HE Travel Profile [2024] - 0 reviews, 5 trips

# of trips

5

Type

Global operator

Service level

luxury

Travelers age

36 — 64

Trip prices

$2,798 — 7,198

Tour languages

Unknown

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Editoral Review of HE Travel

For more than 40 years, HE Travel has been offering active small-group tours for gays and lesbians who enjoy hiking, biking, and other outdoor or cultural activities They also offer customized tours for solo travelers, couples or groups in which you devise the itinerary and they provide logistical support, which may include arranging for airfare, lodging, and local guides.

What Makes Them Stand Out?

They are one of the world’s largest all gay custom travel agencies, and recently incorporated Out Quest Global Adventures into their fold, enabling them to further expand their offerings. These include a variety of tours, cruises and expeditions around the world.

Who Travels With Them?

LGBT travelers and their open-minded friends and family who enjoy experiencing active – sometimes adrenaline-pumping -- adventure tours or more relaxed culturally oriented offerings, all with like-minded people.

Where Do They Operate?

A variety of locations around the world, ranging from South Africa to Southeast Asia, Europe to Antarctica, Australia/New Zealand to Easter Island.  

How Does It Work?

HE offers options and flexibility on many tours. If you’re taking a group biking tour, for instance, you can choose to ride with the bulk of the group during the day, or follow behind if you wish, riding at a more relaxed pace along the tour leader’s suggested routes. You can even go off on your own to explore other routes. Lodgings are selected for local ambiance while offering comfort and style. Group sizes generally range from six to 16.

Why Travel With Them?

With HE Travel, LGBT travelers can experience well-organized small group or customized tours among friendly, like-minded companions.

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More Details

Solo friendly

  • No single supplement

Activities

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About the company

History:

In late 2014 Out Quest Global Adventures (formerly Out West Global Adventures) joined the HE Travel family. HE Travel carries on the traditions of founders Aaron Kampfe and David Heinzen, and more recently Ron Wilcoxson. We’ve kept the best tours from Out Quest, and they are now featured together with the rest of the HE Travel family of tours on this dynamic website. Not only does this mean more departures for customers of both brands, but it also means that heritage customers of Out Quest Global now have access to the largest all gay custom travel agency in the world.

Since 1973 HE Travel has been offering unique adventure tours for gay men, lesbians and open-minded friends and family who enjoy tours with a gay flair. Under the direction of Philip Sheldon, president and owner, HE Travel continues to offer exciting vacations to destinations as varied as France, Italy, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Antarctica. What began with a passion for biking, hiking, and exploring the great outdoors with small groups of like-minded people grew into a successful business with a faithful following of clients who have helped shape the future of the company.

A note on our adventure tours:

Our adventure itineraries are active vacations, full of options and opportunities. On our biking trips, for example, you can follow our suggested route with the group; take the same path at your own pace; or venture off on your own to explore uncharted territory. The active nature of our trips makes it easy to get to know others in the group — and to make new friends in the areas we pass through.

If you want a well-organized group tour to enjoy the history and culture of a destination without having to work too hard, we recommend our HE Travel Classic tours. And if you find it invigorating to bike along a country road, to stop and soak your feet in a stream, or to hike along a mountain trail with a friend, not knowing what’s just around the corner, then give our adventure tours a try. Find out why Out & About, the widely-respected online gay travel newsletter, gave us their Editor’s Choice award for Adventure Travel, and why OutTraveler Magazine named us Gay Tour Operator of the Year.

At HE Travel, we pride ourselves on creating exceptional tours for sophisticated travelers. We realize many travelers prefer to create their own journeys or may not be able to travel when our tours take place. For those travelers we offer HE Travel Custom Tours. We can provide all the logistics for any itinerary you choose. Whether you are one person or a group of twenty-one, we can help with airfare, hotels, local guides and all the things necessary for a happy and successful trip.

Style:

HE Travel has created a unique style. In all our ventures we seek out the special experience. We look for lodgings that may be smaller but with local color. We always opt for comfort and elegance but tend to shy away from chains that offer the same “luxury” wherever you go.

We believe touring should be a means for like-minded people to share the experience of discovery. To achieve our goal, our groups are small, usually six to sixteen, depending on the destination. This allows us to give personalized attention to each group and assures that the quality of the trip exceeds all expectations.

Adventure:

Thanksgiving on the Nile, Christmas in Marrakech, Easter on Easter Island: imagine the unimaginable and HE Travel will take you there. While we want you to relax on your vacation, we want to offer you new and exciting experiences as well. So just as important as beaching it in Mykonos is a meditative walk among the monasteries of Mount Athos. While we enjoy the grandeur of our intimate ship on the Nile, it is only the backdrop for absorbing the history and beauty of the land.

Comfort:

There are few things in life as comforting as a warm handshake and a hug. On an HE Travel tour, you will experience many hugs and many smiles. Often it will be the locals welcoming our tour leader back for another visit … a return to the places and people we love. We send a professional tour leader with every group to take the hassle out of traveling.

Fun:

Since HE Travel began in 1972, the purpose has been clear: to provide meaningful tours, cruises and expeditions for those who enjoy traveling in congenial company under expert guidance. Many of our clients have traveled with us year after year and become part of our HE Travel family. We continue to welcome new friends on our adventures, and as we provide only the best in travel experiences, we expect no less from you. We pride ourselves on traveling free from petty complaints, distrust and discrimination and we trust you do too. If you are ready to relax and enjoy unique travel in comfort and style with a friendly group of people, please join us. See you soon!

HE Travel Trips & Specials

See all 5 trips

Deals

Gay Travel Specials

Ongoing:

$100 OFF Early Reservations (when you reserve earlier than 6 months in advance of the tour)

Save 3% for Early Payment (when you pay for your trip in full more than 6 months in advance of the tour)

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