The best honeymoon destination is not necessarily the farthest or most luxurious place you can book. After months of wedding planning, some couples want ten days beside a pool; others would be miserable without restaurants, road trips and something new to explore every morning.
For Canadian couples, it is worth balancing romance with flight time, season and budget. Current 2026 travel data also shows interest spreading beyond the usual hotspots: St. Lucia is rising for romantic trips, while Portugal and its islands are attracting growing attention from Canadian travellers.
Here are some of the best honeymoon destinations for very different kinds of newlyweds.
1. Riviera Maya, Mexico
Best for: Easy beach luxury
Go for: All-inclusive resorts, cenotes, beaches, spa days
Mexico is hard to beat when you want the honeymoon to feel easy from the moment you arrive. Riviera Maya combines resort relaxation with enough excursions to keep a full week interesting.
Spend one day beside the pool, then visit a cenote, explore Mayan ruins or book a private dinner by the water.
It is especially good for couples who are exhausted after the wedding and do not want to plan every meal and transfer individually.
2. Santorini, Greece
Best for: Classic honeymoon romance
Go for: Caldera views, sunsets, boutique hotels, Greek food
Santorini earns its honeymoon reputation. Whitewashed villages, cliffside hotels and Aegean sunsets make even a simple dinner feel like an occasion.
Oia is the famous choice, but couples looking for more privacy can also consider Imerovigli.
Combine Santorini with Athens, Crete or another Cycladic island if you want more than a resort-style escape.
3. Italy
Best for: Food, culture and romance
Go for: Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Lake Como, Amalfi Coast
Italy is one of the best honeymoon ideas for couples who would rather explore than stay at one resort.
The trick is not trying to see the entire country in ten days. Pick two or three places.
A few combinations that work:
- Rome + Amalfi Coast
- Florence + Tuscany
- Venice + Lake Como
- Sicily road trip
Build in slow mornings and long dinners. A honeymoon should not feel like a race between train stations.
4. St. Lucia
Best for: Caribbean romance with scenery
Go for: Beaches, Pitons, private pools, rainforest
St. Lucia combines the ease of a Caribbean honeymoon with a landscape that feels much more dramatic than a standard beach resort.
Couples can divide their time between swimming and spa days and exploring waterfalls, rainforest trails or the Pitons.
It is also one of Expedia Canada’s standout romantic island destinations for 2026.
5. Maldives
Best for: Pure luxury
Go for: Overwater villas, snorkeling, privacy
If your honeymoon fantasy involves waking up above turquoise water and having almost nowhere you need to be, the Maldives delivers.
Tripadvisor’s 2026 honeymoon rankings continue to place the Maldives among the world’s leading honeymoon destinations.
The downside for Canadians is obvious: it is a long journey and usually a significant investment. For a short five-day honeymoon, the travel time may not make sense. For ten days or more, it becomes much easier to justify.
6. Bali, Indonesia
Best for: Luxury at a more flexible budget
Go for: Villas, temples, beaches, jungle, wellness
Bali gives couples several honeymoons in one trip.
Start with a private villa around Ubud, surrounded by jungle and rice terraces, then head toward the coast for beaches and sunsets.
You can make the trip focused on wellness and relaxation or fill it with surfing, waterfalls, temples and restaurants. Bali ranked No. 1 in Tripadvisor’s 2026 honeymoon destination list.
7. Portugal
Best for: Europe without an overly complicated itinerary
Go for: Lisbon, Porto, wine country, Algarve
Portugal works particularly well for couples who want Europe but prefer a slower honeymoon.
Spend a few days eating your way through Lisbon, continue to Porto and the Douro Valley, or finish beside the ocean in the Algarve.
For something less obvious, consider Madeira or the Azores. Portuguese island destinations have seen particularly strong recent interest among Canadian travellers.
8. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Best for: Once-in-a-lifetime splurge
Go for: Lagoon views, overwater bungalows, privacy
Bora Bora is the honeymoon you book when the destination itself is the event.
Days revolve around the lagoon: snorkeling, boat trips, breakfast overlooking the water and very little pressure to do anything else.
It is expensive and remote, but for couples deliberately saving for one extraordinary trip, that may be exactly the point.
9. Japan
Best for: Food and culture
Go for: Tokyo, Kyoto, ryokans, temples
Not every honeymoon needs a beach.
Japan is ideal for couples who get excited about restaurants, neighbourhoods, design, history and discovering something new every day.
A classic first trip might combine energetic Tokyo with several slower days in Kyoto and one night at a traditional ryokan.
Leave room in the schedule. Japan rewards wandering.
10. Costa Rica
Best for: Adventure plus relaxation
Go for: Rainforest, wildlife, beaches, hot springs
Costa Rica is an excellent compromise when one partner wants to relax and the other wants to do things.
You can hike through rainforest, see wildlife and soak in hot springs near Arenal, then finish with several quiet days on the Pacific coast.
It works particularly well for couples who would find seven straight days on a beach a little too quiet.
11. Banff & Lake Louise, Alberta
Best for: A Canadian honeymoon
Go for: Mountains, lakes, hiking, luxury lodges
You do not have to cross an ocean to get honeymoon-level scenery.
Banff and Lake Louise offer dramatic mountain landscapes, beautiful hotels and plenty to do in every season.
Summer brings hiking and turquoise lakes, while winter gives you skiing, fireplaces and snow-covered mountain views.
It is also an excellent choice for couples who would rather put more of the budget toward the hotel and experiences than international airfare.
12. Maui, Hawaii
Best for: Beach plus road-trip honeymoon
Go for: Beaches, waterfalls, scenic drives
Maui works well for couples who want a tropical honeymoon without spending every day inside a resort.
Beach mornings can be mixed with snorkeling, hiking and drives through dramatically different landscapes.
Renting a car gives you far more freedom and makes the island feel like a real trip rather than a single-property vacation.
13. Paris & the French Countryside
Best for: City romance
Go for: Food, museums, wine, beautiful hotels
Paris is still difficult to beat when the dream honeymoon involves long lunches rather than lounge chairs.
Spend several days in the city, then slow the trip down with Champagne, Burgundy, Provence or the Loire Valley.
This combination gives you the energy of Paris without spending the whole honeymoon in a major city.
14. Azores, Portugal
Best for: Something different
Go for: Volcanic landscapes, hot springs, hiking
The Azores are a strong honeymoon choice for couples who value nature more than nightlife.
Expect crater lakes, thermal pools, ocean views and landscapes that feel much wilder than mainland Europe.
They are also among the Portuguese destinations showing increased interest from Canadian travellers in 2026.
15. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Best for: Relaxing all-inclusive honeymoon
Go for: Beaches, adults-only resorts, minimal planning
Punta Cana makes sense when your main objective is to stop making decisions.
Choose the right resort, book a good room category and let most of the trip take care of itself.
It may not offer the cultural depth of Italy or Japan, but that is not what every honeymoon needs.
16. New Zealand
Best for: Big adventure
Go for: Road trips, mountains, wineries, dramatic landscapes
New Zealand is for couples who want their honeymoon to become one of the great trips of their lives.
A South Island itinerary can combine Queenstown, Milford Sound, wineries, hiking and beautiful drives.
The journey from Canada is substantial, so give yourself enough time. This is much better as a two- or three-week honeymoon than a rushed week abroad.
Which Honeymoon Destination Is Right for You?
A quick way to narrow the list is to decide what you actually want to do once you arrive.
| If you want… | Consider |
| Easy all-inclusive escape | Riviera Maya, Punta Cana |
| Luxury beach honeymoon | Maldives, Bora Bora |
| Romantic Europe | Greece, Italy, Portugal |
| Food and culture | Japan, Italy, France |
| Adventure and nature | Costa Rica, New Zealand, Azores |
| Caribbean scenery | St. Lucia |
| Stay in Canada | Banff & Lake Louise |
| Beach plus exploring | Maui, Bali |
How Much Time Should You Spend on Your Honeymoon?
Distance should influence the length of the trip.
For Mexico, the Caribbean or a honeymoon within Canada, five to eight nights can work well.
For Europe or Hawaii, seven to twelve nights gives you more breathing room.
For destinations such as Japan, Bali, the Maldives, Bora Bora or New Zealand, aim for 10 to 14 days or more when possible. Spending two days travelling for a five-night holiday can make an expensive honeymoon feel unnecessarily rushed.
When Should You Book?
For popular honeymoon periods, start planning around six to nine months ahead. If you want a specific luxury resort, overwater villa or peak-season European hotel, earlier is safer.
Before booking flights, check:
- Weather during your wedding month
- Rainy or hurricane season
- Passport validity
- Current entry requirements
- Travel insurance
- Transfer time from the airport
- Resort renovation notices
- Cancellation conditions
Do not choose a destination from beautiful photos alone. A tropical island during its wettest month can be a very different trip from the one you imagined.
Choose the Honeymoon You Actually Want
There is no prize for choosing the most impressive destination.
If what you really want after the wedding is an adults-only resort in Mexico where breakfast arrives without you making any decisions, book it. If your version of romance is ramen in Tokyo at midnight or driving through the mountains in New Zealand, do that instead.
The best honeymoon destinations are the ones that match how you already enjoy travelling together—just with a better hotel and a little more time to celebrate.
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