetan colony. Since travelers switch in and out of hostels so frequently, it took some time to get to know everyone in the 15-person group, but we enjoyed some shopping, rooftop beers, and platters of momos and other foods at an authentic Tibetan restaurant.

Agra

And just like that, after two jam-packed days exploring Delhi, it was time to move on. The next morning, I took the train alone to Agra, which was an experience in and of itself.

Let’s state the facts: (1) The 4-hour train ticket costs less than a single metro ticket in Paris. (2) I was placed on the top of a three-level bunk bed, where I couldn’t sit up, but at least I also couldn’t be bothered. (3) There was no AC, and I found it best not to approach the toilet (this isn’t the Eurostar, y’all). (4) People passed by every few minutes, selling chai, samosas, curries, and more.

While it felt a bit out of my comfort zone, taking the train was efficient and budget-friendly, and it was especially interesting to see the culture in action here. I seemed to be the only non-Indian person on the entire train, so yes, I definitely stuck out, but I never felt unsafe. Plus, the people working at the train stations were incredibly helpful. Upon arrival in Agra, I grabbed a tuktuk to yet another Joey’s Hostel and got to check out my new home.

Like the Delhi location, it wasn’t the most gorgeous hostel I’ve ever stayed at, but one thing made up for it: the rooftop with a view of the Taj Mahal. For just $8 per night, this seemed unreal.

I met Remco, a Dutch traveler, while dropping off my bags, and he decided to join me to check out the Agra Fort. We admired some unbelievable architecture here, and especially at sunset, I was in awe.

We grabbed some curries and naan at a local family-run restaurant, then joined other travelers on the hostel rooftop for a fire pit and lots of shared travel stories. We realized that Bobby and Elijah, two British travelers, were also going to Jaipur the following day, so we booked the same hostel together and planned to share a tuktuk to the train station. That evening, I thoroughly enjoyed what I called a “Taj Mahal sleepover”, complete with trying on several outfits and saying goodnight at 10pm before the seven guys in my room and I all got up at sunrise to see a Wonder of the World.

Dark and early, people in our room slowly got up, but Remco and I were ready to go. We walked five minutes over to the entrance, grabbed some coffee and chai, ran into Melanie, a German traveler we had met the evening before, and eventually agreed to use a tour guide for our visit. While it was a bit foggy at first, the sunrise was unreal. We spent the morning exploring, learning, and taking lots of photos, then eventually headed back to the hostel for a rooftop breakfast with a view. I even convinced the hostel employees to let me take a nap and check out late (if you know me, this was a major win).

That afternoon, I tuktuked with Remco and Elijah to the train station, and we were off to Jaipur!

Jaipur

When we got off the train, we immediately searched for one another amid the dozens of tuktuk drivers trying to get our attention. Having all these people try to convince us to pay them for a ride to our hostel or a tour the following day was overwhelming, to say the least, so we decided to walk the 15 minutes to Moustache… and naturally, we were followed by the tuktuk drivers almost the entire way.

Once we arrived at Moustache, we were a bit frustrated, tired, and hungry, but the hostel’s vibes quickly changed that. Locks on the doors, a rooftop pool, en suite bathrooms, and cute decor? Say no more! We met up for dinner on the rooftop, where we treated ourselves to some not-so-Indian delicacies: pizza, chicken nuggets, milkshakes, and more. That night was all about karaoke, local beers, card games, and planning for the next day.

Turns out that the tuktuk driver who brought Bobby to the hostel from the bus station had, in fact, convinced him to to a tuktuk sightseeing tour of the city. We laughed about this after our own experience, but seeing as I had a lot I wanted to see in Jaipur and one full day to get things done, I agreed to join in. Remco and Elijah ended up joining us as well, so we got two tuktuks and two drivers to split among us. And it was one of the most fun days of my life.

The tuktuk tour included the City Palace, the Amber Fort, an elephant sanctuary, the Jal Mahal, a textile shop, a jewelry shop, and the Hawa Mahal. But it also included way more than that… sharing cigarettes with the drivers, blasting Barbie Girl from the tuktuks, hiking to viewpoints, eating at a very local restaurant (spoiler alert: it gave me food poisoning), and even driving a tuktuk myself. I couldn’t stop smiling, laughing, and thinking about how much of an adventure this was.

By the end of the day, we were exhausted from all the running around. We had dinner at the hostel and enjoyed a rooftop club vibe with all our new friends. As one of maybe five non-Indian people, I did my best to replicate the locals’ dance moves and just vibe to their music, while also hyping everyone up when a Taylor Swift song came on, of course.

On my last day of solo travel, I woke up sick with a stomachache and a fever. Well, it was bound to happen at some point, right? I popped some Advil and headed to the Wind View Cafe for breakfast with a view of the Hawa Mahal. After munching on some toast and doing some journaling, I ended up chatting with an older English cancer survivor about his solo travels around the world. It’s always inspiring to hear a new perspective from a fellow traveler and have conversations with people who I never would have met otherwise.

I walked around the Pink City area for a bit, then headed back to the hostel for some feverish lounging. I went on a quick outing to a local chai spot with Elijah and a hostel volunteer, but I spent most of the day just trying to rest up in the hostel lobby and drink as much water as possible. While my solo backpacker era was coming to an end, I had a very busy next five days of wedding festivities to come!

Up until that last day, when my body finally caved and got sick, I was truly in solo traveler heaven. New foods, new people, and lots of very new experiences that shocked and amazed me. I had been told to expect chaos, discomfort, and illnesses, and while a bit of this was true from time to time, I nevertheless fell in love with this colorful and dynamic country.

So, what surprised me?

So many people were so friendly! Sure, there were times I wanted a bit more personal space or didn’t want to pose for another photo, but people always responded well and did what they could to keep me comfortable and enjoying their country.

Most tourists seemed to be Indians from other regions. While this definitely made me stick out and attract more attention, it was also interesting to see how much diversity there is just within this single county.

The chaos felt more intriguing than frightening, at least to me. It definitely helped that I had been to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh before, and honestly, this didn’t seem super different (except for the cows in the road).

Finally, I have to say I enjoyed it more than I had expected. Just a few months before, I had literally journaled about not being a good enough traveler yet to visit somewhere like India, but I absolutely surprised myself. I set myself up for success by remaining flexible, curious, and open to new experiences, and I think I’ll always look back on this trip as one of the coolest adventures of my life.