Make sure your passport is valid (and your bank account is healthy) because Lonely Planet just revealed its annual list of the best travel destinations to visit in the year ahead.
This isn’t just a matter of the 10 best places, but rather Lonely Planet has broken it down into four categories (countries, cities, regions and best value places), counting down what the famed travel guide book publisher has determined to be the 10 best places in each category to visit within the following year.
Lonely Planet starts the nominations process within its own team of editors, researchers, locals, and influencers. Many of the destinations sprout from trends in other industries, such as design and architecture (a motivating factor for Copenhagen’s top spot, not to mention the return of Noma, with numerous accolades praising it as one of the world’s best restaurants) or tech (Shēnzhèn is described as the “Silicon Valley of China”. Aside from the best travel destinations countdown, Lonely Planet also plans ahead with lists for new openings the following year, the best places to stay, the best culinary experiences, and attractions for families.
Top 10 Cities
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Shēnzhèn, China
- Novi Sad, Serbia
- Miami, Florida, USA
- Kathmandu, Nepal
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Dakar, Senegal
- Seattle, USA
- Zadar, Croatia
- Meknès, Morocco
Top 10 Countries
- Sri Lanka
- Germany
- Zimbabwe
- Panama
- Kyrgyzstan
- Jordan
- Indonesia
- Belarus
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Belize
Top 10 Regions
- Piedmont, Italy
- The Catskills, USA
- Northern Peru
- The Red Centre, Australia
- Scottish Highlands
- Russian Far East, Russia
- Gujarat, India
- Manitoba, Canada
- Normandy, France
- Elqui Valley, Chile
Best Value Destinations
- Southern Nile Valley, Egypt
- Łódź, Poland
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA
- Maldives
- Houston, USA
- Argentina
- Bangladesh
- Albania
- Ecuador
- Slovenia
The list with further details about each location is available online as well as via Lonely Planet’s Guides mobile app. And just like with Lonely Planet’s first form (guide books), travelers can pick up a printed copy in book form (with plenty of wanderlust-inducing images and details) for $17.99.