LGBTQ+ travel, planned by people who live it
Sandpiper Vacations is LGBTQ+ owned. We plan honeymoons, family trips, group sailings and first big adventures for travelers who want to know they will be welcome before they ever land.
- LGBTQ+ owned since 2020
- Safe Space Alliance
- Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
- EarMarked Disney Silver
- ALGV Sapphire Elite
Three things we do on every trip
We ask the questions you shouldn't have to
Before a quote ever reaches you, we already know how the resort handles a king bed for two grooms or two brides, whether the spa books couples treatments without a second glance, and who to ask for on property if something feels off.
We send you where we have relationships
Every property we recommend has been visited, vetted or verified by someone on our team. We are not booking you off a screen.
We tell you the truth about a place
Including the complicated parts. Especially the complicated parts. You decide where you go. We make sure you know what you are walking into.
If you have ever wondered whether a trip was really meant for you, it is
Honeymoons and anniversaries
The trip you will talk about for the next fifty years, with every romantic detail confirmed in advance.
Two dad and two mom families
Disney, Beaches, cruises. Trips the kids will remember and forms that have room for your family.
Chosen family group trips
Milestone birthdays, reunions, the friends who show up. Rooms, flights and group events handled.
Solo travelers
Sailings and resorts where traveling alone feels social, not lonely.
Trans and nonbinary travelers
Documents, names and airport screening handled by people who have done it before.
First timers
Never used a travel advisor? Most of our clients hadn't either. Start with a conversation.
We were planning a big birthday celebration in Cancun for a large group, and she made the entire process seamless from start to finish. She took the time to really understand the vibe we were going for, fun and LGBTQ+ inclusive, and every detail of the trip reflected that perfectly.
Group trips we host ourselves
We don't just book LGBTQ+ travel. We host it. Come sail and explore with the Sandpiper Vacations family.
The 6th Annual Love Is Love Cruise
An adults only week celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, round trip from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Plata and The Beach Club at Bimini, with a Miami pre-party the night before we sail. Dining, WiFi, group fitness and essential drinks are included.
A 20% deposit holds your cabin. Book by December 15, 2026 for our exclusive onboard swag bag.
Southern Africa Adventure
Eleven family friendly days through Johannesburg, Victoria Falls and Cape Town, with Big Five game drives at Karongwe Game Reserve. Boutique hotels, a private safari lodge, expert local guides and internal flights are included.
South Africa protects LGBTQ+ people in its constitution and has had marriage equality since 2006. Victoria Falls is in Zimbabwe, where sex between men is still illegal. We brief every traveler on that stop before we go.
The partners we book again and again
Every partner here has earned its spot. So has the honest note underneath it, because a list where everyone is perfect is just an ad.
Virgin Voyages
- Why we book it
- Adults only, no dress codes, no buffets, and a crew culture that makes LGBTQ+ sailors feel at home from the first hello.
- Know this
- Guests must be 18 or older, so it is not a family option. It also runs differently from a traditional cruise, and we coach first timers through it.
- Best for
- Couples, friend groups, and people who swore they would never like cruising.
Atlantis Events
- Why we book it
- More than thirty years of chartering entire ships and resorts for gay men and the LGBTQ+ community. Every guest on board is family.
- Know this
- It is a party, with big energy and late nights. If you want quiet, we will point you somewhere else.
- Best for
- Travelers who want the full, all in experience.
Olivia
- Why we book it
- The leader in lesbian and LGBTQ+ women's travel, across ocean cruises, riverboats, resorts and adventure trips.
- Know this
- Charters run on their own calendar, so we plan around their dates rather than yours. Tell us early which ones you are watching.
- Best for
- Women traveling solo, as couples or with friends.
Disney
- Why we book it
- For LGBTQ+ families, the easy yes. We are an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, we book Disney Cruise Line directly with Disney, and our founder has sailed every ship in the fleet.
- Know this
- Disney is a family brand first. Welcoming everywhere, nightlife almost nowhere.
- Best for
- Two dad and two mom families, and honeymooners who love the magic.
Sandals and Beaches
- Why we book it
- Sandals opened its couples resorts to all adult couples in 2004, and Beaches brings the same all inclusive ease to families.
- Know this
- Several of their islands, Jamaica included, still carry colonial era laws against same sex relationships. You are welcome on property, and we brief you on the island before you go.
- Best for
- Couples who want a Caribbean honeymoon with nothing to figure out.
Secrets, Dreams and Breathless
- Why we book it
- We hold ALGV Sapphire Elite status, so we know these resorts and the people who run them.
- Know this
- Pick the brand for the mood. Breathless is adults only and social, Secrets is adults only and romantic, Dreams welcomes kids.
- Best for
- Just about everyone, once we match you to the right one.
We also book Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, river cruises and escorted tours. If you have a supplier in mind, ask us about it.
Places we keep sending people
Puerto Vallarta
The Zona Romántica has been an LGBTQ+ favorite for decades, and same sex marriage has been recognized in every Mexican state since 2022.
Cancun and the Riviera Maya
Short flights, warm water, and more adults only resorts than anywhere else we book. A favorite for group celebrations.
Mykonos and the Greek Islands
One of Europe's original LGBTQ+ destinations. Greece legalized same sex marriage in 2024.
Walt Disney World
The easiest big family trip for LGBTQ+ parents, and the destination our team knows best.
Turks and Caicos
Beaches Turks and Caicos is our go to for families who want the Caribbean with zero logistics.
A cruise
See several countries and sleep in the same bed every night. Virgin Voyages, Atlantis and Olivia each do it their own way.
The Five Levels of Welcome
We will never tell you where you can't go. We will always tell you what you are walking into. Every destination we plan gets one of these levels, with the reason behind it.
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Celebrated
Marriage equality and anti-discrimination protections in law, a visible community, and a tourism industry that welcomes you on purpose, all year.
What it meansBe entirely yourself, anywhere, without thinking about it.
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Welcoming
Legal protections exist, the tourism industry is trained and warm, and the wider culture ranges from supportive to indifferent.
What it meansHold hands. Book the king bed. You will be fine.
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Legal but limited
Nothing about you is a crime, and nothing about you is protected either. Resorts are welcoming. Public life depends on the neighborhood.
What it meansComfortable on property. Read the room off property.
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Warm people, outdated law
A law against same sex relationships is still on the books but is not enforced against visitors, and the tourism industry actively welcomes you. The gap between the people and the statute is the whole story.
What it meansWelcome at the resort. We brief you on the rest before you go.
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We will say so plainly
Active enforcement, entry risk, or documented harm to LGBTQ+ visitors. We will talk it through with you directly and put our concerns in writing before anything is booked.
What it meansStill your call. Never a surprise.
Laws and local conditions change. We review our levels regularly, and we recommend checking the U.S. State Department's country information for any destination before you travel.
Jamaica, and why this page exists
Level 4: Warm people, outdated lawI love Jamaica. I know it well from my own travels, and I have sat down with Jamaica's tourism board to ask them directly how LGBTQ+ travelers are received. Their answer and my experience are the same: you are welcome at the resorts and across the destination, and the warmth is real.
Jamaica also still has an 1864 law on the books, Section 76 of the Offences Against the Person Act, that makes sex between men a crime punishable by up to ten years in prison. It is not enforced against visiting couples. In 2023, Jamaica's Supreme Court ruled that only Parliament can change it. It is still there.
So here is what I tell every client. On property, you are welcome and you will be treated like any other guest. Off property, some areas are more comfortable than others, and we will tell you which ones before you go. One Love is a promise Jamaica makes in its music. Its law has not caught up yet.
I am going to keep going. I am going to keep sending clients and keep spending money there, because the people who welcome us are not the people who wrote that law. And I am going to keep saying this out loud until it changes.
Nick BryanFounder and Chief Vibe Officer, Sandpiper Vacations
Why an LGBTQ+ owned agency books it differently
Being LGBTQ+ is not a credential. It is knowledge we never had to be taught. We know which questions to ask a resort because we have been the travelers caught without the answer: the couple the front desk wasn't sure about, the family filling out a form built for someone else.
That shows up in small ways you will never have to notice. The bed type confirmed in writing. Both your names spelled right on the welcome note. The excursion checked before it lands on your itinerary. And it shows up in one big way: when you call us, you never have to explain yourself first.
Before you ask
Do I have to be LGBTQ+ to work with you?
No. We plan trips for everyone. Our LGBTQ+ travelers just never have to wonder whether they are in the right place.
Will you tell me if a destination isn't safe for us?
Yes, every time. We use our Five Levels of Welcome to explain exactly what you are walking into, and the decision is always yours.
Do you charge LGBTQ+ travelers more?
No. Being LGBTQ+ never changes what you pay. If your trip includes a planning fee, your travel advisor tells you up front, before you commit to anything.
What if the name on my ID doesn't match the name I use?
Airline tickets have to match the ID you will show at security, so we book flights under that name. Everywhere we can, from resort notes to dining reservations to the welcome card, we use the name you go by.
Do you book Atlantis and Olivia sailings?
Yes. Charters run on their own calendar and popular sailings go early, so tell us which ones you are watching.
What happens if something goes wrong while we're traveling?
You have an advisor who knows your trip. Reach out, and we will work directly with the resort, cruise line or supplier to sort it out.
Tell us where you're thinking about going
We will tell you what we know, whether or not you book with us.
Last reviewed September 2026. Laws, entry requirements and local conditions change, so confirm them before you travel. Reviews are reproduced as written from our Google Business Profile.