The 25 best places in the world to travel to in 2025

Why Go Now: Summit a volcano 

Guatemala’s aptly named Volcán de Fuego is one of the most active volcanoes in the world—and a trek up neighboring Acatenango Volcano (the third highest in Guatemala at 13,045 feet) provides unmatched views of the spectacular eruptions. The strenuous hike passes through coffee plantations and mountainside cloud forest. Outfitters such as OX Expeditions, Antigua Tours, or the hotel Casa Santo Domingo offer one or two-day trips from the colonial town of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage site with cobblestoned streets and picturesque plazas.

Why Go Now: Escape to one of Florida’s last wild places

Most visitors to Central Florida are drawn to the area’s theme parks and beaches—but tucked between them is a green oasis. The southernmost national forest in the continental United States, Ocala is home to manatees, black bears, and rare plants, along with 600 lakes and natural springs spread across 387,000 acres. The National Forest Foundation has further expanded recreation opportunities for visitors with new fishing piers and improved trails, while also working to restore the preserve’s longleaf pine ecosystem by removing invasive species and planting seedlings.

Why Go Now: Explore a temple reborn

Thailand’s capital city is an intoxicating blend of old and new. At its heart are glittering skyscrapers mixing with luxury shopping malls like Siam Center and upscale hotels like Innside by Meliá Sukhumvit. While the city is an art and design hot spot in its own right—with popups and festivals like the Bangkok Art Biennale and the Bangkok International Film Festival, centered around the burgeoning Bang Rak neighborhood—it’s also a hub from which tourists can access Thailand’s rich cultural heritage.

Just outside the city lies one of the country’s most important monuments: Wat Chaiwatthanaram, a 17th-century Buddhist temple. The wat’s graceful architecture features a large, central prang—a Khmer-style pagoda—that is surrounded by smaller prangs and symbolizes Mount Sumeru, the sacred mountain at the center of the world in Buddhist mythology. But catastrophic flooding in 2011 and monsoon rains caused heavy damage. Ongoing restoration work has included 3D laser scanning the entire structure and building a new flood wall to preserve the temple and transform it into an educational site on Thailand’s cultural heritage.

Why Go Now: Dive into a flourishing ​​undersea ecosystem

Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago is a marine wonderland with some 500 types of corals, more than a thousand species of reef fish, and creatures like manta rays and dugongs; zebra sharks are also making a comeback thanks to conservationists.

The region is so remote it can only be explored by ship, and tour operators Abercrombie & Kent and Aqua Expeditions are launching immersive yacht trips in 2025 that highlight the archipelago’s ecosystem. National Geographic Expeditions also roams Raja Ampat during its 20-day “Exploring Indonesia by Sea” cruise, while Rascal Voyages offers charters aboard its wooden phinisi ships, Indonesia’s traditional sailing vessels.

Why Go Now: Revel in the sound of mariachi

The quintessentially Mexican music of mariachi, featuring costumed bands playing stringed instruments and trumpets, originated in Jalisco in the 19th century and has been added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Experience it firsthand in Guadalajara, Jalisco’s state capital, which hosts the International Mariachi and Charrería Festival for two weeks every August and September.

“We fill the city with celebration, folklore, and joy,” says Carlos Mateos, the festival’s general manager. Some 500 mariachi bands perform in the Teatro Degollado and public squares; there’s also parades, music workshops, and thrilling rodeo competitions of charrería, Mexico’s national sport.

Why Go Now: Embrace the spiritual serenity of a monastic stay

Some 200 Cenobitic monasteries dating from the Middle Ages are scattered across the Italian peninsula. The monks who lived in these secluded sanctuaries practiced “life in common” and provided beds for weary wanderers—a tradition that continues today, where all visitors are welcome regardless of religious affiliation.

Rooms are minimalist but the experiences aren’t: listen to Gregorian chants, view sacred objects and Renaissance artworks, or meditate amid peaceful natural surroundings. Active monasteries where travelers can stay include La Verna, set atop a cliff two hours east of Florence, and the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore ​​near Siena, where you can taste wine made by the monks in the abbey’s wine cellar.

Why Go Now: Get lost in L.A.’s new art offerings

L.A.’s cultural scene is getting a jolt of new energy. Destination Crenshaw, the largest public/private Black art program in the U.S., is transforming a 1.3-mile stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard with landscaped community spaces and over 100 commissioned works by Black artists. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is nearing completion of the glass-walled David Geffen Galleries to house the permanent collection. And the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, opening in ​​2026 in L.A.’s Exposition Park, will display works collected by Star Wars creator George Lucas.

Why Go Now: Journey with easier access to this extraordinary island

Locked in ice largely above the Arctic Circle, Greenland is tough to reach—but a new international airport in its capital, Nuuk, and flights to North America have made the world’s biggest island more accessible. Canadian North, in partnership with Air Greenland, has launched weekly nonstop flights in the summer from Nuuk to Iqaluit (with same-day connections to Ottawa and Montreal), while travelers can jet directly from New York to Nuuk on United starting in June 2025.

Once there, Greenlandic adventures include spotting colossal bergs in the Ilulissat Icefjord or experiencing Indigenous Inuit culture in Kulusuk.

Why Go Now: Experience classic Japan without the crowds

Kyoto has become so overtouristed that city officials are closing certain streets in the historic Gion quarter. But you can still get a taste of authentic Japan in Kanazawa. Located only two hours from Kyoto by train, the well-preserved castle city contains a geisha quarter filled with wooden teahouses; Kenroku-en, one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens; and an Edo-era samurai district straight out of Shogun.

Look for gilded decor throughout—Kanazawa ​​produces 99 percent of Japan’s entsuke gold leaf, a 400-year-old handmade art form. At workshops like Gold Leaf Sakuda, you can try your hand at decorating objects with the delicate gleaming sheets.

Why Go Now: Ride the rails in style

After a four-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Eastern & Oriental Express, by luxury train operator Belmond, returned to service in 2024 with a glamorous facelift. Cherry wood paneling and Malaysian silks adorn the 15 train carriages, which include an elegant piano bar car and open-air observation car.

Two regular routes offer three-night itineraries out of Singapore. The “Wild Malaysia” trip, created in collaboration with the conservation group Save Wild Tigers, visits Taman Negara National Park, where guests can learn about critically endangered Malayan tigers and take a wildlife photography class.

Why Go Now: Trek the Transilvanica Trail

The medieval city of Brasov is the gateway to the Transylvania region, a land of ancient forests, rustic villages, and Carpathian peaks.​​ And with its new airport—Romania’s first in 50 years—Dracula’s homeland is more approachable. Explore the region along the Via Transilvanica, a hiking trail completed in 2022 that runs 870 miles from the Ukrainian border to the Danube.

The Terra Saxonum section of the route passes through Saxon hamlets and the 12th-century town of Sighişoara, a UNESCO World Heritage site, while the Terra Dacica section winds among vineyards and Dacian fortresses.

Why Go Now: ​​Birdwatch and track wolves in a thriving biome

The vast Cerrado savanna supports 850 bird species and 12,000 plant species, but it has lost more than 40,000 square miles in the last decade. “The Cerrado is such an underappreciated yet incredible place, and it is disappearing before our eyes as a result of industrial agriculture and large-scale cattle ranching,” says National Geographic photographer Katie Orlinsky.

Experience this unique place up close and support economic alternatives in the region by staying at Pousada Trijunção, a seven-suite lodge in the heart of the Cerrado that partners with conservation organization Onçafari to monitor the distinctive maned wolf; you can join guides in tracking the wolves across the savanna.

Why Go Now: Spot rare wildlife

International travelers landing in Auckland usually head south, but the little-visited Northland region has fascinating wildlife and warm waters that offer excellent diving, especially in the Poor Knights marine reserve. Many fish species in the reserve, such as spotted black groper, mosaic moray, and Lord Howe coralfish, are found nowhere else in the country.

On land, normally elusive and threatened kiwis are abundant thanks to the Kiwi Coast, a coalition of more than 250 community-led conservation projects that aims to create the first protected corridor for New Zealand’s beloved national bird.

Why Go Now: Savor a culinary journey

Senegal’s West African cuisine is a tantalizing blend of Wolof and French influences. Must-try meals include ceebu jën, the national dish of fish, rice, and vegetables, and soupe kanja, a Senegalese gumbo. Take a cooking class or street food tour in Dakar with Relish Africa and be ready to share—many dishes are eaten communally in the spirit of teranga, the nation’s culture of hospitality.

“This is such a beautifully welcoming country, you know I’m so proud of my family lineage,” says actress and producer Issa Rae, who traveled to Senegal with culinary star Antoni Porowski for the new National Geographic series No Taste Like Home (coming in 2025).

Why Go Now: Observe Haida traditions in a new location

Haida Gwaii—the ancestral home of the Indigenous Haida people—comprises some 150 misty islands along the coast of British Columbia. The Ocean House, which made its name as a floating eco-lodge, recently moved ashore to the northern end of Graham Island, where it’s set on eight acres and overlooks a protected bay. Once opened, lodge activities will include roaming nearby Naikoon Provincial Park, spotting humpbacks and dolphins on whale-watching excursions, and meeting Haida artists in the village of Old Massett, where towering totem poles honor and preserve Haida traditions.

Why Go Now: Encounter a new perspective on slave trade history

The role that Barbados played in the story of slavery in the Americas is easily overlooked. An ambitious new project on the island—a major entry point for millions of enslaved Africans—seeks to change that. The new Barbados Heritage District, scheduled to open in 2025 and located where many of the enslaved were buried, was designed by David Adjaye, the Ghanaian-British architect behind the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

The new complex features a global research institute with access to the Barbados National Archives and a memorial with 570 timber poles in remembrance of the enslaved people buried below.

Why Go Now: Scale the world’s next big climbing destination

Rock climbing is on the rise in India: From bouldering to big wall climbing, local enthusiasts are developing new routes across the country, including in the majestic Suru Valley. Ringed by snowcapped peaks in the northern Ladakh region, the valley is an alpine paradise with countless granite boulders for all skill levels.

Join climbers from across the globe at the annual Suru Outdoor Fest ​​in August and September to tackle some 500 boulder problems, warming up with morning yoga and winding down with live music under the stars.

Why Go Now: Party with the Basques

Idaho boasts the U.S.’s highest concentration of Basque people, many of them descended from the Spanish and French migrants who arrived in the late 19th century to herd sheep. The region honors that heritage with Jaialdi, one of the world’s largest celebrations of Basque culture, which returns to Boise in July 2025 after a 10-year pandemic-induced hiatus. The city’s famed Basque Block downtown will host daily street parties, dancing, and music performances, while Sports Night features competitions in wood chopping and wagon lifting.

Why Go Now: Relish the city’s incredible new museums

An opulent dream years in the making, Abu Dhabi’s cultural playground of Saadiyat Cultural District on Saadiyat Island is scheduled to be completed in 2025. The district already boasts the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and will soon unveil the Zayed National Museum, named for the founder of the United Arab Emirates and a showcase of the nation’s history and culture, and the long-awaited Guggenheim Abu Dhabi; its design by architect Frank Gehry was inspired by the region’s traditional wind towers.

Why Go Now: Cruise through the agrarian heart of Australia

The third-longest navigable river in the world—bested only by the Amazon and the Nile—Australia’s Murray River flows for some 1,500 miles through the nation’s heartland from northeast Victoria to the Great Australian Bight near Adelaide. Board the new PS Australian Star, debuting in June 2025 from Murray River Paddlesteamers, ​​for leisurely multinight cruises out of the Victorian town of Echuca. Itineraries feature riverside barbecues, wine tastings, wildlife spotting, and visits to historic sites like Perricoota Station.

Why Go Now: See the Big Five in a new safari spot

Skip heavily trafficked Kruger National Park for a new safari destination in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. The nearly 50,000-acre Babanango Game Reserve is home to the nation’s most ambitious rewilding project in decades, successfully reintroducing elephants, lions, rare antelope like oribi and klipspringer, and endangered black rhinos.

Guests can take part in game drives and wildlife monitoring, then relax at one of four lodges; the Madwaleni River Lodge has bespoke safari-style tents. Other new offerings in KwaZulu-Natal include andBeyond’s reopened Phinda Forest Lodge, Homestead lodge in the Nambiti Private Game Reserve, and the oceanfront getaway Sala Beach House.

Why Go Now: Island-hop to hike this extensive new trail

Sweden’s Stockholm Archipelago contains around 30,000 islands and islets, some dotted with delightful villages, others inhabited only by seabirds wheeling over windswept beaches. You can now hike across 21 of those islands on the newly opened 168-mile Stockholm Archipelago Trail, with overnights at cozy inns like Utö Värdshus, where Greta Garbo once stayed. The best time to go: magic season, what the Swedes call the period between late summer and early fall when the sun is still warm but tranquility envelops the archipelago.

Why Go Now: Immerse yourself in an emerging urban renaissance

The Cork City Development Plan, part of the $128 billion Project Ireland initiative, is funding ambitious and innovative improvements to be completed by 2028 that will redevelop the port and docklands, refurbish the Crawford Art Gallery, and enhance the Cork Event Centre so it can host new concerts, festivals, and exhibitions. In September 2025, ​​Ireland’s second city shines during Sounds from a Safe Harbour, a biennial festival of music, dance, and conversation that was cofounded by Oscar-winning Oppenheimer actor and Cork native Cillian Murphy.

Why Go Now: Uncover the real stars of Scotland

The Oscar-nominated Banshees of Inisherin showcased Ireland’s western isles. Now An t-Eilean (The Island), a highly anticipated Scots Gaelic–language BBC drama series, will give Scotland’s Outer Hebrides a starring role, highlighting its dramatic landscapes and Celtic heritage.

Explore the ancient archipelago along the Hebridean Way, a nearly 200-mile walking and cycling route that traverses 10 islands, passing silvery beaches, whisky distilleries, wildflower-bedecked machair grasslands, and neolithic monuments like the 5,000-year-old Calanais Standing Stones. In July, the annual Hebridean Celtic Festival celebrates Gaelic language and music in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

Why Go Now: Delve into a treasure trove of Roman ruins

Once part of the Roman Empire, Tunisia has a wealth of remarkably intact archaeological ruins, and more continue to be found. A 2,000-year-old shipwreck was discovered last year off the nation’s coast. Head two hours southwest of Tunis to get a glimpse of daily life in antiquity at Dougga, considered the best-preserved Roman town in North Africa. Wander its streets to see Roman baths, temples to Juno and Saturn, a 3,500-seat theater, stones carved with Latin text, and the imposing Capitol building, with its colonnaded portico still standing.

Why Go Now: Readers’ Choice Winner

The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to inspire curious travelers from around the world—no wonder it was the overwhelming winner of this year’s Readers’ Choice vote. Sarajevo’s centuries-old history is woven into its natural beauty much like the Miljacka River, which flows under more than a dozen bridges, including the Latin Bridge and Skenderija, a foot bridge built from the same materials as the Eiffel Tower according to local folklore.

History buffs can honor the city’s resilience at landmarks such as the Tunnel of Salvation. Wine lovers can sample the country’s famed Žilavka, Blatina or Vranac varieties. Adventurers can go river rafting, alpine skiing, or hike to one of Europe’s most majestic waterfalls.