Day 1--Fri Sept 19
Day 1--Fri Sept 19
Arrival in Copenhagen
After a morning to rest up after your international flights, we take a tour of Copenhagen, by foot and canal boat, and get to know this charming city, including the statue of the Little Mermaid—whose real story is far from the one most visitors hear! We conclude our tour with a welcome dinner of hearty Scandinavian specialties.

Hotel: SP34, a charming hotel, and in the perfect location for exploring Copenhagen, right near the Strøget shopping street, but also not far from Tivoli Gardens.
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Day 2--Sat Sept 20
Day 2--Sat Sept 20
Hans Christian and the Danish Girl
This morning we take a walking tour in the center of historic Copenhagen, diving into the lives of Copenhagen’s two most famous LGBTQ+ personalities, Hans Christian Andersen and Lily Elbe—usually known by the movie title, as the Danish girl—a Danish artist who became the first (or possibly second) person to undergo surgical gender transformation. Today you have a free afternoon, to do some shopping on the world’s longest pedestrian shopping street or visit some of Copenhagen’s great museums or palaces. Perhaps in the evening you will want to take a stroll around Tivoli Gardens, the old-world amusement park that inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland.
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Day 3--Sun Sept 21
Day 3--Sun Sept 21
Hamlet's Castle
We make a day excursion out of Copenhagen to visit Kronborg castle in *Helsingør* —a name you may recognize!—the castle where the story of Hamlet takes place. While visiting this beautifully restored historic palace, we learn about the decadent Danish court that inspired Shakespeare and the English actors who played here and may have brought him the story.
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Day 4--Mon Sept 22
Day 4--Mon Sept 22
First Sight of Stockholm
This morning we take a beautiful ride through the Danish and Swedish countryside, arriving in Stockholm for a late lunch, after which we visit the city by foot and riverboat. Get ready for a beautiful city. In the late afternoon, we stop for a coffee at Sweden’s first gay café, Chokladkoppen, in the heart of Stockholm’s medieval city, the Gamla Stan.

hotel: Miss Clara by Nobis, a charming boutique hotel in a lovely Art Nouveau building, right in central Stockholm by the Drottninggatan shopping district, and a short walk (or 3 minute metro ride) to the main tourist sights of the city.
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Day 5--Tues Sept 23
Day 5--Tues Sept 23
From Queen Christina to ABBA
This morning we tour the royal palace, still the official residence of Sweden’s royal family, with a concentration on the gay royals (of which there have been several)—and especially the 17th century’s Queen Christina, whose gender and sexuality are as unclear to us today as they were to her contemporaries. A highlight of the tour is Queen Christina’s silver throne, on which (or on a Hollywood facsimile of which) Greta Garbo lounged in her famously gender-fluid and implicitly bisexual portrayal in 1933.
And after lunch, we visit a different kind of palace, the ABBA museum. Not that the members of ABBA were LGBTQ+, but could any group be bigger gay icons?
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Day 6--Wed Sept 24
Day 6--Wed Sept 24
Stockholm art and palaces
This morning we visit Stockholm’s two main art museums and learn a bit about Scandinavian painters—especially the gay ones who made some of the early 20th century’s great male nudes, including Professor Lear’s favorite male nude after Michelangelo.
After lunch, we take a lovely boat ride out to a lovely palace, Drottningholm Palace, the royal family’s actual residence. The tour will include one of Sweden’s great treasures, a perfectly preserved 18th century opera house, with original sets and machinery!
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Day 7--Thurs Sept 25
Day 7--Thurs Sept 25
Garbo and the Ferry
This morning we explore the early years of Sweden’s most famous movie star, Greta Garbo, and we end at her grave. Your afternoon is free, to visit more museums, or do some shopping, or lounge by the water. In the evening, we gather to take the ferry to Helsinki, starting with a beautiful ride out through the Stockholm archipelago. The ferry ride is quite an experience, with several restaurants (generally including a really vast smorgasbord) and night clubs—and at the end beautiful views of the Finnish coast.
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Day 8--Fri Sept 26
Day 8--Fri Sept 26
Welcome to Helsinki
Upon arrival in Helsinki, we set out for a walking tour of this charming seaside city, with its mix of historic buildings (from its Russian and Swedish pasts) and sleek Nordic design.

Hotel: Klaus K Hotel, a very central and very gay-friendly hotel with a lovely combination of chic Finnish design and homey Finnish cooking.
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Day 9--Sat Sept 27
Day 9--Sat Sept 27
Finland's Famous Tom
This morning we will visit the gay underbelly of Helsinki’s mid-20th century on a tour of the places where Touko Laaksonen (better known as Tom of Finland) took his nocturnal strolls, looking for inspiration and/or company. Today you are free for the afternoon. We meet again for one last Nordic meal to toast the Nordic countries’ LGBTQ+ past, their beautiful cities and progressive cultures, and the new friends we have made on our tour!
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Day 10--Sun Sept 28
Day 10--Sun Sept 28
On to the next trip!
Our tour ends with breakfast today, but please let us know if we can help you with further travel arrangements. Perhaps you will want to continue on to our Greece tour, starting October 1 in Athens!
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Day 1--Fri Sept 19

Arrival in Copenhagen

After 20 years of studying gay history around the world, we finally made it to Greece. Hearing the stories of Apollo and Hyacinthus, of Achilles and Patroclus, of Alexander and his loves and so many more, where they actually happened was incredibly meaningful. Bravo to the brilliant Professor Lear for helping travelers feel not like sightseers but like explorers.

By Dean H for Gay Greece History and Art Tour (and Istanbul extension) on Oct 25, 2025

My husband and I participated in this tour (October 2025) and it was the trip of a lifetime! I had very high expectations and this tour exceeded them completely. The program included in-depth tours of Athens and its antiquities (highlighted of course by the Acropolis and the magnificent Parthenon, and the Acropolis and Archaeological museums), day trips to Mycenae and Delphi, with a knowledgeable local guide providing the history and stories of the ancient world, supplemented by Professor Lear's discussion of the gay history and significance of the sites and the people. The five days in mainland Greece were followed by two days each on the islands of Santorini and Mykonos, again with excellent local guides and Professor Lear's commentary. All of the hotels were exceptional, particularly the Herodion which sits at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens with impressive views of the Parthenon from the rooftop bar. Above all, we had a great group of people on the tour, the 12 of us had wonderful camaraderie and this enhanced the tour significantly. We also opted to continue the tour to Istanbul, one of the world's great cities, for an additional four days. There we experienced the magnificent Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and an extensive exploration of local food. This was the best vacation that we have ever taken--and we have now booked the England tour for May!

By Matthew T for Gay Greece History and Art Tour (and Istanbul extension) on Oct 21, 2025

Thank you for the lovely review, Matt! I look forward to seeing you in England!

By Oscar Wilde Tours on Oct 21, 2025

The last time I saw Paris … … our hearts were warm and gay! Rack up another triumph for Oscar Wilde Tours, with such delights as: * cocktails at the Left Bank hotel where Oscar Wilde died; * visit to Père Lachaise cemetery, starting (of course!) at Oscar Wilde’s monumental tomb; * walks with local guide Edith through the Left Bank, Montmartre, and Palais Royale; * visits to 4 Loire châteaux: Blois, Clos Lucé (where Leonardo spent his last years), Amboise (with a fabulous meal at the Lion d’Or), and Chenonceau (an incredible 16th century castle spanning the river Cher); * a marvelous tour extension to Chartres cathedral, and to Proust’s aunt’s home in Illiers-Combray, now a Proust museum. As with any OWT outing, the best part was the bonhommie of the “campers”, and the conviviality of our “councelor” extraordinaire, Professor Andrew Lear. In short — c’était magnifique!

By Hugh G for LGBTQ+ History and Art Tour of Paris on Oct 17, 2025

I am forever changed by Andrew Lear's dedication to excellence of experience. Luxurious Hotels (those breakfast buffets! Gentile hotel staff!), are centrally located (as in Athens) or placed just outside of the bustling sections (as in Santorini and Mykonos) to provide an exclusive experience. Rigorous touring schedules of excavation sites and museums are accessed by private vans, seamlessly hosted by both Andrew and on site private guides. No time is wasted, lectures occur both as you travel and once on site. Andrew is extremely accessible the entire tour, he's a charming and knowledgeable host; sunny, warm and welcoming, think "Santa Claus with a cute waistline." I had the most thrilling and stimulating time of my life!

By William C for Gay Greece History and Art Tour (and Istanbul extension) on Oct 13, 2025

The accommodations were first class! Each successive hotel was nicer than the last. The final 5-start resort was indescribable! The room, the amenities, the staff, the breakfast buffet, all far exceeded my expectations. For the most part, the food was equally superb. I never found the illusive pistachio baklava, but that will have to wait until next time. The size of the group was also good; I wouldn't want it to be any bigger than 12. People were friendly, and we developed a sense of community very quickly by supporting and watching out for one another. That was a great side benefit. It's difficult to form lasting bonds in just 10 days, but I'd be happy to travel with anyone from this group in the future. The four guides were also excellent, so informative and each one entertaining in their own way. Vassos, Lydia, Constantine, and Lia (not sure about her name), really brought the things we were experiencing to life. There were some accessibility issues, which I was forewarned about, but you really can anticipate the degree to which certain activities are not accessible until you're in the thick of things. Those of use whom this effected were supported and encouraged to participate to the extent we were able. There were occasional moments of what felt like judgment and condescension (even that word seems a bit harsh), but it all rolled off the back without much fuss. I do think I should have read the promotional materials a bit more thoroughly and asked more questions, but all in all, I had a wonderful time, learned a lot about a country I've always been a little obsessed with, took hundreds of great pictures, and will have memories to last the rest of my life. Thank you.