These are the best cities for queer singles seeking a vacation romance (some of them might surprise you!).
Are you single and looking to mingle while on vacation? A new study by Hidden has compiled a list of the best cities for LGBTQ+ people looking to enjoy a date.
The study looked at over 35 major cities. Researchers checked how safe each city is, how many LGBTQ+ people live there, and how many bars and clubs cater to the community. They also looked at how often people search dating apps, the cost of a typical date, and whether same-sex marriage is legal.
They assigned each city a score out of 100. A higher score means the city offers plenty of opportunities to meet up with locals, and you won’t blow your budget while doing so!
At the top of the list was Madrid. This is not surprising, given that Spain has consistently ranked, along with Canada, as one of the safest in the world for LGBTQ+ travelers. A study last year by A3M Global Monitoring found that cities such as Barcelona and Madrid, the Balearic Islands (i.e., Ibiza), and the Canary Islands are all very welcoming and offer vibrant gay scenes.
This study found that Madrid, in particular, is a great place to visit. It has over 70 gay-friendly bars, and a typical date night for two will cost just around $90. If you want to maximize your chances of finding romance, we suggest booking for Madrid Pride (June 25 to July 5, 2026) or the huge Mad.Bear festival (December 3-10, 2026).
Next came São Paulo in Brazil. Although it scored lower on the city safety index, Hidden says a whopping 14% of Brazilian adults identify as queer (other recent studies suggest 11%-15%). The average cost for a date for two is also lower than many of the other cities surveyed, at around $60.56.
Berlin, Amsterdam and Taipei
Taking the number three and four slots were Berlin in Germany and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Both cities have great LGBTQ+ scenes and act as a magnet for queer tourists and locals. On the downside, a date night in Amsterdam will cost more like $125 for two… but who says you can’t just settle for a romantic stroll along one of the canals instead?
Sliding it at number five, and flying the flag for Asia, was Taipei in Taiwan. It’s regarded as generally a very safe city, and a date for two costs around $61.77. Taiwan also legalized same-sex marriage in 2019, making it the first place in Asia to do so.
Check out the top ten cities below
- Madrid
- São Paulo
- Berlin
- Amsterdam
- Taipei
- Los Angeles
- Montreal
- New York City
- Barcelona
- Sydney
Commenting on the study, Drew Renna, Head of Brand and Creators of Hidden, said, “LGBTQ+ dates can feel uncomfortable when you don’t know if the place is accepting or if people are judging you. That’s why having gay-friendly bars matters so much. Knowing right away that you’re heading somewhere safe is a relief.
“Not many people know this, but Google Maps now has a sticker where you can check if the bar you’re going to has marked itself as LGBTQ+-friendly. It takes away a lot of that anxiety before you walk in.”
Hook-ups
If you’re looking less for a date and more for a “spontaneous encounter”, German website Erobella recently drew up its own ‘Gay Cruising Index’. This was built by looking at the number of sex-positive venues and cruising locations, and the size of each city.
The top four cities were all in Europe. London took the top spot, followed by Berlin, Paris and Madrid.
David Hudson is a contributing editor to Queerty who specializes in film, music, health, travel and queer culture. Connect with him on X and Bluesky and DM him with potential story ideas.
Source: https://www.queerty.com/these-are-the-best-cities-for-queer-singles-seeking-a-vacation-romance-some-of-them-might-surprise-you-20260507/
