The highlight for me was visiting Oscar Wilde’s home on Tite Street Chelsea. There were many other great moments with the congenial group and all the knowledgeable local guides including The LGBT tour at Globe Theatre. Going to Oxford ,Bath, Brighton ,York and visiting Stratford Upon Avon to see The Bard’s birth and burial place. The stately homes were stately and Professor Lear’s stories illuminating.

One of the greatest thrills on this trip was our visit to Oscar Wilde’s house in Tite Street, Chelsea. Even though it was long ago broken up into flats, Jen, the charming occupant of the ground floor, welcomed us into her home and shared with us much Oscar Wilde lore and many memorabilia.

We stayed in a wonderful hotel in London, The Bloomsbury, with sitting rooms decorated à la Duncan Grant, and a first class staff including several tall & handsome Bulgarian doormen, who always wished us a pleasant day when we set out, and inquired after us when we returned. We were within easy walking distance of most of central London and the theatre district, just down the street from the British Museum, and with an easy commute to Heathrow via the Elizabeth Line.

Other memorable tour highlights: Oscar Wilde’s College at Oxford (Magdalen); high tea at the Pump Room in Bath, with echoes of Jane Austen, and ascending Beckford Tower, built by an wealthy gay eccentric; Edward II’s 14th century tomb in Gloucester Cathedral, along with some 2004 Jesus paintings in the Lady Chapel that were highly virile; experiencing the over-the-top interior of Brighton Royal Pavilion; pilgrimages to the Bloomsbury group homes in Kent (Monk’s House & Charleston Farmhouse, Sissinghurst & Knole); and, on the York extension, visiting York Minster, Castle Howard (scene of the 1981 “Brideshead Revisited”), and Shibden Hall, Anne Lister’s home outside Halifax.

We consumed several delightful meals together, at pubs and inns — British cuisine has come a long way from Blimpie’s! And our local guides (especially Nick!) were, as always, superb. Thanks again to Professor Andrew Lear for his design and execution of a splendid fortnight for us!

This was my first time with Oscar Wilde Tours, and I really enjoyed myself. I thought the experience was very carefully put together, with really good hotels and guides. Visiting stunning Sicilian sights with the added expertise of art historians and local guides and archaeologists was definitely the strength of this tour. The tour attracted a wonderful bunch of people who were great to travel with. The meals were also very good. I would definitely recommend taking this tour, and I myself hope to do another tour with with Oscar Wilde Tours very soon.

I had a fantastic experience traveling with Oscar Wilde Tours. We visited and saw everything that was advertised to us that we would see on this journey… plus a whole lot more. I would absolutely travel again with Oscar Wilde Tours. And I will recommend Oscar Wilde Tours to others.

Regarding the British LGBT+ tour, I couldn’t be more pleased. Prof. Lear and his team expertly organized and led a fantastic and diverse itinerary in which we explored the beauty and history of England. Our fellow travelers were a great group of individuals – so interesting and fun to be with. I avidly recommend this particular tour to anyone who is interested in learning more about England. Cheerio.

I had yet another wonderful experience with Oscar Wilde tours. Andrew and my fellow travelers were friendly and supportive. It’s a pleasure touring with such erudite and amenable gentlemen. Their knowledge really added to the overall experience. The hotel accommodations were generally quite good,, especially the Bloomsbury Hotel in London, which was top-notch. I would gladly go back there again. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to learn about parts of England outside of London of which I had previously scant knowledge.. Locations such Oxford, Bath, Brighton and especially York were a revelation to me. I really had little idea that the countryside outside of London was so beautiful. So much green. And so many sheep! Every town seemed to have a unique character. For me, viewing the Roman ruins and abandoned abbeys of York was a particular highlight. And little beats eating genuine Fish and Chips by the seaside in Brighton. Even familiar sites, such as the Elgin marbles in the British Museum, gained added resonance by way of Andrew’s insights. And who can say, as we can, that they were given a tour of the Bloomsbury home of Oscar Wilde by its current occupant? Finally, it must be mentioned that the English people were always hospitable towards us.

This was an absolutely wonderful trip. There is so much LGBTQ history in England and Andrew and the other guides he chose did an excellent job. History, art, music, theatre all covered. Seeing some of Oscar Wilde’s haunts, a queer tour of the National Portrait gallery, visits to Charleston and Monk’s House, Castle Howard were all highlights for me. I have special food requirements and I felt well taken care of at all of the group meals. I would definitely recommend this trip for anyone with an interest in LGBTQ history in England.

This was my second trip with Oscar Wilde Tours, and it did not disappoint. There’s so much to see in England, having the LGBT focus is a wonderful way to sample great sights without being overwhelmed. With 16 other gay men on board (at least half of whom were repeat OWT customers), we shared so many fun and enlightening moments. Andrew Lear was in top form, especially apparent in the National Portrait Gallery, and it was obvious that he loves England and its LGBT history. He and our local guides (Nick, thank you!) made sure that every day was pleasurable and intellectually stimulating. And there was just the right amount of free time to see plays, etc. and explore on one’s own. Thanks to Professor Lear’s connections, we were able to tour Oscar Wilde’s Tite Street home, which is not open to the public. I’m so glad I took this trip! David S.

I’ve taken wonderful Oscar Wilde tours of Italy, Greece and France, but this was the long awaited tour of England. It was everything I’d hoped for. A wonderful tour into the hidden corners of English history and literature. From Oscar himself to the Bloomsbury group and everyone else. As always, a great collection of fellow travelers. We ate in historic places, saw great art, homes and gardens. Even as I’ve been to some of these, I saw them anew from a different perspective. Go and enjoy!–William G

This was our second tour with Oscar Wilde tours. This tour of England equaled or even exceeded the expectations we had after last year’s Greece and Turkey experience.

Led by Professor Andrew Lear, an expert on ancient Greece and also gay history, he crafted a tour of England that included a carefully curated selection of sites in London and southern England that was both delightful and educational. In London, we had a walking tour of Bloomsbury, famous for the early 20th century Bloomsbury group; LGBT focused-tours at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery; historic homes in Kensington once occupied by gay artists; and an LGBT focused tour of the reconstructed Globe Theatre, built near the location of Shakespeare’s original. The pièce de résistance was a visit to Oscar Wilde’s old house in Tite Street. This is a private residence and not open to the public, but one of the current residents kindly opened her home to our group. Her exuberant hospitality at the home of the tour company’s famous namesake was the cherry on top of our time in London.

During our time in the countryside we visited Bletchley Park, where gay mathematician Alan Turing led the team of codebreakers during World War II; an excellent LGBT tour of Oxford University, including Oscar Wilde’s alma mater Magdalen College; a visit to stunning Blenheim Palace, built by Queen Anne’s favorite, Sarah Duchess of Marlborough; magnificent Gloucester Cathedral, site of the burial of one of England’s (probably) gay kings, Edward II; beautiful Bath where we had high tea in the Pump Room in the steps of Jane Austen; seaside Brighton (England gayest city) and the fabulous Brighton Pavilion; and the great country houses associated with Vita Sackville-West, Knole and Sissinghurst.

Finally, we also opted to do the York extension. Here we saw the glorious York Minster and had an LGBT walking tour of the city that was once the leading city of the North of England. This was followed by visits to lovely Castle Howard, famous as the film setting for Brideshead Revisited; and Shibden Hall, the country house of Anne Lister, who married her female partner, and left coded diaries of their lives together.

All of the hotels throughout our stay were top-notch (especially the Bloomsbury in London), we had excellent food (despite English cuisine’s less than stellar reputation), and convivial compony throughout. Beside the quality of the tour, the experience was enhanced by Andrew and the group of guys that made up the participants. The camaraderie amongst all of us, coupled with Andrew’s expertise and leadership, made this a trip to remember always.

P.S. We can’t wait for the next one (Germany, next year, I hope!)

Well … anything but! Again, this was a thoroughly rewarding trip with Oscar Wilde Tours, my first visit to Sicily, and, even though I’m a bad gay and haven’t watched all of the “White Lotus”, there were plenty of other activities to hold my interest. And as for murder, that couldn’t be farther from the truth: as always, Professor Lear’s tours comprise a congenial group of discerning gentlemen.

Highlights were: visiting Bellini’s tomb in Catania, and a tour of the Palazzo Biscari, guided by one of the heirs; Taormina’s Teatro Antico, with spectacular views of Mt Etna & the Italian mainland; Siracusa & its historic center on Ortigia; Modica, an incredible Baroque hill town, with a handsome chocolatier (they make chocolate in the Spanish/Mexican style); the vastly extensive mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale; the soaring Greek temples of Agrigento & Selinunte; Palermo, with its Norman Palace, Duomo, and Museo Archeologico (where the friezes from the Selinunte temples ended up); plus Cefalù (where I watched something far more appealing than Jennifer Coolidge’s corpse washing up on the beach!). We ended our tour with an evening of wine at Villa Tasca, an opulent 18th century mansion in Palermo, (also a “White Lotus” location!), where we were greeted by the Contessa, and spent a relaxing evening exploring its park and opulently appointed rooms, and sharing appetizers & wine on the terrace.

Incredible food (many versions of caponata! plus an exquisite agriturismo meal in Castelvetrano); amazing wine (winery visits, one on the slopes of Etna, a second in Marsala); infinite delights for the senses; and, most importantly, fantastic company. Highly recommended!

It was a pleasure to be part of the interesting and friendly community that Professor Lear gathered for our May ‘26 tour of Sicily. I’ll try not repeat the many positive comments already written by the other members of the tour which you may have already read. For me, the highlights of our trip went far beyond the few glimpses of the White Lotus locations (as fun as these were). The rich gay history of Sicily was covered from antiquity to modern times by a series of very engaging lectures both by Professor Lear and by several local guides. Special welcomes into two privately owned palace/villas connected us with living descendants of Sicilian nobility. An opera performance and a sophisticated puppet show added a typically Italian mix of high and low culture. The food, of course, was abundant. The gelato addictive.

As an alumnus of the Oscar Wilde tour of Japan I had high expectations for this tour; I can confirm that these were met and exceeded!

We were part of the fantastic Oscar Wilde Tour of Sicily in May. It was a wonderful experience — Andrew Lear is a font of knowledge, which he dispenses with wit and charm. The local guides were all helpful and lovely, and perhaps the most wonderful thing about the tour was the company we kept with the other travelers. They represented a wide range of experience and lived histories, and my husband and I enjoyed meeting all of them.

For what it’s worth, I am 74 with mobility issues — Andrew and the guides were able to figure out alternate plans for me when it seemed advisable, and I had a great time even though I didn’t do everything every day. But my husband did, and he took pictures!

We return home with wonderful memories and a lot of new knowledge. We also look forward to our next Oscar Wilde Tour, we hope as soon as next year!

I had an amazing time on this tour. Sicily is compelling and extraordinarily beautiful, as well as filled with history, charming and friendly people and fantastic food and wine. While Sicily itself is a cultural buffet, having Professor Andrew Lear as our tour leader was like attending a doctoral seminar on classical art, history, architecture and even mythology and modern culture. This was truly a cultural smorgasbord where no site went unexplained and no meal or hotel room failed to meet a rating of excellent or outstanding. The best part of the tour was being surrounded by 13 other participants, all friendly, intelligent, well cultured and eager to complement Professor Lear’s well documented lectures. To say this was just a sightseeing tour would understate the depth and breadth of this travel experience. I can’t wait to return to my next Oscar Wilde Tour next fall in Italy.

I just returned from my first Oscar Wilde Tour. Andrew Lear introduced us to Sicily with a perfect balance of sightseeing, historical information and fun! We toured several cities, enjoyed local culture and amazing food. I entered the trip with hopeful expectations, which were far exceeded by the actual experience, and returned home with happy memories and 12 new friends. I look forward to my next trip with Oscar Wilde Tours!

From the ancient world of Greece and Rome to Renaissance Italy, Baroque France, and 19th and 20th century Europe (and Japan too) there is no better guide than Professor Andrew Lear to the Gay side of history.

I’ve never had interest to travel with a tour group before. But the idea of seeing a country with a carefully curated itinerary that would highlight LGBT history and art by Andrew Lear was too attractive an idea not to try. And I’m so glad I did! My trip to Greece was really wonderful. It provided an exceptional overview of the country and its history and art. Andrew was a delightful and charming host and filled with such incredible knowledge. I also enjoyed traveling with a like-minded group of men and found their company to be an unexpected highlight of the trip. I look forward to my next trip with Oscar Wilde Tours.

… our hearts were warm and gay! Rack up another triumph for Oscar Wilde Tours, with such delights as:

* cocktails at the Left Bank hotel where Oscar Wilde died;

* visit to Père Lachaise cemetery, starting (of course!) at Oscar Wilde’s monumental tomb;

* walks with local guide Edith through the Left Bank, Montmartre, and Palais Royale;

* visits to 4 Loire châteaux: Blois, Clos Lucé (where Leonardo spent his last years), Amboise (with a fabulous meal at the Lion d’Or), and Chenonceau (an incredible 16th century castle spanning the river Cher);

* a marvelous tour extension to Chartres cathedral, and to Proust’s aunt’s home in Illiers-Combray, now a Proust museum.

As always, the best part of any OWT outing was the cameraderie among the “campers”, and the convivial tone of our “councelor” extraordinaire, Professor Andrew Lear.

In short — c’était magnifique!

My husband and I participated in this tour (October 2025) and it was the trip of a lifetime! I had very high expectations and this tour exceeded them completely. The program included in-depth tours of Athens and its antiquities (highlighted of course by the Acropolis and the magnificent Parthenon, and the Acropolis and Archaeological museums), day trips to Mycenae and Delphi, with a knowledgeable local guide providing the history and stories of the ancient world, supplemented by Professor Lear’s discussion of the gay history and significance of the sites and the people. The five days in mainland Greece were followed by two days each on the islands of Santorini and Mykonos, again with excellent local guides and Professor Lear’s commentary. All of the hotels were exceptional, particularly the Herodion which sits at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens with impressive views of the Parthenon from the rooftop bar. Above all, we had a great group of people on the tour, the 12 of us had wonderful camaraderie and this enhanced the tour significantly. We also opted to continue the tour to Istanbul, one of the world’s great cities, for an additional four days. There we experienced the magnificent Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and an extensive exploration of local food. This was the best vacation that we have ever taken–and we have now booked the England tour for May!

After 20 years of studying gay history around the world, we finally made it to Greece. Hearing the stories of Apollo and Hyacinthus, of Achilles and Patroclus, of Alexander and his loves and so many more, where they actually happened was incredibly meaningful. Bravo to the brilliant Professor Lear for helping travelers feel not like sightseers but like explorers.

I am forever changed by Andrew Lear’s dedication to excellence of experience. Luxurious Hotels (those breakfast buffets! Gentile hotel staff!), are centrally located (as in Athens) or placed just outside of the bustling sections (as in Santorini and Mykonos) to provide an exclusive experience. Rigorous touring schedules of excavation sites and museums are accessed by private vans, seamlessly hosted by both Andrew and on site private guides. No time is wasted, lectures occur both as you travel and once on site. Andrew is extremely accessible the entire tour, he’s a charming and knowledgeable host; sunny, warm and welcoming, think “Santa Claus with a cute waistline.” I had the most thrilling and stimulating time of my life!

Captivated by the beauty of the villages and lakes in the brilliant movie, “Call Me By Your Name,” and having never visited Northern Italy, I was immediately attracted to OWT’s CMBYN May, 2025 group tour. In addition to visiting beautiful Lake Maggiore, Isola Bella, Lake Garda and CMBYN settings in Crema and Elio’s private swimming hole. In Milan we had easy access to the Duomo and Da Vinci’s Last Supper accompanied by excellent local tour guides who were also available throughout the tour as in Verona and Venice. The easy travel, and access to the most heavily touristed sites, the more than ample meals, excellent hotels and the company of “fellow-travelers,” in addition to the input and insights of Andrew Lear, made for an unforgettable experience. Leonardo and Lear: what more could you ask?

I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend the Gay History tour of Japan arranged and conducted by Andrew Lear. More than just visiting local sites, Andrew Lear’s tour provided a truly immersive experience of Japan and its culture. The tour was well planned from the start in coinciding with Osaka Gay Pride, where we had the opportunity to join in the festivities and march in the parade. All of our local tour guides were most helpful and generous in providing background to the places we were visiting.

In addition, we enjoyed a lecture and slide show on the history of male-male love in Japan given by a professional historian and expert in Japanese studies. After attending a kabuki theater performance, a former kabuki actor spoke to us about his career and the kabuki art form over an evening meal. We not only witnessed but actively participated in a geisha performance during dinner, a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, a ritual conducted at the Tagata Shrine of Nagoya, as well as bathing in the soothing springs from the onsen at Hakone. Among a range of other activities, two enthusiastic and friendly tour guides led us bar-hopping in Tokyo where we got a taste of gay night life.

Our meals were well planned throughout our stay to treat us to a wide variety of Japanese culinary delights in a variety of settings culminating with a dinner river cruise in Tokyo. The accommodations were first-rate. I had magnificent views of the cities we visited when looking out my hotel room windows.

Andrew Lear is a master craftsman in thoughtful planning of LGBTQ tours (I have also been on his exceptional Greek tour). If you want to immerse yourself in the history and culture of your travel destination as you experience the sites you are visiting, a tour offered by Andrew Lear is THE way to go!

Andrew Lear’s tour of Japan had a large range of elements to its credit. Especially good were lectures by experts on history , as well as visits to historical sites. The Japanese themselves visit some of the history sites in droves as a part of their shared background though they are completely ignorant of the gay roots of several of them. And several of the sites are not much visited yet important to gay history. Included was the shrine where the penises are kept for the annual Penis Festival.

Hotels and food were to a high standard. I have had no better compliment ever than a 92-year-old Geisha telling me my my chop stick skills were good at a kenseki dinner.

We were helped in general and me specifically by a young man named Kenji from the associated Japanese tour company.

We are gentlemen of Japan … or rather, we were, for 10 days in October/November 2024. Oscar Wilde Tours Gay Japan was a spectacular success!

With superb accommodations, amazing food, and well-chosen entertainments, the trip was comfortable, delicious, and fun. We enjoyed dinner, music and games with geishas in Kyoto; attended Kabuki in Tokyo, and met with a former Kabuki actor; and participated in a traditional Zen tea ceremony with a most charming teacher and guide.

The tour didn’t stint on history and culture, either! Among many highlights were: touring Osaka Castle; at Koyasan, walking in the rain to a Buddhist temple, through a cemetery shadowed by ancient cedars; feeding the sacred deer and viewing the giant Buddha (Daibatsu) in Nara; visiting the Bamboo forest and Golden Pavilion in Kyoto; and, perhaps the most unusual, being blessed by a Shinto priest at the penis shrine in Nagoya!

Aside from all the wonders of Japan, most wonderful was the congenial company of the other “campers” — a well-educated, convivial, and diverse group of gentlemen. Professor Andrew Lear sets a delightful tone for his tours: always informative but never pedantic, he is consistently upbeat, and endowed with a merry sense of fun. I highly recommend this tour — and, as I have now been on 4 different Oscar Wilde Tours, this review is by a very satisfied repeat customer.

This was my first Oscar Wilde Tour, and I’m confident it will not be my last. Aside from being an excellent introduction to Japan, the experience was thoroughly satisfying thanks to the comradery of 14 other gay men, a surprisingly bright and intellectually curious group. I particularly enjoyed the events organized by Andrew Lear such as a lecture in Kyoto by a professor on Male-Male Love in Japan in the early-modern period and a post-Kabuki Theater talk in Tokyo from a gay Kabuki actor and master. Ten of the 15 men in our group were repeat customers, a testament to the special quality of Oscar Wilde Tours. As a solo traveler, I expected to be in the minority, but that was not the case. Professor Lear is excellent company and a highly skilled guide. I’m so glad I went.

Professor Andrew Lear was the consummate tour guide of a perfect German tour. He was energetic, charming, extremely intelligent, witty, and an excellent teacher, who conveyed his excitement about learning while quickly molding us into a well-functioning, interpersonally sophisticated group. Before, during, and even after the trip he was available almost immediately for answers, advice, and general knowledge; all his recommendations were very, very useful. Andrew has lived in Germany and speaks German fluently, so he personally conducted much of the tour, but he also contracted with bilingual local guides, all gay themselves, for other activities; he accompanied the group everywhere. We followed the published itinerary closely but not rigidly; no activity was mandatory, and we had ample free time. The broad, comprehensive range of diverse experiences accurately portrayed not only specific gay German culture, but also German culture in general. The trip far exceeded my expectations; it was my first Oscar Wilde tour but it definitely will not be my last. I encourage everyone to take an Oscar Wilde tour; you will not be disappointed.

I’m usually hesitant about traveling with group tours, but this one was exceptionally excellent! Berlin and Munich are very different cities, culturally and architecturally, so they offered an interesting contrast of German experiences. The overlay of gay history gave a dimension to the tour that was unique and fascinating. That, in addition to traveling with a group of gay men, gave me a sense of belonging that is often missing when traveling to new places. The group was small and all the members were interesting and collaborative, so it felt very comfortable from the very beginning. In terms of site seeing, we covered many of the important sites which had a gay story to be told, but were also important in and of themselves. There was plenty of “free time” to explore other sites, like museums etc., so the itinerary did not feel overcrowded or rushed. Andrew Lear is a fabulous host/guide! All of the arrangements (hotels, guides, meals) were well chosen. And Andrew is so knowledgeable that the tour truly was an educational experience. I would highly recommend Oscar Wilde tours to any gay man who wants a fascinating, enjoyable and educational vacation in interesting locales. Even if you’ve seen a city before, you probably haven’t experienced it in the same way as you will with an Oscar Wilde tour!

This — Gay Berlin and Munich — was my first trip with Oscar Wilde Tours and it far exceeded all of my expectations! All practical matters were very fine — the hotels, the local transportation, the daily itineraries, the meals together — there were no glitches at all; everything went smoothly. Andrew Lear, in addition to being a conscientious, efficient planner and organizer on the most practical level, is also a very engaging, enlightening, and entertaining lecturer and tour guide: likewise were the local guides that supplemented Andrew’s talks. As an added bonus, the whole group of us got along extremely well, and enjoyed each others’ company. Could not be happier with the experience!

We enjoyed the trip very much. We learned a great deal and we discovered amazing sights. The guides were informative and often witty. Our fellow travelers were interesting and considerate. I recommend the Oscar Wilde Gay Tours highly.

Congenial companions, spirited conversation, rich art and architecture. The trip ranged from expertly guided tours of the ruins of Paestum and Pompeii to a breezy, sun-drenched boat excursion around the isle of Capri. I was delighted by the quality of the homoerotic art we viewed and the range of the homosexual history we encountered. I only wish that the trip could have lasted longer.

Wonderful trip! Andrew is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the Italian culture and history! Enjoyable group of people, well organized, and fun!

I had a marvelous time in Germany via Oscar Wilde Tours. The tour was well planned and filled with so many interesting experiences and places to visit, many with LGBT+ significance. I also appreciated the scheduled free time, so that I could attend the Berlin ballet one evening; upon leaving the theater, there was an unexpected light show to end a very full day. I love those unexpected pleasures when traveling. Bravo Oscar Wilde Tours!

This tour surpassed my expectations. Our group of 14 were congenial and interested. The chosen destinations were a broad sample of North Indian history, culture, and wildlife, from magnificent historic palaces and temples to demonstrations at workshops for stonework, painting, and fabric printing. The meals were delicious, much of the food unfamiliar but delightful. I much appreciated the two visits to LGBTQ activities, which were eye-opening and fun. Well worth the looong trip.

I traveled to India with Oscar Wilde Tours in February/March 2024 in a group of 14 gentlemen from the US. This is the 3rd tour I have taken with OWT, led by the irrepressible Professor Andrew Lear, whose deep knowledge of the history of art, culture, and gay sexuality continually enlivened the tour and educated us, without becoming in the least pedantic. He also has a delightful, even goofy, sense of humor!

Highlights of our itinerary included: Delhi (Qutub Minar, Chandni Chowk); Agra (Taj Mahal, Red Fort); Fatehpur Sikri; Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary; Jaipur (Amber Fort, City Palace, and visit to the Hijra “third sex” shelter home); Deogarh (Heritage narrow-gauge railway trip through the ancient Aravalli hills); Udaipur (performance of Rajasthani traditional dance, puppetry & music, City Palace, boat trip on Lake Pichola to Jagmandir Island); Rajpipla in Gujarat (visit with Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil at his asylum for disowned LGBTQ youth, Queer Bagh); and the statue-encrusted temples of Khajuraho, about 25% of which were on erotic themes. A few of us continued on to Ranthambore National Park for 3 wildlife safaris.

Hotels were of excellent quality, and 3 of them are converted palaces from former princely states — the Jai Mahal Palace in Jaipur, the Deogarh Mahal, and the Fateh Prakash Palace on the shore of Lake Pichola in Udaipur.

As in my previous tours with OWT in Western Europe, Andrew has wisely chosen excellent local partners on-the-ground: in this case, Manu Singh and his associates from India Personal Tours. Manu is a terrific guy, with a buoyant personality and great charm. He was indispensable to us in navigating through a new and unfamiliar culture, providing practical advice, and shepherding us through the rigorous security apparatus at Indian airports.

While my trip to India was by turns fascinating, exhilarating, and maddening (unbelievably awful traffic in Delhi, for example), I would highly recommend this tour as an excellent introduction — I am glad I stepped outside my comfort zone for this trip.

This was a wonderful tour. Andrew Lear put together a highly organized, informative, well-thought-out tour. He was cheerful and enthusiastic from beginning to end, and related well to each of us. Besides visiting the usual tourist attractions like the Taj Mahal, we explored bustling Old Delhi, met with youthful hijras at their center in Jaipur, and visited with an openly gay prince at his place in Gujarat. The food was amazing as were the accommodations.

… on the Gay Germany tour in September 2023! Once again, Professor Andrew Lear packs an amazing itinerary into 10 days of delightful travel, this time in Munich and environs and Berlin.

Highlights included: a guided tour to the Deutsche Eiche, Munich’s premier baths/restuarant/condo/rooftop bar complex, led by the adopted son of the owners (Freddy Mercury lived across the street!); an exhaustive but rewarding visit to the Residenz, the Wittelsbach city palace that’s bigger than 2 football fields; a trip to the Bavarian alps to visit 2 of “Mad” King Ludwig’s castles (Linderhof & Neuschwanstein); a sobering visit to Dachau, the first concentration camp; then, in Berlin, a walking tour from our hotel in the Friedrichstraße to the Brandenburg Gate, and thence south to Checkpoint Charlie & the Topography of Terror Museum; a visit to the Museum Island and the former Jewish cemetery; a quick romp through Sansoucci, Frederick the Great’s theme park in Potsdam (followed by a sumptuous meal Zum Fliegenden Höllander); and a visit to Isherwood’s haunts in the Nollendorfplatz neighborhood.

While the German cities can’t compete with Italy in terms of physical beauty (and, after all, they were bombed to smithereens in WWII), the history, culture, Professor Lear’s deep knowledge and unique perspective lent an added dimension to our experience of these and other attractions. I’d definitely recommend this trip, (I can’t help it!)

What a spectacular trip to Italy this October with Andrew Lear and a bus-load of new friends! The fascinating places Andrew chose to visit, the lively and informative guides, the rich history, the mind-blowing art in abundance, the memorable and delicious food, well, it all adds up to a tour unlike any other. We’re so glad we went. And we’re still talking about it. Thank you, Andrew!

My ten days in Greece was sublime — Andrew is a wonderful guide who knows his stuff. And he’s funny and charming and such an amazing resource of history (literary, political, cultural). The tour was rigorous and fun, the hotels were comfortable and convenient, the additional onsite guides were first-rate, and hey — it’s Greece. Beautiful. My experience was also enhanced by my fellow-travelers — a great group of guys from around the globe. I should also say I’m not a “joiner”, I’ve never been on a tour like this, didn’t know if it would be my jam — but because of Andrew’s passion for history (and the gay lens) this is a tour I highly recommend. I hope to be on another Oscar Wilde tour soon!