Do you and your closest gal pals want to indulge in a luxury girls getaway for some rest, relaxation, and fun, but don’t have much experience with how to plan a girls weekend? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Going on vacation with a group of your closest friends can be a memorable, wonderful experience that will give you memories that you’ll be reminiscing on for years to come. However, figuring out how to start the planning process to make sure the girls holiday goes off without a hitch can be a daunting and stressful experience if you’re unsure of what to do or where to visit. We want to help minimize the stress of planning a girls trip for you and your friends, which is why we’ve compiled a complete guide on how to grab your favorite sexy designer bikini and plan the ultimate girlfriends getaway, including some of the top girls holiday destinations to consider choosing for a vacation you’ll never forget.

We hope that our guide to planning a fun-filled girlfriends getaway and the best girls holiday destinations will help simplify the planning process and set you up to have the ultimate vacation with your closest pals. After all, your vacation should be all about having fun, seeing a new place, and enjoying your time with people you love, not about stress and worry. Keep reading for all of the information you need to make planning your trip away with friends and choosing the right destination a breeze.

Six Key Steps For Planning Your Trip

The first step towards planning the ultimate women vacation is planning your trip, but how do you actually start doing that? We’re here to help remove the guesswork from the process so you know the major decisions you and your friends will need to make to start planning the perfect girlfriends getaway so you can get to enjoying your vacation instead of stressing about planning it!

• Pick Your Group of Gals: The first step to planning the ultimate girls trip is choosing which friends you want to go on this adventure with you. Who will be excited and ready to go travel with a group of girls and have a great time? What does your ideal group look like? When you’re thinking through the group of girls for the trip, it’s helpful to consider the different personality types and various interests of those in the group to make sure that the friends you have chosen will interact well. The right group of friends can make all the difference!¹
  
  
• Coordinate Dates That Work for the Group: We know trying to get a group of friends to settle on dates that work for everyone can be a challenge, but once you’ve narrowed down the list of friends for the girls trip, the next step is to find dates for the trip that works for everyone involved. One of the easiest ways to do this is to start a group chat or email so that everyone can see the other group member’s responses and tailor the availabilities they are providing accordingly. It’s best to plan for dates that are least three to four months in the future so that you and your friends can still get great deals on hotel and airline fares and aren’t left paying a premium for booking close to the departure date.²
  
  
• Settle on a Budget That Works for Everyone: We know it can be awkward to broach the subject of finances with your friends, but everyone has different budgetary constraints and to make this girls trip work for everyone in the group it is necessary to make sure that the budget for each person to spend on the trip works for all involved. We know that you don’t want to unintentionally alienate a friend and make them feel like they can no longer go on the trip, so have a discussion with each person in the group and see what budget will work for them. This may mean removing more elaborate and expensive plans for the trip from contention, but if you’re able to travel somewhere new with friends you have fun with, you won’t care once the trip rolls around!you won’t care once the trip rolls around!³
  
  
• Choose a Destination: Once you’ve got the dates and budget nailed down for everyone in the group, the next step is to choose where in the world you and your girls want to travel to! Having the dates that work and budgetary constraints determined before this step will help narrow down your search so that you have definite parameters to work with and can find various options to select from. It can be helpful to talk to the girls in the group and see if there are some places they have been wanting to see that they think may work and what types of activities everyone in the group is trying to do during the girls trip. Every place has its own unique atmosphere and offerings so figuring out what type of trip the group is looking for will play a big role in selecting a location that delivers. To help you with this step, we’ve also compiled some of the best girls holiday destinations that we’ll cover later on in the guide to jumpstart your search!⁴ (If you’re planning a bachelorette party don’t forget to view our favorite tropical bachelorette destinations for locations that are specific to that occasion!)
  
  
  
• Assign out Tasks That Need to Be Accomplished: Just because you’re taking the lead on planning this girls getaway doesn’t mean that you need to do all of the work by yourself! Each of your friends will have different interests and strengths that they can bring to the planning process, so harness their unique skill sets to assign out some of the most pressing tasks that will need to be figured out so they can go do the legwork and come back to the group with options for everyone to select from. If you have a friend who loves to seek out new, trendy restaurants to eat out, put them in charge of finding food in the destination that you’ve selected. If you’ve got a friend who specializes in finding great places to stay that will keep the whole group comfortable during the trip, let them take the lead on finding accommodations for the group. Assign out all of the major tasks that need to get done to different girls in the group and have them report back to the group with their findings by a certain date so that you can collectively decide on the best options and book as far in advance as possible. During this step, you should be getting all of the major elements of your trip (accommodations, flights, transportation, etc.) booked so that all you have left to decide on is the fun activities you want to do during your trip.⁵
  
  
• Plan Some Activities (But Not Too Many): Have you ever been on a vacation where every single minute during the trip is planned and felt a little overwhelmed by the lack of flexibility in the schedule? We’ve all been there! We recommend choosing a few activities that the group wants to do during the trip and booking those if needed, but also leaving room in the trip for spontaneity, exploration, and going with the vibe of the moment. After all, sometimes the experiences we stumble into on trips are the ones we value the most later on!⁶

Once you’ve worked your way through this list, all that’s left is to pack a wardrobe full of clothes and swimsuits that will allow you to feel confident and ready to have fun during every day of your trip! As a part of our guide to girls getaways, we also want to introduce you to some of the top girls holiday destinations to help guide your search for the perfect vacation location.

The Top Girls Holiday Destinations

One of the most important steps in the list above is choosing the perfect destination. The location you choose will determine what types of activities you and your friends will be able to do during the vacation and the overall atmosphere for the trip. Below are a handful of the top girls holiday destinations to help start your search for the perfect girls getaway destination.

Sedona, Arizona

If you’re looking for a girls trip destination that will offer relaxation, stunning views, and the opportunity for outdoor adventures, Sedona may be the perfect choice for you and your friends. In Sedona, you can spend the day at the spa getting massages, letting your stress ease away, and taking in the beautiful scenery around you or you can venture out among the red rocks for a hike that will immerse you in a unique landscape that you have to see to understand. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can book a Jeep tour that will take you around off-roading to allow you to explore some areas of Sedona that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to experience. If your group is filled with animal lovers, you can go horseback riding among the red rocks to take in the natural beauty of Sedona from a higher viewpoint.⁷

Willamette Valley, Oregon

When you think of wine, your mind is more likely to travel to more well-known areas like Napa Valley, California, but the Willamette Valley in Oregon will give you a one-of-a-kind experience drinking wine and taking in the stunning sights in the area. In the Willamette Valley, you can travel between the vineyards drinking local wine, eating fresh produce and locally sourced foods, and snap photos of the breathtaking natural landscape in the area. If you want a dose of the city during your vacation, you can split your time between the Willamette Valley and nearby Portland to enjoy breweries and bakeries galore.⁸

Noord, Aruba

If you and your girls are looking for a tropical getaway off the beaten path, try Noord, Aruba to spend your days relaxing on white sand beaches next to the glistening turquoise waters. Noord’s Palm Beach has several different luxurious resorts you and your pals can choose from to create the perfect tropical beach getaway. With great restaurants and the perfect beach vacation views, you can swim in the sea and have fun with your favorite friends without a care in the world.⁹

Santa Barbara, California

For a girls getaway that will offer the perfect California beach vacation atmosphere while giving you access to beautiful sights and nightlife, Santa Barbara is a great place to visit. You will be surrounded by beautiful Spanish style buildings on the streets of the town and stunning ocean views down by the water. You can throw in your favorite swimsuit during the day and soak up the sun and don a cute cover up during the evening to go out for dinner and cocktails off State Street. In Santa Barbara, you’ll be able to have a low-key girls getaway with beautiful ocean views, delicious views, and fun memories that you can carry with you forever.¹⁰

Costa Rica

If you and your friends are looking to venture outside of the United States, Costa Rica is an option that will give you the perfect tropical vacation vibes. In Costa Rica, you can hit the perfect balance of relaxation and adventure. You can spend your day sitting on the beach reading a book or zip lining through the rainforest. You can go whitewater rafting one day and have a spa day the next. In Costa Rica, you can truly choose your own adventure and make your girls getaway an unforgettable experience. ¹¹
Don’t forget to check out our list ofwhat to pack for a beach vacation to help you with the packing process. We’ve also put together a guide to resort attire and a list of beach bag essentials to ensure you are prepared and ready to enjoy your time!

We hope this guide helps you plan the perfect girls holiday & enjoy time away with your closest friends. Whether you are early on in the planning process or down to the last few details, we’re here to help you plan your adventure stress free so you can enjoy each moment as you travel the world in style.

Sources:

¹https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/how-plan-a-girls-trip/#20178
²https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/how-plan-a-girls-trip/#20178
³https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/how-plan-a-girls-trip/#20178
⁴https://www.wheretraveler.com/shop/lets-go-girls-how-plan-girls-getaway
⁵https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/how-plan-a-girls-trip/#20178
⁶https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/how-plan-a-girls-trip/#20178
⁷https://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/americas-best-cities-for-girlfriend-getaways#sedona-arizona
⁸https://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/americas-best-cities-for-girlfriend-getaways#willamette-valley-oregon-vineyard
⁹https://travel.usnews.com/gallery/30-great-girls-weekend-getaways?slide=11
¹⁰https://travel.usnews.com/gallery/30-great-girls-weekend-getaways?slide=21
¹¹https://travel.usnews.com/gallery/30-great-girls-weekend-getaways?slide=24