As an LGBTQ+ traveler, it’s important to research whether a destination is safe, what LGBTQ+ laws are in place, and if the local culture is accepting and welcoming. Why not have someone else do the work for you? LGBTQ+ group trips are an easy way to ensure your safety while making new fabulous friends and having a gay ol’ time. You deserve to live your best life and feel safe while checking spots off your bucket list. From The L Word-themed cruises and gay Kenya safari tours to life-changing retreats in the wilderness, here are the best LGBTQ+ group trips for your next adventure. Grab your backpacks and lez go explore.
For Adventure Seekers: Out Adventures
Since 2009, Out Adventures has been “the world’s premier provider” of small-group active trips, cultural tours, and gay cruises. Out Adventures has a ton of trips to choose from ranging from all-gay hiking expeditions through Patagonia and Kenya safaris to their most popular: a gay cruise to Croatia. They have a team of local queer guides who are experts at each location ensuring you have the most authentic, local experiences during your trip. Out Adventures says their attention to detail and their commitment to authentic experiences are what set them apart from other tours.
Trips are mostly men, but everyone is welcome. Out Adventures has rave reviews and one traveler even said it’s the “best group trip I’ve ever taken.”
For Luxury Lovers: Out Of Office
With hundreds of departures throughout the year, Out of Office has the world’s largest selection of gay group vacations. Any bucket list trip you can think of, Out Of Office probably has it. Explore everything from glamorous Greek islands and the pyramids of Giza to the ancient ruins of the Inca civilization. They work only with gay-friendly hotels and local guides to make sure your experience is positively perfect. Out of Office goes to queer-friendly countries like Greece and Thailand, as well as less queer-friendly destinations like Egypt and the Maldives where you might be less inclined to go as a solo LGBTQ+ traveler. The tours are carefully crafted with your safety as the first priority.
As a bonus, Out Of Office plants at least 100 trees for every booking and is committed to reducing the impact of travel for future generations.
For Outdoorsy Divas: Diva Destinations
Diva Destinations group holidays are perfect for lesbians and queer women— whether you’re traveling solo, with a pal, or with your partner. They even offer trips exclusively for solo travelers.
Join Diva Destinations on their first hosted group Ranch Holiday to Tucson, Arizona where you can spend the week living like a cowgirl. The Ranch Holiday is hosted on a beautiful ranch of 3,000 acres of open land and scenic mountain views. Daily rides vary from slow, scenic rides through the Saguaro cacti to brisk, fast rides through the desert. The trip includes taking rides together, campfires, and group dinners. The ranch also has its own swimming pool and spa so you can relax after your day in the Wild West!
Diva Destinations’ trips have a good mix of women of all ages looking to meet other gay women in a relaxed and friendly environment and enjoy a wonderful holiday. Meet life-long friends…or maybe your future wife.
For Custom Gay Vacays: He Travel
For the last 40 years, HE Travel, “The King of Gay Travel,” has been the leader in gay adventure travel. In 1973, Founder Hanns Ebensten ran the first exclusively gay adventure tour down the Grand Canyon. Their award-winning gay group tours are ideal both for single gay men and lesbians to meet new friends, and also for couples to enjoy the camaraderie of exploring new places with other gay and lesbian travelers.
He Travel offers culinary tours, adventure tours, cultural trips, and biking tours all around the world. He Travel is best known for their adrenaline club where adventurous gay travelers go bumpee jumping and kayaking, or on a 10-day Antarctica adventure cruise. They also offer custom itineraries for LGBTQ+ friends or a romantic couples getaway.
For Party People: Olivia
Founded nearly five decades ago, Olivia is the leading travel company for lesbians and LGBTQ+ women, having led over 300 trips for more than 350,000 women. From large cruises and resorts to intimate riverboats and adventure vacations, Olivia’s mission has been to provide safe and celebrating spaces for lesbians and LGBTQ+ women so that you can always feel free to be yourself.
Olivia even offers an L Word®: Generation Q-themed trip that includes equal parts sun, fun, turquoise water, tropical nights, and 1,200 other LGBTQ+ women (including cast members from the new show)! The experience is complete with themed pool parties, nightly dance parties, screenings, panels, meet and greet events, nightly comedy shows, and more.
While most guests are lesbian and queer-identifying cis women, non-binary and trans guests are always welcome.
For Cruise Connoisseurs: RSVP Vacations
For 35 years, RSVP Vacations has welcomed over 100,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and straight-allied guests from around the world on their full-ship charters on the finest ships, big and small. Their first cruise, the very first of its kind, “A Cruise to Remember,” sailed out of New Orleans on February 15, 1986 with 750 guests ready to enjoy the overwhelming, life-changing experience that only can happen on an all-gay vacation.
While RSVP Vacations welcomes all travelers, they offer special cruises for LGBTQ+ men, women, couples, and solo travelers. For solo budget travelers, they have a room-sharing option where they will match you with a roommate based on preferences.
Every RSVP vacation has its own spice. From talented entertainers, famous T-dances, underwear parties, or their famous costume contests, there is always something for everyone– even if it means just being your authentic, full self for the week. Come join 120 to 3500 like-minded people in a welcoming, fun environment.
For Exotic Experiences: Ladies Touch
As of 2016, Ladies Touch, a leading LGBTQ+ events company, has expanded to offer travel events and trips for LGBTQ+ women. They realized that most women feel more comfortable traveling abroad with like-minded women rather than alone. They also recognized that there was a void in LGBTQ+ travel specifically for women so their mission is to support more women to travel internationally, especially to gay-friendly and welcoming countries and communities.
Ladies Touch Travel has had successful trips to places like Costa Rica, Brazil, and Thailand and looks forward to traveling to many more exotic places in the future!
For Trips to New Zealand:
Every woman deserves to relax, feel safe and cared for, and take time to reflect while surrounded by other inspiring, adventurous women. HER Journey does just that by designing thoughtful group trips for women by women to New Zealand.
New Zealand is a great LGBTQ+ travel destination and the country enthusiastically welcomes diversity. HER Journey caters tours to include LGBTQ-specific activities. For 2021, they offer four different group trip options exploring different parts of New Zealand for every type of traveler. They believe travel is “transformative with the right ingredients.” HER Journey brings exploration, excitement, intrigue, awe, stories, and shared connections with both nature and local people.
You can join a group trip, but you can also have a private tour catered for you or have them plan your individual trip personalized just for you.