Destinations to Visit in 2025

Travel and Leisure recently released their list of the 50 best places to visit in 2025. In this episode, we discuss some of the destinations that stood out to us across 7 categories: big city thrills, cultural immersion, adventurous travel, moments on the water, food and drink, beach vibes, and nature lovers.

Big City Thrills

Some noteworthy big city destinations include:

• Detroit, MI - The NFL draft was recently held here and drew record crowds. The city is undergoing major revitalization.
• Portland, OR - Known for its vibrant culture and natural beauty
• Rome, Italy - 2025 is a Jubilee year, which only happens once every 25 years. Expect big crowds of Catholic pilgrims.

Cultural Immersion

Top picks for cultural immersion include:

• Budapest, Hungary - The former grand capital of the Austria-Hungarian empire.
• Charleston, SC - Home to important African-American history and culture. A new museum recently opened here.
• Lisbon, Portugal - Known for its sunshine, food, fado music and southern charm. United launching direct flights from Newark to Faro in the Algarve region.

Adventurous Travel

Some adventurous and remote destinations on the list:

• The Caucasus Mountains - Spanning Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
• Greenland - Visitation was up over 70% in 2022. New flights from United Airlines makes it more accessible.
• Philippines - Known for beautiful blue waters and island hopping. New direct flights from Seattle on Philippine Airlines.

Oddly, Universal Orlando also made this adventurous list thanks to a new high-tech theme park opening called Epic Universe.

Moments on the Water

Top water destinations include:

• Apostle Islands, WI - Sea kayaking destination on Lake Superior
• Barbados - Beautiful Caribbean island famous for its rum
• French Riviera, France - Iconic Mediterranean coastline with glamorous towns like Nice, Cannes and Saint-Tropez
• Nova Scotia, Canada - Know for its national park with wild horses and gray seals. Easier to reach thanks to new American Airlines flights.

Food and Drink

Can't miss destinations for food include:

• Colorado's Western Slope - Up and coming wine region
• Crete, Greece - Becoming popular as an alternative to overcrowded Santorini and Mykonos
• Osaka, Japan - Famous for its culinary scene and electric nightlife
• San Antonio, TX - Great Tex-Mex food and culture
• Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico - Mexico's top wine region located in Baja California

Beach Vibes

Best beach spots include:

• Costalegre, Mexico - New luxury hotels opening up
• Grenada - In the Caribbean
• Sanibel Island, FL - Recovering after Hurricane Ian devastation
• Santa Monica, CA - Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2025
• Turks and Caicos - Year-round average temperature of 80°F. New flights from Miami on American Airlines.

Nature Lovers

Top nature destinations:

• Anchorage, AK - Opportunity to see the Northern Lights
• Bhutan - Home to Mt. Everest base camp
• Fiji - Fiji Airways launching first flights beyond the West Coast to Dallas-Fort Worth
• Yukon, Canada - See the Northern Lights and dog sled across ice fields

Be sure to check out the full list of 50 places for even more travel inspiration!