Mancations can take many forms, from golf trips with the guys to elaborate and luxurious once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Typically, though, the concept of a mancation represents bigger, more elaborate adventures, bucket list trips, and longer events that involve more planning. Mancations however can also simply refer to any man-only vacation to get away from society and blow off some steam with he boys.
What Do You Call Your "Guys Trips"?
- Mancations encompass a wide range of male-oriented trips, from relaxed golf weekends to adrenaline-fueled adventures and luxurious bucket-list experiences, offering a chance for men to bond and pursue shared interests.
- Origin and evolution of 'mancation', a term popularized by Vince Vaughn's character in "The Breakup" (2006), has diversified into terms like 'guys getaway' and 'lads holiday', reflecting cultural shifts and regional preferences.
- Variety of mancation types cater to different interests: Extreme sports trips for adrenaline junkies, metrosexual getaways with spa treatments, outdoorsy adventures for nature enthusiasts, and geek-oriented excursions for fans of gaming and comics.
- Educational and philanthropic mancations offer opportunities to learn new skills or contribute to community projects, adding meaningful dimensions to traditional men-only vacations.
- Staycation mancations suggest exploring local attractions or enjoying simple pleasures like watching sports, proving that memorable male bonding experiences don't always require distant travel.
Where Did The Term Mancation Come From?
The term "mancation" is widely considered to have come from Vince Vaughn's character in the movie, "The Breakup" released in 2006. However, it has since grown to be a general term referring to any men-only vacation, similar to the more common "girls getaways". The term was then picked up as the title of the 2012 movie Mancation, starring Joey Fatone - which was absolutely terrible and may very well have represented the beginning of the end for this term I once embraced passionately.
Realistically, though, over the past 18 years, the term mancation has faded a bit from popular culture and has been replaced with other words such as guys getaway or boys weekend in the United States, as well as Lads Holiday in the UK and other commonwealth nations such as Australia and sometimes Canada.
Synonyms For The Word Mancation
Other words that are also used to refer to a men-only vacation include guys' getaway, boys' weekend, lads holiday, and even a location. These aren't always the same exact term but many people use them interchangeably. For us, we use the following guidelines when it comes for vacation terms that are similar to the term mancation.
| Term | Description | Distinctions |
|---|---|---|
| Mancation | A vacation specifically designed for men to engage in male-bonding activities. | Often implies a more structured or adventurous trip than just a casual gathering. |
| Boys Weekend | A short break or weekend getaway exclusively for male friends. | Typically less about adventure and more about relaxation or partying. Shorter in duration, usually just a weekend. |
| Guys Getaway | A general term for a vacation or short trip taken by a group of male friends. | Can vary widely in activity and purpose, from relaxing to adventurous, but is exclusively male. |
| Lads Holiday | A British term for a vacation taken by a group of young men, often to a party destination. | Emphasizes youth and partying, often associated with trips to beach resorts or cities known for nightlife. |
| Brocation | A blend of "bro" and "vacation," it refers to a trip where male friends bond over shared interests. | Similar to a mancation but with a stronger emphasis on the bond between the participants aka a Bromance. Activities can vary from sports to gaming or just hanging out. |
| Bachelor Party | A celebration marking a man's last period of bachelorhood before getting married. | Specifically tied to the celebration of an upcoming wedding, often involves partying or a trip with close male friends. Not repeated or for general bonding. |
Over the past several years, as this site has grown we have had the chance to talk with a number of media about mancations and why taking a mancation is not just an excuse for "boys behaving badly" but is actually a very important opportunity for men to bond, share ideas, learn new skills, and be men without having to apologize.
Sometimes it's tough to get out of your fishing and golfing rut when planning a mancation, so here's some of our favorite mancation ideas:
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If you are reading this, then you probably already know what a mancation is, and you have probably participated in at least one. Simply put, a Mancation is any excuse to get away from the real world, hang out with other men who enjoy the same things you do and have fun - without having to worry about your wife, girlfriends, or other female companions. It may involve drinking lots of cheap beer, expensive whiskey, or sampling fine wines - or it can be dry. For the purposes of this site, I like to focus on a more mature interpretation of a mancation and only cover those aspects of being a man that would be safe to share with your wife - or your sons!
However, for younger guys looking for a wilder side of life full of extreme adventure, partying, and adrenaline, we haven't forgotten about Lads Holiday Trips and Bachelor Parties. The principles stay the same in terms of respecting women, avoiding negative stereotypes, and avoiding what could be labeled as "toxic masculinity." It's okay to have fun, but do it responsibly.
What Is A Mancation?
Simply put, a mancation is a getaway with a group of guys where you are off on an adventure. This can be a guys weekend getaway, a bachelor party, or simply a guys night out. However, a true mancation is an adventure with time to grow, learn, share, and ultimately create an experience that will last in your memory and stories to be told for years to come.
In comparison to a guys weekend, a mancation tends to involve longer trips, more epic destinations, and quite frankly are more expensive as well. These are often bucketlist guys trips that require an extra level of planning.
How you chose to enjoy your time is totally up to you and doesn't have to fit into any specific genre, but here are some common types of mancations or guys weekends that we cover on this website.
Mancation Ideas: Travel Ideas For Men
As I mentioned above, pretty much any opportunity to spend time with the guys and away from the women counts as a mancation. However, many mancations tend to fall into the following categories:
Extreme Sports Mancations:
Extreme Sports Mancations focus on doing extreme things, such as sky diving, whitewater rafting, bungie jumping, heli-skiing in the Rockies, and other activities designed to generate the maximum adrenaline rush.
Adventure Mancations:
While extreme sports are certainly an adventure, Adventure Mancations are once-in-a-lifetime trips such as running with the bulls or attending the La Tomatina Festival, in Spain, rafting down the Amazon River, or participating in an archaeology dig in Mexico.
Metrosexual Mancations:
Men don't have to be cavemen and adrenaline addicts, metrosexuals are another audience that the travel industry is generating packages for. Metrosexual Mancations usually involve fantastic spa treatments, fittings for a custom suite, and staying at a luxury hotel with room service.
Outdoorsman and Leisure Mancations:
Hunting, fishing, golf, hiking - all activities that combine a love of the outdoors with a scaleable amount of leisure and luxury. For instance, your hiking excursion could be roughing it on the Appalachian Trail, or exploring glaciers in the morning, then returning to a fantastic lodge like the Chateau Lake Louise for high tea in the afternoon. Outdoorsy mancations are perhaps the most popular type of men's travel - but most guys probably don't even consider it a mancation. It is just having a blast with buddies from college, guys from work, or just spending some quality time as father and son.
Geek Mancations:
This is absolutely an under-rated and under-promoted aspect of men's travel but as a card-carrying geek I think it is important to include things like going to E3 to hang out and "research" the latest and greatest new video games, to Gen Con for 24-hour marathons of Dungeons and Dragons and other RPGs, Comic-Con to see the latest and greatest new graphic novels, or Burning Man for, well ... everything else.
Tour Mancations:
Tour Mancations are another very popular type of mancation. These typically take place over a number of years, or even just a few days. Examples of this could be a tour of all the Big 10 Football Stadiums or attending an away game each year for your favorite sports team. Other examples include Brewery Tours, Wine Tours, or traveling the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky. Often, the tour is just an excuse to go somewhere and the journey is as important as the destination.
Cruise Mancations:
Cruising is one of the most popular forms of travel and one of the most affordable. Not surprisingly it can also make a great mancation. If you think that cruises are just for families, the newly married, and the nearly dead then you need to take a second look. Today's ships have TONS of awesome things for guys - including cigar bars, driving ranges, climbing walls and of course shore excursions and opportunities to explore nature
Educational Mancations:
Mancations can be educational too! This is a great opportunity to travel to Italy for a week of cooking classes, visit museums, or perhaps go to the Travel Channel Academy's Film School. After all, learning can be fun and it is a great excuse to go somewhere new!
Giving Back Mancation:
Typically mancations and guys weekends are selfish and oriented around "me time" or at least "us time", but being a man also means taking care of those less fortunate than yourself. Giving Back Mancations could involve traveling to New Orleans to help re-build houses for Habitat for Humanity, or maybe going to Africa to share your medical skills. Everyone has something they can do and this is a great opportunity to be a man, and doing good while traveling with the guys.
Staycation Mancation - Explore your Own Back Yard!
Finally, what if you can't afford to go to some exotic location or only have a few days and don't want to waste half of it traveling? A Staycation Mancation might be exactly what you need. This doesn't mean you have to stay in your home; it just means exploring your own backyard. Take your son downtown and treat him to something special that you remember from your childhood, or maybe rent a hotel room in the city and turn off the cell phones, stay up all night watching sports and drinking beer and enjoy not being nagged by the wife.
Like everything in life, it is important to be creative. These ten types of mancations certainly aren't the only ones, so I look forward to your feedback and getting to know you better through sharing your mancation photos and stories in our community!
