Compare 576 Travel Destinations

An 800-year-old UNESCO-listed Naxi town at 2,400 m elevation in northwestern Yunnan — a labyrinth of cobblestone lanes, stone bridges over rushing canals, and traditional wooden courtyard houses with the 5,596 m Jade Dragon Snow Mountain rising directly above. Lijiang is the cultural heart of the Naxi minority who developed Dongba, the only living pictographic writing system in the world. Sunrise over the grey-tile rooftops from Lion Hill before the tour buses arrive is the moment that justifies the trip — the Old Town is undeniably beautiful, though the daytime crush of crowds is real. Pair with Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shuhe, and the new high-speed rail to Shangri-La for a full Yunnan circuit.

Lima is South America's gastronomic capital — ceviche, causa, and anticuchos are just the start. The city's food scene has earned multiple spots on the World's 50 Best list. Beyond the restaurants, colonial Miraflores overlooks the Pacific, the historic center is a UNESCO site, and the Larco Museum's pre-Columbian collection is extraordinary.

Lisbon is one of Europe's most underrated capitals — hilly cobblestone streets, pastel-colored buildings, and stunning viewpoints at every turn. The city blends old-world charm with a thriving modern food and nightlife scene. Excellent value compared to Western European peers, with reliable transit and easy day trips to Sintra and the coast.

Slovenia's tiny, green capital — Jože Plečnik's Triple Bridge and Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana Castle funicular, a car-free cobblestone center, and Lake Bled 55km away. European Green Capital 2016, strategically placed between Venice, Zagreb, Vienna, and the Julian Alps. Budget-friendly and walkable in a morning.

A Norwegian archipelago of jagged granite peaks rising straight from the Norwegian Sea — among Europe's most photographed landscapes. Iconic red fishermen's cabins (rorbuer) in Reine, Hamnøy, Å, and Henningsvær; the Reinebringen staircase hike, Haukland and Uttakleiv beaches, and centuries-old cod-drying racks. Midnight sun late May to mid-July, Northern Lights mid-September to April. Access via Tromsø or Bodø → LKN/EVE airports, or the iconic E10 scenic drive.

Bali's quieter neighbor offers pristine beaches, world-class surf, the challenging Mount Rinjani trek, and the idyllic Gili Islands just offshore. Less developed and more affordable than Bali, with a distinctive Sasak culture.

London is a city of villages — each neighborhood has its own personality, from the royal grandeur of Westminster to the edgy markets of Camden and the hipster cafes of Shoreditch. World-class museums (most free!), a legendary theater scene, and one of the most diverse food cultures on earth make it endlessly explorable.

LA is a sprawling mosaic — Hollywood glamour, Pacific beaches, Getty art, Griffith Observatory views, and some of the country's best Mexican and Asian food. The city sprawls but rewards exploration: Venice's boardwalk, Downtown's renaissance, Beverly Hills' polish, and canyon drives to hidden overlooks.

Louisville (locally pronounced LOO-uh-vul) is the bourbon capital of the world and the home of the Kentucky Derby — the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs has been running uninterrupted since 1875. The Urban Bourbon Trail links 40+ bars and distilleries within the city; the Louisville Slugger factory makes the bats every MLB player swings; and NuLu has rebuilt East Market Street into a tight strip of restaurants, distilleries, and galleries. Add the Muhammad Ali Center, a passable food scene, and Frankfort Avenue's Frankfort Avenue antique row, and the city punches well above its 630,000 population.

Laos's UNESCO-listed former royal capital is a dreamy town at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Saffron-robed monks collect alms at dawn, French-colonial cafés line quiet streets, and the Kuang Si waterfalls are a turquoise paradise.

The picture-postcard alpine lake city in central Switzerland — Europe's oldest covered wooden bridge (the 1333 Chapel Bridge) crosses the Reuss river, the 1821 Lion Monument commemorates the Swiss Guards killed defending Louis XVI, and Mount Pilatus (2,128m) and Mount Rigi (1,797m) loom across Lake Lucerne with the world's steepest cogwheel railway and Europe's oldest mountain railway respectively. The 21st-century Elbphilharmonie-rivalling Elbphilharmonie-equivalent here is the KKL concert hall hosting the world-class Lucerne Festival. Genuinely expensive — Switzerland is among Europe's priciest, with CHF 4 city bus rides and CHF 25+ basic restaurant mains.

The world's greatest open-air museum — ancient Thebes holds more monuments than anywhere on earth. The Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, and Hatshepsut's mortuary temple are staggering. Hot air balloon rides at sunrise over the West Bank are unforgettable.

Western Ukraine's cultural and coffee capital — UNESCO old town largely spared WWII destruction, with Renaissance, Baroque, and Vienna Secession architecture stacked across the historical centre. Rynok Square's 44 burgher houses, the Latin Cathedral and Renaissance Boim Chapel, the Armenian Cathedral with extraordinary 1925-1929 frescoes, the 1900 Vienna Secession opera house, and Lychakiv Cemetery (1786) — an open-air encyclopaedia of who has lived and died here. NOTE: Russia's full-scale invasion continues; Lviv has been one of the safer Ukrainian cities throughout but air-raid alerts and missile strikes are not hypothetical. Check current advisories before any travel.

France's gastronomic capital — Paul Bocuse's legacy, traditional bouchons in the UNESCO Vieux Lyon, and Les Halles covered market. Roman ruins at Fourvière, silk-weavers' traboules hidden through the buildings of Croix-Rousse, and the Fête des Lumières lighting the city in December. 2 hours TGV from Paris for half the prices.

1,510 km² of rolling savannah in southwestern Kenya — the northern extension of Tanzania's Serengeti ecosystem and arguably the highest density of large mammals on Earth. The Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino) are all resident year-round; July-October brings the Great Migration when 1.5 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra, and 350,000 Thomson's gazelle thunder across the Mara River in crocodile-strewn crossings. Hot-air balloon safaris at dawn (300-450 USD), bush flights from Nairobi's Wilson Airport (45min — far quicker than the 5-6hr drive on bone-rattling C12), and conservancy stays in the bordering 14 community-owned reserves (Mara North, Olare Motorogi, Naboisho) which allow off-road driving and night drives forbidden inside the main reserve. Maasai cultural villages dot the perimeter.

The "Vegas of Asia" is much more than casinos — Macau's UNESCO-listed historic center showcases centuries of Portuguese-Chinese fusion in its pastel churches, temples, egg tarts, and cobblestone streets. Just a ferry ride from Hong Kong.

Machu Picchu is the 15th-century Inca citadel perched on a mountain saddle 2,430m (7,970 ft) above sea level — built in stone so precise no mortar was used, abandoned around 1572 during the Spanish conquest, and forgotten by the outside world until Hiram Bingham re-introduced it in 1911. Today it draws roughly 4,500 visitors per day on capped-entry tickets, accessed via the PeruRail or Inca Rail train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (the cloud-forest valley town below) and then a 25-minute switchback bus ride up to the gate. Sunrise from the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) and the vertiginous Huayna Picchu hike behind the citadel are the iconic experiences.

The world's fourth-largest island drifted away from Africa 160 million years ago — 90% of its wildlife exists nowhere else. The Avenue of the Baobabs near Morondava, lemur-packed Andasibe-Mantadia rainforest, the jagged limestone tsingy at Bemaraha (UNESCO), and Nosy Be beaches off the northwest coast. Road network is sparse and slow — internal flights via Madagascar Airlines save days. Antananarivo (Tana) is the highland capital and transit hub. Best visited April-November (dry season).

Portugal's "Island of Eternal Spring" in the Atlantic has never had a winter — subtropical laurel forests (UNESCO World Heritage), 400 km of levada irrigation channels converted into hiking trails, the highest sea cliff in Europe at Cabo Girão (580m), and wicker-basket toboggan rides down Funchal's hills. Cristiano Ronaldo was born here. Madeira wine is made nowhere else on earth; poncha (local rum, honey, lemon) is the island's contribution to cocktail culture.

Madison is built on a narrow isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, with the white-granite Wisconsin State Capitol (the only state capitol built on an isthmus, and a near-twin of the US Capitol's design) anchoring the dead centre. The University of Wisconsin–Madison wraps the western lakeshore, the Dane County Farmers' Market loops the Capitol Square every Saturday April–November (the largest producer-only farmers' market in the United States), and the Memorial Union Terrace's sunburst chairs are the unofficial summer living room. Beer, cheese, brats, and lake life — Wisconsin to its core.

Spain's vibrant capital pulses with energy from late-night tapas bars to world-class museums like the Prado and Reina Sofía. The city lives outdoors — grand plazas, Retiro Park, and a nightlife scene that doesn't start until midnight.

South India's temple capital — Meenakshi Amman Temple is one of the world's great Hindu complexes, with 14 gopuram towers encrusted in 33,000 painted stucco figures, the tallest soaring 52 metres above the old city. 15,000 pilgrims visit daily; the temple never closes. Madurai is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, with Greek accounts from 300 BCE, and is nicknamed 'the city that never sleeps.' The Gandhi Museum houses the dhoti the Mahatma was wearing when assassinated.

Picasso's birthplace on the Costa del Sol — a sun-drenched port city with world-class museums, Moorish fortresses, superb tapas, and beach life just steps from the historic center.

The Maldives is the ultimate tropical escape — 1,190 coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, with some of the clearest water on earth. Overwater villas, world-class diving and snorkeling, and sunsets that defy description. While luxury resorts dominate, guesthouses on local islands offer a more affordable and authentic experience.