25 Unforgettable Places
to Travel to in 2025
People travel to see something new to them, or to revisit somewhere familiar. To celebrate the anniversary of a country’s independence, eat at the restaurants and street food stalls of a famous food city, or explore nature in a way few others get the chance to do. Or sometimes to just relax and escape it all.
The start of a new year is like a blank book where all of those types of travel and more seem possible with a little planning. There will be difficulties in 2025 as there are every year — overtourism, climate change, the rising cost of visiting popular destinations. Yet the journey is always worth it (and in many cases, avoids the difficulties altogether) at all of Matador Network’s 25 places to go in 2025.
Escape the heat on a “coolcation,” take advantage of newly relaxed visa requirements, and see the full lunar eclipse in one of the best places in the world to see the night sky. Or, yes, escape it all on the beach with a book.
See you out there. — Nickolaus Hines, managing editor
Cameroon | Nairobi | Ghana | Ho Chi Minh City | Ulaanbaatar | Osaka | Xi’an | Rajastan | Seoul | Helsinki | Aarhus | Paris | Fjord Norway | Nuuk | Lexington | Amarillo | South Dakota | Sacramento | Paonia | La Paz | El Salvador | Atacama Desert | Maui | Dominica | Turks and Caicos
Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon is called "Africa in Miniature" due to its wide range of diverse landscapes and cultures -- while some parts of the country primarily speak either English or French, there are about 250 local languages. In 2025, the country will celebrate its 65th anniversary of independence. This milestone year is a terrific time to explore Cameroon’s nature, history, and future.
Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is a hub city that is equally appealing whether you prefer the city or a safari. Or embrace both. Nairobi National Park, a wildlife sanctuary just minutes from the city center, has lions, rhinos, giraffes, and zebras against the backdrop of the city skyline.
Ghana
Ghana
United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic debut and ramp up direct flight service to Accra, the capital of Ghana, in 2025, making it easier to reach the national parks, culture, and food in the country.
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
April 30, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification of Vietnam, and there’s no better place to experience the celebrations than Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s southern megalopolis.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
United Airlines will start flights to Mongolia in May 2025, making it the only airline based in the United States to fly to the country. The seasonal service will operate from Tokyo-Narita International Airport (which United has direct flights to from various cities in the US) to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital city. There’s a reason why United is opting to fly to Mongolia: the country’s tourism numbers are on the rise.
Osaka
Osaka
Osaka is known as the "kitchen of Japan" — no small moniker for a country famous for incredible food. This year, the city is hosting Expo 2025, which brings together representatives from 150 nations to showcase their take on what the future may look like.
Xi'an, China
Xi'an, China
Planning a vacation to China for people in many Western countries means navigating the difficult logistics of visas. Yet in 2025 it got a lot easier when China has expanded its 144-hour visa-free policy to citizens from the United States, allowing travelers to explore select areas for 10 days without having to do a stack of paperwork.
Rajasthan, India
Rajasthan, India
India’s sheer size and diversity of culture, landscape, culinary scene, and wildlife make it equally exciting and intimidating. You can spend a lifetime traveling the country and still feel like you've barely scratched the surface. Yet there’s good reason to stick to the Golden Triangle of New Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan. It makes a vacation itinerary feel more doable, and for a first-timer, it’s a sensible place to start.
Seoul
Seoul
Once you’ve swallowed the cost of flights to South Korea’s capital, your dollar will go further than you might expect, thanks to the public transportation system, abundance of affordable (and exceptional) restaurants and accommodations, and free cultural attractions. It’s one of the cities in Asia where, if you’re smart and not partying “Gangnam style,” you can indulge in an extended vacation without breaking the bank.
Helsinki
Helsinki
The Finnish capital has consistently earned accolades for its sustainability efforts. New direct summer flights on Finnair will take travelers in the United States straight to one of the most sustainable cities in the world in 2025 (and the Matador Network Readers Choice award winner in the Sustainable Destination category).
Aarhus, Denmark
Aarhus, Denmark
Aarhus is the second-largest city in Denmark, though it typically gets much less attention from travelers than Copenhagen does. In an era when it’s more important than ever to travel off of the beaten path, there’s never been a better time to make Aarhus your main Denmark travel destination in 2025.
Paris
Paris
Paris made just about every “where to go in 2024” list because of the Olympics, but for travelers who really wan to experience the city, 2025 is the appropriate year to make plans for a trip. There won't be the Olympic crowds, for one, and Notre Dame is finally reopened after extensive repairs.
Fjord Norway
Fjord Norway
Many outdoor explorers have laced up their hiking boots to explore Fjord Norway, hopping from one fjord to another and pausing to marvel at the remarkable scenery, but this area of the country is also a fantastic place for a road trip centered around food.
Nuuk, Greenland
Nuuk, Greenland
It is hard to imagine a more apt coolcation destination than Greenland. The largest island in the world is more accessible than ever thanks to a new international airport in Nuuk, the capital city, that opened in November 2024.
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
In 2025, Lexington will celebrate its 250th anniversary with a “Come Home” month in June. From the city’s renowned horse farms and racetrack, to a thriving restaurant scene, to the close proximity to some of the nation’s most-loved bourbon distilleries, Lexington is welcoming travelers with plenty to see, eat, and do in its semiquincentennial year.
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Whether you call it the Mother Road, the Main Street of America, or simply Route 66, the lore of the open road in the United States is largely defined by one historic highway. Route 66 turns 100 in 2026, but the celebrations start in 2025 with the Texas Route 66 Festival in June.
South Dakota
South Dakota
In 2025, South Dakota is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial’s establishment. And that is just one major anniversary the state will commemorate this year. The conservation-minded Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park turns 60; the Michell Prehistoric Indian Village, the archaeological site of a 1,000-year-old Sioux village, turns 50; the Mammoth Site, where the remains of more than 60 mammoths have been found, turns 50 as well; and the legendary (and legendarily rowdy) Sturgis Motorcycle Rally will have its 85th anniversary.
Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the perfect base to try and strike it rich on a gold panning tour (or at least learn about the Gold Rush era at Old Sacramento State Historic Park), go museum hopping, and indulge in farm-to-fork dining.
Paonia, Colorado
Paonia, Colorado
In Paonia, a town of 1,500 residents in Colorado’s West Elk Mountains, pitching a tent in the high country and gazing up at the stars is a right of passage.
La Paz, Mexico
La Paz, Mexico
Some cities thrive outside the spotlight. La Paz, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur that is a base for outdoor adventure, is one of those places.
El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador's transformation from a nation plagued by violence to a burgeoning tourist destination is remarkable. Once known as the "murder capital of the world," the country has drastically reduced its homicide rate, which is now lower than most of the Western Hemisphere. It’s now safer not only in the cities and tourist hotspots but also off the typical tourist trail. Travelers are starting to take note, with a 22 percent increase in foreign visitors in 2024. Still, travelers in 2025 will be at the vanguard of one of the fastest-growing tourism regions in the world.
Atacama Desert
Atacama Desert
In March of 2025, a full lunar eclipse (when the Earth passes between the sun and moon during a full moon) will pass over the Atacama Desert for an astrological event that’s no less stunning -- particularly when you account for the fact that the area is one of the best night sky viewing locations on the planet.
Maui
Maui
After the devastating fire in 2023, the people of Maui focused their attention on rebuilding. A sustainable approach to tourism -- both for people and for the environment -- took center stage, and the island is encouraging people to return for both the draws that have long brought travelers as well as new initiatives.
Dominica
Dominica
Dominica is the Caribbean’s "Nature Island," and it earned that moniker for reasons that anyone who is trying to bring more nature into their lives in 2025 should take note of.
Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos must be on your radar if you’re looking for a low-key luxury island getaway this year. With new direct flights from Miami, the Caribbean islands will be the place to see and be seen (or not, if you opt for a quiet stay at a villa with a secluded beach).
CREDITS
Editorial lead
Nickolaus Hines
Contributors
Morgane Croissant, Katie Gavin, Nickolaus Hines, Tim Wenger