No matter why you travel, this list offers inspiration.
1. The path of totality, North America
Dance, gawk or run in the dark, but don’t look directly at the sun
From the beaches of Mazatlán, Mexico, to the rugged coves of Maberly, Newfoundland, the sky will be the stage on April 8 as a total solar eclipse sweeps across North America. This year, the moon will be near its closest point to Earth, resulting in an unusually wide swath and long-lasting totality.
Mexico, Canada and 13 US states will greet the darkness with celebrations. The Portal Eclipse Festival in Mazatlán promises “spiritual growth” through DJs, yoga and more. NASA will be broadcasting from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where US$15 will get you admission to a festival and eclipse glasses called, fittingly, the Greatest Spectacles. On the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, Cosmologists Without Borders will offer space-themed programs. And if you’re game to run with a headlamp, consider a race in Millinocket, Maine.
You can find an interactive map at eclipse2024.org and a list of activities at nationaleclipse.com.
- Danielle Dowling
2. Paris, France
Preparing for the Olympics, and millions of sports lovers
Already one of the most visited cities in the world, Paris is preparing to welcome millions of travellers this summer as host of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will be the biggest sporting event in the city’s history, and to mark the occasion many well-known monuments are being transformed into sports and entertainment venues.
In a first, the Olympics opening ceremony will not be held in a stadium but outdoors, along the River Seine and near the Eiffel Tower. Outdoor swimming and the para-triathlon will be set against the backdrop of the Pont d’Iéna. The Grand Palais, renowned for its vast glass dome, is undergoing an extensive renovation to stage the fencing and taekwondo events. The grand gardens of the Château de Versailles, just outside Paris, will be transformed into a gallery and course for the equestrian events. La Concorde will stage the Olympic debut of break dancing and other sports like skateboarding and 3-on-3 basketball.
If that weren’t enough, Paris, along with Normandy, is also celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first impressionist exhibition. Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment will feature 130 works at the Musée d’Orsay (March 26 to July 14), tracing the artistic movement and how it captured a changing city. The reconstructed Notre Dame Cathedral, which was ravaged in a fire in 2019, is also scheduled to open to visitors December 8.
- Ceylan Yeginsu
3. Yamaguchi, Japan
Savour the temples and the cuisine and skip the crowds
Yamaguchi is often called the Kyoto of the West, though it’s much more interesting than that — and it suffers from considerably less “tourism pollution.” A compact city, it lies in a narrow valley between the Inland and Japan seas.
With its impeccable gardens and its stunning five-story pagoda, Rurikoji Temple is a national treasure. The city’s small winding lanes offer an assortment of experiences: pottery kilns like Mizunoue, situated on the grounds of Toshunji Temple; chic coffee shops like Log and Coffeeboy, and older-style options like Haraguchi; and wonderful counter-only shops that serve oden, or one-pot dishes. Just a 15-minute walk south is the hot-springs village of Yuda Onsen.
Given the tourist crush in Kyoto, Yamaguchi has also been offering a smaller scale — but no less historic — alternative to Kyoto’s Gion summer festival for some 600 years. Yamaguchi’s Gion Festival, which features parades, costumes and dancing, also takes place in July; 2024 will be its first year operating again at full tilt since the pre-Covid era.
- Craig Mod
4. New Zealand by train
Riding the rails through vineyards, volcanoes and snow-capped peaks
Road-tripping across New Zealand via camper van is a free-spirited traveller’s dream. But a simpler and more sustainable way to go is by train. Opt for a 17-day journey on the Northern Explorer, Coastal Pacific and TranzAlpine trains offered by Great Journeys, the tourism division of KiwiRail, New Zealand’s national rail operator.
The journey starts in Auckland and explores transcendent sites like the volcanic peaks of Tongariro National Park and Te Papa Tongarewa Museum. Guests ferry across the Cook Strait to the South Island and board the Coastal Pacific for a ride through world-class vineyards and along the jagged coast, stopping to whale- and dolphin-watch before ending in Christchurch. The last leg on the TranzAlpine starts on the lush Canterbury Plains then climbs over the Southern Alps, with views to white-capped peaks, rushing rivers and alpine lakes. Accommodations are in four-star properties at stops along the way. Coming in spring: carriages with luxurious reclining seats, panoramic windows and partial glass ceilings.
- Stephanie Pearson
5. Maui, Hawaii
A mindful resurgence of tourism after a catastrophic fire
Maui, Hawaii’s second-largest island and one of its most popular among visitors, was dealt a devastating blow last summer when wildfires blazed across its western shores, killing at least 100 people and razing the town of Lahaina. Nonessential travel to the affected areas was paused for two months; with such tragedy came concerns among travellers and residents about the resurgence of tourism, Maui’s top economic sector.
Though Lahaina remains closed, the island is once again welcoming visitors and still brimming with an abundance of activities and lush landscapes to enjoy: In the community of Kihei, Kamaole State Beach Park is ideal for snorkeling and spotting sea turtles. Farther north in Kapalua, a gentle walking trail meanders through lava fields and along the sea. And some of Maui’s most cherished natural attractions, like Haleakala National Park, are far removed from the fire zone. Travellers can also go a step further by volunteering to help people displaced by the wildfires.
- Christine Chung
6. Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, Arizona
Honouring the sacred Indigenous land around the Grand Canyon
While Grand Canyon National Park is no stranger to travel bucket lists, there’s a new reason to visit the southwestern United States. The recently designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, or Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, now conserves around 900,000 acres of plateaus, canyons and other land surrounding the Grand Canyon. Considered the ancestral homelands of more than a dozen Indigenous tribes, the monument also preserves more than 3,000 Native cultural and historic sites, reflecting the area’s deep spiritual and sacred significance.
Support the local Native American community by booking a Colorado River adventure with the Hualapai River Runners, a white-water rafting company led by Hualapai Tribe river guides. But whether above or below the rim, be sure to look up: The California condor, the largest bird in North America and once facing extinction, now has a population of more than 100, thanks to recent conservation efforts.
- Gina Rae La Cerva
7. Singapore
New hotels and advanced biometric technology enhance visits
Singapore hasn’t stopped racing toward modernisation since its independence in 1965. Now the cosmopolitan city-state, already known for its cuisine, architecture and world-class airport, is transforming itself with a luxury hotel boom. Edition recently opened a 204-room property in the downtown Orchard Road district, while the Standard will open later this year. Famed hotels such as the Mandarin Oriental and Grand Hyatt, which closed in recent years for major renovations, will also return.
Changi Airport has also undertaken a major expansion. In November, Terminal 2 fully reopened with new automated check-in kiosks, bag drops and immigration lanes, more than quadrupling the terminal’s capacity to 28 million passengers per year. And many passengers will be moving through Changi even more efficiently this year, as the airport plans to adopt the latest biometrics and facial recognition technology for passport-free departures.
- Christine Chung
8. O’Higgins, Chile
Sample delectable local foods while connecting with rural farmers
This overlooked region south of Santiago has been facing a changing climate, wildfires that are threatening 100-year-old grapevines, frequent earthquakes and undervalued traditions. So a group of local cooks, winemakers and artisan growers have joined to preserve their campesino, or rural farmer, identity. In late 2023 their initiative, known as Ruta de los Abastos, began offering rural culinary experiences to connect visitors to local beekeepers, oyster farmers and other producers.
Markets and restaurants — like El Abasto in the city of Rancagua and the vineyard-based restaurants at Food and Wine Studio and Viña Vik — are highlighting regional ingredients like locally raised lamb, salt from the coast at Cáhuil and a rustic, low-alcohol wine called chacolí, produced by area growers. On the coast around Pichilemu and Punta de Lobos, amid minimalist beach lodges like Hotel Alaia, locavore seafood with natural wine lists — like those found at Mareal — dominates the scene.
- Nicholas Gill
9. Ladakh, India
Trek to mountaintop monasteries and savour a stark and rugged landscape
Ladakh, a mountainous region known as the Land of High Passes, is nestled between the Himalayas to the south and the Karakoram range to the north. This rugged land, with its stark beauty and remote villages, is a place where time seems to have stood still.
In recent years, though, administrative changes have greatly improved infrastructure and accessibility. The Atal Tunnel, a remarkable feat of engineering, allows visitors to sidestep the infamous Rohtang Pass, turning a treacherous ride — lasting several hours in the best of weather — into a brisk 20-minute one. That makes it easier than ever for visitors to experience the area’s stunning landscapes, pristine lakes, Buddhist monasteries and other cultural attractions, which in Leh (Ladakh’s largest city) include markets, several museums and an extraordinary nine-story palace. New hiking and trekking routes in Leh and the Zanskar Valley round out the options for those in search of adventure.
- Poras Chaudhary
10. Geneva, Switzerland
Satisfy your curiosity about quantum physics, and your cravings for chocolate
The tiniest bits of nature are the biggest attraction at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, or CERN, and its 17-mile-long particle accelerator on the outskirts of Geneva. But until recently, visitors had limited options for nerding out. Open since October, the family-friendly, Renzo Piano-designed CERN Science Gateway changes that with activities like quantum karaoke, quantum air hockey and miniature magnetic accelerators modelled after the Large Hadron Collider, where in 2012 physicists discovered the elusive Higgs boson, seen as a key to understanding the universe’s origins.
Less mind-blowing but still satisfying to hungry scientists and laypeople alike, the Choco Pass, a self-guided chocolate tour that debuted in 2022, lets visitors sample Geneva’s famous truffles, bonbons and pralines. And if you want to explore the nature of time — or timepieces — book a table at Breitling Kitchen, the Swiss watch brand’s fourth crossover restaurant, which features menus designed by Juan Arbelaez of Top Chef.
- Adam H. Graham
11. Dominica, the Caribbean
A bird’s-eye view of rainforests, reefs and a boiling lake
A patchwork of volcanoes, rainforests, waterfalls and hot springs has earned Dominica, a 290-square-mile independent nation in the West Indies, the nickname the Nature Island. Later this year, visitors will be able to get a bird’s-eye view of the wild landscape thanks to a US$54 million, 6.5km cable car line that will whisk passengers from the lush Roseau Valley up to Boiling Lake, a roughly 60-metre-wide fumarole flooded with nearly 93C water, which currently requires a demanding hike to reach.
The island is also a playground for eco-adventurers: Hiking trails crisscross its three national parks, its crystal cascades make for ideal waterfall rappelling, pristine coral reefs offer some of the best diving in the world, and more than 20 species of whales and dolphins abound along the island’s west coast — including a resident population of sperm whales, which will get their own dedicated sanctuary this year.
- Nora Walsh
12. Manchester, England
New concert venues open in a music-mad city
Music has long been at the core of Manchester’s gritty soul, from Joy Division and the Stone Roses to Oasis and, now, Harry Styles, who is backing Britain’s largest new music arena, Co-op Live, set to open in April. Stars like Liam Gallagher, Eric Clapton and Barry Manilow are booked to inaugurate the 23,500-capacity space, which will complement the reopening of concert halls like the post-punk incubator Band on the Wall and New Century, where the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Tina Turner have all graced the stage.
For those interested in emerging talent, the city will host two major music conferences this year, including Worldwide Music Expo, a behemoth packed with concerts, speakers, films and an awards ceremony, and Beyond the Music, a smorgasbord of performances, parties, workshops and more. In November, Laurie Anderson will headline the Factory International arts centre with ARK, a multimedia “dark comedy for the end of the world.”
- Nora Walsh
13. Craters of the moon, Idaho
Celebrate a centennial amid cinder cones and star parties
Between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago, outpourings of lava blanketed what would become eastern Snake River Plain in Idaho, creating a surreal landscape with gaping craters, steep-sided cinder cones and underground lava tubes. President Calvin Coolidge established the area as a national monument in 1924; for its centennial, Craters of the Moon will unveil new and rehabilitated trails, wayside exhibits developed in partnership with Shoshone-Bannock tribal elders, and a packed calendar of events.
Marvel at this Dark Sky Park at a centennial Star Party with telescopes from the Idaho Falls Astronomical Society, or camp out under one of the largest remaining “pools” of natural nighttime darkness in the United States. And enjoy it all in relative solitude. Expanded to 750,000 acres to cover the Great Rift, an 84km-long crack in the Earth’s crust, Craters of the Moon is about the size of Yosemite National Park but receives just 6 per cent of the visitors.
- Ratha Tep
14. Baltimore, Maryland
Explore urban waterways and an array of Native artwork
It’s an enormous year for Charm City. The 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act is bringing in a new Justice Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center; the Baltimore Museum of Art is increasing the presence of Native artists with solo shows, thematic exhibitions and changes to displays and labels across the museum; and Baltimore Peninsula, a place for visitors and locals to shop, dine and play, will breathe new life into a long-neglected port area.
For outdoor enthusiasts, a network of waterways called the Baltimore Blueway — open to kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and rowboats — will connect visitors throughout the waterfront to cultural, historic and natural sites. And movie buffs take note: Director John Waters will be in his hometown shooting a film based on his first novel, “Liarmouth.”
- Daniel Scheffler
15. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Crunching or splashing across the world’s largest salt flat, under starry nights and mirrored skies
Like all the best places, Salar de Uyuni, 3,657 metres high in the Andes, can be demanding. Getting there means a rough overland journey, nights in dusty hotels and the threat of altitude sickness, but when you walk on the world’s largest salt flat, your crunching footsteps are often the only sound on this blanched, 4,000 square miles of salt crust, left behind when prehistoric lakes evaporated. Geometric striations lace the crystalline surface, while the rainy season only amps up the wonder, turning the salt flat into a liquid mirror that reflects otherworldly cloud formations, sunsets and starry nights.
There’s also an appetite for what lies beneath it: Earth’s second-largest stash of lithium. Demand for the “white gold” — used in electric-car and smartphone batteries — is surging. Last year Bolivia authorized two Chinese companies to begin extracting about 50,000 tons annually from the Uyuni salt flats. The mining efforts could affect the area’s beauty and ecosystem. Better go to the Salar soon.
- Lucinda Hahn
16. Negombo, Sri Lanka
A fishing village with stunning temples and plenty of seaside delights
Tourism in Sri Lanka has long focused on Dambulla’s astonishing cave temple and the beaches of the southern coast. But travellers in search of less-trafficked destinations are paying newfound attention to Negombo, a fishing village. Less than 40km up the western coast from the capital, Colombo, the village of Negombo offers a nearby international airport, hiking and plenty of beaches.
Had enough sun? Visit stunning temples and landmark cathedrals then unwind in one of the dozens of seafood restaurants — chefs here make good use of local prawns and crabs — in the charming downtown, known for its colonial-style buildings and Dutch canals.
Sustainability is a focus for businesses, especially the just-opened Uga Riva, a luxe hotel in a refurbished manor house that once welcomed Mohandas K. Gandhi and diplomats from around Asia. Tourism in Sri Lanka took a hit in recent years because of political unrest, followed by the coronavirus pandemic — but the country is back on track, and your money goes a long way.
- Liza Weisstuch
17. Massa-Carrara, Italy
See the home of the marble that makes the masterpieces
In an effort to reduce the crowds that fill the galleries of the Uffizi in Florence, the renowned museum has been transferring some of its masterpieces to lesser-known locales across Tuscany. As part of the latest initiative in the ever-expanding program known as Uffizi Diffusi, a collection of works, including paintings from the studio of Italian baroque painter Carlo Dolci, will be exhibited this spring in the town of Massa, at the Palazzo Ducale, which also houses the government offices of the Massa-Carrara province in northwestern Tuscany.
Art enthusiasts can also explore the surrounding Apuan Alps from which the marble for so many masterpieces — including Michelangelo’s David — was sourced, tour marble quarries and maybe even meet a working sculptor carving on the side of the road.
- Ingrid K. Williams
18. Bannau Brycheiniog, Wales
Conserving Welsh culture among scenic mountains
Reclaiming the name Bannau Brycheiniog for a beloved national park in Wales last year was more than a linguistic change to Welsh from English; it was a shift to spotlight the Welsh culture of the 520-square-mile park, formerly known as Brecon Beacons. The park’s emphasis on the relationship between nature and local culture is also shown in a new logo. Instead of the burning brazier of Brecon Beacons, the logo now has an ancient Welsh crown set within a green forest under stars, a reflection of the park’s commitment to a future where planting native trees restores temperate rainforest, the revegetation of peatland captures carbon and the dark sky is protected from light pollution.
While visiting Bannau Brycheiniog, “the peaks of Brychan’s kingdom,” make use of the park’s public transport and bike rentals, including the Explore Wales Pass for trains and buses, or take in the views by hiking through waterfall country from the village of Pontneddfechan.
- Susanne Masters
19. Morocco
Support local recovery in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake
Before the earthquake that killed almost 3,000 people in September, the Ourika Valley in Morocco seemed like the dreamiest of escapes: silvery-green olive groves that give way to the dramatic reddish ridges of the Atlas Mountains, simple guesthouses and luxurious boutique hotels, farm-fresh cuisine, hiking, horseback riding — and all just an hour’s drive from Marrakech.
Those retreats are staffed almost entirely by people who live in the valley’s villages, which have long experienced government neglect. The earthquake pulverized mud-brick homes around Ourika, killing many residents. Nearly all hospitality workers were forced to move into makeshift tents, yet within days they were back on the job at several lightly damaged hotels.
That’s because the whole region depends on tourism, and it — along with Marrakech and Morocco as a whole — needs visitors now more than ever. But locals hope visitors will understand that there’s more to Morocco than its glossy surface. Khalid Ait Abdelkarim, a hotel worker whose home was destroyed, said Ourika welcomed tourists because “that’s what Moroccan people do.” But, he added, “We also deserve good lives.”
- Vivian Yee
20. Valencia, Spain
Contemporary art with a side of paella
Spain’s third-largest city has long been overshadowed by Barcelona, despite sharing similar characteristics: miles of velvety sand beaches along the country’s east coast, a vibrant cultural scene and a rich gastronomic tradition (Valencia is considered the birthplace of paella). But Valencia, which was named the European Commission’s “green capital” for 2024 — an award that recognises cities for their environmental efforts — stands apart for travellers seeking more sustainably minded, less crowded destinations. The city has been revitalising its historic centre with leafier, pedestrian-only spaces, most recently with Plaza de la Reina, its lively public square, and is on track to be climate-neutral by 2030.
Valencia’s cultural landscape has also received a major boost with the Hortensia Herrero Art Center. Opened in November in the restored Valeriola Palace, the space houses Spanish billionaire Hortensia Herrero’s private contemporary-art collection and includes more than 100 works by artists like Anish Kapoor, Andreas Gursky and Mat Collishaw.
- Vivian Song
21. Kansas City, Missouri
Women’s soccer takes centre stage in a heartland hub
No doubt, soccer reigns supreme: In March, the Kansas City Current will unveil the first stadium built for a National Women’s Soccer League team, and Kansas City holds bragging rights as the sole Midwestern host for the FIFA World Cup 2026. But other headliners abound, with new lures for budding bookworms and adventurers.
Opening in March, the Rabbit hOle museum will showcase a century’s worth of American children’s literature with immersive and interactive exhibits. (In the case of the towering installation for The Funny Thing, by Wanda Gág, children will be scrambling to feed “jum-jills” to the “aminal.”) Young thrill-seekers can soar up the new 150-foot-tall KC Wheel at Pennway Point, a new entertainment district. And beginning in April, visitors can get their kicks at Rock Island Bridge, a re-imagined railway bridge that will offer dining above with kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding below.
- Ratha Tep
22. Antananarivo, Madagascar
Textiles and contemporary art flourish on an island known for natural wonders
