Travel as you are
Boutique journeys, tailor-made for gay men
Every trip starts with a question
Planning a trip is a lot. Hundreds of hotels that look the same online, reviews that contradict each other, advice from everyone. And when you travel as a gay man, there’s one more question nobody else has to ask: will we feel at ease there? At the hotel, at dinner, on the walk back at night.
That’s the part I take care of. Gay Up Travel is a tailor-made travel company for gay men: every itinerary is designed from a blank page, around you — whether you’re traveling as a couple, on your own or with friends. Every hotel, guide and table I recommend has been personally vetted by me, so that question never has to cross your mind. Friends and family who travel with you are welcome, of course.
I’ve been doing this since 2021, as a member of IGLTA — the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association — with ten years of relationships across Europe behind every trip.
So let’s begin. Tell me where you’d like to go.
Explore our signature trips
9 nights
ITALY
ITALIAN ICONS: ROME, FLORENCE AND VENICE
9 nights
GREECE
ISLAND DREAMS: ATHENS, MYKONOS, SANTORINI
9 nights
PUGLIA
HIDDEN ITALY: TRULLI, OSTUNI AND POLIGNANO
What travellers say
“
Every detail was beyond incredible, from the hotel selections and guide-led excursions to the seamless transportation. The team was available whenever we had questions.
RON · SAN FRANCISCO
Athens & the Greek islands
“
A truly tailor-made approach: from the choice of islands to the itinerary, every detail was designed for us. Attentive, constant, never intrusive.
FRANCESCA · ITALY
Honeymoon in the Greek islands — translated from Italian
“
Out-of-the-box ideas, and the ability to anticipate our wishes even when they were not entirely clear to us.
DOMENICO · ITALY
Corporate retreat, Puglia
How it works
1
Tell me about your trip
Dates, who you’re traveling with, and what matters most to you. No long questionnaires — just the essentials.
2
I design your itinerary
Within two business days you’ll hear back from me with two or three directions for your trip — hand-picked hotels, experiences and routes, built around how you actually travel.
3
We refine it. You travel.
We fine-tune every detail together — then I stay a message away for the whole trip. Not a call center: the person who built your itinerary.
From the Journal & GUT Specials
Places I’ve selected, told from the inside — not a catalog.
GUT Special — Malta
Sea, stone & late nights
Why I chose Malta for my clients — the island in golden light, told from the inside.
From the Journal
The Puglia I Come Home To
I’m from here. The whitewashed towns, the long lunches, the coast I send my clients to — and come back to myself.
Who we are
I’m Francesco, an Italian travel planner. I built Gay Up Travel in 2021 — a tailor-made travel company for gay men that I run myself, serving primarily North American clients. Born and raised in Puglia, I live six months of the year in the Veneto and six in Puglia. Over the years I’ve lived in and traveled across most of Europe — Italy, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Croatia — and well beyond, from Morocco to Vietnam. Ten years of relationships across these places, all in service of one thing: a trip where you can simply be yourself.
Member of IGLTA — the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association. Every partner on this site is personally vetted by me.
Tell me about your next trip
A few details are enough to start. Within two business days you’ll hear back from me with two or three directions for your trip.