Gay Provincetown – Your Complete LGBTQ+ Travel Guide in 2024

Located in the entertainment district right across the street from tea, Queen Vic Guesthouse (166 Commercial St) is our second pick for an upscale, adults-only gay guesthouse in P-town. While they do not have a pool or free-parking, they are pet-friendly which is often more important to us when we travel! In addition, they installed a hot tub and added a bar/lounge, as they are continuously looking to improve the guest experience. Enjoying a cocktail on the front patio is always a good idea as well as a great place to meet fellow travelers. In terms of accommodations, Queen Vic offers large stately rooms with a queen or king bed, private bath, WiFi and air-conditioning. All reservations also include a free full breakfast. With just 9 rooms, this gay hotel is often sold out, so we recommend booking early.

For those traveling as a couple or group of friends, Inn at Gifford House (9 Carver St) offers plenty of options with multiple beds which sleep 2, 4, 6 or 8 guests. Located directly opposite Brass Key's Shipwreck Lounge, this incredible gay guesthouse is an entertainment complex as well (see 'where to find gay nightlife' below for more info on weekly events). With a beautiful bar, piano lounge, and basement nightclub, there is no shortage of fun to be had at Gifford House. In addition, spa services and parking are available for a fee. With 25 rooms consisting of traditional, deluxe and comfort categories, each room includes queen or king bed(s), private bath, WiFi and air-conditioning. While they do not offer breakfast, fruit coffee and tea are provided 24-7 in the hotel lounge. Overall, Gifford House is one of the best historic gay hotels in P-town with a perfect 10.0 rating on Hotels.com to boot.

Where to eat and drink – Our favorite restaurant in P-town has to be Sal's Place (99 Commercial St) on the water. Although many prefer the outdoor patio, we enjoy the ambiance, extra room, and air-conditioning inside. The entire dining experience at Sal's is flawless.


Menu highlights include Negroni cocktails, the arugula salad (split) and chicken parmigiana (split) with pomodoro pasta. The complimentary locally made fudge with sea salt brought after your meal is also a nice touch. Of note, this often fully booked restaurant requires advance reservations and is cash only. We promise the extra effort will be worth it.


For a relaxing beachfront lunch spot with a view, Pepe's Wharf Restaurant (371 Commercial St) is our top pick. Treat yourself to a refreshing Pimm’s Cup and some of the best seafood in P-town. If you're feeling fancy or celebrating something special, Pepe's would be our choice to enjoy a bottle of wine or champagne on the shaded deck. Groups are also welcome. Thankfully, reservations are accepted here on Open Table.


If your gay guesthouse doesn't include breakfast or you're looking for a mid-morning or afternoon pick-me up before tea, we love Joe Coffee & Cafe (170 Commercial St). They have delicious pastries (try the brownies!) and excellent espresso-based drinks. Perhaps the most important asset other than caffeine is the shaded outdoor patio to watch the world go by on Commercial Street.


Where to find gay nightlife – Everywhere! We're not kidding. In P-town, everywhere you go, whether a restaurant, bar, or club, you will find that patrons are mostly LGBTQ+, especially at night when the day trippers have left. In addition, many of the weeks/weekends are themed during the summer season (e.g. Lesbian, Bear, Men of Color, Family, etc), so you will find theme-focused events at many of the gay venues. As such, check the websites linked below for the latest calendar of events.


In P-town, where to start your gay night out is a pre-made decision. We love that everyone comes to tea at Boatslip Beach Club (161 Commercial St) each and every day from 4-7pm in summer. It's one of the easiest places to meet people in P-town, especially if you start with the famous planter's punch. This sweet cocktail is made with equal parts white and spiced rum, orange and pineapple juice, a splash of grenadine, and topped with Bacardi 151 in the straw for your first sip.


After tea, many people head to dinner followed by a show. Check the schedule at The Crown and Anchor (247 Commercial St) for what's on. Next, sing along to your favorite show tunes at the Wave video bar also in the Crown & Anchor complex.


Located right across the street from each other, we like both Shipwreck Lounge (10 Carver St) and Love Lounge at Gifford House (9 Carver St) for your next cocktail.

For dancing, check out Purgatory downstairs at Gifford House (9 Carver St) or the club at Atlantic House aka A-House (6 Masonic Pl). Along with tea at Boatslip, no trip to P-town is complete without a stop at A-House, the premier gay nightclub in Provincetown for over 40 years. And it's still hot, but only until 1am when everything in P-town closes. Also, if you didn't find your person for the night (or you did!), there's often a sidewalk sale in front of Spiritus Pizza (190 Commercial St) and plenty of action underneath the deck at Boatslip aka the "dick dock."


When to go - Summer is high season in Provincetown, but most gay events run from May through October. For 2024, the most popular theme weeks include Pride (May 31-June 2), Bear Week (July 13-20), and Family Week (July 22-August 3) just to name a few. For the complete list of theme weekends, check Provincetown's official calendar of events.


How to get here – Finding your way to Provincetown can be somewhat challenging, but the relatively isolated location only adds to its appeal. Getting to Boston is typically your first step with many LGBTQ+ travelers arriving by plane to Boston's Logan International Airport (airport code: BOS) or by bus or train to Boston South Station (Amtrak: BOS).


For onward transit to Provincetown, you can fly with Cape Air, rent a car and drive yourself, or take the fast ferry, our preferred method. The Provincetown Ferry leaves from 1 Long Wharf just across the harbor from Boston Logan International Airport and arrives at Macmillan Wharf in Provincetown. If you arrive at Boston South Station, it's about a 20-minute walk or quick taxi, Uber or Lyft ride to Bay State Cruise Company at 200 Seaport Blvd.

Both ferry companies run May through October, offer a few departure times throughout the day, and arrive at the same location in Provincetown (Macmillan Pier). In addition, both have a full bar and restrooms onboard. Tickets are timed and may sell out for high demand dates and times, so please book your tickets in advance.

Once you disembark the ferry, its super easy to explore P-town by foot or bike. Alternatively, you can hop on one of the pedi-cabs usually operated by sexy shirtless men.

Travel Resources

Travel Insurance – Don’t forget to add global travel medical insurance that covers you while traveling outside of your home country. We recommend Safety Wing. You can buy it even if you are already abroad. Most health care coverage is home country specific, thus it’s extremely important to protect yourself from out of pocket costs due to a medical emergency. We learned this the hard way which you can watch here. To learn more about Safety Wing, click here.

Car Rental – Should your travel plans call for hiring a car, we use rentalcars.com to search the best prices among the major car rental companies. With flexible rentals, no hidden fees, and price match guarantee, we feel confident booking with them. Just make sure to book with your Chase Sapphire Reserve for extra protection.

Travel Experiences – Discover authentic, unforgettable experiences and explore the world with Viator. They offer top-rated tours and activities in Boston and even advance purchase timed ferry tickets to Provincetown. Buy your ferry tickets in advance as ferries can sell out during peak times.

Want to see more? For additional footage of our adventures in Provincetown, check out our Gay P-Town YouTube video and be sure to smash that like button and subscribe! And, of course, follow us on Instagram @twogayexpats for more gay travel inspiration!

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