Gay tours to Italy

Gay and lesbian tours and travel agents for trips to Italy

A gay rally in Piazza Navona
Out in force. A gay rally in Rome's Piazza Navona.
Note that this page is devoted mostly to tour companies, gay cruises, and LGBT travel agencies. If you're looking for tips and advice on gay travel in Italy, as well as links to general resources for gay travel (gay travel associations, Italian gay associations, gay travel magazines, and gay travel guidebooks, websites, and blogs), please see this page.

OK, on to the tours.

Gay tours & travel agents

The trips with most LGBT tour companies range all over the world—South Africa this week, Argentina and Brazil the next, then maybe Thailand—but most manage to work a classic Italy itinerary or two into the calendar. If nothing else, there are plenty of gay cruises in the Mediterranean that visit Italian ports.

There are also a few online travel agencies that offer coupons to gay travelers (just a few bucks off, and really just a thin promotional effort to appeal to a particular demographic—what's to stop a straight person from using the coupon?—but at least they're trying).

Here are some of the best of both:

PartnerTravelocity (www.travelocity.com) - Yes, this is the only one of the big search engines that markets services directly to the gay and lesbian travel sector—and they deserve being singled out if only for that.

PartnerOneTravel (www.onetravel.comOneTravel.com) - Major online travel agency with frequent coupons and advertised airfares up to 60% off. It also has a specialty in gay and lesbian travel.

David Tours (www.davidtours.com) - Large selection of trips all across the globe, including several in Italy—Rome weekends, a tour of Sicily, a few biking tours across Tuscany & Umbria and hiking trip in Tuscany, several Mediterranean cruises that include a variety of Italian ports. Based in Corona del Mar, CA.

Toto Tours (www.tototours.com) - Tours and cruises all over the world, including a Thanksgiving tour of Tuscany & Umbria. Based in Chicago (no, not Kansas).

R Family Vacations (www.rfamilyvacations.com) - Tour company co-founded by Kelli O'Donnell (a.k.a. Kelli Carpenter, most famous as the ex-Mrs. Rosie O'Donnell). Tours, trips, and cruises for the entire GLBT community—gays, lesbians, and their families. In 2010, it kicked off its first European cruise—in and out of Barcelona with visits to Monte Carlo and Palma de Mallorca, but otherwise all Italy: Livorno (Pisa, Florence), Civitavecchia (Rome), and Naples. For 2011, no Italy tours (in Europe, just Greek Islands), but check in to see if they add an Italy itinerary.

Above and Beyond Tours (www.abovebeyondtours.com) - Mainly Australia, but plenty of Europe as well—though Italy is mostly represented on gay Mediterranean cruises. Based in Palm Springs.

Now, Voyager (www.nowvoyager.com) - Based in San Francisco and one of the oldest gay and lesbian travel agencies, founded in 1984.

Olivia Cruises (www.olivia.com) - The famous lesbian travel company does more than just cruises—though that's what they're most famous for (they're not an actual cruise line; they charter ships from various companies to resell as their own lesbian cruises). Italy doesn't always make the list of a dozen or so annual trips, but sometimes.

Tips & links

Useful links & resources

Share this page

Intrepid Travel 25% off

Search ReidsItaly.com



Useful links
Train tix

Shortcuts to popular planning sections:

Airfares, Cars, Trains, Tours, Packages, Cruises, Lodging, Itineraries, Info, Packing, Prep, Comm

Follow ReidsItaly
Follow ReidsItaly on Twitter  Join the ReidsItaly fan page  Follow Reids Italy Adventures blog