7 Queer Wonders of the World: Best LGBTQ Travel Destinations for 2022

Kiss 2021 goodbye and pack your bags for a brighter future filled with LGBTQ+ favorites and some surprising finds as EDGE reveals our favorite travel destinations for 2022. Our team of LGBTQ travel experts canvassed the globe, rethinking what it means to be a queer traveler and discovering new and noteworthy hotels, restaurants and experiences that embody our diverse culture around the world.

"It's okay to be unsure about what your travel plans will look like in the year ahead," says EDGE travel editor Matthew Wexler. "Travel purchases have never been more flexible, so take advantage of free cancellations or rebookings for peace of mind – and be sure to add travel insurance to your budget."

"Our community has always been dreamers. Our creativity and passion were born out of survival and finessed into all sectors of the economy, including hospitality and travel," continues Wexler. "From fabulously designed boutique hotels and local queer chefs making their culinary mark to destinations legalizing same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ+ rights, immersive travel experiences increase our capacity for empathy and reveal the very best that other cultures have to offer."

So pack your bags, or maybe two. EDGE is sending you off on a whirlwind adventure in 2022. We can't wait to see what you discover.

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

Switzerland made headlines earlier this year as the latest European country to legalize same-sex marriage. "This is a historic day for us and for Switzerland, this is a great step forward, something we have been waiting for for years," said Laura Russo, co-president of the Geneva Federation of LGBT Associations. "This initiative was begun in 2013; we had to wait eight years for the vote to happen – and here, this is a big 'Yes.'"

To celebrate, pack your bags and head to the country's cosmopolitan hub, Zurich, with plenty to offer in its city center and easy access via Switzerland's robust rail system for winter adventures on its legendary slopes.

Connect with locals at one of the many LGBTQ-owned restaurants, cafés and bars, including Cafe Rathaus with its alfresco dining and sister establishment Cranberry Bar, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2022. The city can run on the expensive side, but you can still find design-centric digs at citizenM Zurich in Old Town. But if you've got money to burn, book the historic Dolder Grand on the city's outskirts, featuring Alps views and a two-Michelin star restaurant. Need an excuse to travel? Zurich Pride is scheduled for June 17-18, 2022. –Matthew Wexler

PHUKET, THAILAND

Thailand's island of Phuket can be tranquil or sparkling with electrifying nightlife, depending on what you're looking for. Surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea, the island is known for its pristine beaches and the gorgeous locals and tourists who populate them.

The new V Villas Phuket, located on Phuket's undulating southern tip, features 19 poolside villas with soaring ocean views. Its rooftop bar, AKOYA Star Lounge, provides the ideal spot to catch a sunset before heading to Junkyard Theatre for what's been self-described as 'the wildest (and boldest) creative theatre experience in Asia." The upcycled design and dazzling cast of characters make for an unforgettable night out.

It's easy to bar-hop in Phuket, as most LGBTQ+ nightlife is located in the Patong neighborhood's Paradise Complex, where you'll discover go-go boys, drag shows, and plenty of frivolous fun, which can all be found be found at Zag Club. For high-end mixology, don't miss Club No. 43 or the award-winning Dibuk House.

If you're looking to celebrate pride with the locals, plan your trip for April (just before monsoon season kicks in) for a Phuket's weeklong Pride celebration. –Matthew Wexler

PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS

Infused in the salty sea air of Provincetown is a sense of queer pride that is, simply put, beguiling. Tucked away on the tip of Cape Cod, the destination is synonymous with the LGBTQ+ community. To stroll its narrow streets is to both soak up queer culture and contribute to it. There are technically just 3,000 residents, but in a sense, every LGBTQ+ person is part of this queer wonder of the world.

Provincetown has emerged as a year-round destination, with Holly Folly in December (one of the country's only LGBTQ+ holiday festivals), Women of Color Weekend in early June, Carnival in August, and the newly launched Washashore Music & Arts Festival in fall, just to name a few.

Don't miss out on a lobster roll and other culinary delights, and when it's time to roll into bed, The Bradford's recently renovated rooms will provide respite before or after a visit to the Boatslip, home to Ptown's legendary daily tea dance (open seasonally). –Kelsy Chauvin

DUBLIN, IRELAND

The Irish capital of Dublin is famous for its warmth and good cheer, and queer travelers know that the city is one of the continent's most out-and-proud places. Dublin's once single-day Pride is now a dynamic, 10-day-long June festival and parade, with a six-day celebration kicking off each November 30. You can also consider timing your visit to experience the annual International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, amplifying queer voices over two weeks of stage productions or the renowned annual GAZE International LGBTQ+ Film Festival in late September.

While it's not required to drink in Dublin, you'd be right to "give it a lash" (a try), if only to sample both an Irish tipple and a bit o' time in a rousing Irish pub. LGBTQ+ folks will enjoy longtime gay fave The George as well as PantiBar, a playful gay haunt just across the River Liffey, owned by local queen of drag Panti Bliss. And when the night (or early morning) is done, Jurys Inn Christchurch provides LGBTQ+-friendly accommodations, is centrally located and offers reasonable rates.

It's hard to find a more sociable place, one where everybody is part of the joy. Just remember to live up to Oscar Wilde's key advice: "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." –Kelsy Chauvin

MERIDA, MEXICO

Some destinations flaunt themselves, while others ask you to patiently allow their ambiance to envelop you. Mérida – a quick flight or four-hour drive from touristy Cancún – gently expresses itself through personable locals, rich Mayan culture, and a few queer finds if you know where to look.

Mérida is the capital city of the state of Yúcatan, which made headlines earlier this year as Mexico's 22nd state to formally legalize same-sex marriage (and simultaneously ban "conversion therapy"). Strolling through the city center reveals a plethora of colonial architecture along with baroque, neo-classical and other periods represented in churches, haciendas and historic sites.

The newly opened Cadadía bar and café is a vision of self-proclaimed "queer dyke" Emma Molin, who's created an all-inclusive creative space for cocktails, dining and live performance.

A stay at the LGBTQ+-welcoming Ochenta y Dos provides charming accommodations (not to mention a rooftop pool) and access to its gay co-owner David O. Dodge, an international tour guide who can facilitate local tours or day trips to Mayan archeological sites, cenotes and other less-traveled sites. –Matthew Wexler

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

At the Flamingo, Las Vegas's oldest casino founded by mobster Bugsy Siegel in 1946, topless showgirls once strutted their stuff. Since 2020, it's where the queens of "RuPaul's Drag Race Live" now sashay the night away, putting a rhinestone stamp on Las Vegas as one of the queerest places on earth.

Grown-up fun can be found all over town, including Spiegelworld's latest production, the risqué "Atomic Saloon", which swaps Cirque du Soleil-style clowns and creatures for scantily clad cowboys extolling the joys of analingus and other pansexual humor.

Stay at the once bro-dacious Hard Rock Hotel, renovated and reimagined as the stylish, LGBTQ+-welcoming Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, including al fresco dining, a Mykonos-themed day club, and a spacious green lawn.

Las Vegas has long been a favorite LGBTQ+ getaway destination thanks to gay-centric offerings like the Luxor's Temptation Sundays pool party and the city's famous Fruit Loop, a cluster of off-Strip gay bars along Naples Drive. But it's exciting to see a contemporary queer sensibility taking hold in some of the city's newest mainstream attractions. –Jim Gladstone

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA

Colombia's second-largest city, Medellín, has flown under the radar as an LGBTQ+ hotspot – and it's hard to determine why. With shopping galore, an abundance of gay clubs per capita, and businesses geared toward queer travelers, "this place," as queer SNL icon Stefan would say, "has everything." Or as the Colombian goddess Shakira has sung, "Don't you see, baby, this is perfection?"

Stay at the The Click Clack Hotel, a sleek boutique near the shopping district where the first language is cheeky and the second is English. Be sure to grab a souvenir at Orozco a gay-owned clothing store and tailor that very much caters to its audience by making unique, astrology-themed T's. Come nighttime, stop by one of the city's dozen-plus queer bars, with many concentrated in the Las Acacias and El Poblado neighborhoods.

Need help planning? Gay-owned and operated Out in Colombia can plan all of the details or simply host you for a day tour or night on the town. –Billy McEntee