Honeymoons

Three ways to build the trip

In two parts: sightseeing, then rest. This is the most common shape. In Egypt, a cruise between Aswan and Luxor, a few nights on Luxor's West Bank, then the Red Sea: from Luxor to Soma Bay the road covers 232 km, about 3 h 30 of driving, to be done by day, since driving at night outside towns should be avoided. The trip idea Nile cruise and Red Sea in 10 days follows this pattern. In Morocco, Marrakesh then the coast: Essaouira is 2 h 30 by road, as in the idea Marrakesh and Essaouira in 7 days; Oualidia, further north, suits those who prefer a lagoon and oysters. The two La Sultana houses, one in the Marrakesh kasbah, the other above the Oualidia lagoon, pair well in a single trip.

In Dubai, two parts without leaving the emirate. In Dubai, both parts fit within an hour's drive. Start in town, at The Lana, in Business Bay, with its rooftop pool facing Burj Khalifa, its Dior spa and its chefs' restaurants; finish in the dunes, at Al Maha, in the heart of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, or on a private beach, at the Bvlgari Resort or One&Only The Palm. A dawn balloon flight over the reserve, from about €245 per person, and Al Maha's private dinner in the dunes, AED 1,250 (UAE dirhams), about €300, per couple, are the moments people remember. The season runs from October to April; the very hot summer is spent indoors. The Dubai desert page details these outings.

In Oman, sea, mountains and desert. Oman lends itself to a trip in three parts, over short distances: the beach in Muscat, the cool air of the Jebel Akhdar, 2 hours' drive away, then a night in the Wahiba Sands, just over 2 hours from Muscat. In Muscat, three addresses suit a couple: Al Husn, for guests aged 16 and over, above its private cove, from about €425 a night; the Summerhouses at Jumeirah Muscat Bay, beach houses with a private pool and a round-the-clock butler; and The Chedi, with its water gardens and Michelin Key, the guide's distinction for hotels. On the Jebel Akhdar, at about 2,000 m, the Anantara's Cliff Pool Villa has its private pool on the edge of the canyon; Alila Jabal Akhdar is more secluded still. In the dunes, Canvas Club sets up a camp for you alone, 30 km down a track, with a cook, a campfire and a shower under the stars; the comfort is that of upmarket camping, with no mains electricity. The season runs from October to April.

A single address. Some couples want to unpack only once. They choose a place that is enough on its own: the all-suite Oberoi at Sahl Hasheesh, with spa, reef and dive centre; Amanjena, between olive grove and golf course, south of Marrakesh; the Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay, on the Mediterranean, from June to September; Kasbah Tamadot at Asni, an hour from Marrakesh, which adds the Atlas trails. For a stay without children, the Adults-only hotels page presents La Maison Bleue in El Gouna and the other adults-only addresses.

A road trip. For couples who like to move, the trip can follow a route with smaller stops: the Dadès valley, where the Eden Boutique Hotel has 18 suites facing the "monkey fingers" rocks, on the way to Merzouga; or the Siwa oasis in Egypt's Western Desert, where the candlelit Taziry Ecolodge organises horse rides and stargazing. The Boutique and historic hotels page brings together other houses of this kind.

The calendar

The wedding month often decides the destination.

Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on 8 February, with Eid al-Fitr on 9 or 10 March: the guide Religious holidays 2027 explains what this means for a trip, and the guides Ramadan in Dubai and Travelling in Oman during Ramadan do the same for Dubai and Oman.

The room

On a honeymoon, the room matters more than usual. Sabaro looks at three things.

A private pool. Several addresses have one. At Amanjena, the 220 m² Pool Pavilions have a 25 m² heated private pool. At the Royal Mansour Marrakech, each of the 53 private riads has its own rooftop pool. The 92 villas of the Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay, from 203 to 420 m², each have a pool. At the Mandarin Oriental Marrakech, every villa and suite has a private pool or plunge pool. On the Red Sea, the Oberoi at Sahl Hasheesh has a 125 m² Grand Suite with Private Pool, the Four Seasons in Sharm el-Sheikh a One-Bedroom Suite with Plunge Pool, the Steigenberger Pure Lifestyle a penthouse with a private pool. In Dubai, each of Al Maha's 42 villas has a heated private pool, the Bvlgari's One Bedroom Beach View Villa has its heated pool and garden a few steps from the sand, and Anantara The Palm has the first overwater villas in the Emirates, above its lagoons; the hotel is under phased renovation until spring 2027.

The intimacy of the house. A small house changes the feel of a stay: 12 rooms at La Sultana Oualidia, each with a terrace and a seawater jacuzzi; 13 suites at La Maison Bleue; 16 rooms at Hôtel Le Doge, a 1930s townhouse in Casablanca; 28 rooms, all different, at La Sultana Marrakech.

The grand palace. For a big occasion, Marrakesh has several palaces: La Mamounia, opened in 1923 and awarded three Michelin Keys, the Michelin Guide's hotel distinction; the Royal Mansour, two Keys; Selman, built around a stud of purebred Arabian horses, with a Chenot spa. Kasbah Tamadot, in the Atlas, also has three Keys. In Dubai, the Bvlgari has only 101 rooms and 20 villas, looked after by a butler, with two Michelin-starred restaurants; the Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, opened in 2025, has rooms of at least 67 m², all with a terrace, and an adults-only pool; at the Marina, Address Beach Resort has the world's highest outdoor infinity pool on the 77th floor, for ages 16 and over after 11.30 am, and Banyan Tree its 500 m private beach on Bluewaters Island. These hotels welcome children: a couple who want a setting without families should look at the adults-only addresses instead.

Good to know

In Siwa. The oasis is a conservative society: alcohol is not drunk in public, and neither are displays of affection.

In Dubai. Public displays of affection are banned and a kiss can lead to arrest; same-sex relationships are illegal in the Emirates, and same-sex marriages are not recognised there. Alcohol is served from age 21, in licensed hotels and restaurants. The guide Alcohol and rules of conduct in Dubai covers these rules, and the guide Dubai and the regional situation the advice of European governments.

In Oman. According to the UK government, it is illegal to share a hotel room with someone of the opposite sex to whom you are neither married nor related, and same-sex relationships are criminalised. Alcohol is served from age 21 in licensed venues such as hotel bars, and is banned in public. Away from tourist beaches and hotels, shoulders and knees stay covered. The guide Oman and the regional situation gives European governments' advice.

Spa for two. Several spas have a couples' suite: the Oberoi at Sahl Hasheesh, the Four Seasons in Cairo, the Ritz-Carlton in Rabat, the Sofitel Rabat Jardin des Roses, and in Dubai the Bvlgari, the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira and One&Only The Palm, whose Oriental Suite combines a steam bath and a hammam for two. In Muscat, the Mandarin Oriental's couple's suite has its own hammam and terrace; on the Jebel Akhdar, the Anantara's spa has two couples' rooms. The Spa and wellness page presents treatments and the large spas.

Tunisia: from the Bay of Tunis to the gateway to the Sahara

Tunisia, a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop, lends itself to a two-part trip: a few nights by the Mediterranean, then the desert from October to April, or the beach from June to October.

By the sea. In Carthage, the Villa Didon has ten suites facing the Bay of Tunis and a cantilevered pool; in Sidi Bou Said, Maison Dedine has five rooms, for guests aged 16 and over, and an infinity pool. In Hammamet, La Badira keeps its 130 suites for guests over 16. In Monastir, Dar Benti has a suite with a private heated jacuzzi.

In the desert. In Tozeur, many of the suites and villas at The Mora Sahara have a private pool, facing the Chott el Djerid. In Douz, the villas of The Residence Douz have a roof terrace for watching the dunes and the starry sky.

Djerba. The Hasdrubal Prestige, on Sidi Mahrez beach, has only suites, including 95 m² junior suites, around an 11,000 m² thalassotherapy centre.

Turkey: Istanbul, then Cappadocia or the sea

Turkey, a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop, lends itself to a trip in two parts: a few nights in Istanbul, then Cappadocia in spring and autumn, or the sea from June to October.

In Istanbul. The Çırağan Palace has a heated infinity pool on the Bosphorus; the Four Seasons at the Bosphorus occupies a 19th-century Ottoman palace. In Pera, the Pera Palace opened in 1895, and some rooms at the Georges Hotel Galata have a balcony over the Bosphorus.

In Cappadocia. The rooms are carved into the tuff, often facing the dawn balloons. The Aza Cave Hotel, in Göreme, takes guests aged 12 and over; in Uçhisar, the Ariana has only 11 suites, and the Museum Hotel is the region's only Relais & Châteaux. In Ortahisar, the Exedra has suites with a private pool.

By the sea. In Bodrum, Birdcage 33 and Casa Nonna are reserved for guests aged 16 and over; Susona Bodrum has suites with a private pool. In Kalkan, every room at the Hotel Villa Mahal looks out to sea from a terrace. In Alaçatı, Alavya has 25 rooms in six houses of the old village.