Adventure, culture, leisure or luxury, HE Travel is the leader in gay travel tours and gay adventure travel today and for the last 40 years. Our Founder Hanns Ebensten ran the first exclusively gay adventure tour down the Grand Canyon in 1973 and we most recently acquired OutQuest Global Adventures, bringing even more gay travel tours to gay men, lesbians & their friends. Our gay vacation 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. Enjoy a small LGBT group tour without the confines of a typical resort vacation.
Our Newsletters are funny, informative, and an absolute joy to read.
Culinary Tours
HE Travel is known for offering the finest gay cultural tours on Earth. These tours range from “relaxing” to “soft adventure.”
Adventure Tours
Since 1973 HE Travel has set the standards of Gay Adventure Tours. Theses tours range from “soft-adventure to high-adrenaline.”
Custom Tours
Want something a little more customized for you? Maybe you want a romantic holiday, an extension on a tour, or a holiday with friends?
Adrenaline Club
Gay guys and lesbians can be pretty tough. From canyoning to bungee jumping, the adrenaline club is for the most adventurous gay travelers.
Featured Tours
From the Blog
After operating a handful of tours over the past 18 months, we’re excited to finally be sending our travelers out to see more of our amazing destinations around the world!
Ecuador
We recently completed successful tours to the Galapagos and Peru. With our amazing local partners, we adapted to the frequently changing requirements of travel, such as scheduling rapid-result tests
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As with most new places I travel to, I aim to have a clear mind and zero expectations. That way I eliminate any chance of disappointment.
However, rest assured that Botswana will not disappoint. I was blown away as I developed our new Botswana Safari experience, which also includes Victoria Falls for 2022. I can honestly say that this adventure was over the top in every way
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I recently returned from my first international trip since the pandemic began. It felt great to be out in the world again! There are a few new procedures and policies that I experienced that I foresee being the new norm for a while.
Your Flights Will Change
An empty Kasane, Botswana airport. 6 people on my flight with plenty of social distancing.
Don't book your flights
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As we move into the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, I am cautiously optimistic about the resumption of travel. Our daily lives have changed, our expectations have changed, travel has changed. What has not changed is the human yearning for new experiences – and to return to familiar places where one feels welcome.
HE
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As I start my 21st year as the owner of HE Travel, I would like to pay homage to our heritage. A look back at the history of HE Travel must start with Hanns Ebensten, who founded Hanns Ebensten Travel and ran the first gay tour in 1973, down the Grand Canyon.
Hanns was a man for whom “home” was nowhere and everywhere.
After fleeing Nazi Germany with his parents,
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20 years is a very long time. 20 years pass in an instant. I feel both emotions as I commemorate the 20th anniversary of my purchase of Hanns Ebensten Travel (later HE Travel), and as we gleefully put the year 2020 into the rearview mirror.
My tenure as the owner of the oldest LGBTQA+ travel company began shortly before the events of 9/11 upended all assumptions about personal
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Plant a Tree Program
HE Travel has become increasingly aware of the environmental impact traveling causes. Since travel is part of our name, we believe it is important to help offset the damage…
Testimonials
“Our Iceland trip was great. What a unique and fascinating place to visit—from the glaciers and the tectonic plates, to the waterfalls, geysers, and lava tubes. Great guides and a great group of guys.”
“Our trip to Machu Picchu was the best adventure that we have experienced. The knowledge of the staff and accommodations were A-1. They made our 20th anniversary trip a memorable one.”
“This trip was incredible. I put my fear aside and allowed myself to play and be a kid jumping, running, diving, and exploring with such enthusiasm. I feel renewed.”
“The location was amazing. It’s hard to choose what I loved most about this destination, the food, the locals, the diving, hotel was amazing and friendly staff. Our hosts were most accommodating and every F&B place that we attended served an amazing dinner, the trip should be called Dine and Dive. If you’re looking for amazing views, diving and want to feel like a local, Saba is your place! I cant wait to return.”
“Seeing the Taj Mahal and the Mt Everest flight were on my ‘bucket’ list. It was my 16th (I think…) trip with HE travel and my 6th with Andrew as guide. Y’all must be doing something right… :=) Now if my bank account could have some time to catch up! The Kathmandu pre-trip was very good and the Everest flight was a dream come true.”
“The tour was a wonderful mixture of upscale lodgings and views of authentic life in each country.”
HE Travel Videos
Let us show you the world’s best collections of gay tours and destinations and help you pick between them.
