Skip to main content

MEMBER LOGIN

Departures Logo Created with Sketch.

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

Departures Logo Created with Sketch.
  • City Guides
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Art + Culture
  • Home + Design
Departures Logo Created with Sketch.
  • City Guides
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Art + Culture
  • Home + Design

FOLLOW US

LOGIN

NEWSLETTER

More In City Guides

This Beachfront Paradise Will Debut Avra Miami—And a Lobby Designed by Karl Lagerfeld—This Year

A renowned restaurant, iconic design talent, and an idyllic stretch of private beach.

The Most Incredible Experiences to Give This Valentine’s Day, for Everyone Celebrating Love
Aman Properties Just Curated the Most Amazing Road Trips Available With a Luxury Car Included—Here's How to Book One
These are the Hottest Winter Happenings in Beaver Creek, Colorado This Year

More In Travel

  • Hotels
  • Travel Guides
  • Restaurants

Dior Launches New Bag to Pay Homage to the Late Designer's Sister

It is the pinnacle of craftsmanship and took over 18,000 stitches to create.

Tiffany & Co. Is About to Sell Its Largest Diamond Ever
Mechanical Watchmaking Was Just Made a Part of UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage List
This Reflective Parka Is Super Warm, Ultra Stylish, and My Favorite Piece of Winter Wear

More In Fashion

  • Style
  • Shopping

Zaha Hadid Architects Are Building a Park Into the Side of a Chinese Skyscraper

The famous firm won the competition to build Tower C at Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base.

The 23 Most Famous Gothic Buildings Around the World
 Zaha Hadid Architects Creates Brutalist-Meets-Futuristic Student Housing in Hong Kong
New York's Penn Station Now Features Stunning Contemporary Artwork

More In Art + Culture

  • Books
  • Philanthropy
  • Film

Can’t Travel? Get the Scent of Famous Destinations With These Luxe Candles

Bring Paris or Aspen into your home.

How to Turn Your Living Room Into a Luxurious Space to Entertain
Luxury Linens That'll Make You Never Want to Leave Your Bed
Pantone Releases Color(s) of the Year for 2021—And They're All About Being Optimistic

More In Home + Design

  • Art + Design
  • Architecture
LOGIN
NEWSLETTER
  • City Guides
  • Travel
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Travel Guides
  • Fashion
    • Style
    • Shopping
  • Art + Culture
    • Books
    • Film
    • Philanthropy
  • Home + Design
    • Art + Design
    • Architecture
  • MEMBER LOGIN
  • JOIN OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
  • Contact Advertise Sitemap
Home / Travel
Travel

Luxe Guys' Trips for Every Kind of Occasion

By Maya Kachroo-Levine on January 17, 2020

High-end alternatives to planning a stag party in Vegas.

© Sofie Delauw/Getty Images

SHARE:

Departures is published by Meredith Corp. and owned by American Express. While American Express Card Member benefits are highlighted in this publication, including through the links indicated below, the content of this article was independently written by the editorial staff at Meredith. Other Departures content paid for by American Express is explicitly marked as such.

Gathering a group of your best friends for a Bachelor party or a long-anticipated guys’ trip? While there’s nothing wrong with an all-out Vegas bacchanal, there are plenty of other luxurious ways to kick back with the fellas. Whether your crew loves to golf with an ocean view, fly over the Atlantic for a Champions’ League soccer game, or see some live jazz in a new city, these destinations will suit the cultured gentleman who loves to travel. There’s excitement that comes with planning a weekend stint outside Copenhagen after a business trip or a spring vacation with your family. But the thrill that comes with planning a guys’ trip is entirely different, the itinerary does a full 180, and admittedly skews more toward whiskey tastings than beach weekends with the kids. Here are a few stag party or just-the-gentlemen trip ideas for the coming year:

 
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

For relaxing off the beaten path

On 50 miles of California coast, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay—an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property—is the San Francisco Bay Area’s only oceanfront resort. For the ultimate guys’ escape, book the 2,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Suite. It has the best ocean views on property, sleeps up to six guests, and comes with a butler’s kitchen. For golf fans, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay has an Ocean Course and an Old Course—Arnold Palmer was one of the original designers of the Old Course, which features an oceanside 18th hole. Your group can rent bikes or tennis gear on property and pedal along the Coastal Trail or rally on the property’s six tennis courts. Spend an afternoon with your closest friends on the Ocean Terrace, ordering Dungeness or King crab and oysters from the raw bar paired with local California beers and wine. And a gentleman’s only retreat certainly doesn’t mean the hotel spa is off limits—quite the contrary. Book a massage or a seasonal treatment off the Secret Spa Menu. Even the guys less interested in springing for a treatment can use the spa facilities—including the sauna, steam room, and whirlpools—as resort guests.

Mike Kemp/Getty Images

For the gentlemen’s retreat that has it all

For the soccer (ahem, football) fans, a London trip will of course mean taking in a Champions’ League game. Alternately, you could plan a London trip in July for a Wimbledon bachelor party, which is perhaps the ultimate luxe gentlemen’s trip. Because London has it all, the guys’ trip can instead be about the city’s food, art, atmosphere, and pubs. The itinerary can avoid British sporting events entirely—how about a bros outing to the Tate Modern instead? Because real men want to see the forthcoming, retrospective Dora Maar exhibit. Follow up the Tate Modern with a trip to Borough Market, and you’ve got a perfect day in Londontown. Book individual rooms for each member of your party at the Belmond Cadogan London—another American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property.

Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune/Getty Images

For the bachelor who loves good whiskey and a good time

If you’re looking to throw a bachelor party Vegas-style, minus the Vegas trip, consider heading to the whiskey capital instead: Dublin. Start by booking suites at The Alex, a luxury boutique hotel in Dublin’s city center, including the Alex suite for the bachelor you’re gathering to celebrate. All the suites include access to the Executive Lounge, where you guys can regroup while enjoying a few (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) drinks. For a whiskey tasting experience in the heart of Dublin, head to Teeling Whiskey Distillery. Located in Liberties, Teeling is Dublin’s first new distillery in 125 years. Opt for the Distillery Select Tasting for your whole group, which includes a guided tour and tasting distillery-exclusive batches, as well as their small batch and other flagship whiskeys. Finally, make sure to have a classic pub day while in Dublin with the boys. Hop from The Long Hall, a 250-year-old institution, to a chipper for some fish-and-chip sustenance, to Toners Pub.

Lawrence Manning/Getty Images

For the musically inclined bachelor

Find some of the low-key best rhythm and blues in the U.S. in the Windy City. Staying at The Blackstone on Chicago’s Michigan Ave, your group can visit the premier blues club, Buddy Guy’s Legends, known for influencing guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. If you’re putting the bachelor party together and don’t want to do all the logistical heavy lifting, book the Blackstone hotel’s Out and About package, which comes with complimentary welcome drinks, 50% off cover at Buddy Guy’s Legends, late checkout, and an upgrade to a Lake Michigan or Grant Park-facing room. For a memorable dinner in Chi-town, book Acadia, the two Michelin-starred fine dining destination in South Loop. Chef Ryan McCaskey serves a 10-course tasting menu that will wow your entire group.

gladassfanny/Getty Images

For the guys looking to take a luxe ski vacation

Vail, Colorado has 5,317 skiable acres—so you should have plenty of space to keep your crew happy. The legendary back bowls of Vail are for the adventurous bachelor, with steep cliffs, fast turns, and unadulterated backcountry beauty. Buy lift tickets in advance for Vail Ski Resort. Or if your friends are avid skiers, plan ahead and buy the Epic Pass, which gives passholders unlimited access to Vail and 35 other resorts in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Ski-in/ski-out at the Grand Hyatt Vail, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property, where you can book the Talisa Suite with one king bed and two queens, a dining table for eight, a gas fireplace, and three private 70-square-foot balconies.

Darabos Gyorgy/Courtesy Library Hotel Collection

For the avid architecture fan

Visit Budapest for a gentlemen’s European architecture tour. The Budapest architectural focus is primarily art nouveau. If you’re orchestrating the tour for your closest friends, you’ll want to start at the House of Hungarian Art Nouveau and the Museum of Applied Arts. The latter is designed by Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos and largely influenced by Hungarian folk art. Book your crew into Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection—an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property—which has a rooftop garden with 360-degree views of the city open year-round. Right next to St. Stephen’s Basilica, the boutique hotel hosts breakfast every morning and wine and cheese every afternoon. For some lively bachelor party nightlife while in Budapest, head to the 7th District, stopping into Mazel Tov and visiting the bars along Gozsdu Passage.

Explore More in Travel

tout-img

The Most Incredible Experiences to Give This Valentine’s Day, for Everyone Celebrating Love

tout-img

These are the Hottest Winter Happenings in Beaver Creek, Colorado This Year

tout-img

This Epic Six-Month Cruise Around the World Will Take You to 98 Destinations in 33 Countries


Marketing Events & Promotions

Become a DEPARTURES VIP

Join our Weekly Newsletter

Privacy Statement
Join our Weekly Newsletter
Departures Logo Created with Sketch.
  • City Guides
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Art + Culture
  • Home + Design
FOLLOW US
Other Meredith Corporation Travel & Leisure Group websites: 
  • Travel + Leisure
  • Food & Wine
Related Websites for DEPARTURES International Editions:
  • DEPARTURES-International.com
Learn more about the American Express Platinum Card® benefits

View Terms of Service  and  Privacy Statement.   Ad Choices EU Data Subject Requests All users of our online services subject to Privacy Statement and agree to be bound by Terms of Service. Please review.

© 2021 American Express Company. All rights reserved. Departures® is published by Meredith Corporation Travel & Leisure Group, a subsidiary of Meredith Corporation. Departures is a trademark of
American Express Marketing & Development Corp. and is used under limited license. Meredith Corporation Travel & Leisure Group is not affiliated with American Express Company or its subsidiaries.

  • RSS
  • Advertise
  • Advertise
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Promotions
  • Site Map

Member Login

The current issue of DEPARTURES is available exclusively to American Express Platinum Card® Members.

Cancel