National Geographic reveals its top destinations for 2025
By Maureen O’Hare, CNN
(CNN) — The hottest revival trend in travel for 2025? That would be “fun,” according to National Geographic editor-in-chief Nathan Lump, who spoke exclusively to CNN ahead of the Tuesday reveal of Best of the World 2025, the brand’s annual list of the most thrilling and purposeful travel experiences for the year ahead.
“This year, understanding the complexity of the times that we live in and some of the challenges that are present in so many places on the planet, we wanted to lean into things that we felt like were just really fun, that really kind of tapped into the joy of travel, the excitement of discovery,” says Lump.
Guadalajara, Mexico, got a spot on the list thanks to its mariachi festival held for two weeks every August and September, when some 500 bands perform in the Teatro Degollado and public squares. “The streets come alive with music,” says Lump. “That’s going to bring a lot of joy.”
Another culture-filled party destination is Boise, Idaho, home to the highest concentration of Basque people in the United States. After a 10-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, its Jaialdi festival returns in 2025, with the city’s Basque Block hosting daily street parties, dancing and music performances, as well as a Sports Night with wood-chopping and wagon-lifting competitions.
At the other end of the scale, for what Lump calls “a very Zen kind of fun,” there are Italy’s 200 or so Cenobitic monasteries, which date back to the Middle Ages. All visitors are welcome here for a monastic stay, regardless of religious affiliation. It’s a chance, says Lump, for visitors to connect with themselves or with others “in a way that could be really soulful and meaningful.”
The Irish city of Cork, hometown of “Oppenheimer” star Cillian Murphy, is undergoing an urban renaissance thanks to a huge multi-billion development plan that should be completed by 2028. Cork has “always been a fun city with a vibrant culture … and an incredibly warm local population,” says Lump.
Big-hitters with new attractions
There are also some destinations on the list that are never short of a visitor or two, such as Bangkok and Los Angeles. In the Thai capital, National Geographic is highlighting the ongoing restoration work at Wat Chaiwatthanaram, a 17th-century Buddhist temple and one of the country’s most important monuments.
In very heavily visited religious sites, such as Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, “it can be hard to connect … to the spirituality of that place, even though it is obviously an incredible wonder. This is a destination within Bangkok that we feel doesn’t have that same kind of overwhelming quality to it, but nonetheless gives you a connection to something really special,” says Lump.
L.A. is on the list for upcoming additions to its art scene, including the transformation of Crenshaw Boulevard with landscaped community spaces and more than 100 commissioned artists by Black artists. Just missing out on a next-year launch, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open in 2026 in Exposition Park and will display works collected by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas.
“One of my favorites on the list is Haida Gwaii, a collection of islands off the coast of British Columbia,” says Lump. Here in the the ancestral home of the Indigenous Haida people, visitors will be able to experience “a very different kind of cultural immersion,” with activities including whale-watching excursions and meeting local artists.
Slow travel
“We live very fast-paced lives,” says Lump, “And there is, there’s a lot to be said for stepping outside of that, connecting with nature as well as just slowing down.” Slow travel’s many fans will be particularly interested in the return to service of Malaysia’s Eastern & Oriental Express, by luxury train operator Belmond. On “Wild Malaysia” trips, guests can learn about critically endangered Malayan tigers and take a wildlife photography class.
“Our audience is really interested in active travel,” says Lump, so “we’ve got a few things like that, like hiking volcanoes in Guatemala, or rock climbing in India.” Volcán de Fuego, located in the city of Antigua, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and a trek up its neighboing volcano Acatenango offers unparalleled views of the action.
Suru Valley in the northern Ladakh region is a hub for India’s growing sport of rock-climbing, culminating in the annual Suru Outdoor Fest in August and September.
“We’re highlighting Greenland this year because it’s becoming much more accessible,” says Lump, thanks to a new international airport and new flights to North America. It’s “one of my favorite places I’ve ever been” and is “highly educational for people who want to understand the way the planet is changing.”
In Japan, National Geographic’s pick for 2025 is Kanazawa, as an alternative to the much-loved but highly touristed city of Kyoto. The country’s center of gold leaf production, “we think Kanazawa provides a really interesting, alternative way to experience some of that traditional flavor of Japan and the real local culture of Japan, but in a way that is a bit more peaceful and a little bit less overwhelming.”
For more of the 2025 list, including destinations in Florida, Sweden, Tunisia and Indonesia, visit Best of the World 2025.
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