Best babymoon destinations with direct flights
The destinations worth flying to in the second trimester. Direct flights, walkable cities, good medical infrastructure. No Zika-risk regions, no long layovers.
Pregnancy · Travel
TL;DR
Go in the second trimester (14 to 27 weeks). Direct flights only. Skip Zika-risk regions (most of the Caribbean, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America are still considered higher-risk; check the CDC's current map). Pick a walkable city or a relaxed resort with on-site medical access. Best US options: Charleston, Santa Fe, Sonoma, Portland (Maine or Oregon). Best international: Iceland, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Japan. Skip if you're high-risk, in your third trimester, or your provider isn't comfortable.
Need to figure out which week is best for the trip? Use the calculator to estimate your trimester boundaries.
The babymoon basics
A babymoon is a last trip-as-just-the-two-of-you before baby arrives. Or just a quiet, restorative getaway. Either is fine.
Timing: most providers recommend the second trimester (weeks 14 to 27). The first trimester comes with nausea, exhaustion, and higher miscarriage risk. The third trimester comes with discomfort, swelling, and airline restrictions.
Some airlines don't let you fly after 36 weeks (domestic) or 32 to 35 weeks (international). Check your airline. Some require a doctor's note after a certain point.
Pre-trip checklist
- Get cleared by your OB or midwife. Bring up the destination, length, and altitude.
- Check Zika and other infectious disease risk on the CDC website for any international or southern US destination.
- Confirm flight restrictions with your airline. Print proof of due date.
- Buy travel insurance that covers pregnancy complications.
- Pack medications (prenatal vitamins, any prescriptions) in carry-on.
- Get a copy of your prenatal records to take with you (PDF on your phone is fine).
- Find the closest hospital with maternity services to your destination. Bookmark it.
- Hydrate well before flying. Move around every hour on long flights to prevent blood clots.
- Compression socks for any flight over 2 hours.
Best US babymoon destinations
1. Charleston, South Carolina
Walkable, gorgeous, slow-paced. Direct flights from most major US cities. Excellent food scene. Mild weather year-round.
Best months: April-May, September-November (avoid August humidity).
What to do: walk the historic district, do a horse-drawn carriage tour (gentle), book a couples' prenatal massage at one of the spas, take an afternoon to Folly Beach (don't surf, do walk), eat at every restaurant on King Street.
Where to stay: Belmond Charleston Place, The Spectator, or Wentworth Mansion for a splurge. Hotel Bella Grace for mid-range.
2. Santa Fe, New Mexico
Walkable city center, breathtaking landscapes, spa culture, exceptional food. Direct flights from Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, LA.
Best months: May-June, September-October.
Altitude consideration: Santa Fe sits at 7,200 feet. Pregnancy at altitude generally fine, but talk to provider first if you have anemia or other conditions.
What to do: walk the Plaza, tour Canyon Road galleries, soak at Ojo Caliente (some pools have warm but not hot temperatures suitable for pregnancy; ask about temperature limits), eat green chile everything.
Where to stay: La Fonda on the Plaza, Inn of the Five Graces, La Posada.
3. Sonoma County, California
Wine country without the long flight to Italy. Beautiful even if you're not drinking. Direct flights to STS (Santa Rosa) from major Western US cities, or fly into SFO.
Best months: May-October.
What to do: drive the wine country roads, do food-and-wine tastings (you'll skip the wine, but the food and view of the vineyards is still excellent), spa day at one of the resort spas, walk in Armstrong Redwoods.
Where to stay: MacArthur Place, Farmhouse Inn, Auberge du Soleil.
4. Portland, Maine
Walkable, food-obsessed, coastal. Direct flights from many East Coast cities. Easy day-trips to lighthouses and small islands.
Best months: June-September.
What to do: walk the Old Port, take a lighthouse tour (gentle harbor cruise), eat lobster rolls daily, day-trip to Peaks Island, browse independent bookstores.
Where to stay: Press Hotel, The Francis, The Inn at St John (budget).
5. Sedona, Arizona
Stunning red-rock landscape. Spa culture. Gentle hikes. Direct flights to PHX (Phoenix); 2-hour drive to Sedona.
Best months: March-May, October-November.
What to do: gentle hikes (Bell Rock Pathway, Red Rock Crossing), book a prenatal massage at one of the resort spas, drive Oak Creek Canyon, sit on a patio at sunset.
Where to stay: L'Auberge de Sedona, Enchantment Resort, Amara Resort.
Time your trip around your trimester
Lock in your exact due date so you know your second trimester window. Free calculator.
Try the calculatorBest international babymoon destinations
6. Iceland
Direct flights from most major US East Coast cities (5 to 7 hours). No Zika risk. Excellent medical infrastructure. Beautiful even with a bump.
Best months: June-September for longer days. Winter is fine too if you don't mind cold.
What to do: walk Reykjavik, gentle soaking in the Blue Lagoon (warm not hot; check current safety guidance for pregnancy and ask the resort about temperature), see waterfalls (Gullfoss, Skogafoss, Seljalandsfoss), do a Golden Circle day trip, eat at Matur og Drykkur.
Skip: glacier hiking (uneven terrain), super-jeep tours (rough rides), anything with sudden altitude change.
7. Portugal (Lisbon and Porto)
Direct flights from Boston, NY, DC, Newark, Miami, others. Walkable cities. Excellent food. No Zika risk. Strong medical system.
Best months: April-June, September-October.
What to do: walk Lisbon's neighborhoods (gentle pace, lots of hills, take taxis when tired), day trip to Sintra, eat your way through Time Out Market, take the train to Porto, do a (non-alcoholic) port tour.
Where to stay: in Lisbon, the Memmo Alfama, the Bairro Alto Hotel, the Avenida Palace. In Porto, the Yeatman, the Pestana Palacio do Freixo.
8. Italy (Florence, Rome, Lake Como)
Direct flights from NY, Newark, LA, others. Walkable cities. Outstanding food (even without the wine).
Best months: May-June, September-October (avoid summer crowds and heat).
What to do: walk slowly. Sit at cafés. Book early dinners. Visit the Uffizi or Vatican Museums on weekday afternoons. Take a cooking class. Boat ride on Lake Como.
Pregnancy notes: avoid unpasteurized cheeses, raw fish, uncured meats (the salumi platter is mostly off-limits unfortunately). Plenty of safe pasta, pizza, and other options.
9. Ireland (Dublin or West Coast)
Direct flights from Boston, NY, Chicago, others. No Zika. Excellent medical infrastructure (the same hospital that delivers many Irish babies will take you in an emergency).
Best months: May-September.
What to do: walk Dublin's literary district, gentle Cliffs of Moher visit (paved overlook), day trip to Howth, eat your way through Galway, listen to live music in a quiet pub.
10. Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto)
Direct flights from major US West Coast cities. World-class medical infrastructure. Walkable, safe, exceptional food.
Best months: March-May (cherry blossoms), October-November (autumn leaves).
What to do: walk through gardens (Shinjuku Gyoen, Ueno, Kyoto's many temple gardens). Eat at every restaurant your guidebook recommends. Take slow train rides between cities. Get a prenatal massage at one of the international hotels.
Pregnancy notes: avoid raw fish (no sushi), uncured meats, unpasteurized dairy. Plenty of cooked options. Drink bottled water if you're sensitive.
Destinations to skip
- Zika-risk regions per current CDC guidance. Many parts of the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America still have ongoing transmission. Check the CDC map within a month of your trip.
- Anywhere requiring connections or layovers over 8 hours total flight time. Blood clot risk and discomfort.
- High-altitude destinations above 8,000 feet without provider clearance. Cusco, La Paz, much of the Himalayas. Even Vail and Aspen need a conversation with your doctor.
- Resorts with no medical access nearby. Especially private islands or remote eco-lodges.
- Adventure destinations. Cruises with rough seas, safaris in remote areas, dive resorts (you can't dive), rock-climbing destinations.
- Anywhere with food safety concerns. Especially if you have a sensitive stomach.
The smart-stay rules
Once you've picked your destination:
- Stay in a walkable area with restaurants and pharmacies within 10 minutes' walk.
- Pick a hotel with a real concierge who can call a doctor at 2 AM if needed.
- Pace yourself. Plan one major activity per day, not three.
- Schedule afternoon naps. Even at 22 weeks, you'll be more tired than usual.
- Eat early dinners. Less heartburn at bedtime.
- Hydrate aggressively. Travel dries you out.
- Walk every hour on flights. DVT prevention.
Cruises
Most cruise lines won't let pregnant passengers sail after 24 weeks. Some allow up to 28. None allow after 32.
Pros of cruises for babymoons: meals included, lots of relaxation, no logistics. Cons: outbreaks (norovirus, etc.) hit cruise ships often. If you board pregnant and get sick, treatment is limited until port. Some moms swear by cruise babymoons; others swear them off. Discuss with your provider.