Are you looking for travel companies that run trips exclusively for gay and lesbian travelers?
While there are tour groups like Olivia that cater exclusively to lesbian travelers, mainstream brands are increasingly offering LGBTQ-only trips. From a tour of major US Pride festivals to inclusive Europe, see how tour companies are meeting the needs of queer travelers with itineraries built around destinations with thriving LGBTQ communities.
Uniworld Runs Cruises for Gay and Lesbian Travelers
The luxury river cruise provider Uniworld announced its limited edition Out! On the Rivers river journeys program. Out in the Tulips! cruises from Belgium to Holland offer a peak tulip of blooming time (sched TBD because nature is a diva). Then there’s the Out in Bordeaux! cruise through France’s Bordeaux wine region which is set to sail April 14th 2024.
Uniworld offers a boutique spin on the concept of a river cruise with world-class amenities and accommodations.
The cruise brand has partnered with gay and lesbian travel professionals Gregg Kaminsky and Kelli Carpenter of R Family Vacations since 2017. Kaminsky and Carpenter have hosted annual gay and lesbian Europe sailing trips with Uniworld. Uniworld belongs to IGLTA, International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association. Their staff have taken part in sensitivity training geared towards support and inclusion of gay and lesbian travelers.
Uniworld’s LGBTQ river cruises don’t just bring new meaning to the historic gay slang term. They offer the chance for a week to socialize with other gay and lesbian travelers and see some of Europe’s most iconic destinations by river.
Contiki Runs Inclusive Europe Pride Tours
Gen Z/millenial social travel company Contiki recently named LGBTQIA activist Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir their 2023 LGBTQIA+ Ambassador. Contiki also announced a Pride-themed lineup of summer social travel.
Contiki caters to the 18-to-35 crowd and is committed to making travel inclusive.
Their Contiki Pride Travel tour runs from July 28-August 6, 2023. The Pride Travel tour starts in London where Travelers will get to know the gay and lesbian London scene in Soho and Vauxhall, the gay village.
The queer travel trip moves to Paris with a trip to the historic gay neighborhood of Le Marais, don’t miss the Breton style buckwheat crepes at Breizh). The Marais isn’t just gay friendly, it’s super convenient to top Paris attractions, making one of my favorite places to stay in Paris. A Moulin Rouge style cabaret dinner adds that perfect touch of glamour that you would expect from a gay and lesbian tour of Paris.
The LGBTQ tour sounds fun, but it goes beyond pretty photo backdrops and parties to explore local LGBTQ culture. You’ll get an understanding of local cultures, queer communities, and LGBTQ neighborhoods present and historic.
The trip concludes in Amsterdam in time for Pride Amsterdam. You’ll explore the canals, the city’s red lights district, and of course do up Amsterdam Pride with tickets to the official after party!
Gay and lesbian travelers with limited time can opt for their four day Amsterdam Pride excursion instead.
The ambassadorship program allows Contiki to learn about LGBTQIA travelers and our needs and deepen their commitments to inclusive travel.
The social travel brand says they’ll work with Aisha on diversifying their marketing materials to include representation of gay and lesbian travelers. They will listen to the Black queer travel influencer for suggestions on travel itineraries product development and how to make their trips fun, accessible, and life-changing for members of the LGBTQIA community.
It’s always exciting to see companies move from talking about inclusivity to modeling it by adapting their programs to the needs of diverse travelers! If you’re looking to do a Europe summer tour, check out their LGBTQ programs!
Find Pride Events and Dates With Eden
LGBTQ+ dating and social app Eden launched a series of urban Pride guides to help you make the most of Pride season 2023.
Eden’s Pride guides include interactive maps of urban prides, links to sponsoring businesses and local events, and all socials for nearby Pride organizations so you can get up to the minute information. There is even a dating section so you can find a new boo to party with.
Cities listed in the Eden Project section include:
- NYC
- Philadelphia
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- Washington D.C.
- Chicago
- Houston
- San Diego
- Pittsburgh
- NOLA
- Denver
Looking for more Pride-themed travel ideas? Check out our list of LGBTQ road-trip friendly small-town Prides, LGBTQ outdoor groups, or LGBTQ walking tours in US cities!
Some great pics here. Could you tell me the location of the photo with all the tulips?
Good for these travel companies having LGBTQ tours. Maybe more will start up in the near future.
This is a great round-up of inclusive travel packages for the LGBTQ community. I am from India and wondering if there are any similar inclusive travel brands in my country.
Yes – there are some LGBTQ travel companies in India on my radar. Maybe I’ll do a roundup for folks like me who have India on their bucket list!
This is so cool! I love that not only it is a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, but also that you get to learn about history and culture/ queer communities and neighborhoods. Plus you finish at pride!? It’s fabulous!
Very nice selection of tour companies. And great that they focus on the history & culture of queer neighbourhoods.