Gay Tours in Europe 2027: Rosé Coloured Glasses Included
A little Parisian glamour in the Marais. Châteaux, champagne and cheese boards in Provence. Pasta, pals and pure Adriatic blue in Puglia. Wayne and I have three ways to do Europe in 2027, and we’ll be at every table.
It was meant to be the perfect evening. A day spent wandering the hilltop villages of the Luberon, then a free night to linger over dinner somewhere gorgeous in Gordes. Romantic. Picturesque. Serene.
Then we stepped off the coach and the heavens opened and the mother of all storms descended on us. The thunder was so loud I felt it in my chest, and within minutes the cobblestone lanes had turned into rapids. So amid much shrieking and laughing we called an emergency evacuation, and everyone dashed back on board, absolutely soaked to the skin. Not quite the night we had envisioned.
On the way out of the village, Wayne and I spotted an épicerie fine with a window full of the most beautiful cured meats and cheeses. Two salivating, drenched Australians walked in and bought up big. Back at the château, we cracked some wine, turned up the tunes and 25 of us crowded into the kitchen, slicing, arranging, singing and dancing, and together built the most glorious grazing boards I’ve ever seen.
When we’re in Provence, Wayne and I keep the château fridge stocked with a selection of local wines and champagne so everyone can help themselves all week, and as it was our last night, we set the group a challenge: drink the bar dry. Dear Reader, I’m sorry to say we failed, but we gave it a red hot go! So the next morning I lined up every leftover bottle by the door, and nobody was allowed on the coach to Nice without collecting at least three.
It’s now a fixture on every Rosé Royale, and I can’t wait to do it all again next September.
That night sums up why people come looking for a gay tour of Europe in the first place. Not a timetable or a view through a coach window, but a kitchen full of people who felt like old friends by the end of the week. It’s also exactly why we’re on every tour. When the plan washes away, someone has to know where the cheese is. Wayne and I started Hermes Holidays in Sydney in 2016 to chase that feeling, and in 2027 we’re taking it to Paris and then the south of France and later down to Puglia, the glorious heel of Italy.
Our gay tours in Europe for 2027
Hermes Holidays runs luxury gay and LGBTQ+ group tours in Europe, personally hosted by founder Kyle Olsen and his husband Wayne. In 2027 there are three: the Gay Paris Extension (27 to 30 August, from €1,750 per person), Rosé Royale in Provence and the French Riviera (30 August to 6 September, from €4,950 per person), and Puglia (11 to 22 September, now sold out, registrations open for 2028). Groups are 25 to 30 guests. Drinks at every included lunch and dinner and tips are included, and importantly there are no optional extras to buy because all the highlights are already included in the price.
Gay tours in Provence and the French Riviera
Rosé Royale is the trip that started our love affair with the south of France and has been our most popular trip to date. In 2027 it runs from 30 August to 6 September, from €4,950 per person, and it moves at the pace Provence insists on, which is slowly and with a glass in hand. Our days belong to châteaux and vineyards, to stone villages that turn absolutely honey coloured at golden hour, and to lunches that begin at one and somehow wrap up in the evening. Nobody checks the time. Nobody needs to.
Then we head south to the sea and Provence hands the baton to Nice, the Queen of the Riviera. Nice arrives in a rush of blue, and it’s the glamorous half of the week. It’s time to turn up the heat and party and our group wears it very well.
Drinks are included throughout Rosé Royale, and whilst the region’s renowned rosé lends its name to the tour you can of course choose your tipple! Drinks run freely during our included lunches and dinners and of course at the Château with that fully stocked fridge. Wayne and I love our food so we personally choose every restaurant ourselves. Choosing them is just one of the joys of the job. Here we have a mix of local restaurants, one off unique dining experiences and Michelin starred tables, absolutely never the big group restaurants built for tour buses. The full itinerary lives on the Rosé Royale page, and if you’d like the backstory first, my guide to a gay tour of Provence is a lovely place to start.
A gay tour of Paris to start
Paris is ALWAYS a good idea! Plenty of our guests can’t resist a few days in Paris first and the Gay Paris Extension, from €1,750 per person, is made for exactly that. The Marais is our natural home base as it’s home to the queer community. We love the vibe with the mix of gorgeous galleries, fun boutiques and an awesome collection of bars and clubs to get lost in. We have lunch inside the Eiffel Tower at Madame Brasserie, which is about as Parisian as lunch gets, and we sign off with a night at the uber glamorous Moulin Rouge.
The real gift of Paris, though, is what it does for Rosé Royale. The early birds arrive in Provence already knowing each other’s coffee orders, and they fold everyone else in from the first glass. The details are on the Paris Extension page, and the city itself gets the full treatment in my gay tour of Paris guide. Have a read and you’ll find out why it’s my favourite city in the world.
Gay holidays in Puglia
From 11 to 22 September 2027, Wayne and I head to the heel of Italy. Puglia is definitely the new hot spot in Europe, everyone wants to go to Puglia, and we know why. Gorgeous whitewashed towns stacked above the Adriatic, silvery olive groves dating back over 1000 years, and masserias, the fortified farmhouses that have been lovingly restored and renovated to become some of the most chic places to stay in the Mediterranean. Yes, the pace is slower and Puglia is less polished than the Riviera, and that’s precisely its charm: long tables under the trees, generous plates of delicious local home made food and that impossibly blue water. Puglia is heaven.
The full story is on the Puglia page. Puglia 2027 is sold out, but you can register for 2028.
What "hosted" actually means with us
A lot of gay group tours are run from a catalogue. You book with a brand and meet a trip leader on day one, someone hired for the season who may be lovely but won’t be there next year. We do it differently. Wayne and I own the company. We have a vested interest in making sure every single one of our guests has the best week of their year. We are on every trip, every departure, from your first enquiry to the last farewell drink. I bring 28 years of experience in travel, and Wayne brings the kind of warmth that has the shyest guest laughing by the first dinner. He’s a charmer and he’s a keeper.
That matters in small, practical ways. The people who answered your questions in January are the people who know your partner hates mornings, who quietly swap seats at dinner so two solo travellers end up side by side, and who duck into an épicerie in a thunderstorm when the evening plan literally washes away.
Hosting every trip ourselves is one of the things we’re proudest of, and it’s the heart of Hermes. We get to know our guests properly and we think of them like family. We’re there to make sure everything runs smoothly, and on the rare occasion something goes sideways, like that freak storm in Gordes, we’re right there to fix it. Just as importantly, we’re there to make sure every single person feels welcomed and part of the fun, from the first hello to the last bottle by the door.
The honest price
Here’s what happens at the end of a Hermes dinner: nothing. No bill arrives, nobody reaches for a wallet, and there’s no polite tussle over who didn’t eat the prawn starter. Drinks are included at every included lunch and dinner, tips are included, and we don’t sell optional extras on the road. The price on the page is the holiday you get. It’s this that makes our trips incredible value.
To be clear about the edges, flights, travel insurance, meals outside the itinerary and your own shopping are yours to sort. But once the tour begins, the money conversation is over, and the only decision left is red, white or of course rosé.
Who comes on a Hermes Holidays tour
Every one of our groups has between 25 and 30 guests, and I think it’s the sweet spot. It’s big enough that you’ll find your people and small enough that by the end of the week the whole table feels like a fun house party. Gay men, lesbians, bi, trans and nonbinary travellers come, and so do straight allies who simply love good company. Couples come for an anniversary, friends come as a pack, and solo travellers come knowing they’ll never be eating alone. Stories from earlier trips live on our past tours page.
As heard in
You may have spotted me on CNN, in The Guardian, in Travel Weekly’s feature on the gay cruise coming of age and in DNA Magazine.
Come to Europe with us
If 2027 is the year you finally do Europe properly, with long lunches, great company and nobody fussing over the bill, pick your tour and pull up a chair. We’d love to welcome you to our travel family. Start with Rosé Royale, add a few days in Paris, or head to Puglia. The FAQ page answers the practical questions, and Wayne and I are always happy to chat through our contact page. Bring an empty bag. You may be collecting three bottles on the way to Nice.
Frequently asked questions
What gay tours in Europe does Hermes Holidays run in 2027?
In 2027 Hermes Holidays runs three gay tours in Europe: the Gay Paris Extension from 27 to 30 August (from €1,750 per person), Rosé Royale in Provence and the French Riviera from 30 August to 6 September (from €4,950 per person), and Puglia from 11 to 22 September (now sold out, registrations open for 2028). Every tour is personally hosted by founder Kyle Olsen and his husband Wayne, with groups of 25 to 30 guests.
When is Rosé Royale 2027 and how much is it?
Rosé Royale 2027 runs from 30 August to 6 September, travelling through Provence and the French Riviera. Prices start from €4,950 per person. All activities and excursions are included as are drinks throughout the tour at every included lunch and dinner, tips are covered, and there are no optional extras to buy along the way.
How many guests are on a Hermes tour?
Each Hermes Holidays tour welcomes 25 to 30 guests. That size is big enough for everyone to find their people and still small enough that the group feels like friends at a house party by the end of the week, with Kyle and Wayne hosting throughout.
Who hosts the tours?
Kyle Olsen, who founded Hermes Holidays in Sydney in 2016, and his husband Wayne host every trip personally. There are no hired trip leaders. Kyle brings 28 years of travel experience, and the same two faces look after you from your first enquiry to the farewell dinner.
What’s included? Are drinks and tips included?
Yes. Drinks are fully included at every included lunch and dinner, and tips are included too. All activities and excursions are included. Hermes sells no optional extras on tour, so the price you see covers the holiday. Flights, travel insurance, meals outside the itinerary and personal spending are not included.
Can I join a Hermes tour solo?
Absolutely. Solo travellers join every Hermes tour alongside couples and groups of friends. Kyle and Wayne make introductions from the first evening and mix up seating at meals, so travelling on your own never means eating on your own. Solo guests always have a room to themselves, with no sharing.
Are lesbian, trans and nonbinary travellers and allies welcome?
Yes. Hermes Holidays welcomes gay men, lesbians, bi, trans and nonbinary travellers, and straight allies. Every guest is part of the same group, hosted by Kyle and Wayne, and the only thing everyone needs to bring is a taste for good food, good wine and good company.
Can I combine Paris with Rosé Royale?
Yes. The Gay Paris Extension runs before Rosé Royale, so you can spend a few days in Paris with the group, including the Marais, lunch in the Eiffel Tower and a night at the Moulin Rouge, then continue to Provence. The extension is from €1,750 per person.
When is the Hermes Puglia tour in 2027?
Our Puglia tour runs from 11 to 22 September 2027, from €6,750 per person, exploring whitewashed towns, masserias and the Adriatic coast of southern Italy. Like every Hermes tour it is personally hosted by Kyle and Wayne, with drinks at included meals and tips covered. Full details are on the Puglia page. We are currently also taking expressions of interest for 2028. Puglia 2027 is sold out, but you can register for 2028.
