Let the travelers decide

Editors' picks tell you where a writer enjoyed themselves. Traveler surveys tell you where huge numbers of ordinary visitors came home happy. For a list of the best vacations, the second is a more reliable guide, and the big travel publications run exactly those surveys every year.

We combined four of the largest:

Sources: Travel + Leisure, Daily Hive on Condé Nast Traveler, Tripadvisor, U.S. News.

How we ranked them: each survey ranks different things. Some rank cities, some islands, some countries. So we grouped results by destination (for example, Kyoto and Tokyo count toward Japan) and counted how many top-ten placements each destination earned across the four surveys. Where two destinations tied, we ranked the one with the higher single placement or score first. It's a simple method, but it rewards places that satisfy travelers across different surveys, not just one.

Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 results may appear in October. If they change the picture, the ranking below should be updated.

The ranking: 12 best vacations for 2027

The Maldives and London tie on placements and best rank, as do the Galápagos and Portugal. Treat each pair as joint places. Thailand and Mexico have equal rankings, but Thailand takes the lead because Koh Samui’s published score of 95.64 is the highest individual score across all the surveys.

1. Thailand

Thailand is the only country with top-ten placements for both cities and islands. Travel + Leisure readers named Koh Samui the world’s top island for 2026, awarding it 95.64 points, while Phuket ranked fifth. Chiang Mai placed third among cities, followed by Bangkok in sixth. Bangkok also secured eighth place on Tripadvisor’s 2026 ranking. The combination of beaches, food, temples and good value explains the consistency. Plan it: November to April for most of the country; Koh Samui is at its best from January to August.

2. Mexico's colonial cities

Mexico's colonial and cultural cities dominated Travel + Leisure's 2026 city ranking, with San Miguel de Allende first, Oaxaca fifth and Mexico City ninth, per Time Out. Time Out reports that Condé Nast Traveler readers ranked Puerto Vallarta second and San Miguel fifth in its 2025 small-city rankings. Plan it: October to April, when it's dry and mild.

3. Japan

Japan topped Condé Nast Traveler’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards with a country score of 95.36 out of 100, while Tokyo earned the title of the world’s best big city. In Travel + Leisure's 2026 awards, Kyoto came second and Tokyo tenth. Plan it: late March to April for cherry blossoms, or October to November for autumn color and more comfortable crowds.

4. Italy

Rome returned to first place in U.S. Italy returned to U.S. News’ 2026 Best Vacations ranking for the first time since 2018. It also placed sixth on Tripadvisor’s list, while Condé Nast Traveler readers voted it the fourth-best country. Plan it: April to May or September to October.

5. Bali, Indonesia

Bali topped Tripadvisor's 2026 Best of the Best Destinations list and its honeymoon ranking, and came fourth among islands in Travel + Leisure's awards. Best time to visit: Plan your trip between April and October, during the dry season.

6. Greece

Greece came second among countries in Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 awards, with a score of 92.31, and Crete was ninth on Tripadvisor's 2026 list. Crete also has two of Tripadvisor's top three beaches for 2026. Plan it: late May, June or September.

7. Vietnam

Hoi An was the fourth-best city in Travel + Leisure's 2026 awards, and Hanoi was fourth on Tripadvisor's list. Vietnam combines strong satisfaction with low costs. Plan it: February to April for central Vietnam.

8. France

Paris was fifth on Tripadvisor's 2026 list, and Condé Nast Traveler readers placed France ninth among countries. Plan it: April to June or September to October.

9–12. The Maldives, London, the Galápagos and Portugal

Each earned one top-three result. The Maldives ranked second in Travel + Leisure’s island survey, while London secured the second spot on Tripadvisor’s list. The Galápagos was third in Travel + Leisure's islands, and Portugal third among Condé Nast Traveler's countries, with 92.08.

What the surveys agree on

Looking across the four surveys, a few clear patterns explain what makes travelers happiest.

•         Food and culture matter more than luxury. Top-ranked cities like San Miguel de Allende, Kyoto, Chiang Mai, Hoi An, and Oaxaca offer walkable streets and rich local food scenes rather than polished resort-style experiences.

•         Value boosts satisfaction. Thailand, Mexico and Vietnam all score highly and are relatively affordable. Travel + Leisure’s survey specifically asks readers to evaluate value for money.

•         Asia is winning. Six of Travel + Leisure's top ten cities for 2026 are in East and Southeast Asia, and Japan tops Condé Nast Traveler's country list.

•         Islands keep delivering. Koh Samui, the Maldives, the Galápagos, Bali and the Seychelles all feature strongly among islands.

Turning satisfaction into a great trip

Popular, highly rated places can get crowded. To get the experience that earned those scores:

1.       Go in shoulder season. Most of these destinations are noticeably calmer, and cheaper, just outside their peak months.

2.       Stay longer in fewer places. Travelers who rate places highly usually had time to settle in.

3.       Book the headline experiences early. Kyoto temples in cherry blossom season, Galápagos cruises and Maldives resorts at Christmas all fill up months ahead.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best vacation destination for 2027?

Based on our combined ranking of 2025–2026 traveler surveys, Thailand and Mexico's colonial cities tie for the most top-ten placements, with Japan close behind.

Which city did travelers vote the best in the world?

San Miguel de Allende in Mexico was voted the best city in the world in Travel + Leisure's 2026 World's Best Awards, ahead of Kyoto and Chiang Mai.

What is the highest-rated country for travelers?

Japan, with a score of 95.36 in Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards, followed by Greece and Portugal.

Are traveler-voted rankings reliable?

They're a good guide to where most visitors come home happy, especially when several surveys agree. They're less useful for niche interests, so combine them with your own travel style.

When will new rankings come out?

Condé Nast Traveler usually publishes its Readers' Choice results in October, U.S. News its Best Vacations in December, Tripadvisor its destination awards in January, and Travel + Leisure its World's Best Awards in July.