Shebara Resort in the Red Sea—one of the greatest places to visit in 2025.
Courtesy of Shebara Resort
What are the best places to visit in the world in 2025? Time recently revealed its annual list of the World’s Greatest Places, highlighting 100 extraordinary destinations to visit and stay—from resorts and cruises to restaurants and attractions.
In its seventh year, Time’s list is compiled through nominations from international correspondents and contributors, along with an application process. The goal? To find one-of-a-kind spots around the globe that offer transformative experiences, tempting travelers to venture farther and embrace the authentic.
“Because Time is a global news publication, our travel issue focuses on newsworthy destinations around the world—including hotels, museums, restaurants, attractions, national parks and more, across all price points,” editorial director Emma Barker Bonomo told me in an interview. “We take a holistic look at areas and places that are not just popular or luxurious but are relevant to today’s travelers.”
This year’s list spans the globe from Florida to Japan, with the U.S. having the most locations—22. Compare this year’s picks to last year’s list, when the United States also led the count.
Besides destinations, Time’s list tracks trends in travel. “We saw a rise in indigenous cuisines around the world and focused one of our pieces on Amazonian restaurants, including AWA in Lima, Peru. Luxury train travel is also having a big year, and we included L’Observatoire in Europe and The Ghan in Australia on our list,” says Bonomo. “And as a pinnacle of the astrotourism trend, we featured the new Astronomy Discovery Center at The Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz., which includes an open-air planetarium, where visitors get live commentary on that night’s sky from their heated seats.”
Another big trend: travel’s big comeback. “The tourism industry rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, and surged ahead in 2024, setting consumer-spending records and accounting for an estimated 9% to 10% of global GDP, and this year, it looks to pull in even more money,” Time’s editors said in a statement.
Below is a preview of 17 standout places from Time’s 2025 list, including iconic landmarks, new cultural institutions, cutting-edge resorts and more.
The Viewpoint Hotel in Maine with a view of Nubble Lighthouse.
courtesy of the Viewpoint Hotel
United States
Viewpoint Hotel – York, Maine
Maine’s 1879 Nubble Lighthouse is one of the state’s most iconic landmarks. Now, thanks to Joseph Lipton and Michelle Friar, there’s a new way to view it—in style—from the shoreside rooms at the Viewpoint Hotel. Time calls these modern rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows “a sleek look for an otherwise traditional New England beach town.”
The Lowell Observatory – Flagstaff, Arizona
The Lowell Observatory is the legendary site where the planet Pluto was discovered in 1930. It recently unveiled an open-air planetarium, where modern-day explorers can get a spectacular viewing of the night sky. What space discovery will happen here next?
Wine Spa – Willamette Valley, Oregon
At entrepreneur Kelly Lewis’s new Wine Spa in the Willamette Valley “wine and wellness are closely intertwined,” says Time. Guests can take a wine bath while sipping a glass and indulge in vinotherapy treatments. Plus, it’s sustainable, since much of the wine that’s used in the treatments comes from discarded bottles.
A pool hidden in the rocks at Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe in Mexico.
Courtesy of Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe
Mexico & The Caribbean
Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe
Time is excited about Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe, a modernist hilltop retreat with a private winery. A standout amenity: “Each villa comes with its own private plunge pool for late-night stargazing with a glass of red,” says Time.
Sandals Saint Vincent – St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Time calls the latest Sandals resort on Buccament Bay in St. Vincent and the Grenadines “Sandals 2.0.,” thanks to Adam Stewart—who is carrying on the vision of his father, the late Jamaican businessman Gordon “Butch” Stewart.
The Roxy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Courtesy of The Roxy
South America
The Roxy – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Roxy Theater, a 1938 landmark theater in Copacabana has been restored and transformed into Roxy Dinner Show, offering up what Time calls “a four-hour immersive experience of food, music and dance.”
AWA – Lima, Peru
Lima has long been a culinary capital, and now AWA is drawing global attention for its dedication to traditional Amazonian cuisine. The restaurant’s menu is a deep dive into the flavors and ingredients of the rainforest, and Time hails it for “reimagining how local ingredients might fit together with the help of modern kitchen tools and global trends.”
Trosten in Oslo, Norway.
Courtesy of Trosten
Europe
Trosten – Oslo, Norway
Trosten—a sustainably built floating sauna in Oslo—allows visitors to “connect with nature and one another,” according to Time. Plus, it accommodates people with mobility impairments—something you don’t always find in the wellness world.
Notre Dame – Paris, France
After years of painstaking restoration following the 2019 fire, Notre Dame finally reopened—and while it doesn’t have the rooftop pool and glass spire that some proposals suggested, the results are spectacular. “When it finally reopened at the twilight of 2024, it stood as a marvel of dutiful, worshipful authenticity,” writes Time.
Raffles Jaipur pool.
Courtesy of raffles Jaipur.
Asia
Raffles Jaipur – Jaipur, India
According to Time, the new Raffles Jaipur, isn’t just any grand hotel—it’s “in a class of its own.” The hotel is inspired by a queen’s palace, loaded with details like hand-carved marble, Mughal-style arches and perforated latticework screens. Time says it’s “a design masterpiece.”
Nintendo Museum – Uji, Japan
The highly anticipated Nintendo Museum combines decades of gaming history under one roof. “You don’t need to know a Shino from a Mario from a Zelda to appreciate the Nintendo Museum, but anyone who spent their childhood (or—no judgment—staeekend) glued to their Nintendo Switch or vintage Game Boy may find themselves transported,” writes Time.
Australia & Oceania
Bluey’s World – Brisbane, Australia
The wildly popular cartoon about a family of Australian cattle dogs comes to life at Bluey’s World. But this is not a theme park, according to Time: “Rather, it’s a one-hour immersive experience set inside the Heeler family home, recreated in vivid detail inside a 43,056-sq.-ft. riverside pavilion.”
Africa & The Middle East
Shebara Resort – Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
Time calls Shebara Resort—set in the pristine waters of the Red Sea—an “eco-sensitive escape.” The futuristic resort is part of Saudi Arabia’s bid to become a major new travel destination. Time says that the mirrored, steel-clad overwater villas “resemble a string of pearls skimming above the waves.”
Mbano Manor Hotel – Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Time celebrates Mbano Manor Hotel, a boutique luxury retreat just minutes from Victoria Falls, for being the first of its kind in the region—it’s owned by a Black Zimbabwean woman.
Celestia—a new sailing experience in Indonesia.
Courtesy of Celestia
Transportation
Celestia – Indonesia
With a focus on slow travel and traditional craftsmanship, the seven-cabin Celestia is redefining luxury on the water. Time calls it “a pandemic passion project for brother and sister Jason Tabalujan and Jasmine Chong.”
L’Observatoire Carriage – Venice Simplon-Orient Express
Onboard the Venice Simplon-Orient Express, the new L’Observatoire Suite—a carriage designed by renowned artist JR—is turning heads. As Time explains, it’s part of a new group of train trips that “offer a glimpse into a glamorous old-world mode of slow travel, combining plush comfort with a promise of adventure.”
The Ghan – Adelaide to Darwin, Australia
Australia’s legendary luxury train, The Ghan, captivates travelers with its epic, cross-country journeys. Time praises its “new immersive off-train excursions that deepen the experience of the vast Outback.” It’s no wonder Time named it one of the best places to visit in the world for 2025.
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