Out Of Office
Request a quote→ +44 20 7157 1570
Proudly LGBTQ+ experts and welcoming to all travellers +44 20 7157 1570

Inspiration

Gay Honeymoon South Africa

Tailor-made, always

Every trip built from scratch around your dates, pace and preferences.

Your own specialist

One named person and a 24-hour number while you travel.

Hundreds of five-star reviews

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot across ten years of LGBTQ+ luxury travel.

South Africa Gay Honeymoons

South Africa is not just gay-friendly. It is the only country on the continent where same-sex marriage is fully legal and constitutionally protected, and that difference shapes everything from how couples are treated at hotel check-in to how openly they can hold hands on a sundowner deck. For a honeymoon, that matters more than most travellers expect: the freedom to simply exist as a couple, without translation or explanation, changes the shape of a trip.

Cape Town is the gay capital of South Africa. De Waterkant is the obvious base: a compact, walkable village of Cape Dutch houses on a hillside above the harbour, with bars like Beefcakes and Bronx Action Bar drawing an easy mix of locals and visitors most nights of the week.

It has a similar scale and energy to London’s Soho, but with mountain views at the end of the street instead of another building.

Johannesburg offers a different, less touristed version of the same thing: Parkhurst’s tree-lined main road is where the city’s gay professionals actually eat and drink, and it feels less like a scene built for visitors and more like a neighbourhood that happens to welcome them.

What sets South Africa apart from other honeymoon destinations, gay or otherwise, is the range packed into one country.

A week can move from Cape Town’s restaurants and Table Mountain’s cable car to a private safari lodge tracking the Big Five, then on to the Cape Winelands for two days of nothing but vineyards and long lunches.

Planning a Gay Honeymoon in South Africa

A South African honeymoon typically begins in Cape Town. Properties along the Atlantic Seaboard are built for sunset, with private plunge pools and terraces angled toward the water.

From the city, the Cape Winelands offer a different kind of luxury: boutique hotels set among vineyards, often no more than a dozen rooms, where the owner or winemaker might host dinner personally, and we can arrange a cellar tasting around the couple’s own schedule rather than a set tour time.

Franschhoek, the country’s food capital, has built its reputation on exactly this kind of hospitality.

Further inland, South Africa’s private safari lodges offer the most distinct register of romance the country has to offer. Suites open directly onto the bush, dinners are served under the stars rather than a roof, and we structure the days around two or three unhurried game drives rather than a fixed itinerary.

Few honeymoon destinations allow a couple to move between a five-star city hotel, a working vineyard estate, and a private lodge overlooking open bush, all within the same week and the same country.

In Short - Why South Africa?
1

Taste some of the world's most acclaimed wine in the Cape Winelands

2

Cape Town is the gay capital of Africa

3

Its boutique hotels rank among the most romantic in the southern hemisphere

4

Track the Big Five on a private safari

South Africa

Safari

Things To Do In South Africa

A safari is likely to be the centerpiece of a South African honeymoon. Tracking the Big Five through the bush with an experienced guide is a genuine highlight of travel here, not just for first-time visitors. We work with a select group of gay-friendly lodges, from intimate camps in the Cape region to the more expansive reserves around Kruger, each offering a different scale and style of safari experience.

A trip across the border into Zimbabwe for Victoria Falls is also worth the detour. Known locally as Mosi-o-Tunya, “the smoke that thunders,” the falls are audible from a considerable distance before they come into view, and the spray alone gives some sense of scale. Options here include a sunset cruise on the Zambezi, a guided walking tour along the falls, and dinner at Batoka Gorge, looking out over the gorge itself.

Together, the safari, the falls, and the more urban pleasures of Cape Town and Franschhoek cover a wide range in a single trip, which is part of why South Africa works so well as a honeymoon destination: few countries offer this much contrast without requiring multiple flights.

South Africa also pairs naturally with a stay in Mauritius, for couples looking to follow the safari and the Winelands with time on the coast.

South Africa

Winelands

Begin

The best trips begin with a conversation, not a booking form.

Start planning your honeymoonStart planning→

FAQs

Is South Africa Safe?

Sadly, the crime rates are very high. You shouldn’t wander around at night, nor should you wear clothes that signal wealth (leave the Rolex at home). It’s advisable to ask for cabs at your hotel and avoid no-go areas.

What is the best time to visit Cape Town?

Peak season runs from December to February, when the weather is warmest and the city is at its busiest. For wine touring specifically, the harvest months of February and March tend to draw the most attention, when the Winelands are at their most active.

What is the best time to go on a South African safari?

The dry season, from May to October, offers the best game viewing, since animals gather more predictably around water sources and the bush is less dense. The wet season, from November to April, brings a greener landscape and stronger birdlife, though wildlife can be harder to spot.

South Africa

Cape Town

Tailor-made

No two trips we plan are the same. Yours will be no exception.

Start planning your honeymoonStart planning→

Best Time For A Gay Honeymoon In South Africa

September through April is South Africa’s warmer half of the year and the best window for Cape Town and the Winelands, with dry, sunny days well-suited to beach time and vineyard visits. May through September, by contrast, is the strongest season for safari, since dry winter vegetation makes game far easier to spot around Kruger and private reserves.

That split makes September and October, along with April, the best all-around months for a honeymoon combining both halves of the country, offering decent safari viewing alongside comfortable Cape Town weather. December and January are Cape Town’s busiest, most festive months but also its priciest for both flights and hotels.

South Africa

Safari Lodge

Speak to a specialist

Your personal travel specialist, from the first conversation to the flight home.

Start planning your honeymoonStart planning→

Best Places To Combine For A South Africa Honeymoon

Cape Town and a private game reserve form the classic, beautifully curated South African honeymoon, typically Kruger or one of the smaller reserves in the Sabi Sand or Madikwe regions, connected by a short flight from Cape Town or Johannesburg.

Couples with more time often add a slow drive along the Garden Route between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, stopping at coastal towns and smaller reserves along the way, which adds a scenic, less-structured middle section to the trip.

Zanzibar, part of Tanzania, is a popular way for couples to close out a Cape Town and safari honeymoon with several final days on the beach.

Cape Town

Table Mountain

Considered travel

Tell us how you like to travel. We will shape the trip around it.

Start planning your honeymoonStart planning→

FAQs

Is South Africa legal and welcoming for a gay honeymoon?  

South Africa was the first country in Africa, and one of the first in the world, to legalize same-sex marriage in 2006, and its constitution explicitly protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Cape Town has long been considered the continent’s most established gay-friendly city, though attitudes in some rural areas remain more conservative than in Cape Town itself.

How many days should we plan for a South Africa honeymoon?  

Ten to twelve days allows time for Cape Town, the Winelands, and a proper three- or four-night safari without rushing. A shorter trip of seven to eight days works, focused on just Cape Town and a nearby reserve.

Which is better, Cape Town or a safari?  

They serve very different halves of a honeymoon: Cape Town for wine, beaches, and city energy and a safari for wildlife and a genuinely different pace. Nearly every South Africa honeymoon combines both rather than choosing one.

More honeymoon ideas worldwide

Showing 25–36 of 265

A Gay Honeymoon in Turks and Caicos

Tailor-made Holiday

Turks and Caicos works for a honeymoon because it gets the fundamentals right, from the perfect beaches to the unrivalled luxury hotel offerings. These islands occupy a rare position in the Caribbean: Turks and Caicos is a destination that has managed to attract the world's most discerning travellers without losing the qualities that drew them there in the first place.

7 days tailor-made from £6,380 per person View trip

Maldives Gay Honeymoon: A Luxury Private Island Escape

Tailor-made Holiday

The Maldives is one of the most sought-after honeymoon destinations in the world. Crystal clear waters, white sand beaches and complete privacy set the tone from the moment you arrive. Each island is home to a single resort, meaning your experience is defined entirely by where you stay. From overwater villas to secluded beachfront retreats, every detail is designed around space, service and discretion.

8 days tailor-made from £6,500 per person View trip

Iceland Wellness Journey: Spas, Northern Lights & Glaciers

Tailor-made Holiday

Reconnect with nature and restore your sense of balance on this Iceland wellness retreat, a journey through volcanic landscapes, geothermal waters and some of the most peaceful scenery in Europe. Combining Iceland’s dramatic natural beauty with Nordic traditions of relaxation and wellbeing, this journey offers the perfect reset from everyday life. Your journey begins in Reykjavík, where stylish Nordic design, excellent restaurants and oceanfront saunas provide a relaxed introduction to Icelandic culture.

10 days tailor-made from £6,195 per person View trip

Iceland Self Drive: Reykjavík, Golden Circle & Glaciers

Tailor-made Holiday

Discover the dramatic landscapes of Iceland on this self-drive adventure through volcanoes, glaciers and rugged coastlines. This is an ideal journey for LGBTQ+ travellers looking to experience Iceland's highlights for the first time at a pace that suits you. Beginning in Reykjavík, you’ll experience the famous Blue Lagoon, explore Iceland’s vibrant capital and enjoy a privately guided food tour before setting out to explore the country’s extraordinary natural scenery.

9 days tailor-made from £4,195 per person View trip

Luxury Hawaii Adventure

Tailor-made Holiday

Embark on an unforgettable Hawaii island-hopping adventure combining the dramatic landscapes of the Big Island with the lush natural beauty of Kauai. Over the course of this journey, you’ll experience two of Hawaii’s most spectacular islands, where volcanic landscapes, tropical rainforests and golden beaches create one of the most diverse destinations in the Pacific. Begin on the Big Island of Hawaii, home to powerful volcanoes, black sand beaches and world-class marine life.

9 days tailor-made from £5,995 per person View trip

Aspen in Winter: A Luxury Gay Ski Escape

Tailor-made Holiday

Aspen is one of those places that rewards arriving with no particular agenda. It's one of the top luxury travel destinations in the USA. The skiing across four mountains is as good as anywhere in North America, but the town itself pulls equally hard: the restaurants are exceptional, the hotels are world-class, and the cultural life punches well above what you would expect from a mountain resort of this size.

8 days tailor-made from £7,895 per person View trip

Gay Honeymoon in New Zealand: A Luxury South Island Tour

Tailor-made Holiday

The South Island of New Zealand does not need much help setting a romantic scene. The landscapes are vast and quietly overwhelming, the lodges are exceptional, and the combination of mountains, lakes, fjords, and wine country gives a 12-night honeymoon enough variety to feel like a journey rather than a single destination. It is also one of the most straightforwardly welcoming places in the world for LGBTQ+ couples.

12 days tailor-made from £8,000 per person View trip

New Zealand Wine Tour: Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago

Tailor-made Holiday

New Zealand makes three wines worth travelling for, and they come from three regions that could not be more different from each other. Hawke's Bay on the North Island is the oldest and most established, a sun-drenched coastal bowl of vineyards and orchards anchored by the Art Deco city of Napier.

10 days tailor-made from £5,595 per person View trip

Hidden Mallorca & Menorca Villa Escape

Tailor-made Holiday

A quietly private escape across Mallorca and Menorca, built for couples who want the Balearics without the scene. This seven-day luxury Balearic Islands itinerary combines Mallorca and Menorca in a beautiful Mediterranean escape handcrafted for privacy, style, and total indulgence. Far removed from Ibiza's party image, this journey focuses on private villas, hidden coves, and cultivated coastal living.

8 days tailor-made from £7,495 per person View trip

Luxury Canary Islands: Tenerife & La Gomera

Tailor-made Holiday

Discover a different side of Spain with this luxury Canary Islands itinerary, combining Tenerife and La Gomera in a private, design-led Atlantic escape. Far removed from party resorts, this journey focuses on dramatic volcanic landscapes, discreet five-star villas and slow, sun-soaked indulgence. Begin in Tenerife, where black-sand beaches meet the lunar terrain of Teide National Park.

8 days tailor-made from £4,095 per person View trip

Wild Scotland: A Luxury Journey Through the Highlands

Tailor-made Holiday

Scotland's wild landscapes always reward those willing to go further. This itinerary does exactly that, moving from the gothic streets of Edinburgh through the raw drama of Glencoe and Skye, before easing into the quiet luxury of the Cairngorms. It's a trip that builds as it goes, each landscape more elemental than the last, each evening more memorable than the one before.

7 days tailor-made from £5,395 per person View trip

Hidden Thailand: Koh Chang, Koh Mood and Koh Mak

Tailor-made Holiday

This 9-day island-hopping itinerary explores three of Thailand’s lesser-known islands in the Gulf of Thailand, travelling from Koh Chang to Koh Kood and finishing on the small, laid-back island of Koh Mak, with travel via Trat. A quieter inspirational itinerary, it has been designed for travellers who want beautiful beaches without crowds, slower island life, clear water and natural scenery rather than nightlife or high-density resorts.

9 days tailor-made from £3,195 per person View trip

Frequently asked questions

What does Out Of Office do?

Out Of Office is a luxury LGBTQ+ travel company specialising in tailor-made holidays and extraordinary journeys around the world. We create bespoke luxury holidays, LGBTQ+ honeymoons, safaris, cruises, beach escapes, private tours and group trips, with every itinerary designed around you. Our travel specialists combine global expertise, first-hand destination knowledge and trusted local partners to create seamless, highly personalised experiences.

Is Out Of Office a gay travel agency?

Out Of Office is an LGBTQ+ owned and run luxury travel specialist, with particular expertise in gay and LGBTQ+ travel. We understand the additional considerations that can come with travelling as an LGBTQ+ person or couple, from local laws and customs to finding genuinely welcoming hotels and experiences.

We welcome every traveller, including friends, families and allies. Many of our clients are not members of the LGBTQ+ community, but choose Out Of Office for our luxury travel expertise, personalised service and discretion.

Do you create tailor-made LGBTQ+ holidays?

Yes. Every tailor-made trip with Out Of Office is designed from scratch around your interests, travel style, budget and the way you want to experience a destination. We can arrange luxury hotels, private transfers, flights, guides, excursions, cruises and special experiences as part of one personalised itinerary. The journeys shown on our website are there to inspire you rather than restrict you; only clearly identified group departures operate as fixed itineraries.

How do you choose LGBTQ+ friendly hotels and destinations?

We combine first-hand destination knowledge with trusted local expertise to recommend luxury hotels, resorts and experiences where LGBTQ+ travellers can feel informed and welcome. We also consider the laws, customs and attitudes of each destination, because LGBTQ+ rights and experiences differ around the world. Our team regularly visit many of the properties we work with and where a destination requires greater awareness, we give you clear and considered advice so that you can make an informed decision about where and how you travel.

What our travellers say
Stellar service. Stellar products. Stellar people and it gets so much better when you pick up the phone and call.

Anthony S.

Super client centred service. From first contact I have had warm, efficient, friendly and flexible service.

John

I’m confident in giving Out Of Office a 5-star review! They are one of the leaders in this space without a doubt.

Tiberiu

Did you know?

We plant trees for every booking

For every booking made with Out Of Office we commit to planting trees in your name to help reduce the impact of travel on future generations. You'll even get a link to see where your trees are planted in the world via our partner Ecologi.

Our charity partner

We donate to Rainbow Railroad with every booking

Rainbow Railroad helps LGBTQ+ people escape state-sponsored violence and persecution. A donation goes with every trip we sell, funded by us and never added to your price.

Start Planning Your Trip

Tell us where you would love to go, when you are thinking of travelling and what kind of trip you have in mind. One of our LGBTQ+ travel specialists will create a tailor-made itinerary designed around your destination, style and preferences.

One named specialist, first enquiry to homecoming. No call centre, and nothing is charged until you decide to book.














    We will endeavour to have a member of our team call you at your preferred time.




    We ask so that we can tailor your itinerary accordingly.


    By submitting you confirm you have read our Privacy Policy.