Why these 50 places, and why 2027
Most "best places to visit" lists make the same mistake. They pick 50 beautiful places that would have been just as good ten years ago, or will be ten years from now. We wanted a list that answers a narrower question: of all the places you could book next year, which ones give you something extra in 2027?
Sometimes that extra is an event, like the Rugby World Cup in Australia or a city's year as a European Capital of Culture. Sometimes it's timing: a new airport, a museum that has just opened, or a small town that hasn't yet been discovered by cruise lines. And sometimes the classics earn their place anyway, because there's a smarter way to do them now than there was five years ago.
We didn't rank the 50 places against each other. Comparing a Baltic beach town with Tokyo isn't useful. Instead, we grouped them by the kind of trip they suit. The table below gives the quick version, and the sections that follow explain each pick.
Where 2027's big moments are
These six picks have a date on the calendar that makes next year the one to go. The upside is atmosphere and new things to see. The downside is higher prices, so book early.
1. Évora, Portugal
Évora spent 2026 rehearsing. Its year as a European Capital of Culture officially opens on February 6, 2027, and the organizers have picked a theme you don't often hear from a tourist board: vagar, an Alentejo word for taking your time. Expect concerts in cork-oak country, exhibitions in medieval cloisters and a lot of long lunches. The catch is that the town is small. Organizers told Euronews they expect around 1.2 million visitors, double the usual number, so if the hotels inside the walls are full, look at wine estates in the surrounding countryside.
2. Liepāja, Latvia
Liepāja shares the European Capital of Culture title with Évora, and the two couldn't be more different. This windy Baltic port calls itself the city "where the wind is born," has a long history as a home for Latvian rock music, and still has the barracks and prison of a Soviet naval town in its Karosta district. Pair the culture program with the long, pale beach that runs right past the city center.
3. The Red Centre, Australia
The Rugby World Cup runs across Australia from October 1 to November 13, 2027, which gives plenty of fans a reason to make the long trip. Don't spend the whole visit in stadium cities. A few nights near Uluru and Kata Tjuta, ideally with an Aboriginal-led walk, is the part of the trip you'll remember longest. Go early in the tournament, as the desert heat builds quickly through October.
4. Lima, Peru
Lima hosts the Pan American Games from July 23 to August 1, 2027, but most people will come for dinner. The city's mix of Andean, Japanese and Chinese influences shows up everywhere, from cheap ceviche counters to tasting menus that are booked out weeks ahead. The Games fall during Lima's gray, misty winter, so plan beach time for a different visit.
5. Paraty, Brazil
Brazil hosts the FIFA Women's World Cup from June 24 to July 25, 2027. Paraty is where to go when you need a break from match days: a car-free colonial town of whitewashed houses and rough stone streets, with bays and islands you explore by schooner. It sits between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, a few hours from each by road.
6. Cape Town, South Africa
South Africa co-hosts the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup with Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 4 to November 21, 2027. Even if cricket means nothing to you, those dates line up with Cape Town at its best: long spring days, the wildflower season tailing off on the West Coast, and wine estates within an hour's drive of the city.
Cities worth the trip
Big cities are the easiest trips to plan and the hardest to do well. For each of these, we've focused on what's different in 2027 or on the one change that makes the visit better.
7. Tokyo, Japan
Japan had a record 42.7 million foreign visitors in 2025, and you'll feel it in Shibuya and Asakusa. The fix is simple: base yourself in a residential district such as Kiyosumi-Shirakawa or Nakameguro, and treat the famous sights as short trips out. Tokyo is so large that you can walk for an hour and see no other tourists.
8. Paris, France
Paris came first in Euromonitor's 2025 ranking of the world's top city destinations, so expect to share it. Reserve the big museums, then spend your free time in the 10th, 11th and 20th arrondissements, where the bistros and wine bars mostly serve Parisians. Notre-Dame, reopened in December 2024 after the fire, now looks brighter inside than it has for centuries.
9. Rome, Italy
The 2025 Jubilee year brought years of restoration work and huge pilgrim crowds. The restored monuments are still there in 2027, and the crowds have fallen back. Go in late October, when evenings are still warm enough to eat outside and the summer tour groups have gone.
10. Mexico City, Mexico
Few capitals give you this much for your money. You can eat at a street stall for a few dollars at lunch and a world-ranked restaurant at dinner, and the Museo Nacional de Antropología deserves a full day on its own. If your dates are flexible, aim for the Día de Muertos celebrations in late October and early November.
11. Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires runs late. Dinner starts after 9 p.m., and the milongas (tango dance halls) don't get busy until midnight. Don't just watch a show: many milongas run beginner classes before the dancing starts, and taking one is the best way to understand the city.
12. Seoul, South Korea
Seoul changes fast. The café you loved last year may be a gallery this year. Stay in a hanok (traditional house) guesthouse in Bukchon or Seochon for a quieter base, and use the subway, which is clean, cheap and signposted in English.
13. Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon is no longer the bargain it was, but it's still cheaper than most Western European capitals. It's the best base in 2027 for Évora, about an hour and a half away by train. Skip the queue for Tram 28 and ride the less crowded Tram 12 or 24 instead.
14. Istanbul, Türkiye
Most visitors spend their whole stay in Sultanahmet, which is a mistake. Take the public ferry to Kadıköy on the Asian side for the food market and bars, then come back at sunset for a view of the old city skyline from the water.
15. Rabat, Morocco
Rabat is the Moroccan city to choose if Marrakech sounds too intense. The Kasbah of the Udayas sits above the Atlantic with blue-and-white lanes, the medina is easy to walk around, and there's surf right below the old walls. Morocco has invested heavily in fast trains, so Fes and Tangier make easy add-ons.
16. Abu Dhabi, UAE
Abu Dhabi is becoming a serious museum city. The Saadiyat Cultural District is built around Jean Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi, where light filters through a vast latticed dome, and new museums have opened nearby. Go in winter, and check airline and travel advisories first, since flights in the region were disrupted in 2026.
17. Astana, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan built Astana almost from scratch as its new capital, and the result looks like a science-fiction film set. Highlights include Norman Foster's tent-shaped Khan Shatyr and the Bayterek tower. Visit in summer. In winter, Astana is one of the coldest capitals on earth.
18. Chengdu, China
Come for the pandas, stay for the food. Sichuan cooking is far broader than just heat, and Chengdu's teahouses are some of the best places in China to watch local life. China's visa-free and transit-without-visa rules have expanded a lot in recent years, so check what applies to your passport.
19. Taipei and the rest of Taiwan
Taipei is one of Asia's easiest cities: safe, well connected and cheaper than Tokyo or Seoul. The night markets are the obvious draw, but the high-speed rail line down the west coast and the marble gorges of Taroko on the east coast make it worth staying a week or more.
Small seaside towns
These are places where the main plan for the day is a swim, a long lunch and a walk along the harbor. Most are at their best just before or after the summer peak.
20. Skänör-Falsterbo, Sweden
On the southwestern tip of Sweden, two small towns have grown into one, with thatched and whitewashed houses on quiet lanes. Most visitors are Swedish summer-house owners, and the beach dunes stretch for kilometers. In September, the peninsula becomes one of Europe's best bird-watching spots as huge numbers of raptors pass over on their way south. Malmö and Copenhagen are both an easy day trip away.
21. Šibenik, Croatia
Šibenik is what people hope Dubrovnik will be like before they arrive. It's a stone town on a hill with a UNESCO-listed cathedral whose outer walls feature more than 70 carved stone faces. Base yourself here for Krka National Park, whose waterfalls are about 20 minutes' drive away.
22. Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor's old town is tucked below a steep mountainside at the end of a winding bay. When a big cruise ship arrives, the center fills up by mid-morning. When it leaves, the town goes quiet again. Stay a couple of nights and climb the 1,350-odd steps to the fortress at first light.
23. Procida, Italy
Most day-trippers from Naples head to Capri. Take the other ferry. Procida is small enough to walk across, and its fishing harbor is lined with houses painted in pinks, yellows and blues. Book dinner on the waterfront at Corricella for the view.
24. Kinsale, Ireland
Kinsale has more good restaurants than a town of its size needs, and a strong fishing tradition to supply them. Walk out to Charles Fort, a star-shaped 17th-century fortress, then start a drive west along the Wild Atlantic Way, which begins here.
25. Comporta, Portugal
Comporta is what the Algarve might have looked like fifty years ago: rice paddies, stork nests, pine forest and very long, empty beaches. It's about 90 minutes south of Lisbon. There's no big nightlife and no high-rise hotels, which is exactly why people come.
26. Essaouira, Morocco
Essaouira's strong Atlantic wind is bad news for sunbathers but great for kitesurfers, and it keeps summer temperatures pleasant. Wander the UNESCO-listed medina and the working fishing port, and time your visit for June if you like music: that's when the Gnaoua World Music Festival fills the town.
27. Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An's old town is lit by silk lanterns at night, and its tailors can make a suit in a day or two. It's about 45 minutes from Danang's airport and beaches. Stay a few extra days for a cooking class and a bike ride through the rice fields to An Bàng Beach.
28. Bocas del Toro, Panama
Bocas is a cluster of Caribbean islands off Panama's north coast, with houses on stilts, water taxis instead of cars, and sloths in the trees. It's still much cheaper than most Caribbean destinations. Pick a quieter island than Isla Colón if you want to sleep.
29. Fulidhoo, Maldives
You don't need a resort budget for the Maldives. Fulidhoo is an inhabited local island where you stay in small guesthouses and eat with the locals. Stingrays and nurse sharks cruise by the jetty. Remember that local islands follow local customs: alcohol isn't served and modest dress is expected away from designated beaches.
Big landscapes
These trips are built around scenery. They usually need more planning than a city break, whether that's booking refuges months ahead, timing the season or renting a car, but they're the trips people talk about for years.
30. The Dolomites and the Veneto, Italy
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics left the area around Cortina d'Ampezzo with upgraded lifts and roads. In summer, the via ferrata routes (fixed-cable climbing paths) and hut-to-hut hikes are some of the best in the Alps. Finish in the lowlands with a few nights in Verona or Vicenza.
31. Bariloche and the Lake District, Argentina
Bariloche feels like the Alps moved to Patagonia, down to the chocolate shops and ski chalets. Use it as a base for lake kayaking, the Circuito Chico drive and hikes to mountain refuges. It works in both seasons: summer trekking from December to March, and skiing at Cerro Catedral in July and August.
32. Torres del Paine, Chile
The W Trek takes four or five days and ends at the base of three granite towers, ideally at sunrise. The trail is well known, so refuges and campsites book up early. Pack for all four seasons in a single day: Patagonian wind is no joke.
33. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Animals here evolved without land predators, so sea lions, iguanas and blue-footed boobies barely react to people. The national park entry fee for most foreign adults rose to US$200 in 2024. That, plus flights and a boat or island-hopping itinerary, makes this one of the more expensive trips on the list, but few places compare.
34. Monteverde, Costa Rica
Monteverde's forest sits high enough to catch passing clouds, so the trees drip with moss and orchids. Hire a local guide with a telescope for the best chance of seeing a resplendent quetzal, and do a night walk to find the tarantulas and sleeping birds you'd miss by day.
35. Tsavo East and West, Kenya
The Maasai Mara gets the attention, but Tsavo is much bigger and has far fewer safari vehicles. Its elephants are known for their rust-colored coats, stained by the red earth they dust themselves with. Combine a few days here with the beaches near Mombasa.
36. Iceland
Iceland's Ring Road loops around the whole country, and a week is enough to drive it at a steady pace. It's one of the most expensive countries in Europe, so a camper van or self-catering apartments can save a lot. In winter, you trade long days for the chance to see the northern lights.
37. The Norwegian fjords
Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord are both UNESCO-listed. The best way to see them combines train, ferry and bus, starting with the Bergen Railway and the steep Flåm Railway. Sleep in a fjord village so you can enjoy it after the day-trippers leave.
38. Killary Fjord, Ireland
This long, narrow inlet cuts deep into the hills on the border of Galway and Mayo. Take a boat trip out, walk part of the old Famine Road above the water, and eat mussels farmed in the fjord itself. The village of Leenane makes a good base.
39. Redwood National and State Parks, California, USA
The coast redwoods here are the tallest trees on the planet, and the forests along the Pacific are often wrapped in fog. Walk the Tall Trees Grove trail (it needs a free permit) or drive the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway for an easier look. It's a good add-on to a Pacific coast road trip.
40. The Hajar Mountains, Oman
Oman is calm, welcoming and much quieter than its Gulf neighbors. In the Hajar range, Jebel Shams has a rim walk above a canyon more than a kilometer deep, and villages like Misfat al Abriyeen still use centuries-old irrigation channels called aflaj. Drive yourself: the roads are good and the signs are in English.
41. Banff National Park, Canada
The lakes in Banff get their bright turquoise color from fine glacial rock powder. Private cars have not been allowed on the Moraine Lake road since 2023, so book a Parks Canada shuttle or a commercial bus. Summer is busy. Late September brings golden larches and thinner crowds.
Places few people have on their list yet
These nine are for travelers who'd rather be early than follow the crowd. Some take effort to reach. All of them reward it.
42. Montserrat
On Montserrat, you can look across a gray ash plain at the rooftops of Plymouth, the former capital, buried by the Soufrière Hills volcano in the 1990s. The rest of the island is green, hilly and very quiet, with black-sand beaches and fewer than 5,000 residents. Ferries and small planes connect it to Antigua.
43. São Tomé and Príncipe
These two volcanic islands off Central Africa were once among the world's biggest cocoa producers, and the old plantation houses, called roças, are slowly being turned into guesthouses. Príncipe is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Plan for slow travel: roads are rough and flights are few.
44. Gujarat, India
Gujarat doesn't feature on most first-time India routes, which is part of its appeal. In the dry season, the Rann of Kutch becomes a flat, white salt desert, and Gir National Park is the last wild home of the Asiatic lion. Between them are villages known for embroidery, block printing and mirror work.
45. Tōhoku, Japan
Japan's northeast was badly hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Today, the Michinoku Coastal Trail runs about 1,000 km along the rebuilt coastline, passing fishing towns, pine-covered islands and memorial sites. You don't need to walk it all: short sections make great day hikes, and the region gets a fraction of Kyoto's visitors.
46. Okinawa, Japan
Okinawa was an independent kingdom until the late 19th century, and it still feels different from mainland Japan in its food, music and architecture. Snorkel the reefs around the Kerama Islands, paddle through the mangroves on Iriomote, and learn about the islands' WWII history at the Peace Memorial Park.
47. Samoa
In Samoa, village life still follows faʻa Sāmoa, the Samoan way, with its rules on family, respect and Sunday rest. Visitors are welcome, but it helps to know the basics: dress modestly in villages and ask before swimming at a village beach. The To Sua Ocean Trench, a swimming hole reached by a long wooden ladder, is the famous photo stop.
48. New Caledonia
New Caledonia's lagoons are UNESCO-listed, and it combines French bakeries with Kanak culture. There was serious unrest in 2024, so check your government's latest advice before booking. The Isle of Pines and the Loyalty Islands are the most relaxed places to stay.
49. Dunedin and the Waitaki, New Zealand
Dunedin is a student city with Scottish roots and a good bar scene. On the Otago Peninsula, you can see royal albatrosses nesting at Taiaroa Head. Head north into the Waitaki, a UNESCO Global Geopark, to see the round Moeraki Boulders on the beach.
50. Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
This wine region in Baja California is about a two-hour drive from San Diego. Many of its restaurants cook over open wood fires on terraces in the vineyards. Late summer is harvest season, with the Fiestas de la Vendimia in August.
Turning the list into a trip
Fifty options can make it harder to choose. Here's how we'd narrow it down.
Start with your time, not your wish list. With a long weekend, stick to a city a short flight away. With a week, pick one region. Trips such as Patagonia, Gujarat or the Pacific islands only make sense with ten days or more, because getting there takes one or two days each way.
Decide whether you want an event. A World Cup or a Capital of Culture year brings atmosphere and extra things to do, but also higher prices and fuller hotels. If you don't care about the event, go a year later, or visit a different part of the country during the event.
Price the whole trip, not the flight. A cheap flight to Iceland or the Galápagos doesn't make them cheap trips. Mexico City, Hoi An, Istanbul and Taipei stretch a budget much further once you arrive.
Book the hard parts first. Refuges in Torres del Paine, safari lodges, and hotels inside Évora's walls will go before flights get expensive. Lock those in, then look for flights.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I travel in 2027?
For culture, Évora in Portugal is the stand-out choice, as a European Capital of Culture from February 6. For sport, Australia hosts the Rugby World Cup from October 1 to November 13. For a first big trip, Tokyo remains very hard to beat.
Which of these places are cheapest to visit?
Hoi An, Mexico City, Istanbul, Taipei, Gujarat and Lisbon are the best value. For the Maldives, staying on a local island such as Fulidhoo costs a fraction of a resort.
How far ahead should I book for 2027?
For event trips, book six to nine months ahead. For places with limited beds, such as Torres del Paine and the Galápagos, book as soon as your dates are fixed.
Which places are best for avoiding crowds?
Liepāja, São Tomé and Príncipe, Montserrat, Tōhoku and Astana get relatively few international visitors, even in peak season.