How to Plan a Multi-Destination Honeymoon

Can’t decide on your honeymoon destination? You don’t necessarily have to. If you plan well and play your cards right, you can create a post-wedding getaway that takes you and your new spouse on a jet-setting adventure across multiple places bringing you home with a lifetime of stories.

If you’re ambitious enough to take on a multi-destination itinerary, there are a few things you should know about the process. We turned to the expert behind Well Traveled, a members-only social platform built for modern travelers seeking to discover, plan and book experiences, to shed light on how to get the most out of a multi-city (or country) honeymoon.

Advantages of a Multi-Destination Honeymoon

When you’re planning any vacation with your significant other, there will always be differing opinions bubbling up on what to do, where to go, or how to spend your days – marriage is, after all, largely about compromise, right? One of the greatest advantages of a multi-destination vacation is the opportunity to appease each partner, allowing you both to express your idea of a dream honeymoon together through different experiences that make both of you feel heard. 

More than that, a getaway of this kind creates an opportunity to embark on an exciting exploratory journey as newlyweds. “I love the idea of a multi-destination honeymoon because it's like a mini-adventure with your partner,” says Patil. “My husband and I visited three different locations on ours, giving us the chance to explore and experience a few different areas together, which we loved.” 

As you begin life together, you can create deep bonding experiences over bouncing around to different places, trying a variety of new foods, experiencing multiple cultures, and enjoying each other’s company in new, scintillating environments.

Another perk of a multi-stop itinerary is that it also ignites a sense of excitement at different points throughout your getaway. Each new destination gives you something new to look forward to together every few days. 

How to Choose Your Destinations and Itinerary

According to Patil, choosing your destination may ultimately come down to personal choice and heavily depends on your travel style both as individuals and as a couple. “My husband and I are both people who love activities when traveling—we're big skiers so we thought it would be perfect to plan a ski trip for our honeymoon,” she shares. “We visited multiple destinations (Chamonix, Zermatt, Gstaad, and Geneva) and really maximized our time out of the office." 

Once you’ve agreed on an overarching theme or a region to explore throughout your itinerary, come together to consider the logistics of your trip and what places make sense for a stop along the way. Are there places that make more sense to piggyback? Are there flights or transportation routes that are easily accessible? 

Consider too which of your destinations is furthest and how you can break up long journeys to more far-flung locales. A typical flight to the Maldives, for example, can take anywhere from 18 to 20+ hours. Prior to arriving at the beautiful cluster of islands, a popular, bucket-list layover stop is Dubai where resorts like Atlantis The Palm in Dubai often see honeymooners drop in before or after visiting the Maldives. 

Planning and Travel Tips

You’ve likely expended enough stress and energy on wedding planning, so mapping out your honeymoon should be an opportunity to do something fun and exciting together (with the help of an experienced travel advisor!). Turn the activity into a fun honeymoon planning date night where you narrow down destinations together over a bottle of wine and tasty, travel-themed treats, and follow along below for some of Patil’s top planning tips along the way. 

Call for Backup

Patil’s number one tip for honeymoon planning for a multi-stop trip is to get some help. “I think oftentimes, couples feel obligated to plan their own honeymoon as a marriage first, and it can be incredibly overwhelming especially if you’re also planning the wedding at the same time,” Patil says. “I'm a very type-A planner so [I] understand it can be hard to let someone else take over, especially with honeymoons being so personal.”

Start Early

Especially in today’s climate, with the ever-changing restrictions and high demand for travel as the world opens up again, Patil recommends planning your trips as early as possible. “Take advantage of resources like Well Traveled so the planning process can be enjoyable, not stressful! Our team acts as an advocate for our members and works closely with them to ensure they’re getting the best experience suited for their needs.” 

Check All the Boxes

Patil recommends breaking the trip up into sections that match up to the criteria of your getaway desires. Different legs of your journey can focus on different touchpoints on your honeymoon checklists such as relaxation, adventure, and culinary experiences. “We planned a ski trip, so the first few days were intense skiing while the second destination was a little more laid back and relaxation-focused,” she shares. “For our third destination, we were focused on culinary experiences and trying out some of the amazing local food!” 

Enjoy It! 

No matter what your style is and where you end up, Patil reminds couples to simply make sure your getaway is something special. “Honeymoons are a really special time for couples so I would suggest planning something out of the ordinary to celebrate this big step in their relationship.”