12 Places to Go in 2025 - Personal Recommendations

Every year, in addition to my “Places to Go According to the Travel Powers that Be” I create my own list of recommendations for the year (see all of them here). Some of these are places I have already gone. Others are places I haven’t been yet, so my recommendation is based on research rather than personal experience. I always make a concerted effort to ensure my recommendations are geographically distributed across the world. An unfortunate throughline with my recommendations this year is the impact of climate change and extreme weather, which makes visiting some places.

Regardless of where you chose to travel in 2025, I hope you have a fantastic time, eat some good food, and make some great memories!

Kanazawa
Japan is frequently on lists of places to go every year, and highly recommend visiting as well. But for 2025, I'm narrowing down my recommendation to one specific city – Kanazawa. Kanazawa is a medium-sized city on the central-western coast on Honshu and a highlight of my 2023 trip to Japan. The city is connected to Kyoto and Tokyo by bullet train, and has solid tourist infrastructure, but isn't crowded or overrun. Kanazawa was spared from destruction in WWII, leaving a number of historical sites intact. Kanazawa is home to several amazing gardens – the most famous of which is Kenroku-en – a restored castle, and a number of temples. My favorite was the Myoryuji Temple, which is commonly known as the ninja temple due to its trap doors and trick staircases and the like. There is also the old samurai district and a still-functioning geisha district. Finally, Kanazawa is renowned for a few crafts, particularly pottery and gold-leaf. Now, I'm not saying go all the way to Japan just to visit Kanazawa for a few days. But if you have any interest in going to Japan you absolutely need to make Kanazawa part of your itinerary. (See my take on the city here)

Rapa Nui
Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island) has been on my list of top places to go for well over a decade. Rapa Nui is most famous for the moai – which contrary to popular belief are not just heads. The moai are full body monolithic figures – it’s just that many have sunk in the ground (also heads may have been the only part that were moved to the West and thus ended up in museums – it’s a Thing). As of 2023 visitors are required to have a guide to visit the Rapa Nui National Park. The island itself, outside of the moai, is beautiful. Furthermore, if you visit in February, you can witness the Tapati Festival, which is a two-week festival of the island’s Peloponnesian populations. As to why visit in 2025? 1. It’s awesome so why not? 2. Like with everything – climate change. Sea levels are rising and erosion from increasingly turbulent seas has been putting the island and its historic sites at risk making it better to visit sooner rather than later. 

Panama
Whenever I hear the name Panama, my brain automatically supplies the word “canal” after it. And honestly, that is an absolute must see for the country. Panama has been working to develop itself more as a tourist destination in other areas though and is definitely worth a look. For history nerds, there is the Casco Viejo, which was build in 1673 after the first Panama City was burnt by pirates. Panama has been investing in ecotourism – the country has beaches, rainforests, incredible biodiversity, mountains. And roughly 30 percent of the country is protected parks and wildlife refuges, making sustainable ecotourism a potential avenue to protect those lands and endemic species. And, like so many countries, COPA Airlines, the main Panamanian airline, has launched a stop over program. So you can spend a few days in Panama on your way to South America from the US. Or if you’re in DC, spend a 4-day weekend there. Non-stop flights are only about five hours long., 

Disneyland, CA
I love Disneyland. As a native Californian, I went there a number of times growing up and twice as a high schooler on band trips. I have so, so many happy memories there. I haven't been as an adult, but I did visit Tokyo Disneyland solo, so I know the concept is still fun. First off, the rides are genuinely fun – particularly the Indiana Jones ride, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the objectively best ride, the Spinning Teacups. Now – are the lines long? Yes of course. However, Disney commits – the ride operators are in ride-specific costumes and the park does the best it can to mitigate the inherent boredom by making the line area part of the vibe and get you hyped for the ride. Which I genuinely appreciate. Is Disneyland expensive and are there more stores than rides? Oh absolutely. But it's still worth visiting if you can (and I still love the Fidget Dalmatian plushie I got when I was 8). Disneyland is fun and an Experience and I have a huge soft spot for it. So even if you've been to DisneyWorld, or another Disney park, if you can, check out the OG and visit Disneyland.

 Bhutan
Bhutan is awesome – I highly recommend going. I was in Bhutan for a week in October and it was such an incredible experience. In a nutshell, Bhutan is different than any other country I’ve been to, in terms of culture, architecture, political system, and temples. The dzongs are nothing like anything I’ve ever seen and sadly pictures are forbidden inside. But as to why go now – because the country is changing and rapidly. It has a massive demographic problem, as young people are leaving in droves. The government is working on maintaining the culture, but soccer is now more popular than archery. In addition, the Bhutanese government is working on creating a sustainable mega-city to bring better jobs to the country, which will bring it’s own changes. I only visited Western Bhutan, which is the most developed and touristed. I fully intend to go back and visit at least Central Bhutan next time. The tour guides I spoke to told me that while Central and Eastern Bhutan were far more isolated, but the government is working on it. I’m so curious what the country is going to be like in 15 years and am looking forward to seeing it. But it will be different, I’m sure, and it’s 100% worth checking out Bhutan as it is now. So if you can – highly recommend going. 

Dakar
With all the – entirely understandably – focus on safaris and nature in Sub-Saharan Africa, in 2025 I think it’s worth checking out Africa’s urban centers, and the first place that came to mind for that was Dakar, Senegal. My personal top thing to check out is the Museum of Black Civilizations – key word being civilizations – as it has exhibits on civilizations both within the African continent and the black diaspora civilizations around the world. Another must see is the Island of Goree, which was once the largest slave-trading center on the African coast and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and “memory island” for the suffering and horror of that trade. BUT – Dakar is about the now and the future as well. Dakar has numerous art galleries and the Dak’Art Biennale is a major international art festival. For some non-visual art, go to a concert and listen to Mbalax music, the modern dance/pop music of Senegal that is of course rooting in their native traditions. And the city has an emerging food scene, although I will admit said food scene does not seem very vegetarian friendly. So in 2025, check out Dakar.  

Azerbaijan
Every year there is a place where I would never think to recommend and yet after looking at from the “Best Places to Visit” lists I am all in. This year that place is Azerbaijan. Turns out the least well-known of the three Caucus countries is super interesting in its own right. Unlike Georgia and Armenia, Azerbaijan is Muslim, giving it a different flavor than its neighbors. And, before that, a center for Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is heavily associated with fire, as is Azerbaijan. As far back as Marco Polo referred to it as the land of fire. Azerbaijan has massive natural gas resources which led to sites like Yanar Dagh, which is a naturally burning fire in the outskirts of the capital, Baku. In addition, there are fire temples, which are often on the site of natural gas-fueled fires. Finally, I don’t know much about Azerbaijani food but given where the country is located, I assume it’s pretty dang good.

Belgium
Beer. Chocolate. Fries. Sometimes travel goals can be very simple. And honestly, I want to go to Belgium to drink beer, enjoy chocolate, and eat some fries. I love Belgian beer and Belgian-style ales, so for me, visiting Belgium is the beer version of when I went to Cote du Rhone or Mendoza, Argentina. As for chocolate, many people can attest to my sweet tooth and I deeply love chocolate in particular. Fries – well I feel like the appeal is self-explanatory. Now, I'm sure if I did the research I can come up with a dozen famous historical sites (even if I remove WWI battlefields). Brussels is one of the historic Capitals of Europe, so I’m sure there are fantastic palaces and museums. Bruges is beautiful and I assume very cool. Etc Etc. But – I low-key am not that interested. Sure, I'll enjoy that when I go but it's not the point of a trip to Belgium for me. That would be beer, chocolate, and fries. Sometimes, we just want to keep it simple.

Doha when flying in at night!

 Doha
Doha is another of my recommendations that surprised me. But had a potential 8-hour layover in Doha this fall, so I did a lot of research and … there is a lot of cool stuff in Doha. Being me, there are two museums I absolutely want to visit – the Museum of Islamic Art (which was also designed by IM Pei in addition to its fantastic collection) and the National Museum of Qatar. Just those two museums were enough for Doha to make my list. There is more though – Qatari food from what I had was quite good and the city is definitely developing a fine dining scene. And there is a – long but doable – nonstop from DC, which is even better since it's got great connecting flights onwards (I flew Qatar Airlines and transferred in Doha for my flight to Kathmandu).  The downside – Qatari law is very strict and I highly recommend you educate yourself – particularly if you are a woman or LGBTQ (see the UK Travel Guidance for Qatar for more information). Also, double check dress codes before you go anywhere, modest dress is required even in non-religious sites.

Bolivia
I try not to repeat countries in consecutive years, but just like in 2024, I’m recommending visiting Bolivia in 2025. Because this year marks 200 years of Bolivian independence from Spain. Since it’s an historic year, what better theme for your trip than checking out the thousands of years of Bolivian history. Start with the archeological site of Tiwakanu, the capital of an Andean Empire that is thought to have lasted from roughly 500 CE to 1000 CE. Fast forward several hundred years and visit the Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca, the birthplace of the Incan Sun God. Then head over to the city of Sucre, which was founded by the Spanish in the 1500s and is known for it’s beautiful historic sites and colonial architecture. It’s also the perfect cap to the trip as Sucre is the city where Bolivia declared itself a Republic and independent from Spain.

Alaska
While Alaska has been on my list forever, my favorite travel podcast (Out of Office) keeps pushing it higher on the list. Namely because one of the two hosts is a huge National Parks person and their episode on Denali is amazing (they do an entirely separate one on bear safety). There is way more to Alaska than Denali National Park of course (though that is clearly a must visit). Anchorage has a solid beer scene and even an emerging food scene – although being a vegetarian not one I can take advantage of. I'm also fascinated by the historically Russian enclaves, and my not-sure-how many greats grandfather was a trader there when Alaska was claimed by Russia. And with Alaskan Native-owned cruise ships and ports, I am even semi-interested in going on a cruise (and I am largely skeptical of cruises). As to why visit in 2025? Global warming. The Arctic, much like the Antarctic, is changing rapidly and who knows what is going to happen. So sooner is better than later for visiting Alaska. 

Ireland
I was completely stuck on the last recommendation for this list, and when I couldn’t decide I asked my new travel companion – a turtle plushie named Terrance (@Terrance_TurtleTravel on Instagram) – and let him decide. And he landed (literally) on Ireland. So why go to Ireland in 2025? First off, why wouldn’t you? Ireland is a fantastic place to visit. It is fairly easily accessible for Americans, and has world-class museums, ruins, history, and a beautiful coast. I’ve only been to Dublin and hiking on the coast near there (this was back in 2016) and I loved it. The National Museum of Ireland and of course Trinity College with the Book of Kells and the Long Library were amazing – I cannot recommend them enough. Outside of Dublin, I can personally recommend going hiking along the coast, especially if you organize you hike to end at a cute pub. Ireland is also known for it’s whiskey, so there are plenty of opportunities to visit distilleries and enjoy if that is your libation of choice. And the whole country is dotted with castles, which means no matter what part of Ireland you visit, there will likely be a convenient and historic castle in the vicinity. Finally, live music is an absolute must when you visit. So if you are on the fence on where to go – Terrance says check out Ireland.