Where to travel in 2025?

2025 is just around the corner, and it is time to plan your next tour!

How about experiencing America’s iconic highways? Madagascar’s unique nature and wildlife? Or Thailand’s beautiful islands?

We have compiled ten picks for where to travel in 2025. Check out our recommendations below, which offer a mix of nature experiences, cultural gems and adventures that you will not soon forget.

1. USA – Adventures on iconic highways

The United States is one of the new exciting travel destinations we launched in the past year.

The United States opens the doors to a world of cultural impressions and nature experiences.

You can look forward to breathtaking views and historic small towns as you drive on iconic highways like Highway 1, Route 66 and Overseas Highway. Drive to national parks like Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Zion, where you will see everything from huge rock formations and vast forests to waterfalls, giant trees and lush valleys.

If you prefer city life, cities such as San Francisco, New York and Miami can offer world-class culture, shopping and culinary experiences.

And let us not forget the beautiful American beaches. In Western United States, you can soak up the sun on famous beaches like Santa Monica and Venice Beach in California, where the east coast shines with its beaches in, for example, Fort Myers in Florida.

If you are dreaming of a mix of big city, nature and beaches all rolled into one tour, the United States should definitely be on your bucket list for 2025.

2. Tanzania – Safari experiences in the south

Bypass the classic safari routes and explore the unspoiled wilderness of Southern Tanzania in 2025.

Travel to Southern Tanzania to visit the Nyerere and Ruaha National Parks, which offer wild and beautiful safari experiences for the initiated few. Unlike the more visited northern national parks, including Serengeti and Ngorongoro, not many travellers have yet discovered Southern Tanzania. Here, you will therefore get some exclusive safari adventures that few others can boast of having experienced.

Nyerere National Park is Tanzania’s largest national park with its 30,000 km2, and it boasts wild and varied nature as well as one of the largest populations of lions in Africa.

Ruaha National Park has wild landscapes with lots of Baobab trees. The park is famous for its large herds of elephants, and it is one of the best places in Tanzania to experience the endangered wild dog.

If you have already been on safari in Tanzania or if you are simply dreaming of going on a safari in a place few other travellers visit, you should travel to Nyerere and Ruaha in 2025.

3. Peru – Magical Machu Picchu and adventures in the Andes

For adventurers, Peru is a must destination in 2025. Here you can experience both rich cultural treasures and unique nature.

Peru is a mecca of history, nature and culture, and, at the top of the list of attractions, you will find the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, with a fairytale location in the Andes surrounded by misty forest and green mountain peaks.

And the Andes also form the setting for some of the world’s perhaps most beautiful trekking routes including the Inca Trek – for travellers looking for the full Inca experience. Here, you follow the famous Inca Trail and gain insight into the history of the Incas while hiking in the beautiful surroundings of the Andes.

The colourful city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas not far from Machu Picchu, offers local markets brimming with a vibrant atmosphere and traditional crafts.

Will 2025 be a year of adventure?

4. Thailand – Island hopping between paradise beaches

There is nothing to indicate that Thailand’s popularity will be declining anytime soon, and we have added a lot of new tours to our programme in the past year!

Thailand is big cities, temples, nature and national parks and, not least, beaches that, together and individually, will steal your heart away.

Islands will take centre stage in 2025, and Thailand is home to some of the world’s most beautiful islands – both popular and very well-known islands – and lesser-known gems that do not have many visitors.

Phuket is Thailand’s largest and probably best known island. It has more than 30 different beaches, and the island is an outstanding choice if you are island hopping or as the final destination on a tour of Thailand. In addition to its beautiful beaches, which should obviously be part of a tour here, Phuket offers exciting cultural experiences. For example, Phuket Old Town charms many visitors with its colourful old buildings.

If you would like to explore some of the less visited islands, we can recommend Koh Ngai or Koh Kood, located in Southwestern and Eastern Thailand, respectively. Koh Ngai has no permanent inhabitants, and, apart from a few resorts and restaurants, the island consists primarily of jungle and cliffs. Koh Kood is a hidden gem where you can also experience the quiet island life. In addition to the paradisiacal beaches, the island hides lush rainforest and beautiful waterfalls.

Is Thailand going to steal your heart in 2025?

5. Madagascar – Nature, culture and lemurs

We just managed to round off 2024 by FINALLY getting Madagascar on our list of amazing travel destinations.

Madagascar is a paradise for nature lovers and travellers who want to experience ‘the eighth continent’ as it is popularly called. Experiencing Madagascar is like experiencing a completely different world. Or perhaps rather many countries in one country.

Here you can, in fact, experience rainforest reminiscent of Costa Rica, rice terraces like in Bali, plains that are confusingly similar to those you find in Serengeti and beautiful mountain landscapes.

The country has truly unique flora and fauna, and 90% of the wildlife is found nowhere else in the world! And this is where the lemur monkey species comes into the picture. There are about 100 different species of lemurs, and their only natural habitat is in Madagascar. For example, you can experience the Indri lemur, whose call is so piercing that it can be heard up to 5 km away.

Do you want to feel on your own body how the lemur’s song can give you goosebumps? Then you should choose Madagascar in 2025!

6. Mexico – A touch of Yucatán

In 2025, we embarked on yet another chapter in our history of Mexico, introducing more experiences on the magical Yucatán Peninsula.

Located in Southeastern Mexico between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, the Yucatán Peninsula is a must-see for travellers who love to combine history and cultural experiences with relaxation on world-class beaches.

You probably know the biggest of Yucatán’s sights – the complex of ruins Chichen Itza, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

But Yucatán also offers many, lesser-known sights. For example, have you heard of cenotes? You will find these beautiful, natural freshwater sinkholes throughout the Yucatán Peninsula. They are both much-needed oases in the Mexican heat, but also bears witness to Mayan culture and history. The cenotes were sacred and indispensable in the daily life of the Mayans.

You should also explore the colourful colonial city of Valladolid, which oozes Mexican charm and contains a rich history, beautiful architecture and a laid-back atmosphere. Grab a bite of Mexico when you taste the specialties of the area, for example ‘Sopa de Lima’ or ‘Cochinita Pibil’.

Finally, there is no getting around mentioning the paradisiacal beaches. For example, the paradise island of Isla Holbox’s white sandy beaches, lagoons and crystal clear waters is the perfect getaway after all the experiences in Yucatán.

Are you ready for a tour packed with history, culture and paradisiacal beaches?

7. Kenya – Gems outside Masai Mara

In 2025, we will take you to Kenya’s lesser-known areas, which offer at least as magnificent safari experiences as Masai Mara.

Masai Mara may get all the attention, but Kenya is a mecca of exciting national parks and nature reserves.

Right on the outskirts of Nairobi, overlooking the big city, you will find Nairobi National Park, which is home to more than 100 different species. This gives you the opportunity to experience African wildlife without leaving the city limits. The national park is small but contains a large population of rhinos – so if you want to experience rhinos, Nairobi National Park is the place to visit. The only classic safari animal you will not find here is the elephant. With its 117 km2, the national park is simply too small for these big giants

Further south, you can visit Tsavo National Park, Kenya’s largest national park. In fact, Tsavo is divided into two: Tsavo East and Tsavo West. Tsavo East is the larger of the two. Here the soil is bright red. The red, volcanic soil also colours the elephants in the park in red dust, as they diligently take dust baths to cool down their bodies.

In fact, Tsavo has the largest number of elephants in Kenya, so we can almost issue an elephant guarantee here. Where the landscape in Tsavo East is flat and dry, in Tsavo West you will find both mountains and springs, for example the famous Mzima Springs.

Are you ready to explore Kenya’s beautiful nature and wildlife outside Masai Mara?

8. Laos – The best travel destination in 2025?

Laos has earned a spot on Lonely Planet’s list of the best travel destinations in 2025, and this often overlooked destination really deserves more attention!

The quiet country just northeast of Thailand offers unspoiled nature and magical cities.

In the charming city of Luang Prabang, in the northern part of the country, you will find beautiful temples and a unique atmosphere that can be difficult to imagine until you have experienced it yourself. Buddhism makes its special mark throughout the city, where the monks’ morning alms procession is an unmissable experience. Even if you have to get up early!

The nature in and around Luang Prabang is also a chapter by itself. From the top of the Phousi Mountain, you can get excellent views of the city and the Mekong River, and, at the Kuang-Si Waterfalls, just south of the city, you can take a refreshing dip.

The location of Laos makes it easy to combine a visit here with some of the other Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and/or Thailand.

Do you want to experience Southeast Asia’s best-kept secret? Then hurry in 2025 before others discover it.

9. Australia – Exceptional and unique nature experiences

We have had Australia on our programme for a while, but we launched two fantastic self-drive tours in 2024.

Australia is an exceptional self-drive country and a true paradise for travellers looking for unique nature experiences. Some of the world’s most beautiful coastlines await you here, with attractions lined up one after the other like pearls on a string.

The Great Ocean Road is perhaps the best-known self-drive route in Australia. The road stretches for 243 kilometres along Australia’s breathtaking southeast coast and features charming coastal towns and the world-renowned limestone formations, The Twelve Apostles.

If you choose the route up Australia’s east coast instead, you really get the opportunity to experience the country’s enormous size. Here we can especially highlight nature experiences such as the Great Barrier Reef, the group of islands known as the Whitsundays and the world’s largest sand island K’gari (Fraser Island).

Would you like to experience the ultimate freedom on a self-drive tour in 2025?

10. Argentina – The Andes and Iguazú

Argentina is a classic. And, in 2025, it is time to put the country back on your bucket list.

Argentina offers some of South America’s most spectacular landscapes, so it obviously deserves a place on your list.

With the beautiful Andes, fascinating salt flats and voluminous waterfalls, the diversity of Argentina’s nature is unique.

In Northern Argentina, not far from the city of Salta, you will find the impressive salt flat, Salinas Grande, which is a totally spectacular sight. And the Quebrada de Humahuaca valley in the Andes has some amazing rock formations that shimmer in an exciting palette of colours.

From the arid landscapes in the north, we move towards the lusher landscapes of the east to the unique Iguazú Falls, which border Brazil. On the Argentinian side, you can experience Garganta del Diablo or the Devil’s Jaw, which is the largest of a total of 275 large and small waterfalls. If this amazing sight does not blow your mind, nothing probably will.

Should Argentina be on your bucket list of travel destinations in 2025?

Do you know where you want to go in 2025?

Are you closer to a decision on what will be your travel destination in 2025?

No matter which of our destinations you choose, we promise that it will be a true adventure.

If you need help finding the perfect destination for you, please feel free to contact our travel specialists.

It’s safe to explore the world with TourCompass – we’re with you all the way!

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