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25 BREATHTAKING PLACES AND EXPERIENCES FOR 2023

Looking for your next adventure? You’ll find it on our annual list of the
world’s best destinations for travelers.

The Greek island of Karpathos, a growing center of ecotourism, features striking
landscapes surrounded by the Aegean Sea. The isle is part of the Dodecanese
archipelago, one of Nat Geo’s Best of the World destinations for 2023. 
Photograph by Ciril Jazbec, National Geographic
ByNational Geographic Staff
Published October 26, 2022
• 7 min read
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Travel inspiration is everywhere you look. The question is where to go next.
Here’s our annual list of superlative destinations for the year ahead—places
filled with wonder, rewarding to travelers of all ages, and supportive of local
communities and ecosystems. Reported by our global editors and framed by five
categories (Community, Nature, Culture, Family, and Adventure), these 25
destinations for 2023 are under the radar, ahead of the curve, and ready for you
to start exploring.


COMMUNITY: WHERE CONSERVATION BENEFITS EVERYONE

Karpathos, Greece

A small white chapel perches on the peak of Mount Profitis Ilias on Karpathos,
one of the lesser known islands in Greece’s Dodecanese archipelago.
Photograph by Ciril Jazbec, National Geographic
Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.


Discover Karpathos, Greece, a surprising and sublime spot in the Dodecanese
Islands, where women-led ventures are leading the charge in sustainable tourism.
Spend a long weekend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a vibrant Great Lakes city that
celebrates its cultural community as much as its breweries. Experience how
long-held traditions and contemporary perspectives intersect, with Indigenous
tourism outfitters in Alberta, Canada. Board a new high-speed train that makes
lesser known regions of Laos accessible to tourists and brings economic
opportunities to locals. Head to Ghana to explore Black heritage and hang out
with a fashion-forward crowd in the capital, Accra. (Learn more about how these
Best of the World destinations support their communities.)


NATURE: ESCAPES TO WILD, BEAUTIFUL PLACES

Botswana

A zebra herd wades through the waters of the Okavango Delta in the Selinda
Spillway, a channel that attracts abundant wildlife in northern Botswana.
Photograph by Beverly Joubert, Nat Geo Image Collection
Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.


Marvel at the biodiversity of Botswana—as well as the programs to rehabilitate
endangered species, create wildlife corridors, and develop community-owned
tourism projects. Linger in the Scottish Highlands, where a rewilding movement
is aiming to restore the original landscape and native flora and fauna. In
Slovenia, a longtime leader in sustainable tourism, set off on new gastrotourism
biking routes that visit farms, vineyards, cheesemakers, and other food
producers. Big Bend National Park brings to life the frontier legend of
Texas—but the landscape will also surprise you. In the
Azores, applaud award-winning sustainability programs that conserve the natural
wonders of this volcanic archipelago known for whale watching and thermal
springs. (Delve into our best destinations for nature lovers.)


CULTURE: PLACES WHERE HISTORY AND HERITAGE RULE

Cairo, Egypt

Stunning ancient Egyptian discoveries include the remarkably well preserved
4,300-year-old tomb of Khuwy, excavated by archaeologist Mohamed Megahed in the
necropolis at Saqqara.
Photograph by Paolo Verzone, National Geographic
Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.


Visit King Tut’s new home in Egypt at Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum and see
Luxor’s Avenue of the Sphinxes. Tap into the creative energy of Asia’s top film
festival and sip craft beer in Busan, South Korea, the nation’s second largest
city. Make a pilgrimage through history along Italy’s Appian Way, Europe’s
ancient “superhighway.” Explore culture and history—with a side of Low Country
cuisine—at the International African American Museum in Charleston, South
Carolina. See one of the world’s largest assemblages of stone statues at Longmen
Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Henan Province, China. (Here’s how to
visit these Best of the World destinations.)


FAMILY: INSPIRING JOURNEYS FOR ALL AGES

Switzerland

The Train des Vignes offers spectacular views over Lake Geneva as it travels
between Vevey and Puidoux through the UNESCO-listed Lavaux vineyards.
Photograph courtesy Marcus Gyger, Switzerland Tourism
Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.


In Switzerland, ride the rails to quaint Alpine towns for chocolate, hiking, and
skiing. Help save the turtles in Trinidad & Tobago, one of the most important
leatherback turtle rookeries in the world. In San Francisco, California, gather
around a campfire with Golden Gate views at Presidio Tunnel Tops and hike the
urban Crosstown Trail. Go birdwatching in the avian paradise that is Colombia,
the enchanted land of Disney’s Encanto. Visit the playing grounds of a storied
soccer team in Manchester, England—and be inspired by the city’s art scene as
well. (Explore more of these family-friendly destinations.)


ADVENTURE: ADRENALINE-PUMPING OUTDOOR EXCURSIONS 

Peru

The intriguing Inca temples and terraces of Choquequirao sit high above the
Apurímac River in the Peruvian Andes.
Photograph by Victor Zea, National Geographic
Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.


Trek to Choquequirao, Peru, an isolated Inca site that’s under the radar—but
soon to be more accessible. In New Zealand, the country that invented bungee
jumping, rekindle your sense of adventure post-pandemic. Get your adrenaline
rush in less visited areas of the popular adventure state of Utah. In Austria,
hike the cross-country Bergsteigerdörfer network of mountaineering villages to
sample local culture. Finally, add Revillagigedo National Park, Mexico, to your
itinerary. Its protected waters, supported by National Geographic’s Pristine
Seas initiative, hold one of the largest aggregations of sharks and manta rays
in the world. (Dive deeper into these adventure trips.)

Written by George Stone from contributions by the global editors of National
Geographic Travel with additional reporting by Andrew Nelson and Karen
Carmichael.
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