The Red Beach in Santorini, Greece | Photo by Meagan Wristen
I’ve been lucky enough to travel with my girlfriends all over the world. Whether for a destination bachelorette party or just a weekend to get together and catch up, I’ve been all over the United States and several countries with my friends. If you’re looking for an awesome weekend away with your gal pals, here are my favorite places to go!
Unforgettable Destinations
Let’s face it, some vacations are more memorable than others. Here are four beautiful destinations that have a little bit of everything, but they also have that special “je ne sais quoi” that makes them truly unforgettable.
Greece
Oia, Santorini is an unforgettable destination for a girls trip. | Photo by Meagan Wristen
If you can go anywhere, go to Greece and visit at least two of the islands. My two favorites are Santorini and Mykonos. In Santorini, you can enjoy some of the world’s best sunsets in Oia, lounge on unique beaches like the Red Beach, and dabble in the exciting nightlife in Fira. Over on the island of Mykonos, friends can party all night at famous clubs like the Toy Room. During the day, you can bop around Mykonos city to do some one-of-a-kind shopping or head to one of the many beautiful beaches to enjoy a lazy day of lounging.
San Antonio
Omni La Mansion Del Rio on the San Antonio Riverwalk | Photo by Meagan Wristen
San Antonio has a little bit of everything. They have extraordinary restaurants with amazing food, excellent shopping, swanky hotels along the river walk, and a happening night life. My go-to place to stay with girlfriends is Hotel Emma, one of the top boutique hotels in the world. For a long list of San Antonio recommendations, see my article: Girls Getaway to San Antonio.
Savannah
Savannah, Georgia the perfect place for a girlfriends getaway
Savannah is a picturesque city full of history and the food is phenomenal. Gal time here includes shopping along the waterfront at the famous River Street Market Place, dining at incredible restaurants like Paula Dean’s Lady and Sons restaurant and Belford’s where celebrities often dine, and hitting up a spa. If everyone is up for some nightlife fun, Savannah has a popping club scene down at City Market. I recommend renting a large historic home with your friends and make sure it has a pool, ’cause it gets hot down there. And if you have time, go to the beach out on Tybee Island!
Riviera Maya
Grand Velas Riviera Maya all inclusive resort | Photo by Meagan Wristen
Riviera Maya, Mexico is situated just north of Playa Del Carmen and it is filled with luxurious all-inclusive hotels. Here you and your girlfriends can completely unwind. For those that can afford to splurge, there is Grand Velas, an all-inclusive resort with high end dining and butler service to take care of everything you need. For those with a tighter budget, there is El Dorado Royale, where almost every room has an ocean view and they offer butler service as well. When you want to venture away from the resort, Playa Del Carmen is a short taxi ride away. Here friends can enjoy both shopping and nightlife.
Party Destinations
There’s plenty of time for grown-up girls’ getaways, but every now and again you want to let loose. Here are a couple perfect spots where you can keep the party going long after the sun goes down!
Austin
Barton Springs in Austin, Texas | Photo by Meagan Wristen
Austin, Texas is probably not the first place that comes to mind when thinking of party destinations, but it should be. With well over 60,000 college students attending the University of Texas you can imagine how many bars are there. 6th street is the go-to party street. The street is closed off for pedestrian traffic only, making it easy to bounce from one bar to the next. There’s live music all over the place. If 6th street is too intense, head one street over. On 5th street, the vibe is a little less rowdy and there are a lot of great roof top bars. If you want to take a break from the bar scene, try an area wine tour, go float the river, or visit one of the areas springs to cool off!
Las Vegas
Let loose with your girlfriends in Las Vegas. | Photo from Meagan Wristen
Las Vegas is one of the top party cities in the world and everyone in your group will have fun dancing at night at packed clubs while famous DJs spin away. By day, friends can relax at the spa and lounge by the pool. My favorite place to stay with friends in Vegas is the Cosmopolitan. For a longer list of recommendations, see my article: Las Vegas Girlfriends Getaway.
Destinations for Wine Lovers
There are few things better in life than catching up with your girls over a bottle of wine. Here are some wine focused getaways everyone in your group will enjoy.
Portland
Portland, Oregon is the ultimate food and wine place for a girls trip!
If food and wine are your top priorities head to Portland, Oregon, where the foodie scene just keeps getting better and better and the wine scene has exploded just outside of Portland. In addition to good food and wine they have a vibrant music scene and stunning gardens worth touring. For more food recommendations in Portland see my article: 11 Best Paces to Eat in Portland.
Fredericksburg
Out behind Das Peach Haus in Fredericksburg, Texas | Photo by Meagan Wristen
For a more low key girls’ weekend filled with sweet Texas wines and boutique shopping, Fredericksburg is an excellent choice. This quaint German Texas town is full of wineries and independently owned shops and restaurants. Das Peach Hous has lots of area wines you can try and the property is beautiful. Visit the pond out back for a great photo opportunity. Other wineries you should visit are Messina Hof, Wedding Oak Winery at Wildseed Oak, and Fiesta Winery. For a German lunch or dinner, eat at Silver Creek Beer Garden and Grille and for a more upscale dinner, try Navajo Grill. At night you can grab a beer at Hondo’s on Main and listen to some live Texas rock.
Finger Lakes
Watkins Glen State Park in the Finger Lakes | Photo by Meagan Wristen
The Finger Lakes region of New York is exploding with wineries. You could spend several days in this area and never run out of wineries to visit. Some of my favorites are Montezuma Winery where you will want to sample their award winning Diamond wine, Glenora Winery where you can try a fizzy pomegranate wine, and Belhurst Winery where the inside of the castle alone makes it worth the stop. For a beautiful place to stay with a stunning garden, stay at Mirbeau Inn and Spa. As you plan your winery route be sure to make your way down to Watkins Glen State Park for a phenomenal hike.
This list could keep going and going, but this gives you a lot of ideas to start planning your own girls’ trip. Other places that are always fun that I didn’t include, but they came close to being in my top choices were Los Angeles, New Orleans, Cancun, NYC, and Puerto Vallarta. The best part about planning a trip with your friends is that it doesn’t matter where you go. When you are with good friends you are guaranteed to have an epic time.
Meagan Wristen
Latest posts by Meagan Wristen (see all)
- 7 Easy Ways to Volunteer in Cancun on a Budget - May 2, 2019
- Create your own New York City weekend getaway with teens - April 11, 2019
- How to Properly Experience the Greek Islands of Santorini and Mykonos - March 21, 2019
Travelocity compensates authors for their writings appearing on this site; such compensation may include travel and other costs.
