Looking to get away in 2025? The experts at Lonely Planet have you covered with their Best in Travel 2025, a detailed list of the top 30 must-visit travel destinations as well as the global travel authority’s first top 10 travel trends predictions for the year ahead.
The top destinations among countries, regions and cities highlight the diversity of the list. Toulouse, France, took the top spot for cities, pulling ahead thanks to its thriving art scene, picturesque riversides and many incontournables (unmissable things to see or do). Pristine beaches, under-the-radar national parks and thriving urban nightlife helped Cameroon nab the top country spot.
For the top region, Lonely Planet picked the Low Country and Coastal Georgia in the USA – spanning from Charleston, South Carolina, to Savannah, Georgia, some 146 kilometres south. An area with profound historical and cultural significance, it is home to one of the best African-American history museums in the US as well as a unique food culture, old-fashioned southern architecture, beautiful beaches and vast marshes.
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“Best in Travel 2025 is the latest edition of Lonely Planet’s annual love letter to the world,” Nitya Chambers, executive editor of Lonely Planet, told CNN. “While mindful of our responsibilities and impact as travellers, we’re proud of the destinations, journeys and experiences featured here, and we are excited to share the local expertise and insight at the heart of these recommendations.”
For the 15th edition of the list, Lonely Planet added a curated collection of digital and social media content, including immersive videos of Chiang Mai in Thailand, the Italian city of Genoa, Vanuatu and Armenia.
It also compiled a top 10 travel trends list for the first time, accompanied by a selection of the best destinations to experience these trends firsthand. Local culture, connecting with nature and going slow dominate the travel trends for 2025. Train hopping and taking it easy both offer travellers a low-stress approach to travel. Among other trends identified by the guidebook publisher are “extreme birdwatching” – defined as a vacation planned entirely around birding – music themed getaways and seeking out underrated parks.
