LGBTQ friendly group holidays for over 50s travelling on their own

If you are gay, lesbian, bi or trans, over 50 and looking for LGBTQ friendly group holidays you can book on your own, Spice Escapes is worth a look: we run small hosted holidays for people travelling solo, with a host who travels with the group and a room of your own. We are not a gay or lesbian tour operator and our groups are not LGBTQ-only. They are mixed groups of adults who have each booked alone, and the whole point is that you come as you are and share as much of your life as you want to.

That honesty matters, because the worry we hear most is not about flights or hotels. It is about the first dinner. Will you have to dodge the question about a husband or wife? Will you be the only one, and will it feel like it? This page is about that worry, and about the holidays on our programme that suit someone who wants company, culture and a door that locks at night.

The quiet calculation before you book

Most people who travel alone in their fifties and sixties weigh up a few things: the cost of a room to themselves, eating alone, and whether they will get on with anyone. If you are LGBTQ+ there is often one more line in the sum. You may have spent years reading a room before deciding how much to say. You may have been the only gay person at a wedding table more times than you can count. Or you may have come out later in life, after a marriage, and now be travelling as yourself for the first time.

A hosted group does not ask you to explain any of that. Nobody is paired up, nobody is seated by couples, and the people round the table are all there on their own terms. Conversation tends to start with where you have been and what you fancy seeing tomorrow. If you mention a partner, an ex or a friend, it is simply part of who you are. If you would rather not, nobody presses.

The host is there for the whole group. They sort the arrival, suggest where to eat, gather people who want company and leave alone the ones who want a quiet hour. If anything ever made you uncomfortable, the host is the person to tell, and they will deal with it.

Your own room, and what it costs

Every Spice Escapes holiday is built for people who travel solo, so you are never asked to share with a stranger you have not chosen. Having a room to yourself does carry a cost on every holiday, and we show it plainly before you book. Our single supplement page explains how it works and why it exists. For many people it is money well spent: a private space to unwind after a full day.

Lisbon: three nights with a host, evenings your own way

A Taste of Lisbon is the trip we would suggest first. It runs for 3 nights, departing 15 Apr 2027 – 18 Apr 2027, from £639, and your host is Pam Harte. The days are loosely shaped: Alfama and Tram 28 one day, Belém and pastéis de nata the next. The evenings are yours: a quiet dinner with two people you clicked with, or Bairro Alto after dark. Availability right now: 9 places left. There is more on the city in our guide to holidays in Portugal.

Berlin: a city with no dress code at the door

Berlin Bound is 3 nights in a city that has never cared much for convention. The hotel is by Alexanderplatz, a short walk from Museum Island. A coordinator leads one day round the city on the hop on, hop off bus, and the rest of the time is yours. On a Saturday afternoon Berliners gather in Monbijoupark to dance tango in the open, and you are welcome to join in or sit with a drink and watch. Berlin's history is everywhere, from the Brandenburg Gate to what remains of the Wall, and its clubs are famous for their anything-goes attitude. Dates: 4 Jun 2027 – 7 Jun 2027. From £549. Availability: 22 places left.

Paris: everything included, so you can just enjoy the company

On All Inclusive Perfect Paris your hotel is a river boat moored a short walk from the Eiffel Tower, with full board and drinks on board. That takes away one of the small awkward moments of solo travel, the bill at the end of a shared meal. You get a guided coach tour of the city and a walking tour of Montmartre, gala evenings and a night cruise on the Seine (river conditions allowing). It is 3 nights, departing 3 Feb 2027 – 6 Feb 2027, from £679, hosted by Samantha Pike. If you want the feel of it first, read seeing Paris from the Seine.

Seville: flamenco, tapas and a hotel in the old centre

Surprising Seville gives you 4 nights with Jackie Whyte, near the cathedral and the Barrio de Santa Cruz. A hop on, hop off bus ticket is included so you can pace yourself, and the extras are there only if you want them: a guided visit to the Alcázar, or a flamenco show at El Arenal. Tapas evenings in a group of people you met two days ago are one of the easiest ways to stop feeling like the new one. Departs 4 Mar 2027 – 8 Mar 2027, from £549. Availability: 23 places left. More city ideas are in our city breaks.

Croatia: a slower week on an island

If three busy nights in a capital is not what you need, Croatian Chillout is a week on the island of Lošinj, half board at Hotel Punta, with Jackie Whyte as host. There is a boat day round the archipelago with a chance of dolphins, coastal paths to quiet coves, and Mali Lošinj a walk or cycle away. A week gives friendships time to form. It is 7 nights from £869, departing 1 May 2027 – 8 May 2027. Have a look at Croatia or our chillout holidays for the gentler end of the programme.

If this is your first time away alone

Plenty of people come to us after a big change: a relationship that has ended, a partner who has died, or a long time spent putting other people first. Our page for first-time solo travellers walks through what the first day looks like, and your first group holiday covers the practical side. For the wider programme, see solo holidays for over 50s and what makes a Spice Escape different.

Questions people ask

Are your groups LGBTQ-only?

No. Spice Escapes runs mixed hosted groups of people travelling on their own, and anyone is welcome to book. If you are looking for a lesbian-only or gay-only tour, we are not that, and we would rather tell you now.

Will I have to talk about my private life?

Only if you want to. People on our holidays talk about where they have travelled, what they want to see and where to have dinner, and you share as much or as little as you like.

How big are the groups?

Around fifteen people, and some reach twenty. That is big enough to find people you get on with and small enough that the host knows everyone by the first evening.

Can I bring a friend or partner?

Yes, you can book with someone you know and share a room if you both want to. Most people still book on their own, so you will be part of a mixed group either way.

What if someone in the group makes me feel uncomfortable?

Tell the host straight away, or call us. Hosts look after the whole group, and making sure everyone can relax is part of that job.

Ask us before you decide

If you want to know more about a trip, or just want to ask the question you would not ask on a booking form, talk to us first. Use our contact page and ask for Rob Thompson, who owns Spice Escapes and hosts holidays himself. He will tell you honestly how the groups work, who your host will be and which of these holidays fits the week you have in mind.