The Best Places to Travel in 2025

Looking ahead to the top travel destinations of 2025, let’s move past the ordinary and embrace the extraordinary. This year is about immersing yourself in journeys that awaken your spirit, spark your imagination, and elevate the very essence of your wanderlust.

In 2025, it’s not only about the destination but the gateways to unforgettable moments, mouthwatering flavors, and memories that will inspire you for years to come. From Iceland’s magical winter wonderland to Mexico’s tropical paradise, the world is calling, and adventure is waiting.

Get ready to discover this year’s top five must-visit destinations and let the journey begin!

Best Places to Travel in 2025 For Food & History

Hotel Rangá: An Icelandic Bucket List Experience 

Set in the countryside of South Iceland, Hotel Rangá promises the coziest of comforts paired with an exhilarating experience that only comes with exploring the vast land of fire and ice. The country’s most spectacular sites, from the iconic Golden Circle to the famous Þórsmörk Nature Reserve, can be uncovered along the South Coast.

Hotel Rangá offers the perfect blend of cozy comfort and thrilling adventure, inviting you to explore the awe-inspiring landscape of fire and ice.

Hotel Rangá, located in the adventure capital of this region, is a luxe and rustic oasis, ideal for soaking in Iceland’s myriad natural wonders. Guests of Hotel Rangá can choose from a number of adventures available, including a Super Jeep to an ice cave, riding an Icelandic horse, or chasing countless waterfalls.

After exploring the area, there is no better place to relax than in one of the hotel’s suites, themed after each of the seven continents. Beyond their rooms, guests can cozy up with a book, belly up to the bar for a Viking beer, or slip into one of the property’s outdoor, geothermal heated hot tubs. The acclaimed Restaurant Rangá serves seasonally-inspired, modern Nordic cuisine, from reindeer carpaccio to wild mushroom soup, alongside river and volcano views.

One of the greatest highlights of staying at Hotel Rangá is the bucket list topper of seeing the swirling greens and blues of the aurora borealis painted across the sky. The hotel’s secluded location allows for optimal viewing (there is less artificial light pollution here). They conveniently offer Northern Lights wake up calls, too. On clear nights, when the lights may not visit, their onsite stargazing observatory with a roll-off roof and high-quality astronomical telescopes is a great alternative. 

The South Coast allows everyone, from light chasers to nature lovers, to check off something on their bucket list. For a memorable stay at a hotel as one-of-a-kind as Iceland itself, visit https://hotelranga.is/

Rancho Pescadero: Where Mexican Soul meets Earth-inspired Luxury 

Located in the quaint fishing town of El Pescadero, the luxurious oceanfront Rancho Pescadero is immersed in the uncomplicated pleasures of Baja’s striking landscape. The sprawling 30-acre property is surrounded by desert, majestic mountain ranges, and a playground of native flora and fauna, offering guests a front-row seat to nature’s live show. 

Fresh off the heels of a ground-up transformation and meticulously designed to blend with its surroundings, Rancho features 103 suites and villas; an environmentally conscious focus; an ethnobotanical culinary program; and a reimagined concept of destination wellness. 

The journey begins at an unmarked concrete entryway where guests transcend into a paradise filled with lush, colorful plants. From there, they travel by brick or sand path through grounds that unfold from the desert to the dunes. Twelve beachfront villas with plunge pools, fire pits, and outdoor showers boast spacious suites with sweeping coastal and ocean views and bohemian-chic décor sourced from local artisans.  

At the resort’s 25,000-square-foot wellness pavilion, guests can forage the gardens for home-grown herbs to transform into oils, tinctures, and scrubs for spa treatments in cozy outdoor treatment nests. With experiences ranging from native cacao ceremonies and guided meditations to reformer Pilates and aerial yoga, there’s something for everyone. 

Dining leaves nothing to be desired. There is the elegant Kahal seafood restaurant that hugs the curves of the secluded shoreline and boasts sunset views; the earthy Botánica garden restaurant, which emphasizes locally grown produce; and Centro, a social hub with fresh Mexican fare and a rooftop breakfast bar, where guests can count whales in the distance as they sip their morning coffee. 

The resort is adults-only, a member of Virtuoso, and part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection of luxury properties. www.ranchopescadero.com 

​​Barnsley Resort

Just over an hour northwest of Atlanta lies Barnsley Resort, a 3,000-acre destination promising a wholehearted escape to nurture deep connections. The storybook site is home to a 55-room Inn and 39 multi-bedroom cottages, fresh off a top-to-bottom, multi-million-dollar renovation and redesign by Charlotte Lucas Design. Whether travelers prefer to spend the day practicing their swing at the 18-hole Jim Fazio golf course, saddling up for a guided horseback ride through the rolling hills, playing a round at the new pickleball courts, exploring the Manor House Ruins and Gardens that date back to the 1840s, or indulging in well-deserved rest and relaxation at The Spa, this award-winning resort caters to every traveler’s passion. 

Mendoza invites wine-loving travelers to explore bodegas, indulge in delectable cuisine, and bask in the blissful fusion of wine and mesmerizing landscapes. For a spontaneous day of tastings and tours, navigate the Maipu Valley region where reservations generally aren’t needed. Visits to wineries in Mendoza’s Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley regions will require advanced planning but are well worth the extra leg work for the impressive wines, avant-garde architecture, and a full panorama of the Andes astride a stallion!

For an additional dose of excitement, take aim with the resort’s AAA challenge with archery, axe throwing and air rifles, or scope out the newly updated Beretta Shooting Grounds by High Adventure Company with two 15-station clays courses and seasonal wingshooting from October through March. Whether travelers are novices or savvy shooters, on-site experts can guide and elevate everyone’s game. 

The resort’s culinary program is under the helm of Executive Chef Marc Suennemann, who is no stranger to the Atlanta and Southern dining scene. The resort boasts three on-site restaurants under his helm, ranging from seasonal fine dining at Rice House and Southern comfort food at Woodlands to barbeque and an evolving menu of regional, German, and European brews at the new build, al fresco Biergarten. On weekends, guests would be remiss to skip the bourbon ritual, which entails a tasting of the resort’s pecan-infused Woodford Reserve.

Whether you’re seeking a relaxing getaway or an adventurous escape, Barnsley Resort serves as the ultimate retreat to unplug, reconnect, and escape together. 

Thompson Zihuatanejo

Hidden along the white sands and surf and swim-friendly waters of Playa La Ropa on Mexico’s Pacific Coast lies the charming fishing village of Zihuatanejo. Located just north of the more bustling Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo has been a longtime hideaway for creatives like Andy Warhol and Betsey Johnson.

The sophisticated beachfront boutique, Thompson Zihuatanejo, is the ideal retreat for those looking for a getaway off the beaten path. Designed with a balance of the old world and new, Thompson Zihuatanejo’s unique 56-room (no two rooms are the same) property offers suites with private plunge pools framed with rustling palms and coconut trees, along with swim-up suites, ideal for those traveling with a group. Accommodations reflect the signature Thompson mid-century style and are accented with Oaxacan clay light fixtures, local artwork, and a natural palette dipped in earthy tones to create a laidback meets luxury feel. 

Here, hotel guests can indulge in a one-of-a-kind resort setting with an ocean view and seasonally inspired culinary experiences. Under the watchful eye of Executive Chef Javier Garcia Cerrillo, the resort is home to two critically acclaimed restaurants, Ceniza and HAO, and various culinary pop-up events. Guests can observe unique dining techniques, such as open-fire cooking, indulge in Zihuatanejo specialties, and learn from the master himself during an intimate cooking class on the sand.

With a full-service beach club, a relaxing spa, two tennis courts, morning yoga, a trio of swimming pools, and the warm Pacific steps away, there is plenty of relaxation on tap at Zihau’s only resort with a beach. Thompson Zihuatanejo offers something for everyone, whether traveling as a couple or in a group, in an ideal picturesque setting. There are offsite tours, sport fishing, snorkeling, and so much to explore in the surrounding area. Visit www.thompsonzihuatanejo.com for more information on this unique Mexican destination. 

Resorts World Bimini

Nestled here on its shores lies Resorts World Bimini, an expansive oceanfront oasis that will have guests living in their own tropical haven as they unwind at the chic 305-room Hilton hotel, take a dip in one of four pools, or try a little bit of everything at the sixteen bars and restaurants found around the all-encompassing complex. 

There is no shortage of experiences for travelers to indulge in whether it’s trying their hand at the world-class casino, pampering themselves at the island-inspired spa, or shopping around the open-air shopping center at Fisherman’s Village. When it’s time to cool off from the Bahamian heat, both the ground-floor lagoon pool and the adults-only rooftop infinity pool offer reprieve alongside breathtaking views of the Caribbean sea and tasty poolside bars serving up ice-cold, specialty cocktails and local bites.

When guests are ready to kick it up a notch, head to Resorts World Bimini Beach, a 4.5-acre private beach and lounge that blends laidback luxury with unrivaled ocean backdrops and vibes similar to beach clubs in Mykonos or Tulum. The day club features two stunning lagoon pools, day beds shaded by palapas, private oceanfront cabanas, bohemian-inspired decor, local bites, all-day live entertainment, and picturesque views of the Caribbean Sea. A variety of DJs and musicians take the stage every weekend at the panoramic DJ booth overlooking the adults-only lagoon pools—home to the best parties on the island. 

For the food lovers out there, Resorts World Bimini has a delectable array of on-property dining options. Guests will find culinary delights like classic Caribbean BBQ, fresh seafood, comfort foods, and more that will for sure satisfy the taste buds of even the pickiest eater. And if dining at a Top Chef-created restaurant is on their bucket list, they are in luck! The resort’s Sushi Bar offers a variety of specialty sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi, and other classic Asian dishes—all curated by Top Chef’s season three winner, Hung Huynh.

With so much to do on-property, guests may never want to leave; but if they get that inkling to explore the island’s charm, what better way to do so than by grabbing a golf cart! Guests can embark on an island-wide bar crawl stopping by famous conch salad stands, trying Bimini bread pizza, and sipping on Bahama Mamas, before enjoying a picturesque sunset on Radio Beach.