The 16 Best LGBTQ Travel Influencers You Should Follow in 2026
LGBTQ+ travel is on the up and up, and there are so many fantastic humans globetrotting the world you can pull inspiration from. What better way to figure out where to eat, which cities are most gay-friendly, which events are unmissable, and how to skip the tourist traps you'll regret... than to learn from the people already out there doing it?
These are the creators paving the way for our community in the travel industry. The ones you can rely on for solid, lived-in tips, and the ones who'll make your own journey across the world so much more rewarding.
This guide rounds up 16 of the best LGBTQ travel influencers and gay travel bloggers to follow in 2026. It covers gay and lesbian couples, solo creators, trans voices, and outdoor adventurers... Follow a few of these accounts and your next trip gets easier, safer, and a lot more fun to plan.
1. Michael and Matt (SideQuests Travel)
We're a married couple who turned a decade of traveling together into a full-blown gay group travel company. We first met in 2014 over YouTube, through our coming out videos. One week later, Michael booked a flight to visit Matthew in Seattle. And the rest? Basically history. We fell in love, Matthew moved to Nebraska while Michael worked through dental school, and after graduation we got married.
Michael works as a full-time dentist and Matthew as a full-time freelance photographer and writer. But the project we're proudest of is SideQuests Travel, where we turn the places we've spent years exploring into small, hosted LGBTQ+ group trips you can book and join. When we're not traveling or hosting, we're posting on YouTube and Instagram, and writing over at michaelandmatt.com.
2. 27 Travels
Meet Gabi and Shanna, a lesbian travel couple based in Brooklyn, NY, who make some of the most beautiful queer travel content out there. Gabi is a photographer and Shanna is a videographer and editor, so 27 Travels started as their creative outlet... an Instagram account documenting their trips and adventures.
Early on, they noticed how little travel information existed for LGBTQ+ travelers, especially queer women, and set out to change that. They bring a quirky, fun-loving perspective to every place they visit, and they're a genuine breath of fresh air. Follow them at @27travels on Instagram.
3. Couple of Men
Karl and Daan are a German-Dutch gay travel blogging couple happily based in Amsterdam. Their blog documents the life of two men loving and traveling the world together, from big Pride celebrations to quiet countryside escapes.
It's one of the most wholesome, genuine blogs we follow, packed with detailed destination guides and honest takes on how welcoming a place actually feels. Follow Karl and Daan at @coupleofmen on Instagram.
4. Ravi Round The World
Ravi Roth is a blogger, vlogger, and host who has explored queer culture in 40+ countries, and he builds every itinerary around the people who actually live there. He digs up where to stay, play, eat, work out, and where to find the local queer history most guidebooks skip.
Ravi has become one of the most recognized names in queer travel, with work published across Queerty, Gay Cities, The Advocate, Metrosource, INTO, and more, plus speaking gigs everywhere from the NY Times Travel Show to Google. He's also an actor, singer, and host, and has called New York City home for two decades. Follow Ravi on Instagram.
5. Owin Pierson
Owin Pierson is an Asian-American gay content creator based in Los Angeles who blends travel with lifestyle, mental health, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. His whole ethos: you are the author of your own story, so be your own biggest supporter.
He started his page because he wanted to be his own boss and see the world now, not in retirement, and to show others they can build something of their own too. His content is warm and encouraging, especially for anyone who feels alone... a reminder that travel is one of the best teachers out there. Follow Owin at @owinpierson.
6. Ready To Stare (Alysse Dalessandro)
Alysse Dalessandro is a Cleveland-based queer femme writer, designer, and creator behind Ready To Stare, and she's one of the best voices out there for plus-size and LGBTQ+ travel. She founded Ready To Stare in 2012 as a body-positive fashion brand, and it's grown into a fashion, travel, and lifestyle platform for the people the industry has too often overlooked.
What makes her essential is the lens she posts from: she covers destinations, style, and identity as a queer woman in a plus-size body, and she even hosts plus-size and LGBTQ+ international trips (allies welcome). If you've ever wondered whether a destination is built for bodies and identities like yours, Alysse answers it honestly. Follow her at @readytostare on Instagram.
7. Yannick and Jonny
Yannick and Jonny are a gay couple who've been traveling the world together since meeting during Jonny's business studies at the University of Hamburg. Their content leans bright, stylish, and upbeat, following the two of them across cities and coastlines.
They're an easy follow if you love aspirational couple travel with a European home base and a good eye for a photogenic moment. Follow them at @yannickandjonny on Instagram.
8. Meg Ten Eyck (EveryQueer)
Meg Ten Eyck is a renowned LGBTQ+ travel writer and the founder of EveryQueer, and safety-first queer travel is her whole mission. Through detailed travel content, curated queer parties, and worldwide LGBTQ+ tours, Meg and her team teach queer travelers, especially women, how to see the world safely.
She's a huge inspiration for anyone who wants substance behind the wanderlust... real reporting on where's welcoming and where to take extra care. Follow Meg at @megteneyck on Instagram.
Loving these accounts but tired of planning the trip yourself? That's exactly why we built SideQuests Travel. We take the places these creators write about and turn them into small, hosted LGBTQ+ group trips, so you show up, meet your crew, and skip the logistics. Join our email list and you'll be first to hear when new 2027 trips open... and you'll get added to the trip WhatsApp group right away.
9. Mikah Meyer
Mikah Meyer is the adventurer who visited all 400+ sites in the U.S. National Park System on one epic three-year road trip, and he's become a leading voice for LGBTQ+ visibility in the outdoors. Not just Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon... every national monument, seashore, and preserve across the country. Ever dream of quitting your jobs and road tripping to all the United States national parks? But not just to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite or the 62 National Parks that have become ubiquitous with American travel. Mikah went to every National Monument, National Seashore, National Preserve and all 20+ designations that make up 419 sites in America’s National Park System spread across 56 states & territories.
But he didn’t just do it to check off a Bucket List item. After witnessing his father pass away from cancer unexpectedly at age 58—and not get to experience retirement, then 19-year-old Mikah began saving money with a goal of using an insane road trip at age 30 to encourage others to complete their dreams before it’s too late. Coincidentally, the year Mikah turned 30 also happened to be the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service (2016). However, that same year, even as companies like Wells Fargo, Oreo, and Marriott all had Pride Month campaigns, in the history of the outdoors recreation industry in America no brand had ever had a Pride Month ad. Follow his adventures on Instagram.
10. Calum McSwiggan
Calum McSwiggan is a British LGBTQ+ content creator, author, and one of the most thoughtful queer travel storytellers online. Based in London, he's spent over a decade making videos about queer culture, mental health, relationships, and travel, always with honesty at the center.
He's also the author of three books, including the travel-and-lifestyle memoir Eat, Gay, Love and Straight Expectations, about growing up queer in a conservative religious family. His travel content stands out because it never shies away from both the joy and the real challenges of moving through the world as a queer person. Follow him at @calummcswiggan on Instagram.
11. Janine and Gen
Janine and Gen are an international lesbian couple, Janine from Germany and Gen from Arizona, who have spent years living full-time on the road and built one of the most beloved queer travel followings out there. Their content mixes travel guides, cultural and language differences, relationship humor, and a whole lot of pranks.
With millions of monthly views across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, they've become a go-to for LGBTQ+ travelers wanting the best lesbian bars, cute queer-friendly date spots, and destinations that feel safe and fun. They also host their own LGBTQ+ group trips, so following them is a great way to travel with them too. Follow them at @janineandgen.
12. Miss Julie Vu
Julie Vu is a Canadian trans creator, model, and makeup artist based in Vancouver, and one of the most visible trans voices sharing life and travel online. She's spent years documenting her transition and everyday life to educate audiences and shift how people see transgender people.
Beyond lifestyle and beauty, Julie shares travel vlogs, including her experiences traveling as a trans woman, which makes her an especially valuable follow for trans travelers. She's also broken real ground, appearing on Big Brother Canada and representing Canada as Miss International Queen Canada 2019. Follow her at @missjulievu on Instagram.
13. Nomadic Boys
Stefan and Sebastien are a Greek-Cypriot and French gay couple behind Nomadic Boys, one of the biggest and most trusted gay travel blogs in the world. They met in a London bar in 2009, quit their jobs, and have been traveling the world together since 2014.
Their site is a goldmine of detailed gay city guides, safety advice, and food-focused content, all written to show gay travelers they can visit far more of the world than they might think. If you want thorough, practical planning resources, start here. Follow their adventures at @nomadicboys on Instagram.
14. Two Bad Tourists
Auston Matta and David Brown are the duo behind Two Bad Tourists, a long-running gay travel brand now based in Madrid. Former husbands turned best friends and travel partners, they've built one of the most useful libraries of gay city guides and LGBTQ+ safety resources online.
They reach hundreds of thousands of queer travelers a year through their blog, newsletter, and podcast, and they even run curated group sailing trips through Croatia and Greece. Practical, honest, and a little cheeky, exactly what you want in a travel resource. Follow them at @twobadtourists on Instagram.
15. The Globetrotter Guys
Sion Walton-Guest is the voice behind The Globetrotter Guys, an award-winning LGBTQ+ travel blog built on honest, first-hand guides and safety insights. He and his partner Ben met at university and have since traveled to nearly every continent, turning it into one of the most respected gay travel resources in the UK and beyond.
The blog is especially strong on destination-specific LGBTQ+ safety, so if you're weighing whether a country is a smart choice for your next trip, their guides are a great gut-check. Follow them at @theglobetrotterguys on Instagram.
16. The Goldon Queers
Justine and Sam Goldon are The Goldon Queers, an outdoors-and-adventure queer couple based on Dena'ina land in Anchorage, Alaska. Their account lives at the intersection of outdoor adventure, queer and trans visibility, and refreshingly vulnerable conversations.
If your idea of travel is trailheads, big landscapes, and getting off the beaten path, they're the follow for you... proof that the outdoors belongs to queer and trans people too. Follow them at @thegoldonqueers on Instagram.
Why following LGBTQ travel bloggers is a good idea
There are so many good reason to follow LGBTQ bloggers and travel enthusiasts.
Following LGBTQ+ travel creators is worth it because their first-hand experience is more reliable than any tourism board page, especially when you're deciding whether a destination is safe and welcoming. There are a few reasons these accounts earn a spot in your feed.
Safety and trust come first. A real account of how it feels to walk down a street, check into a hotel, or hold hands in a given city carries more weight than glossy marketing, especially for anyone still nervous about traveling as an out (or not-fully-out) person.
From our point of view, there's also representation and aspiration, seeing someone like them enjoying a place confidently makes the trip feel possible for them too. Practically, these accounts double as trip-planning shortcuts as you get real venue recommendations, events, itineraries, and perhaps most who to avoid.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Some of the best include Michael and Matt (the founders of SideQuests), 27 Travels, Couple of Men, Ravi Round The World, Nomadic Boys, Two Bad Tourists, and Meg Ten Eyck of EveryQueer. Each brings a different angle, from couple travel and hiking to solo digital-nomad life, but Michael and Matt stand out for actually hosting group trips you can join, not just posting about them.
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Following LGBTQ travel bloggers gives you real, lived accounts of whether a destination is welcoming, which carries more weight than a tourism board page, especially if you're still nervous about traveling as an out (or not-fully-out) person. It's also a shortcut to real venue recommendations, events, and itineraries, plus a bit of representation and inspiration that makes the trip feel possible.
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Michael and Matt run SideQuests, which turns the places they write about into small hosted group trips, from Tokyo and Peru to Bend Oregon for Winter PrideFest. Most bloggers on this list post inspiration, SideQuests is one of the few that turns it into a trip you can join!
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Yes. 27 Travels (Gabi and Shanna) and Janine and Gen are both queer-women couples creating travel content built to fill the long-standing gap in information for LGBTQ+ women. Ready To Stare and EveryQueer also center queer women's experiences.
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Yes. Miss Julie Vu shares travel vlogs and life as a trans woman, and The Goldon Queers center queer and trans visibility in the outdoors. Both are great follows for trans travelers looking for representation and honest, lived experience.
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Start by following a few creators who match your travel style, then save their city guides and destination posts for places you're considering. Use their venue and safety tips to build a shortlist, and if you'd rather skip the planning entirely, join a hosted LGBTQ+ group trip that visits those same places.
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The best part of following these creators is that inspiration eventually turns into a plane ticket. When you're ready for that part, we've got you. Several of them host their own group tours you can join. For instance, SideQuests Travel takes the destinations these influencers make you fall in love with and turns them into small, hosted LGBTQ+ group trips built for solo travelers and couples alike. You can browse all our upcoming trips or join the email list to catch new trip launches before they fill up.