Travel inspiration is everywhere you look. The question is where to go next. Here’s our annual list of superlative destinations for the coming year – places filled with wonder, rewarding for travelers of all ages and supportive of local communities and ecosystems. Reported by our global editors and curated from five categories (Community, Nature, Culture, Family and Adventure), these 25 destinations for 2023 are under the radar, ahead of the curve and ready for you to start exploring.
Discover Karpathos, Greece, a surprising and sublime place in Dodecanese Islands, where women-led businesses are leading the way in sustainable tourism. Spend a long weekend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a vibrant Great Lakes city that celebrates its cultural community as much as its breweries. Experience how old traditions and contemporary perspectives intersect, with indigenous tourism producers in Alberta, Canada. Ride a new high-speed train that makes less known regions of laos accessible to tourists and brings economic opportunities to locals. Head to Ghana to explore black heritage and mingle with a trendy crowd in the capital, Accra. (Learn more about how these top world destinations support their communities.)
Marvel at its biodiversity BOTSWANA—as well as programs for the rehabilitation of endangered species, the creation of wildlife corridors and the development of community-owned tourism projects. Lasts in Scottish Highlands, where a restoration movement aims to restore the original landscape and native flora and fauna. IN Sloveniaa long-time leader in sustainable tourism, embarked on new gastrotourism bike routes that visit farms, vineyards, cheesemakers and other food producers. Big Bend National Park brings the legend of the Texas frontier to life – but the scenery will also surprise you. IN Azores, clap Award-winning sustainability programs that preserve the natural wonders of this volcanic archipelago known for whale watching and hot springs. (Find our best destinations for nature lovers.)
Visit King Tut’s new home at Egypt at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo and see the Avenue of the Sphinx in Luxor. Tap into the creative energy of Asia’s best film festival and drink craft beer Busan, South Korea, the country’s second largest city. Make a pilgrimage through history together Italy’s Appian Way, the ancient “superhighway” of Europe. Explore culture and history—with a side of low country cuisine—at the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolinaalready. See one of the world’s largest collections of stone statues at The speed of the tall ones, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Henan Province, China. (Here’s how to visit these world’s best destinations.)
IN Switzerland, ride the rails to quaint Alpine towns for chocolate, hiking and skiing. Help save the turtles inside Trinidad and Tobago, one of the most important leatherback turtles in the world. IN San Francisco, California, gather around a campfire overlooking the Golden Gate at the Presidio Tunnel Tops and walk the urban Crosstown Trail. Go bird watching in the bird paradise that it is ColombiaDisney’s Enchanted Land Beauty. Visit the playing grounds of a famous football team in Manchester, England—and get inspired by the city’s art scene, too. (Explore more of these family-friendly destinations.)
Travel to Choquequirao, Peru, a secluded Inca site that’s under the radar – but will soon be more accessible. IN New Zeland, the country that invented bungee jumping, revives your sense of adventure after the pandemic. Get your adrenaline pumping in the less visited areas of the popular adventure state Utah. IN Austria, hike the cross-country Bergsteigerdörfer mountain village network to experience local culture. Finally, add Revillagigedo National Park, Mexico, on your route. Its protected waters, supported by National Geographic’s Pristina Seas initiative, hold one of the largest concentrations of sharks and manta rays in the world. (Dive deeper into these adventurous journeys.)
Written by George Stone with contributions from National Geographic Travel global editors with additional reporting by Andrew Nelson and Karen Carmichael.
