2025 is welcoming a bevy of new travel experiences, from luxury train rides on the recently reopened Orient Express, to treks along some fresh hiking routes, including the new Transilvanica Trail in Romania and the Stockholm Archipelago Trail. To help you choose your next intrepid excursion, explorers, photographers, and editors at National Geographic have compiled a 2025 list of top travel destinations.
The list is a healthy mix of hard and soft adventure, from summiting a volcano in Antigua, Guatemala to setting off on a culinary journey through Senegal. There are a few domestic favorites, too, like Los Angeles, CA, which boasts an art scene brimming with new life, and Boise, Idaho, which unexpectedly hosts the world’s largest celebrations of Basque culture, set to return this year. Below are the 25 (plus one Reader’s Choice bonus) best travel experiences you can have in 2025, according to Nat Geo:
1. Summit a volcano in Antigua, Guatemala
2. Escape to one of Florida’s last wild places, Ocala National Forest
3. Explore a restored temple in Bangkok, Thailand
4. Go diving in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
5. Enjoy mariachi in Guadalajara, Mexico
6. Stay at Cenobitic Monasteries, Italy
7. Check out new art in Los Angeles, CA
8. Take a non-stop flight to Greenland
9. Go off the beaten path in Kanazawa, Japan
10. Catch a ride on the Eastern & Oriental Express through Malaysia
11. Trek the Transilvanica Trail of Brasov, Romania
12. Go bird-watching in Cerrado, Brazil
13. Spot rare wildlife in Northland, New Zealand
14. Go on a culinary journey through Senegal
15. Observe Haida traditions in British Columbia
16. Reflect on slave trade history in Barbados
17. Go climbing in Suru Valley, India
18. Celebrate Basque culture in Boise, Idaho
19. Check out new museums in Abu Dhabi
20. Cruise through Australia’s Murray River
21. Go on safari in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
22. Trek the Stockholm Archipelago Trail
23. See a newly refurbished Cork, Ireland
24. Take the Hebridean Way in Scotland
25. Explore Roman ruins in Tunisia
Bonus: Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Herzegovinia
Looking for more travel inspo?
If you’re ready for an adventure but not sure where you’d like to go or what to do, we’re on it. The best new hotels opening up around the world. The most exciting places to travel without a passport. The world’s best beaches, as ranked by travel influencers. It’s all here along with all the travel news you need to stay informed and inspired.