Unique Honeymoon Destinations at a Glance

Best for: Couples who want a honeymoon (or anniversary trip) built around how they actually love to travel
What’s inside: Five honeymoon styles and 11 hand-selected hotels across Costa Rica, Tuscany, Japan, the Canadian Rockies, and South Africa and Mozambique
Standout picks: A ryokan on the grounds of a former imperial summer villa in Hakone, and a beach sanctuary in Mozambique that was 3D printed from local sand and seawater
Book with a travel advisor: Exclusive amenities like hotel credits, upgrades and breakfast at many of the properties in this guide

Let me say this first: there is nothing wrong with a Caribbean all-inclusive. After a year of seating charts and vendor deposits, a week where the hardest decision is which pool to sit by is a real gift.

But since I started planning honeymoons, I’ve noticed something. A lot of couples book the beach resort because they think that is what a honeymoon is supposed to look like. Nobody stopped to ask what the two of them actually love to do when they travel.

So that’s where I start. Are you the couple who can’t sit still for twenty minutes? The couple who plans an entire weekend around one dinner reservation? Would you rather wake up to a mountain than an ocean?

Once I know that, the honeymoon gets a lot more interesting. A few I’d put on the table:

Five unique honeymoon destinations for every travel style

Costa Rica, for the couple who wants a little adrenaline.

I was lucky enough to go to Costa Rica twice this year, and I’d go back in a heartbeat. Hike near a volcano in the morning and soak in hot springs all afternoon. Adventure doesn’t mean roughing it, either. The right property lets you trade hiking boots for a plush robe by sunset.

My favorites? Nayara Springs near La Fortuna and Casa Chameleon in Guanacaste. At Nayara Springs, every villa has its own private pool fed by natural hot mineral springs, with Arenal Volcano as the backdrop, and it is adults-only. Casa Chameleon sits high on a hillside above Las Catalinas with just 21 villas, each with its own private saltwater plunge pool and terrace. I’d split the trip between the two.

Tuscany, for the couple who wants to eat their way through it.

This year I designed an Italy honeymoon for one Italy veteran and one first-timer, and getting both of them equally excited was the fun part. If your goal is to find out how many bowls of pasta two people can reasonably eat in a week, no judgment. Countryside hotel, long lunches, a cooking class or two.

My client’s favorites? Villa Poggiano and Lupaia, both near Montepulciano. Villa Poggiano is an 18th-century villa first built as a summer home for an aristocratic family from Siena, now 14 rooms with painted ceilings, fireplaces and a pool lined with statues. Lupaia is a collection of just 11 rooms across five restored historic buildings, looking across the valley to Montepulciano, and the open kitchen serves a four-course dinner every night made from the hotel’s own organic garden. Pasta goals, handled.

Japan, for the couple who runs on city energy.

I’ve been deep in Japan planning this fall. Start in Tokyo and eat, shop and wander your way through it. Then slow all the way down at a ryokan in Hakone, and explore the secret streets of Kyoto. Only select properties offer a private onsen, which is exactly the kind of detail I check before anything gets booked.

My picks? The Peninsula in Tokyo, Gōra Kadan in Hakone and The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu. The Peninsula has Peninsula Time, which means check-in as early as 6am and check-out as late as 10pm. After a long-haul flight, that is everything. Gōra Kadan sits on the grounds of a former summer villa of the Imperial family, and most rooms have their own private baths with a view. Seiryu is a refurbished school building from 1933, where former classrooms became guest rooms that kept their big windows and high ceilings. The old school roof is now a rooftop bar looking out at the Yasaka Pagoda, and Kiyomizu-dera is a short 8-minute walk away.

The Canadian Rockies, for the couple who doesn’t need palm trees.

I’m a Rocky Mountaineer Specialist, and we were just there, so I’ll admit some recency bias here. Banff, Lake Louise, mountain air all day and a beautiful hotel with nowhere else to be at night. Seeing it all from a glass-domed train car is about as romantic as it gets.

My favorites? You cannot go wrong with a split stay at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and Fairmont Banff Springs. Chateau Lake Louise sits right on the shore, looking across that turquoise water to Victoria Glacier. Banff Springs is the “Castle in the Rockies,” built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1888, which makes it the perfect partner for a train trip.

South Africa and Mozambique, for the couple who refuses to choose.

Safari first, beach second. I always put the beach at the end so you come home rested, not dusty and jet-lagged.

Where I’d send you? Few & Far Luvhondo and Kisawa Sanctuary. Luvhondo is a six-suite eco-lodge on the cliffs of South Africa’s Soutpansberg Mountains, inside UNESCO’s Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. It is well off the usual safari circuit, which is exactly the point. Kisawa is on Benguerra Island off the coast of Mozambique, with twelve bungalows set across private beach and sand dunes overlooking the Indian Ocean. And yes, the resort was 3D printed from local sand and seawater. Really.

The best honeymoon isn’t the one that looks the most romantic on Instagram. It’s the one that feels like the two of you.

And it’s never too late. One of my couples this year celebrated their 30th anniversary on bikes in the French countryside. No wedding required.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some unique honeymoon destinations besides the Caribbean?

Costa Rica, Tuscany, Japan, the Canadian Rockies, and a South Africa safari paired with a Mozambique beach are five of my favorites. Each one suits a different kind of couple, from adrenaline seekers to food lovers to city people. The right pick depends on how the two of you actually like to travel, and that’s the first thing I ask.

When should we start planning our honeymoon?

As soon as your wedding date is set. Many of the best honeymoon hotels are small, like Lupaia with 11 rooms or Few & Far Luvhondo with six suites, so the right room goes quickly. Some properties also close for part of the year (Lupaia closes from December to mid-March), and I’ll flag that before you fall in love with the wrong dates.

Can we combine a safari and a beach on one honeymoon?

Absolutely, and it’s one of my favorite honeymoon ideas for couples who don’t want to have to choose. I always put the safari first and the beach second, so you come home rested instead of dusty and jet-lagged. South Africa paired with Mozambique is a beautiful way to do it.

Are these honeymoon hotels adults-only?

Some are. Nayara Springs and Casa Chameleon in Costa Rica are both adults-only. If a quiet, kid-free stay matters to you, tell me up front and I’ll build the trip around it.

Is it worth using a travel advisor to plan a honeymoon?

For a trip this meaningful, yes. I check the details that make or break a honeymoon, like which ryokans actually offer a private onsen or how to sequence a safari and a beach. Many of the hotels in this guide also come with exclusive advisor amenities like hotel credits, upgrades and breakfast when you book through me.

Do these honeymoon ideas work for an anniversary trip?

Every single one. One of my couples this year celebrated their 30th anniversary on bikes in the French countryside. If you’re already married, consider this your permission to plan the trip anyway.

Ready to plan your honeymoon?

Whether your perfect first trip as newlyweds involves a volcano, a pasta bowl, a ryokan or a safari vehicle, I’d love to help you design it. I can book the properties in this guide with exclusive advisor amenities, and I’ll build the whole trip around the two of you. Reach out, tell me how you love to travel, and let’s start planning.

Let’s make it unforgettable. 🦚

Marilyn Olson is a luxury travel advisor and the founder of Studio M Travel, a member of Fora and the Virtuoso network. She personally vets and hand-selects every property she recommends. She books honeymoons and anniversary trips for her clients with exclusive advisor benefits, including hotel credits, daily breakfast, room upgrades, and more.

Reach out at studiomtravel.com or marilyn.olson@fora.travel and let’s get started.