The hottest travel destinations for your holidays in 2025

From Greenland’s northern lights and Chiang Mai’s food festival, to the Kumbh Mela in India, 2025 promises a diverse range of travel experiences

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During the traditional festival of Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai, Thai people release sky floating lanterns or lamp to worship Buddha’s relics with reflection. Photo: Getty Images

Tim Pile

Published: 7:15am, 19 Dec 2024

It’s that time again. Travel companies and magazines, websites and tour operators are unveiling their lists of places to visit in the coming year. Some are old favourites with something new to offer, others are appearing for the first time. A few appear in more than one list, which means you’ll need to get there before everyone else does.

In the summer, the sun doesn’t set in Ilimanaq, Greenland. Photo: AFP

Greenland has a shiny new international airport linking the capital, Nuuk, with North America. Previously, direct flights were available only to Copenhagen, Denmark, and Reykjavik, Iceland. The world’s largest and least densely populated island is promoted as a year-round destination. In winter, visitors come to witness the ethereal beauty of the northern lights, while summer sightseers enjoy never-ending days – the sun doesn’t set from May 25 to July 25.

Travel publisher Condé Nast urges adventurous tourists to experience Greenland’s jaw-dropping fjords, formidable glaciers and pristine wilderness. Meanwhile, National Geographic Best of the World 2025 highlights the Danish dependent territory’s new flights (Iqaluit, Canada, and Newark, the United States) and encourages visitors to learn about indigenous Inuit culture. International media brand Travel + Leisure recommends wildlife-watching tours – excursions through Greenland’s iceberg-laden waters provide an opportunity to observe polar bears, whales and walruses at close quarters.

The Sunday Walking Street night market in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Photo: Getty Images

In its Best in Travel 2025 list, publisher Lonely Planet named Chiang Mai as one of its Top Cities, highlighting the importance of food in Thai culture. Each January, the city hosts a gourmet festival, but there are plenty of other activities to keep visitors busy at this time of year. In the first week of February, the city celebrates its annual flower festival, which culminates in a huge floral parade. Then, when you’ve had your fill of temples, trekking and tasty Lanna (northern Thai) cuisine, book an overnight sleeper to Bangkok (“Train-hopping” is top of Lonely Planet’s Travel Trends 2025 category).

National Geographic Magazine includes the Thai capital in its 25 best places in the world to travel to in 2025, describing it as “an intoxicating blend of old and new”. When you’ve finished shopping for silks, boating along the canals and marking Bangkok’s rooftop bars out of 10, fly back to Hong Kong from the Thai capital rather than returning via Chiang Mai.

The Cappadocia region, formed by volcanic eruptions, is one of the most popular tourist sites in Turkey. Photo: Shutterstock

Both The Sydney Morning Herald (The 18 countries to put on your must-visit list for 2025) and high-end tour operator Insight Vacations give Turkey the nod for next year. Straddling Europe and Asia, Istanbul is brimming with history and mystery. While sightseers could easily spend their entire stay in the scenic Sultanahmet district, marvelling at its magnificent mosques and rich collection of Ottoman and Byzantine architectural landmarks, be sure to stroll across the illustrious Galata Bridge to the medieval Galata Tower, where panoramic vistas of Istanbul await.

Then, journey south to explore the Roman ruins of Ephesus and Troy, as well as the beaches along the Turquoise Coast. Another remarkable attraction is the desert region of Cappadocia, famed for its otherworldly rock formations. The surreal landscapes and breathtaking aerial views are best appreciated from a hot-air balloon.