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LGBTQ+ Travel Advice - Tips, Safety & Destinations
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Travel advice for LGBTQ+ travellers
When travelling abroad, it's always important to consider your safety. Weighing up an area's general crime rates, current political state and attitude towards tourists is essential. However, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, there are a few additional things you may want to consider, which will be detailed on this page.
This page will feature:
- Travel tips
- All 195 recognised countries and their laws on homosexuality
- Beloved destinations
- Places to avoid
- FAQs
Travel Tips
Research your destination
If there's one piece of travel advice that's absolutely essential, it's to thoroughly research your travel destination. There are around 70 countries that criminalise same-sex relationships, with punishments varying from being fined to receiving the death penalty. Knowing the laws of the country you want to visit is a must. Later on in our page, you'll find a table listing all the countries and their laws on homosexuality.
Join the IGLTA
IGLTA stands for the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association. It's the world's leading tourist network for welcoming LGBTQ+ travellers. They help people find LGBTQ+ friendly hotels and tour operators and are partnered with businesses across 80 different countries. They ensure that you stay in a safe environment while abroad, with enterprises owned by LGBTQ+ individuals or allies to the community. You can find out more about IGLTA on their website.
Be discreet
As unfair as it is, discretion is vital in some locations. If you're travelling somewhere that criminalises same-sex relations or has a recent history of hate crimes against members of the community, then limiting public displays of affection and wearing conservative clothing could do more than save you from a few uncomfortable looks. It could save your life. There are plenty of destinations where you won't have to worry about showing your love in public while in a LGBTQ+ relationship, and we'll be listing some later on this page, but there are still places where discretion is unfortunately essential.
Hate crime and emergency preparation
Know the country's anti-discrimination laws
Depending on the country, specific laws may be in place to protect victims of hate crimes and punish assailants. In some countries, physical acts of violence and hate speech can warrant being fined or arrested. If you experience a hate crime in a country with laws that criminalise discrimination based on sexuality or identity, then by alerting the police, you can ensure the assailants face justice.
Don't escalate the situation
For your safety, it's best not to escalate the encounter. If someone's yelling bigoted remarks, you may want to react. However, this can make a tense situation even more dangerous and may result in you being physically attacked. The safest thing to do is to get away from that situation as quickly as possible and then call the police.
Keep your phone nearby
If you need to report an incident or you're injured, then having your phone nearby can ensure you're immediately able to alert the authorities. While it can be nice to go entirely technology-free while on holiday, it's always a good idea to have a phone somewhere nearby just in case. Alongside this, make sure you know the emergency number of the country you're visiting. Another tip is to stay in contact with loved ones regularly. This way, if you went AWOL, they'd soon know something was wrong, allowing them to contact the emergency services.
Countries and their laws on homosexuality
If you click the button below, you'll see a list featuring all 195 countries and their laws on homosexuality.
The list states whether homosexuality is legal and, if not, what the penalty for it is. For countries where homosexuality is legal, we'll also include the year it became legalised.
To find out more about a country, click on its flag to be taken to our dedicated page listing general information like its capital, popular places, and do's and don'ts. If you're looking for a specific country on our list, press Ctrl+F or Command+F (Mac) and type the country's name.
This page will be checked regularly, as laws are always subject to change. The table was last updated in 2025.
Please bear in mind that just because a country legalises homosexuality doesn't mean it has anti-discrimination laws in place. Legality doesn't always equal safety. Researching the general consensus of a country after learning its laws is in your best interest.
Beloved LGBTQ+ friendly destinations
Canada
Canada is one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly countries out there, thanks to its commitment to ensuring the safety and rights of the LGBTQ+ community. It has strict rules against discrimination, including fines and imprisonment for assailants. Canada was the first country in the Americas to legalise gay marriage (2005) and has been striving to maintain a safe and friendly environment since then. It now has a strong and vibrant sense of community spanning multiple parts of the country, particularly Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands is an important place for gay history as it was the first ever country to legalise homosexual marriage. On the 1st of April 2001, the Netherlands made history, paving a positive change for the LGBTQ+ community and inspiring other countries to follow in its footsteps. Considering the Netherlands' groundbreaking past, it's unsurprising that it's such a good location for LGBTQ+ travellers. There are many locations in the country that are brilliant to explore, but some of the favourites, thanks to their dynamic party scene and rich culture, are Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht.
Thailand
Thailand is one of the best locations in East Asia for LGBTQ+ travellers. It's a welcoming country with a thriving community. Thailand has strict discrimination laws in place, which are punishable by a fine or imprisonment if broken. Thailand also has progressive gender reassignment laws, where individuals can legally change their gender on official documents. Whether you want to lounge at the beach or party the night away, Thailand is a wonderful destination and a must-visit. Some of the most popular locations in the country for LGBTQ+ travellers are Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya.
Places to avoid as a LGBTQ+ traveller
It's wise to be cautious about visiting a country where homosexuality is illegal. However, this doesn't stop people from travelling to these locations. Places like Jamaica and the Maldives have criminalised homosexuality, and yet they remain some of the most popular tropical destinations.
Even countries that have legalised homosexuality may have negative stigmas surrounding the subject, with frequent hate crimes and a lack of anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBTQ+ individuals. So, it's crucial to research both the laws and public opinion of a country.
The places that it's most important to avoid are the ones with a very low public opinion on homosexuality and also very extreme forms of punishment for it, such as extended prison stays, lashings and the death penalty. Some of these countries include Afghanistan, Somalia and Nigeria.
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LGBTQ+ Travel Advice FAQs
What are the safest countries to visit as an LGBTQ+ traveller?
What are the most unsafe countries to visit as an LGBTQ+ traveller?
There are around 70 countries where homosexuality is illegal. Visiting one of these countries as a member of the LGBTQ+ community can be very uncomfortable and extremely dangerous. Punishments can range from being fined to the death penalty. Countries where being homosexual can warrant capital punishment include (last updated 2025) Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
How to know if a country is safe for LGBTQ+ travellers?
There are a few things to consider before visiting a location as an LGBTQ+ traveller. These include whether the country views homosexuality as a crime and whether it has any anti-discrimination laws. A helpful website to check out is IGLTA, which will ensure you're staying somewhere safe.
What legal protections exist for LGBTQ+ travelers?
Certain countries have anti-discrimination laws that punish acts of physical and verbal violence based on gender expression and sexuality. Some of the countries with the most extensive LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination laws include Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Iceland, Montenegro, and Spain.