Wanderlust-fueled places for the trip your love story deserves.
You've survived the seating chart, sealed it with a kiss, and danced until the last sparkler burned out. Now it's time to trade the bouquet for a boarding pass on your first great adventure as newlyweds. Your honeymoon is your moment to be selfishly in love, sun-kissed, mostly screen-free, and wandering with no purpose beyond enjoyment. And whether you're into rainforest hikes, archaeological wonders, or just gazing out at the horizon as the equatorial sunshine shimmers on your third mimosa, daiquiri, or Aperol spritz, there's a beach, a jungle, or a far-flung hideaway for you over water or under stars. In this list of the best honeymoon destinations, you'll find enthralling escapes for every kind of twosome to make memories you'll be talking about for years to come.
The Land of Fire and Ice thrills honeymooners who'd rather swap poolside piña coladas for snowmobiling on glaciers, diving between tectonic plates, and chasing waterfalls with names you may struggle to pronounce, like Kirkjufellsfoss, Klifbrekkufossar, Öxarárfoss, and Seljalandsfoss. You'll bathe in geothermal lagoons, wander black sand beaches, and potentially fall asleep to the glow of the Northern Lights, ideally from a cozy cabin built for two, like those at Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll.
Thrill-seeking newlyweds who check in to Hotel Rangá (which has a dedicated Romantic Getaway Package) have access to jeeps to take them for secluded smooches at ice caves, and on-site, there are heated outdoor hot tubs and a roll-off roof observatory for stargazing alongside a resident astronomer.
Icelandair flies from over 18 U.S. airports, including Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Miami International (MIA), Nashville International (BNA), and Seattle–Tacoma International (SEA), so getting there is as easy as einn, tveir, þrír (one, two, three).
The sun will be shining and the weather will probably be sweet at your Jamaican honeymoon retreat. Bob Marley's birth country knows how to do all-inclusive, and couples are particularly well-catered for. Couples Resorts has four romance-ready all-inclusive properties in Jamaica, and Sandals Resorts—which introduced over-the-water bungalows to the Caribbean—has seven scintillating adults-only properties. Five of them have swim-up rooms so you can wake up, wander out, and wade right in. Should you spontaneously decide to renew your vows, Sandals Ochi, Sandals South Coast, and Sandals Montego Bay have over-the-water wedding chapels with glass-floor panels.
Alternatively, take the person who wants to love you and treat you right to The Caves, a Negril all-inclusive that wins in the romance and looks department. From the very first time you set your eyes on the hotel, you'll be enamored by the thatch-roofed cottages, secluded grottos, and the cliffside dining. Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing's going to be alright in Jamaica, with the potential of reggae, rum, sun, and sea with your honeybee.
Saint Lucia was tailor-made for loved-up duos who plan to spend equal time between massage tables, mineral baths, and four-poster beds draped in breezy linens. Sweethearts may bathe in the Sulphur Springs in Soufrière, which is known as the “world's only drive-in volcano,” before coating themselves in mineral-rich mud and then rinsing off under the nearby Toraille Waterfall. Saint Lucia's glittering collection of honeymooner-friendly hotels has world-class spas where the tempting offerings range from 170-minute couples massages in treehouses built on stilts (The Rainforest Spa at Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort) to a 180-minute Sacred Serenity ritual after hours with the entire spa to yourself at Windjammer Landing. There's a reason this Caribbean island has won the coveted title of World's Leading Honeymoon Destination for seven consecutive years at the World Travel Awards.
The island has a long history of cocoa production, so enamored twosomes can indulge in all things chocolate at the spas of Anse Chastanet (Kai Belté) and sister hotel Jade Mountain (Kai en Ciel). The latter is a heady architectural marvel where sanctuaries are open to the elements, with a private infinity pool and unobstructed views of the Pitons, an iconic pair of volcanic plugs gracing Saint Lucia's skyline and many a postcard.
With sands the shade of toasted sugar, Fiji literally sweeps you off your bare feet. With more than 330 islands in its arsenal, this archipelago is an endless playground for sea and land escapades that will get both of your heart rates pumping. Most adventures begin on Viti Levu, the main island and home to the capital Suva, before launching into the wild blue yonder.
Couples can hop over to the Mamanuca Islands for a playful day at Cloud 9, a floating bar that's a vision to behold, or snorkel through liquid light in the Yasawa Islands, where The Blue Lagoon was filmed. There are caves to climb into, secret waterfalls to find, and marine parks bursting with rainbow life. You can also disappear into a hammock and call it a day at ravishing resorts like COMO Laucala Island, Turtle Island Fiji, Kokomo Private Island, Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, VOMO Island Fiji, and Six Senses Fiji, which serve up privacy and picture-perfect backdrops.
The Society Islands, a far-flung French Polynesian archipelago starring headliners like Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti, is where honeymoon fantasies go to level up. The epitome of pure paradise, to get to this cluster, you can let Air Tahiti Nui fly you to Tahiti (Papeete) or join one of the multi-island itineraries from Windstar Cruises or Paul Gauguin Cruises. If you choose to stay put on one island, you should check into one of the signature bungalows that have launched many a daydream.
There are cantilevered lodgings with your names on them on Tahiti at InterContinental Tahiti Resort and Spa and on Bora Bora at Conrad Bora Bora Nui and The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort. Moorea has ridiculously scenic sleeps on glassy waters at Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa, Manava Beach Resort & Spa, and Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort, which is set within a protected marine area.
Say yes to a honeymoon imbued with magic, myth, and mirror-like beauty at Lake Atitlán, Guatemala's most famous lake. Fringed by three misty volcanoes steeped in Mayan history, this lago looks like a painting and is surrounded by a necklace of vibrant villages.
There's San Juan La Laguna's art scene, San Marcos' hippie vibe, and Panajachel's lively lakeside bustle, but for true honeymoon hush, base yourself at Casa Palopó, the country's first Relais & Châteaux hotel. Set between Santa Catarina and San Antonio Palopó, this romantic bolt hole offers culinary experiences inspired by the Mayan sun god, charming individually decorated rooms, and shamanic blessing rituals if you're in the mood to spiritually double down on your vows.
When staying at Laguna Lodge Eco-Resort & Nature Reserve, you'll have hiking routes at your doorstep, romantic rooms with exposed brickwork, and chocolate-dipped strawberries to enjoy as part of the couple's package. As a honeymoon destination, Guatemala is refreshingly kind to one's wedding-depleted bank account.
Nothing says “ti amo” like escaping à deux to feast on Italy's Amalfi Coast, a region of unspeakable good looks with cinematic darlings like Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, Praiano, and Atrani, each providing a different kind of swoon. Draws include sun loungers under Aperol-orange beach umbrellas (Arienzo Beach Club Positano), bougainvillea-cloaked terraces, medieval cathedrals, and sun-drenched piazzas for slurping espressos.
When you work up an appetite, you won't need to look far for boast-worthy candlelit dinners. You may not even need to leave your hotel for meals of a loved-up lifetime. For a culinary honeymoon with coastal glamour, book Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel, a 13th-century convent turned luxury hideaway in Amalfi, to toast your love at cliff-edge restaurant La Locanda della Canonica.
Alternatively, you could sleep, eat, and drink like Italian nobility at rose-hued Ravello hotel Palazzo Avino where the acclaimed Rossellini's restaurant serves up Michelin-starred haute romance on a plate. Also boasting Michelin stars, Positano's Li Galli at Hotel Villa Franca Positano and La Sponda at Le Sirenuse dazzle and delight. Le Sirenuse is one of Positano's most lauded, glamorous stays for the just-married set. When dining at La Sponda in peak summer, there's a high chance you'll witness a marriage proposal with a mandolin serenade.
Owing to the Maldives' One Island, One Resort concept, your honeymoon is guaranteed to be a bubble of uninterrupted bliss and privacy. In fact, some resorts have uber-secluded accommodations that are inaccessible to other guests, like Velaa Private Island's Romantic Pool Residence, which can only be reached by boat.
The Maldives is the place to arrive by seaplane, sip coconuts on sandbars, spot dolphins on traditional dhoni boats, and write your love story's first chapter in a place that's preposterously pristine. The hotels there have top-notch amenities like over-the-water spas, water slides, private pop-up beach bars, and places to ignite your inner creative like the tree-encircled art studio at JOALI Maldives. Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and has an on-resort photographer, dive center, and complimentary bicycles to crisscross the island at whim. Perched on the camera-ready island of Dhidhoofinolhu, LUX* South Ari Atoll is set in a protected marine zone with 50 nearby dive sites and the rare magic of year-round whale shark sightings.
Located at the southern tip of Africa, Namibia offers newlyweds symphonic scenery that flickers from apricot dunes to skeletal trees and lunar valleys. The landscapes feel like they've been borrowed from another planet, and you're apt to see oryx, springbok, zebras, lions, black rhinos, and desert-adapted elephants during a safari there.
A boutique outfitter like Extraordinary Journeys can curate the perfect just-the-two-of-us voyage for you in Namibia, taking into account all your heart's desires and putting you up in marvelous boutique hotels like Wilderness Little Kulala, a wildly romantic eco-lodge near Sossusvlei. In the Damaraland region, Onduli Ridge is architecturally dramatic with lavish open-air bedrooms designed to blend into the terracotta boulders.
You can let your love story unfold at Kwessi Dunes in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, a designated Dark Sky Reserve where your lavish bedroom comes with an open-air Star Gazer room. It's a rare kind of pleasure to fall asleep under a pitch-black, diamond-dotted sky with your person by your side.
How can beaches *really* be this soft? Why does the blue water look digitally enhanced? How tall are these towering karst formations? And is this the beach from The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio? These are questions that swirl through the minds of mouth-ajar visitors to Thailand's Andaman Coast in the south.
Newlyweds can slip into a rhythm of lazy swims, jungle treks, island-hopping, toes-in-sand lantern-lit dinners, and pad Thai at all hours in this beguiling region that includes Ko Phi Phi, Ko Yao Noi, Ko Lipe, Krabi, and Phuket, Thailand's largest island.
There are infinity pool dips and brilliant sunsets on the horizon at Krabi hotels Avani Ao Nang and The Tubkaak Krabi, and countless corners for romance to flourish in Phuket when staying at Rosewood Phuket, The Slate Phuket, COMO Point Yamu, Trisara, Keemala, or the uber-idyllic Paresa with its spa pool suites. The one unmissable activity in this part of the world is letting an iconic wooden longtail boat whisk you from one paradisiacal post to the next.
The Galápagos Islands are a wild, awe-filled honeymoon choice. This volcanic archipelago off the coast of Ecuador feels less like a place and more like a living museum where sea lions nap beside you on the beach, giant tortoises roam languidly, and blue-footed boobies perform their awkward mating dance. You get to hike lava fields, swim alongside penguins, and study multicolored marine iguanas. Every day feels like a scene from Planet Earth, but you're in it, wide-eyed and hand-in-hand. The Galápagos Islands are ideal for pairs who crave connection, not only with each other, but with the natural world.
On land, you can base yourself somewhere exquisite like Galápagos Safari Camp or Pikaia Lodge, or push the boat out with one of Ecoventura's three exclusive 20-passenger expedition yachts, Origin, Theory, and Evolve. Between wildlife encounters, you'll unwind on a ship managed like a floating five-star boutique hotel with fiery sunsets on the sundeck and candlelit dinners at sea. There is also an available “Private Moments” upgrade for couples that includes a sunset zodiac cruise, VIP transfers, and a personal naturalist for all your excursions.
It may not be the first place that springs to mind when planning a honeymoon, and that's exactly why Northeast Brazil is such a seductive surprise. Known locally as Nordeste, this sun-drunk region stretches across nine Brazilian states that are bursting with personality, Afro-Brazilian rhythm, and bite-into-it flavor. Brazil may have won the genetic lottery when it comes to natural beauty, but the Northeast, in particular, is reliably radiant and warm year-round, meaning your lua de mel (honeymoon) can happen literally whenever.
There are national parks larger than Belgium (Chapada Diamantina), party towns with numerous natural pools (Porto de Galinhas), epic dunes by the ocean (Jericoacoara and Genipabu), and a protected marine sanctuary with Brazil's highest concentration of dolphins (Fernando de Noronha). At night, you'll be dancing barefoot under the moonlight to local forró music or joining impromptu street parties with samba galore before retiring to a palm-dotted abode like Txai Itacaré or Vila Kalango in Jericoacoara. Don't be surprised if you come home dreaming in Portuguese.
Sometimes, the most romantic thing you can do is absolutely nothing, preferably with ocean views and no shoes in sight. In Hawaii, you may be as high-energy or horizontal as you like. You can take a cue from Hawaiians and go holoholo, which is the art of wandering aimlessly, cruising around the islands, and enjoying the journey as the destination.
Hawaii has enough sandy stretches to impress even the most seasoned beach connoisseur across the islands, of which Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island are the big honeymoon heavy hitters. Unplug and plug into each other perched on a lanai (balcony) overlooking the Pacific at a waterfront hotel like Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection on the Big Island, Maui's Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, or make Oahu your home with a room at ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki or the legendary Turtle Bay Resort, seen on the big screen in 2008 blockbuster Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
With over 60 lush islands dripping in turquoise, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) practically beg to be explored by yacht, catamaran, or anything with a sail. Here, your honeymoon won't just be at the beach; it will be floating in your very own love bubble, perennially en route to the next one.
Charter a yacht with Navigare Yachting or The Moorings, complete with a captain and private chef, and spend your days island-hopping from Virgin Gorda's majestic boulders at The Baths to Jost Van Dyke, home of the famous Soggy Dollar Bar (where the painkiller cocktail was born). Drop anchor near Norman Island and head to Willy T, a vibey floating bar, or pop into Scrub Island Resort or Saba Rock (a total eye-candy circular hotel plopped in the middle of the water) for cocktails, conch fritters, and killer Caribbean views, even if you're not staying overnight. The BVI is your oyster for waterborne wandering.
New Zealand is a little wild and a lot breathtaking, and a road trip there promises empty roads, jaw-dropping backdrops, and endless possibilities for detours and slow-downs. The entire country is gorgeous, but the South Island is where nature really lets her hair down.
Rent a campervan or hop in a convertible, and one day you might be sipping wine in the sun-drenched vineyards of Marlborough; the next, you're winding along the surreal shores of Lake Tekapo, stargazing from a hot tub, and thereafter, hiking through Middle-earth scenery in Fiordland National Park. If you're honeymooning in January or February—the height of summer down there—you'll be treated to the best of the weather, the widest range of activities, and the longest golden days.
For couples who get giddy over hills and alpine peaks, check into Hapuku Lodge & Treehouses, Annandale in Pigeon Bay, or Rosewood Matakauri, as you'll have uninterrupted views of them from your room for two.
