We've rounded up all the best gay cruises that head to Asia so you can visit this stunning region with other LGBTQ travelers.
Sail away, sail away, sail away…
We all know that Enya classic – you know the one – the lyrics had you googling where the Orinoco is, checking Maps for where the Yellow Sea is, and singing “from Peru to Cebu, feel the power of Babylon…from Bali to Cali…“ For us, it's always a song we associate with cruising the oceans, exploring waters new out in the vast blue – just like Pi Patel and his tiger on board that wreck in the middle of the Pacific in the Ang Lee 2012 movie: Life of Pi.
There's nothing better than a gay cruise, especially in our favorite continent – Asia. We're always super excited to see a growing number of them popping up. We've sifted through them all and put together this comprehensive guide to the best gay cruises in Asia.
For our guide, we've split them up into two parts: the first for exclusive gay cruises and the second for cruises where there is a gay group amongst a larger charter.
Heads up: We just wanted to let you know that this post contains affiliate links. That means if you book something through one of those links, we'll get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep our blog going – so thank you in advance for your support! ♥
01
INDONESIA: Everything to Sea naked gay cruise
Various dates throughout the year
The cruise at a glance
- Prices start from $2,790
- Dates: Various dates throughout the year
- Traditional wooden sailing ship with max. 12 guests
- Itinerary: Flores- Komodo National Park – The Coral Triangle
Free. Honest. Fun.
Three words to describe an ‘Everything to Sea' experience.
Spend seven glorious days aboard a wooden vessel as it glides across the Flores sea waters. For this cruise, it's all about comfort – so no one is ever pressured into getting fully naked.
When you're not enjoying the freedom of body and spirit, you have the entire Indonesian archipelago to behold. Thousands of islands, big and small, surround you, awaiting discovery. Some are uninhabited, others are just home to an assortment of unusual creatures, especially the Komodo Dragons!
Despite it being a relatively short trip, there is a lot packed into the itinerary, from snorkeling in the sea to hiking through the Indonesian islands. This trip allows for lots of lazy days on the beach and stargazing from the boat. It's a journey that doesn't take a lot out of you, yet gives you such an other-worldly experience.
One of the highlights has to be the trip to Namo Island, famous for its red sandy beach. The contrast of the flaming ground against the soft green mountains in the background is a picture-perfect treat. Of course, the real adventure is swimming through the Rangko cave where the crystal clear waters sparkle so brightly, that you can see them light up the darkness of the cave, whilst dodging the friendly resident sea turtles.
The boat itself is super luxurious, with expansive decks to relax on, spacious cabin rooms, attentive staff, and a stunning dining area. It's perfect for meeting and interacting with your fellow passengers. It's made from wood in the traditional “Bugis” style, which avoids using any nails. Bugis-style boats can last forever, as long as you look after and preserve them well – leave them to neglect and they begin to rot (kind of like our Seby on a grumpy day…).
02
VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA: Brand G Jewels of Vietnam and Cambodia
October 31 – 12 November 2024
The cruise at a glance
- Prices start from $5,099
- Dates: October 31st – November 12th, 2024
- Luxury river cruise ship with max. 68 guests
- Itinerary: Siem Reap – Phnom Penh – Ho Chi Minh
Two countries.
Two cultures.
Two new adventures to tick off the bucket list.
Seeing Vietnam and Cambodia had always been a pipe dream for both of us. So when we got to explore these beautiful nations, it would be an understatement to say we were super excited!
Spending 13 days across Vietnam and Cambodia allows you to get an in-depth and comprehensive flavor of each country. The trip starts with a 3-night stay in a luxury hotel in Siem Reap before embarking on the cruise. The cruise itself is 7 nights aboard a luxurious ship, complete with delicious meals, an incredible gym, and plenty of space to lounge around. The final two days are spent in a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
The ship's design takes after the French colonial era, with a sophisticated and comfortable interior. Plush seating, spiraling staircases, and wide-open spaces are to be found within. As for the trip itself? Highlights include visiting seaside towns like Long Khanh Island. Stopovers allow you to wander around the markets, try out the different local food and buy a few souvenirs.
The excursion to Phnom Penh is a surprise highlight. It has a fantastic gay scene we had no idea about. We also recommend visiting the Killing Fields (Choeung Ek). It's an extremely harrowing experience, but one we think everyone should undertake and learn about some of Cambodia's darkest days. We also love the gay scene of Saigon and highly recommend checking out some of the bars and clubs here on your final 2 days of this trip.
BrandG is offering our readers an exclusive 5% discount for this cruise. Click the button below to check availabilty and prices.
03
THAILAND: GaySail Exclusive Catamaran Cruise
01 – 08 March 2025
The cruise at a glance
- Prices start from €1,995
- Dates: 01 – 08 March 2025
- 2 luxury catamarans with max. 10 guests on each
- Itinerary: Phuket – Ko Phi Phi – Patong
GaySail is a fabulous company that creates some of the best LGBTQ sailing experiences.
Climb aboard the 40ft lagoon catamaran and forget all your troubles. The crew is waiting to make this holiday one you'll never forget.
Each cruise generally sails with just 20 gay guys, so you quickly become a tight close-knit family, and usually lifelong friends.
Though each cabin has two men per room, we recommend going with a partner. That is unless you're comfortable sharing with a stranger – you never know, it could lead to a lifelong friendship or more!
This cruise is based in and around the famous southwest islands of Thailand, including Phuket (which has an airport and is, therefore, the transport hub) and Phi Phi, which is famous for being the island featured in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie “The Beach”.
Highlights from this trip include rainforests, mountains, limestone pinnacles jutting out from the sea, and of course, some of the best beaches we've ever been to. If like us you're into snorkeling and diving, you'll be in paradise on this trip.
Gay Sail is offering our readers an exclusive 5% discount valid for any cruise booked on their website. Just use the coupon code NOMADICGS5 at checkout.
04
INDIA: Brand G Splendors of India and The Ganges Gay River Cruise
15 – 28 October 2024
The cruise at a glance
- Prices start from $7,799
- Dates: October 15th – 28th, 2024
- Luxury river cruise ship with max. 56 guests
- Itinerary: New Delhi – Kolkata – Jaipur
For the ultimate in romance, you can join this gay river cruise which includes the chance to visit the Taj Mahal – a stunning mausoleum built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal!
Organized by Brand G Vacations, this cruise is a full gay charter, meaning you'll be surrounded by other gay travelers as you explore the cities lining India's most sacred river.
The cruise takes place on the RV Ganges Voyager – a gorgeous ship built in the style of the British colonial era, but with all the modern amenities and services you might desire. We especially love the elegant East India dining room, where the backs of the chairs look like ship steering wheels and you can dine on exotic local cuisine or western favorites. You can get a workout onboard while watching the riverside slip by from the huge windows or relax in the sun on a lounger up on deck.
Not the whole trip takes place on a ship though, as part of the time, you'll also get to stay in fabulous hotels in the cities of New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. If you've ever dreamed of visiting India during the colorful Holi Festival, this cruise makes all those dreams come true, plus you'll get to explore famous sites such as the fabled pink city of Jaipur, Agra Fort, and Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi in Old Delhi. Truly, an unforgettable voyage!
05
VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA: Out Adventures Mekong River Gay Cruise
06 – 18 March, 2025
The cruise at a glance
- Prices start from $4,995
- Dates: 06 – 18 March, 2025
- Luxury river cruise ship with max. 44 guests
- Itinerary: Siem Reap – Phnom Penh – Ho Chi Minh
Out Adventures' Mekong River Gay Cruise is another favorite that also takes in two of our favorite countries in SE Asia: Vietnam – known for having the best food in the world (we're totally subjective about that comment), and Cambodia – think Lara Croft nature and temples around Angkor Wat…
Both countries are super gay friendly, each with gay scenes and large LGBTQ communities in Siem Reap + Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and Ho Chi Minh City + Hanoi (Vietnam).
The gay cruise itself stretches across 13 glamorous days. We particularly love the idea of the pot-making class in Ben Tre. If you're old enough, you'll also want to recreate that Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore moment from the movie: Ghost.
This cruise also gives you the chance to sail on sampans (flat-bottomed boats) through the lush mangroves and bamboo groves of the coast. Landing at the fruit orchards, you will meet with locals who happily provide you with tea and honey. Yep, this trip sure is a treat! With a taste of the bustling cities, as well as an in-depth look at the rural countryside, you will quickly fall in love with Vietnam and Cambodia just as we did!
06
VIETNAM: Out Adventures Vietnam Gay Cruise and Tour
18 – 22 March, 2025
The cruise at a glance
- Prices start from $2,695
- Dates: 18 – 22 March, 2025
- Luxury cruise ship with max. 64 guests
- Itinerary: Hanoi – Ha Long Bay
This is a fantastic experience which is part gay cruise, part vay-cay.
It starts out in the unique limestone formations of Ha Long Bay in North Vietnam aboard a luxurious yacht.
As you sip away on a delicious cocktail, the yacht cruises along, visiting floating villages like Cua Van, where you get the chance to explore on kayaks, visit the markets and meet with fishing families.
Over the subsequent five days, the cruise continues to explore more of the Vietnamese coast with lots of activities offered on-board, like Tai Chi. Other highlights of the trip include a sightseeing tour of Hanoi, learning about how Vietnam declared its independence and how it survived the Vietnamese War.
You'll get to go on excursions to charming villages, magical grottoes, and secret lakes. You can even take part in a spot of night-time squid fishing – a truly unique experience! This gay cruise can be booked as a stand-alone journey or added on to the end of the above Mekong River gay cruise if you want even more bang for your buck, as it were…
PART 2: Gay groups among other cruises
Ok, ok, so I suppose the gays can't have everything… we've included some cruises that aren't exclusively LGBTQ folk, but usually comprised of a small gay group within a larger cruise. That being said, they are still a fun way to get to know other gay travelers while seeing stunning parts of the world:
07
SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA, THAILAND, SRI LANKA, DUBAI: Pied Piper Gay Group Cruise
23 March – 07 April 2024
The cruise at a glance
- When: March 23rd – April 7th, 2024
- Itinerary: Singapore – Malaysia – Thailand – Sri Lanka – Dubai
- Prices: from $2,199 per person
- Ship: LGBTQ group on a huge cruise ship
Explore parts of Asia and the Middle East in style on this fabulous cruise which takes place on the epic ocean liner Queen Mary 2!
Departing from Singapore, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy the amenities onboard in between visiting bustling cities and stunning beaches.
The Queen Mary 2 is the flagship of the Cunard cruise line, replacing the famous Queen Elizabeth 2 in 2004. But she's just as elegant and exciting as the QE2! During the days out at sea, you can enjoy the ship's many lush amenities, like the planetarium, nightclub, and luxurious spa. One thing's for sure, you will never forget your time spent on this cruise!
Though we do highly recommend you pull yourself out of the ship's Jacuzzi and go out and explore as much as you can when the ship docks. This gay cruise allows you to meet locals, shop through markets, visit museums and get a real feel for each country's culture, particularly in South Asia (you'll be a master head wobbler in no time!)
This cruise features full days to explore exciting destinations like Phuket in Thailand, Colombo in Sri Lanka and Doha in the United Arab Emirates, before finally finishing up in Dubai. You'll also be well taken care of by your Pied Piper tour host, with multiple exclusive events just for your gay group. As well as seeing amazing places you're sure to also make many new friends.
08
JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA: Pied Piper Gay Group Cruise
16 – 28 March 2024
The cruise at a glance
- When: March 16th – 28th, 2024
- Itinerary: Tokyo – Osaka – Kyoto – Jeju Island, South Korea – Kagoshima – Tokyo
- Prices: from $2,159 per person
- Ship: Huge gay party on a massive cruise ship
An enchanting and exotic journey to the far east sure sounds like a wonderful choice for a gay cruise to us! Make sure you check out our gay guide to Tokyo for when you disembark as well….
On this cruise, you'll be traveling with a small group of other gay travelers on the massive Celebrity Millenium, which carries 2,218 passengers. But with such a massive ship, you can bet there's an endless array of amazing things to see and do before you ever step onshore.
One of the most fantastic things about the Millenium cruise ship is that it's completely accessible from bow to stern, with attention paid to meet the needs of guests who are visually or hearing impaired, in a wheelchair or traveling with a service animal. What a great initiative! There are also world-class restaurants, Broadway-style shows, a luxurious spa, swimming pools, a basketball court, and a huge rooftop cinema.
When you can manage to drag yourself off the decks of this amazing ship, you'll be exploring the most wonderful parts of Japan, with a stop at the enchanting Jeju Island in South Korea as well. This is often thought of as the honeymoon island for Koreans, and the entire volcanic island is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Global Geopark and Biosphere Reserve.
You'll get to see some of our favorite spots in Japan too, including the ancient capital of Kyoto and the vibrant city of Osaka. A real highlight will definitely be seeing Mount Fuji, although exploring Tokyo is also fantastic, plus the cruise both starts and ends in the country's capital!
For more inspiration:
- Find out what it's like to travel in Asia as a gay couple
- These are our favourite places to go scuba diving in Asia as well
- For more au naturel cruising options, check out these fun nude gay cruises
- As well as some exciting gay cruises to the Galapagos Islands
- Make sure you attend at least one of these biggest gay Pride events in the world
- If you need some inspiration, have a look at these fabulous gay Pride outfits
- And don't forget to pack these must-have gay Pride accessories
- See where the gay Pride movement all began by attending Pride in New York City
- Find out why we love attending Pride in London as well
Henry
Sunday 12th of January 2020
In single and would like to do a Alk gay cruise in Asia . Henry
Stefan Arestis
Monday 13th of January 2020
We definitely recommend the ones in this article :)