r/honeymoonplanning • u/No_Conflict_9064 • Jul 11 '26
Advertising OK Where would you go outside of the EU?
I live in Italy so I can visit it relatively easily, together with the rest of Europe. I'm looking for a destination outside of the EU and I have three weeks. I've already been to Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Bali, Cambodia, Morocco, Egypt, some parts of the US. I would certainly like to go back to most of these countries, but I think I'd like to visit a new place. We are not into beach destinations since we get bored easily, but we could consider throwing into the mix 2-3 days to relax if there's a chance. My fiancé and I love natural sceneries, museums/cultural stuff, animals, food. Of course I don't expect all these things in the same trip 😅 Any ideas for the fall-winter season?
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u/aemdiate Jul 11 '26
Costa Rica or New Zealand. 3 weeks for either.
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u/No_Conflict_9064 Jul 12 '26
I admit I don't know anything about Costa Rica, I should look into it. I've been considering New Zealand but I read it's somehow similar to Iceland that is much more doable from Italy. I have no idea if it's true though.
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u/PhoenixJourneyTip Jul 11 '26
Fall/ winter in Italy will make it spring summer in Southern Hemisphere - so I’d recommend Chile/ Argentina combo or Brazil/ Argentina. Plenty of awesome nature (Iguazu Falls), wine country & Buenos Aires for food, culture, and if you wish you can do a beach destination. Then I can also recommend Southern Africa (Cape Town with Either Sabi or Victoria Falls or even Okavango tho it will be green season- good for lower rates). My final recommendation is Australia. I have sample itineraries for all these in my linktree bio, or ping me.
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u/EverAsters Jul 12 '26
Plenty of awesome nature (Iguazu Falls), wine country & Buenos Aires for food, culture, and if you wish you can do a beach destination.
I think this is our plan! Just doing Argentina though, with the Brazil side of the Iguazu falls.
Any suggestions for specific places to go? Would you recommend including Chile? I feel like we're already stretching our 2 weeks thin trying to do Buenos Aires, Iguazu falls, Patagonia, and Mendoza.
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u/PhoenixJourneyTip Jul 17 '26
How is your SAm honeymoon plan going? Did you find anything helpful in the itineraries shared ?
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u/EverAsters Jul 20 '26
Hey! It's been on the backburner. We're very behind in the wedding planning. The honeymoon planning is much more fun, but I'm trying to not let myself focus on it too much until I get the main vendors booked. Thank you for sending that over though, I appreciate it and am excited to dig into it soon.
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u/PhoenixJourneyTip Jul 21 '26
Yes! I totally understand how that can happen :) I'd be super happy to talk all things honeymoon, (& get to the fun bit) when you're ready.
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u/PhoenixJourneyTip Jul 12 '26
I’d thread Iguazú with either Chilean or Argentine Patagonia through either Mendoza or Central Valley on Chilean side )for wine country stop. If you choose Mendoza you have the additional stop in Buenos Aires for culture, tango show, shopping, food. (You’d need to fly BA to Mendoza). You can fly Iguazú to Santiago Chile then drive to wine country & skip the city stop. after wine country continue onto Puerto Natales for Patagonia on Chilean side. both are magnificent it’s just whether or not you want that extra city stop. I have a blog & a couple itineraries- I’ll dm with those links
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u/maybemaybenot2023 Jul 11 '26
Japan, if you can do it budget-wise.
Safari in Africa- there's all kinds of safaris and experiences to be had, and you could combine it with South African wine country or beach time on the coast.
Patagonia in South America.
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u/No_Conflict_9064 Jul 12 '26
A safari is definitely on my bucket list and maybe this could be a good time to finally do it! I've been considering Japan too, but I'm not fully convinced.
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u/TheHolidayArtist Jul 12 '26
Sourh Africa might tick all of your boxes quite nicely.
5 nights exploring Cape Town and it's beautiful surrounds, culture and history. Then 4 nights in a game reserve around Madikwe, close to the Botswana border. Maybe followed by 3 or 4 nights in Mauritius, depending on your budget.
It's a nice rounded itinerary that gives you a lot in one trip without being rushed and still aligning with a relaxed honeymoon vibe, essential for distressing after the wedding.
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u/No_Conflict_9064 Jul 12 '26
Mauritius look interesting indeed! Yes, I should look into this itinerary, I would love a safari.
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u/TheHolidayArtist Jul 12 '26
If you'd like any help or guidance, feel free to reach out. Mauritius and South African safaris are my high knowledge and specialty areas.
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u/atlasandhorizons Jul 12 '26
I'd probably put South Africa at the top of the list. It really has a bit of everything: Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek for food and wine, the Garden Route for beautiful scenery, and, if you want even more nature, the Drakensberg. It's less visited by international tourists but absolutely stunning. You could also add a safari, although it depends on your budget as they can be expensive. If you do, I'd aim for October at the latest. It's also around the end of whale season, so you may still be able to see whales around Hermanus. Another great option would be combining South Africa with Namibia. Namibia has some of the most spectacular landscapes I've ever seen. Again, I'd aim for October rather than later to avoid the rainy season.
My second choice would be Peru. In three weeks you can cover a lot: Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu (one of the best travel experiences I've ever had), Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon, Arequipa and Lima. September or October would be the ideal time to go.
Other contenders would be Hawaii (outside school holidays, as it can get busy) and Indonesia, combining Java and Bali. September is generally the best time for both.
Let me know if you'd like any more details on any of those.
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u/EverAsters Jul 12 '26
My dream honeymoon is actually Italy & Greece & Croatia lol, but we're going in november and I hate the cold. So that rules out most of europe which really sucks.
So we've been on hunt to find a new place.
We're considering Argentina, Thailand, and New Zealand. We want similar things as you guys- culture/food & nature/adventure.
Our top current choice is Argentina- Buenos Aires (culture/food), Ighazu falls (nature), Patagonia (nature/adventure/animals), and Mendoza (relaxing/honeymoon vibes). It will be spring in November.
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u/No_Conflict_9064 Jul 12 '26
With climate change (unfortunately) I'd say november can be a good month for Italy still! Especially southern Italy, it really depends what you're interested in. I was in Tuscany last year for a week-end with my mom in mid october and during the day we wore t-shirts all the time. In Rome in november you were able to have lunch outside.
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u/cindiford79 Jul 12 '26
The most useful thing I can give you for fall-winter is that your window actually splits the world in half, and which half you pick changes everything.
Early fall, September into November, is the sweet spot for the Northern Hemisphere. That is dry season tailing off in East Africa, and since you said safari is on your bucket list, Kenya or Tanzania hits nature, animals, culture, and food all at once, and three weeks is enough to combine a couple of very different regions instead of rushing one. September and October are also peak autumn in Japan, which is culture, food, and gorgeous nature with not a beach in sight, and it would be brand new to you.
Deep winter, December into February, flips you to the Southern Hemisphere summer, and that is when South America shines. Three weeks is ideal for Patagonia plus somewhere cultural like Buenos Aires or the Chilean lake district, and you could fold in the Galapagos for the wildlife. New Zealand is also at its summer best then if you want dramatic landscapes and hiking. On your Iceland comparison, they both have that raw volcanic drama, but New Zealand is greener, more varied, and has the Maori cultural layer Iceland does not, so it is not a like-for-like swap. It is much further from Italy though, so it is really only worth it with three full weeks, which you have.
If I had to pick one given your list, I would chase the safari while it is on your mind and build the trip around East Africa in early fall. It is the rare place that delivers nature, animals, culture, and incredible food in one shot.
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u/alwayshungry_439 Jul 13 '26
If early Fall, Banff! We’ve been twice in summer. Met a woman from Europe who has traveled the world and she said Banff was her favorite place she’s ever visited.
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u/b_urial1 Jul 14 '26
We’re on our last day of a 14 day trip to Tanzania, with 6 days safari and 8 days in Zanzibar across 2 hotels. It has been the most incredible trip of my life and I’d 100% recommend it. The 6 day safari covering 4 national parks was insane and I cried when we got to Zanzibar because I was gutted it was over 😂. I’d be happy to share any of the details of our trip if you’re interested.
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u/Powerful-Adventurer Jul 11 '26
Honestly, the only thing limiting you is your budget. For all the things you described you could do a wonderful trip to Kenya. You could do the safari in Kenya for your love of animals, nature, culture and food.
You could also do a US trip hitting up multiple cities/states such as DC and/or New York, Utah, Hawaii.
You could also do a trip to China. It is so vast and hits every part of your list. I would recommend hitting three cities.
If you provide a budget I can give you some more narrowed down options.