“Well-liked! You’re gonna be common!” Positive, possibly you’re a Depraved moviegoer belting these lyrics together with Ariana Grande’s Glinda within the again row of the theater. However we’re singing that very same tune to the most popular locations of 2025. The curtain’s up, and these journey spots are able to take their flip within the highlight. Locations worthy of a standing ovation? Test. Motels that steal the present? Completely. Whether or not you’re chasing the northern lights, scaling towering peaks or holding area for a historic coastal metropolis the place previous and current collide, there’s a vacation spot for each traveler trying to make their yr one for the historical past books. So, with out additional ado, we current the ten greatest locations to journey in 2025. Locations, everybody! Locations! The highlight’s on you—now take your choose and let the journey start.
Grenada
The tiny Caribbean island of Grenada is the one nation with a nutmeg on its flag—and for good cause. Together with its sister islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, it’s aptly nicknamed the Spice Isle. Some say stepping off the aircraft looks like getting into a aromatic haven, with the air perfumed by cinnamon and cloves. It’s no shock, then, that final yr, Six Senses selected this paradise for Six Senses La Sagesse, marking the famend wellness model’s debut within the Caribbean. Its 56 suites and 15 villas (every with a personal pool, after all) are set between two breathtaking seashores: L’Anse Pere and La Sagesse. The latter, a sandy crescent with shallow, heat waters embraced by verdant hills, is commonly thought of one of many island’s best. It’s the right place to calm down after a go to to Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park—the world’s first underwater sculpture park—just lately upgraded with 31 new items of artwork. After a landmark 2024, marked by the celebration of fifty years of independence, a go to to the full of life capital St. George’s, with its colourful, boat-dotted harbor is a should. Whereas right here, dive into the longest infinity pool within the Caribbean at Silversands Grand Anse, a outstanding 100 meters lengthy, with buttery mushy sand and clear waters as its backdrop. Past the luxurious resorts, infinite adventures await—hike by way of Grand Etang’s rainforest or have fun Spicemas, the Caribbean nation’s very personal model of Carnival, held yearly in August.
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Pura Vida—in Costa Rica, that’s what life is all about. The nation’s unofficial motto, that means “pure life,” thrives in Guanacaste province, the place the spirit of the phrase is alive and nicely. The truth is, it’s house to the Nicoya Peninsula, one of many world’s famend Blue Zones—areas the place locals are identified for his or her exceptionally lengthy and wholesome lives. Whereas credit score goes to a healthful food plan and habits, Guanacaste’s sun-drenched, 400-mile stretch of Pacific shoreline, world-class journey and that “pura vida” frame of mind might need one thing to do with it, too. On the peninsula, go to Tamarindo—or “Tama” because it’s identified amongst locals—a surf haven for the reason that Nineteen Sixties. Past the waves, the province is a bonafide ecotourism paradise—seize a front-row seat to nationwide parks, marine reserves and wildlife retreats just like the Wild Scarlet Macaw Reserve and Camaronal Sea Turtle Refuge from ultra-luxe Punta Islita, Autograph Assortment. Additional south, there’s Santa Teresa, oozing bohemian appeal—“The brand new Tulum,” as Vogue as soon as known as it. And with Guanacaste quietly bordering Nicaragua to the north, the realm’s enchantment is simply set to develop as luxurious newcomer Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique prepares to debut on the secluded Playa Penca within the spring of 2025.
Charleston, South Carolina
In Charleston, Southern hospitality flows as freely as its candy tea. Persistently ranked among the many friendliest cities within the U.S., it’s one of many uncommon locations the place “charming” looks like an understatement. Discover the town’s historic district, together with its most photographed spot, Rainbow Row—an iconic row of 13 pastel homes. Close by, Emeline gives a contemporary boutique keep that nods to the Holy Metropolis’s golden previous. From right here, discover the open-air market or hop on a horse-drawn carriage proper outdoors the door. For a style of the town, savor native comforts like shrimp and grits or she-crab soup, or dive into the town’s acclaimed culinary scene on the Meals & Wine Traditional, returning November 14–16, 2025. Certainly one of America’s oldest cities, Charleston additionally embraces its advanced historical past. The newly opened Worldwide African American Museum—a $120 million undertaking twenty years within the making—thoughtfully examines the area’s layered previous. Simply 20 minutes outdoors of downtown, the coast beckons. On the Isle of Palms, Wild Dunes Resort—Sweetgrass Inn and Boardwalk Inn—sits amongst dunes and luxurious greenery, showcasing only a fraction of South Carolina’s 2,876 miles of Atlantic shoreline.
Maui, Hawaii
In August 2023, Maui, Hawaii’s second-largest island, confronted devastating wildfires that deeply impacted its tight-knit group. But, the island’s indomitable spirit and unwavering aloha endured. Whereas Lahaina stays closed going into 2025, Maui as soon as once more opens its doorways, inviting vacationers to reconnect with its tradition, its folks and the kuleana (accountability) of a significant go to. In Wailea, Fairmont Kea Lani—contemporary from an virtually two-year-long renovation accomplished in 2024—debuted its new Pilina restaurant and gives a “Rooted in Aloha” program the place visitors can plant timber to help the reforestation of Haleakalā Nationwide Park. For these searching for methods to offer again in paradise, the Hawaii Tourism Authority lists a wide range of voluntourism actions throughout the island. A lot of Maui’s different high resorts have additionally undergone important transformations, together with Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort. With over $350 million invested, the property now boasts refreshed visitor rooms, the expansive Kilolani Spa—the biggest in Hawaii—and can welcome the island’s first Nobu restaurant in summer season 2025. From Kihei’s golden seashores to Kapalua’s dramatic coastlines, the Valley Isle extends a heartfelt message to the world: Mākaukau Maui—“Maui is prepared.”
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva may be identified for peace and diplomacy, however in 2025, this serene metropolis swaps quiet negotiations for fierce competitors. July kicks off with the UEFA Ladies’s EURO at Stade de Genève, and in September, the inaugural Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix sees high-speed catamarans racing throughout Lake Geneva’s jewel-toned waters. For an unique perch amidst the motion, La Réserve Genève gives lakeside luxurious with a twist—think about gliding into the town aboard Venetian-style motoscafo boats. Want your magnificence with a river view? Overlooking the Rhône, Mandarin Oriental, Geneva pairs its timeless façade with Swiss refinement and culinary excellence. From vibrant Mediterranean dishes to genuine Japanese delicacies, the eating is so distinctive you would possibly momentarily neglect the Swiss Alps lie simply past. Dialing up Geneva’s appeal, the United Nations’ Portail des Nations opens in summer season 2025 on the historic Palais des Nations, inviting guests to discover multilateralism by way of 3,500 sq. meters of interactive reveals—all underneath the watchful flutter of the Alley of Flags. And if diplomacy leaves you craving one thing sweeter, seize a Choco Cross—a self-guided chocolate tour that’s principally a passport to praline paradise.
Osaka, Japan
It’s solely becoming that Expo 2025, the world’s largest showcase of innovation and design, returns to Osaka—a metropolis famend for its dynamic vitality and open-minded spirit. From April to October, Yumeshima, a human-made island, will welcome 28 million guests desperate to discover exhibitions on every part from sustainable vogue to AI-driven sensible cities. Referred to as Tenka no Daidokoro (“the nation’s kitchen”), Osaka’s forward-thinking spirit extends to its culinary scene, the place avenue distributors serve up takoyaki (fried octopus balls) and okonomiyaki (savory pancakes). Town’s kuidaore tradition—consuming till you’re broke—ensures no urge for food goes unhappy. For one thing extra refined, head to InterContinental Osaka’s Pierre, a 2024 Michelin-starred gem. After indulging, wander Dōtonbori, the place neon lights and the Glico Operating Man make it really feel like stepping right into a live-action online game. For a fowl’s-eye view of all of it, verify into Conrad Osaka, perched above the motion with views from 40 flooring up. With an inflow of tourists on the way in which, extra luxurious accommodations are sprouting up, together with Waldorf Astoria Osaka and Patina Osaka, simply steps from Osaka Fort. And with Kansai Worldwide Airport’s smooth new Terminal 1 opening simply in time for Expo, attending to this high-energy metropolis has by no means been simpler.
Dolomites, Italy
If you happen to’re trying to escape the crowds flocking to Rome for the Pope’s Jubilee yr in 2025 and like your divine experiences with a aspect of contemporary Alpine air, the Dolomites are calling—in spite of everything, even Popes and pontiffs sought refuge right here. Simply look to FORESTIS, an virtually heaven-sent, above-the-clouds sanctuary. As soon as upon a time, it was a hideaway for the Vatican’s high officers. These days, with a front-row seat to the jagged Geislergruppe, it stands as an architectural marvel on the coronary heart of this mountain vary in northern Italy, which earned UNESCO World Heritage Website standing in 2009, because of its 18 spectacular peaks. However these mountains don’t simply ship peak (although Marmolada, the “Queen of the Dolomites,” definitely impresses, towering at 10,968 toes). They ship drama, too. With vertical partitions, sheer cliffs and a labyrinth of slim, deep valleys, the mountains have a manner of constructing you are feeling small—in essentially the most awe-inspiring manner potential. The right base for exploring all of it is Ortisei in Val Gardena, a city famend for its wooden carving. See it for your self at Gardena Grödnerhof Resort & Spa. Turning 100 in 2023, it’s been underneath the watchful care of the Bernardi household since day one, proving that some issues—like superb vino and heat hospitality—solely get higher with age. Wooden paneling and Alpine stylish outline the interiors of each room, whereas its location—simply 200 meters from a cable automobile—makes reaching Alpe di Siusi, Europe’s largest high-altitude plateau, a breeze.
Vietnam
In 2025, Vietnam will mark a big second in its historical past—the fiftieth anniversary of the tip of the Vietnam Struggle and the reunification of the nation. Ho Chi Minh Metropolis (regionally nonetheless known as Saigon) will host a variety of occasions, reveals and commemorations that replicate on this half-century milestone and showcase the nation’s wealthy cultural heritage and wonder to the world. Town itself is a vibrant mix of Vietnamese, French and worldwide influences. The ornate French-built Saigon Opera Home, which opened in 1898, stands as a reminder of the town’s previous, whereas the modern Lotus Gallery (one of many metropolis’s first non-public artwork galleries) showcases the work of contemporary Vietnamese and Southeast Asian artists. To totally immerse your self on this historic event, make Park Hyatt Saigon your base, the place the magnificence of French-era Saigon is woven into the décor. For these touring throughout the nation, the upcoming opening of Tan Son Nhat Airport’s Terminal 3 in 2025 will make reaching Vietnam’s 2,000-mile-long shoreline extra accessible than ever. On the southeast coast, nestled inside Nui Chua Nationwide Park and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Amanoi—that means “peaceable place” in Sanskrit—gives beautiful views of Vinh Hy Bay. With clifftop eating, a lakeside Aman Spa and a personal golden seaside, it really lives as much as its title. On the southwest coast, Regent Phu Quoc is nestled on an island off Hà Tiên, providing suites and villas—every with its personal non-public pool.
Cartagena, Colombia
What do you get when European appeal meets Caribbean warmth? Cartagena—a 490-year-old jewel on Colombia’s coast the place historical past and vibrant streets collide. Enclosed by seven miles of historical stone partitions, the UNESCO-listed Previous City is greatest explored on foot. Stroll its colourful streets, pop into native retailers and admire the colonial structure. Enjoyable truth: the town was designed to confuse pirates, so that they’d actually get misplaced in its maze of similar blocks. On the middle sits Casa San Agustin Resort, a boutique retreat with a peaceable courtyard, pool and a 300-year-old aqueduct—Cartagena’s unique waterworks nonetheless making waves. Simply up the street, the Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena, a former 1621 convent, oozes historical past. In 1949, Gabriel García Márquez visited the positioning whereas reporting on the invention of a crypt, inspiring the Nobel Prize-winning writer’s novel Of Love and Different Demons. And for a jungle repair, Tayrona Nationwide Pure Park is only a brief hop away. Count on epic hikes, lush rainforests and a forged of untamed locals—monkeys, toucans and possibly even a jaguar for those who’re stealthy sufficient.
Iceland
If chasing the aurora borealis is in your bucket listing, 2025 is your yr—specialists say photo voltaic most will ship the final word gentle present. And the place higher to see it than Iceland? Perched on the Arctic Circle, this Nordic island really lives as much as its moniker—the Land of Hearth and Ice. With a frozen panorama above a volcanic hotbed, count on lava eruptions so as to add a component of pure drama. Vacationers heading to Iceland in 2025 might discover current volcanic exercise on the Reykjanes Peninsula, close to Keflavik Worldwide Airport and simply southwest of Reykjavik. Whereas flights stay unaffected and Iceland is protected to discover, it’s good to remain up to date. The Blue Lagoon, briefly closed attributable to seismic exercise, has since reopened. For an additional-luxe expertise, soak within the milky blue waters at The Retreat at Blue Lagoon, an award-winning resort with 60 suites—some with non-public lagoon swimming pools. One other must-experience? The Golden Circle, a street journey like no different, with Torfhús Retreat—a storybook-like escape impressed by the structure of an Icelandic Viking farm—at its coronary heart. Don’t miss Thingvellir Nationwide Park, a UNESCO World Heritage web site, the place the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are slowly however absolutely tearing aside. And no journey to Iceland is full with no keep in Reykjavik. For a stylish base close to Laugavegur Road’s purchasing and eating places (remember to go to the famed Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur scorching canine stand), verify into Cover by Hilton Reykjavik Metropolis Centre. With a various vinyl assortment and moveable file gamers, you’ll be grooving to extra than simply the aurora’s rhythm.
