Five Weekend Destinations Perfect For A Girls' Trip
- Erika Doty
- Jan 13
- 5 min read
At some point in adulthood, friendships start to feel harder to maintain. Group texts stay unread. Plans get pushed to “sometime soon.” Months go by faster than we realize, and suddenly it feels like everyone is busy, tired, or waiting for the right moment to reconnect.
That is exactly why girls’ trips matter.
Not the overpacked, stressful kind that leaves you more tired than when you left for it. I am talking about the kind of trip where you laugh until your stomach hurts, talk for hours without checking the time, and come home feeling more like yourself than you have in a while.
A girls’ trip is not an escape from real life. It is a return to the parts of yourself that get buried under work schedules, responsibilities, and routines.
And the good news is, you do not need a full week off or an elaborate itinerary to make it happen. A long weekend is often enough.
What Makes a Girls’ Trip Actually Work
Before we talk destinations, let’s talk about why some girls’ trips feel magical, and others feel exhausting. The difference usually comes down to a few simple choices.
Choose ease over ambition
The best girls’ trips are not about doing everything. They are about doing less together. Walkable towns, compact cities, and destinations where you can settle in quickly make a huge difference for a weekend away.
If it takes two days just to get your bearings, the trip will feel rushed before it even starts.
Pick places built for lingering
Look for destinations with good food, great coffee or wine, and plenty of places to sit and stay awhile. Long dinners, slow mornings, and unplanned conversations are where the real memories happen.
Remove friction wherever you can
Easy flights, short drives, and simple logistics matter more than you think. The less mental energy you spend figuring things out, the more present you can be with each other.
When planning a girls’ trip, the destination should do some of the work for you.
Five Perfect Girls’ Trip Weekend Destinations
These destinations are spread across the country, easy to enjoy in a long weekend, and designed for connection rather than chaos.
1. Walla Walla, Washington
Best for: wine tasting, slow mornings, deep conversations
Walla Walla is the kind of place that invites you to exhale the moment you arrive. It is walkable, cozy, and unintimidating, even if wine country usually feels overwhelming.
Spend your days moving between tasting rooms without rushing. Linger over long dinners. Wander through boutique shops. This is a destination where plans stay loose and conversations stretch late into the night.
Why it works for a long weekend: Everything is close together, and the pace is naturally slow. You can settle in quickly and actually relax.
Helpful tip: Stay somewhere central so you can walk most places. You will not need a packed schedule here.
2. Palm Springs, California
Best for: sunshine, pool days, and nervous system resets
Palm Springs has a way of slowing you down without trying. The desert light, palm trees, and mountain views calm you in a way that is hard to explain until you experience it.
This is the perfect girls’ trip destination if your group needs rest more than adventure. Pool days, sunset walks, iced coffees downtown, and maybe one nice dinner are more than enough.
Why it works for a long weekend: Fly in, drop your bags, and instantly feel like you are on vacation.
Helpful tip: Do not over plan. One or two loose plans per day is plenty.
3. Santa Fe, New Mexico
Best for: creativity, culture, and grounding energy
Santa Fe feels different from most girls’ trip destinations, and that is exactly why it works. The art, the food, the desert landscape, and the pace all encourage presence.
This is a great destination for thoughtful conversations, gallery wandering, and meals that turn into hours-long moments of reflection.
Why it works for a long weekend: It is compact, rich in culture, and calming without being boring.
Helpful tip: Build in downtime between activities. Santa Fe is best experienced slowly.
4. Charleston, South Carolina
Best for: charm, food, and effortless wandering
Charleston feels made for girls’ trips. The historic streets, beautiful architecture, and incredible food scene make it easy to fill a weekend without feeling rushed.
You can walk for hours, eat well at every stop, and never feel like you are missing out.
Why it works for a long weekend: The historic core is walkable, and the atmosphere does a lot of the work for you.
Helpful tip: Choose a neighborhood that allows you to walk most places. Fewer reservations often lead to better discoveries.
5. Newport, Rhode Island
Best for: coastal beauty and polished calm
Newport brings a breezy Upper East Coast energy to a girls’ trip. Ocean views, historic mansions, charming downtown streets, and long coastal walks create a sense of elegance without feeling stuffy.
This is a beautiful option for women who want something scenic and relaxed, with just enough to explore together.
Why it works for a long weekend: It is compact, scenic, and easy to enjoy without a packed itinerary.
Helpful tip: Plan one main activity per day and leave the rest open for spontaneity.
How to Plan a Girls’ Trip Without Overwhelm
A successful girls’ trip does not require perfection. It requires openness, flexibility, and a little trust in the process.
Decide on lodging first
Once you know where you are staying, everything else becomes easier. Choose comfort and location over luxury if you have to pick.
Pro tip: Use filters on sites like Airbnb, VRBO, or Booking.com to narrow down your non-negotiables. Do not bother looking at places that don’t fit your group’s needs.
Set expectations early
Talk about budget, pace, and priorities before booking. Alignment upfront prevents frustration later.
Leave space for the unplanned
The best moments are often the ones you did not schedule.
The Say Yes Perspective
Many women hesitate to plan a girls’ trip because it feels indulgent or inconvenient. But connection is not something you earn after everything else is done. It is something that sustains you through the rest of life.
Saying yes to a girls’ trip is saying yes to laughter, shared memories, and time that matters. It is choosing presence over perfection.
Something to Look Forward To
A girls’ trip does not need to be complicated to be meaningful. You do not need a week off or a perfect plan. You just need a place that makes it easy to be together, a weekend on the calendar, and everyone willing to say “yes.”
Sometimes that is all it takes.
About the Author
I’m Macey. Photographer, traveler, and founder of Say Yes Travel Co. I believe travel should feel less like a checklist and more like connection, culture, and memories you’ll carry home.
When I’m not behind the camera or planning group trips for women, you can find me wandering big cities with an iced coffee in hand and probably buying more books than I can fit in my carry-on.
✨ Want more travel tips, itineraries, and real talk about saying yes to adventure? Follow me on Instagram @sayyestravelco_maceysnelson.
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