Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
Buckle up your sequined traveling boots, darling, because we’re about to embark on a kaleidoscopic journey into the vibrant cosmos of the best gay travel groups. I see you, fierce, independent nomad! You thought tours were just for mainstream tourists snapping photos from a bus window? Well, prepare to have your world glitter-bombed!
Imagine this: you’re relishing the thrill of exploration, but instead of stressing over TripAdvisor reviews to figure out where to eat, you get to focus on, oh, I don’t know, strutting your fabulous self down the cobbled streets of an ancient city! Now, we’re not casting any rainbows over a tranquil sunset check-in at a gay hotel in Mykonos or a mojito-infused laze-about in Key West. But why limit yourself to one course when this gloriously queer planet is offering a rainbow buffet?
Visualize the best gay travel groups as your golden ticket to a kaleidoscopic carnival in motion. You make new friends, perhaps more (nudge, nudge), while plunging into a whirlpool of new experiences. From lively Samba classes in Rio to a scenic wine-tasting session in the French countryside, it’s like winning the gay lottery—three times!
Here’s another gem for you: these dazzling gay tour companies are either gay-owned or gay-friendly. Picture them as the Lady Gaga to your Little Monster, providing an ambiance where you can embrace your fabulousness without fear of discrimination or isolation. It’s like being in a Madonna music video or turning heads like Billy Porter at the Met Gala.
So, ready your most flamboyant suitcases and strap in for an explosion of fabulousness as we launch you on an unforgettably queer journey with the best gay travel groups. Trust us, darling, this is an experience so bedazzling and heartwarming, even Lizzo would compose a feel-good anthem in your honor. Fasten your sequined seatbelts—it’s going to be a ride you’ll never forget!
In this article we will cover...
Out Adventures
Out Adventures is number one among gay tour companies, simply for its great ethos and wide range. They run over 20 tours in 15 countries and there’s something to suit everyone – culinary delights in Portugal, the Inca Trail for the hikers, a Cuban New Year’s fiesta if you just love rum and dancing (who doesn’t?).
You can search by theme, search by country or build your own adventure; whatever you feel like doing, the team at Out will help you. They know what it’s like to be a gay traveler, having plenty of travel experience among them, and want to provide you with an experience where you feel comfortable being yourself and have the opportunity to see everything of the world you want to.
Out make sure that everywhere the gay travel groups stay is LGBT friendly, and individual as well. They respect the local people and their communities and aim to give back. The groups are always intimate and you find everyone is firm friends by the second day!
Guys.travel
Get ready for some gay adventure! Guys.travel specializes in exciting group tours exclusively for English-speaking gay men from all over the world.
The gay-friendly destinations selected by Guys.travel are always unique – Jordan, Nepal, India, and Cuba, for example. The itineraries are multifaceted and offer participants an unforgettable mix of culture, nature, and adventure. Every tour has a professional English-speaking guide for the duration of the trip, which is usually anywhere from 8 to 12 days depending on the tour. Extensions are even offered for some of the destinations!
The lovingly curated tours aim to give gay men the opportunity to create lasting bonds in the most enriching way possible – through travel. The groups are intentionally kept small (max. 16) so that every participant becomes an integral part of the group. But this doesn’t mean that participants don’t have time to themselves: every booking is for a single room so that travelers have the freedom to retreat if desired and every tour has at least one afternoon off for exploration or relaxation on your own or with your newly found friends.
With Guys.travel you’ll make memories that last a lifetime!
Pink Iceland
Pink Iceland are there to help you experience Iceland as they think the LGBT community should experience it – as part of a fun gay travel group. They’ll help you organize a birthday or work trip to see this isolated but stunning country.
It could be a tailor-made tour, cherry picking the best glaciers to climb or rivers to go snorkeling in (yes, you can snorkel in Iceland!). You could also hook up with one of their small group tours, like the city walk and happy hour in Reykjavík twice a week where you can learn about the country’s LGBT history.
Iceland might be a small country with a tiny 300,000 inhabitants, but there’s plenty to see and Pink Iceland want to help you see it all – from the Northern Lights to the Blue Lagoon. These masters among gay travel companies also do fabulous tours linked to Gay Pride so you can get the absolute most from your gay pride week in Iceland (psst, they host a winter pride festival as well).
Spain 7 Degrees
If you think that Spain is just Madrid, Barcelona and Ibiza, think again! This whole country is one of the world’s most gay-friendly travel destinations including Valencia, Salamanca, Girona, and Seville. Thankfully, the team at Spain 7 Degrees specialize in gay tours in Spain and an help navigate Gay Spain for you. Trust us, not only do they know what they are doing but are also insanely passionate about creating memorable experiences for their customers.
The tours include a gay surf camp, a detox break for when the 9 to 5 is too much, some luxury sailing or an ‘I love party’ tour for the party animals among us. If you want something a little less organized, there are other tailor-made services on offer. One of our favorites is the local friend – someone who knows the gay city you are in and will show you around all the hidden gems.
Rainbow Gay Tours
One of the only gay tour companies that run regular walking and bus tours in European cities. They aim to provide the queer angle on gay-friendly cities like Berlin, Barcelona, London and Madrid, and their knowledgeable (and rather attractive!) guides do just that.
There are bar-crawl tours, special Pride tours including some of the world’s biggest gay pride festivals, holiday packages and a lot more to discover! So if you’re planning a city-break and want to learn more about the gay history, culture, and nightlife, Rainbow Gay might be the best option. You’ll also get to explore with a gay travel group, which we all know is a lot more fun!
Out in Colombia Travel
Colombia is a fascinating country with masses to offer the adventure-hungry traveler. From the white-sand beaches on the Caribbean coast to the lights and gay clubs of the capital city to the Amazon jungle, there’s a holiday to suit anyone here.
That’s what the founder of Out in Colombia thought when he moved to Medellin and so developed this bespoke travel service aimed at providing LGBT travelers an experience of a lifetime, and one that ties in with the organization’s commitment to sustainable travel too.
Colombia is fast becoming a top gay travel destination, due in part to its improvement in LGBT rights. In 2017 it was voted one of the best LGBT tourist destinations – and the gay party scene in places like Bogota has to be seen to be believed. Out in Colombia knows the country intimately and wants to promote its beauties to the gay community.
With personalized holiday planning, domestic reservations, bilingual tour guides and a concierge service on-call, you can feel confident that you’ll have the trip of a lifetime in this unique country.
Oscar Wilde Tours
Calling all gay history buffs (or anyone who likes a man in a tweed jacket!), there is now a gay history tour company. That’s right, a tour company that exclusively organizes trips exploring same-sex love (and lust) throughout the years.
Established by Professor Andrew Lear, a leading scholar in sexuality, choosing the name Oscar Wilde in honor of one of the most recognizable figures in gay history and using his emblem of a green carnation, this gay travel group could take you to Athens, Rome, Dublin, Amsterdam or Paris. Or you could always go on all five + a few more!
Explore the art and culture of ancient times in Greece and Italy (combine the two for the scrumptiously-named Gods and Heroes package), follow in Wilde’s footsteps in Paris and London or learn about the socially liberal mecca of Amsterdam.
Lear is an incredibly knowledgeable guide; but not only that, but he is also clearly fascinated by his subject, which enthralls all the participants as well. If you’re looking to take off your shirt and dance on a podium, this might not be the tour for you, but it’s an excellent chance to learn about gay culture through the ages – and a unique gay holiday for singles idea!
Detours Travel
This company takes an atypical approach to gay travel groups, aiming to create more flexible itineraries to allow for plenty of spontaneity on your trip. The team at Detours Travel felt that there was a gap in the market for gay travelers who didn’t just want to party but wanted to experience everything the wide world had to offer.
So they design relaxed adventure tours, with less time spent getting from place to place and more time on exploring. You’re part of a laid-back group with guides who are less about giving you instructions and more about helping you discover more about where you are.
Not great for the Type-A gays among us, but perfect for people who want to take their time!
TropOut
TropOut’s goal is to create mini gay festivals around the world. Their recipe? Pick a stunning location, with guaranteed sunshine; find some stunning venues; put on a hell of a party! They’re stylish, they’re fun and they’re incredibly welcoming.
Sure, some of us know immediately that we’d love to dance on a beach all night long, while some of us might be worried that you won’t fit in. At TropOut, everyone fits in! It’s not about a beauty pageant, it’s about people from around the world finding out what they have in common and making friends.
The dream was to create a gay travel experience that combines experiencing the destination with a good party. We think they’ve succeeded; why don’t you find out for yourself? Of course, if you don’t like to party you can always try a gay yoga retreat…
OUTstanding Travel
Be part of some fantastic gay travel groups in the Mediterranean – Israel, Italy or Greece are your options, so the only challenge is choosing between them. OUTstanding Travel wants to help LGBT travelers experience the beauty and culture of these destinations, so use the expertise of gay locals to build the experience.
Whether you’re looking to taste all the food in Florence, to party in Tel Aviv or see the ruins of ancient Greece, this gay tour company can provide a choice of tailor-made trips, personalized for you. They also run day trips and group tours where you can get to know other gay travelers and share experiences you’ll never forget.
