The Valley of Temples near Agrigento, Sicily.Credit: iStock
We’ve looked at which countries should be on your travel wish list for 2025, but it’s time to get a bit more specific and note which cities around the world are worth considering when you’re planning next year’s holidays. Inclusion can be due to a major global event such as Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, or simply the fact that a place, like Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, is one of those rare and amazing cities that no one much has got around to visiting. Here are the picks of 2025, as named by Traveller’s expert writers.
Agrigento, Sicily
Agrigento is officially a city but, with just 60,000 citizens, feels more like a town. So what makes this community in south-western Sicily such a draw in 2025? It beat nine other Italian destinations to be named Italian Capital of Culture 2025. Its drawcard is the spectacular World Heritage-listed Valley of the Temples. The striking Doric temples that dominate the skyline convey Agrigento’s former importance: it was a leading city of the ancient Mediterranean world. The temples are also considered among the world’s most extraordinary representations of Doric architecture. And in a bid to polish up its image for next year, Agrigento recently banned the sale of Mafia-themed souvenirs. See visitsicily.info; unesco.org
Quito, Ecuador
Quito has flown under the tourist radar until now.Credit: iStock
Ecuador’s high-altitude capital has long flown under the travel radar, despite its UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town being Latin America’s best preserved colonial city. Now the city’s embrace of contemporary architecture is beginning to generate buzz, particularly the eye-catching IQON and EPIQ towers. Getting around is easier than ever thanks to the brand-new metro system. See visitquito.ec
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Bukhara will host the first Bukhara Biennial arts festival in 2025.Credit: iStock
Visitors usually head to this fabled Silk Road city to explore Bukhara’s ancient urban heart. This year there’s another attraction. The very first Bukhara Biennial will run for 10 weeks and celebrate local artists as well as big names such as Antony Gormley and Marina Simao. Recently-restored historic buildings will host the key events. See uzbekistan.travel
Trondheim, Norway
Norway’s Viking-era capital, home to the country’s most successful football club and Europe’s most northerly Gothic cathedral, has a new claim to fame: as a hotspot of sustainable dining. A clutch of Michelin-starred chefs are using the region’s superb seafood and fresh produce to create memorable meals, including at the zero-waste Credo. See visittrondheim.no
Chincoteague, Virginia, US
It’s a late July ritual that’s become world-famous, and next year marks the centenary of the Chincoteague Pony Swim. On July 30 at the first slack tide (a half-hour window between tides when there’s no current), wild ponies that have been grazing on Assateague Island are swum across to neighbouring Chincoteague Island. The multi-day event includes a pony auction to help manage the herd’s size. The ponies were immortalised in Marguerite Henry’s 1947 children’s book Misty of Chincoteague and a 1961 film. On the big day, the town of Chincoteague shuttles sightseers to a park where there’s a livestream of the swim. To see it up close, wade into Pony Swim Lane’s marshlands or head out on a charter boat. Be sure to book well in advance. See virginia.org; chincoteague.com
Salzburg, Austria
Poor old Mozart. Salzburg used to be celebrated as his birthplace before it became known as the filming location for The Sound of Music, which is celebrating its 60th birthday next year. Expect a rich program of events, and don’t forget to holler out a yodel or two when tackling one of the scenic hiking trails that surround the city. See salzburg.info
Rome, Italy
Castel Sant’Angelo and the Sant’Angelo bridge over Tiber River in Rome, Credit: iStock
The Eternal City has had a proper spruce up in preparation for next year’s Jubilee Year, or Holy Year, with infrastructure improvements ranging from new metro stations to a pedestrian area around the Castel’ Sant’Angelo. Jubilee years also feature a rich program of concerts and exhibitions, making this a great time to visit. Be warned, though: Jubilee is expected to draw millions of pilgrims to Rome in addition to the normal throngs of tourists. See turismoroma.it
Basel, Switzerland
Basel will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025.Credit: iStock
Basel, a pretty city on the Rhine River in north-west Switzerland and close to the borders with France and Germany is hoping that hosting Eurovision 2025 will attract a flood of new visitors and showcase the city’s many delights. Basel, Switzerland’s oldest university city, is a cultural powerhouse, home to around three dozen museums including the fabulous Fondation Beyeler, as well as the annual Art Basel festival. See basel.com
Memphis, US
It’s party time in Memphis next year. First up is Elvis Presley’s 90th birthday celebration in January, followed by blues guitarist, singer, songwriter B.B. King’s centenary in September. No word on what’s planned for the latter, but Graceland will host a four-day event in honour of The King’s birthday, starting January 8. See wearememphis.com; graceland.com
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
If you like being one of the first to discover a destination, you are going to love Bishkek. The mountain-ringed Kyrgyz capital is a beguiling blend of lush parklands, Soviet-era monuments and lively cafes, and it is just a four-hour flight from Dubai. Don’t leave without catching a performance at its neo-classical opera house and going for a hike outside town. See visitkyrgyz.com
Doha, Qatar
Pearl Island in Doha.Credit: iStock
There aren’t many cities where you can drive the desert dunes in the morning and relax on the beach in the afternoon, but that’s not the only big draw in Doha, the relaxed Qatari capital that is a laid-back alternative to Dubai. There is also Qatar Airways’ fantastic stopover deal, offering three nights’ four-star accommodation for just $49. See visitqatar.com; qatarairways.com
Manchester, England
The Oasis reunion – happening over five nights at Manchester’s Heaton Park, and in many other world cities – is not the only event happening in the northern English city next year. Manchester University celebrates its 200th birthday and to time with this, its magnificent Victorian Gothic-styled John Rylands Research Institute and Library reopens in Spring 2025 after a bit of a facelift. In July, the biennial Manchester International Festival, which attracts practitioners of visual art, theatre, dance and music, will also kick off. See visitmanchester.com
Antigua, Guatemala
Take your time in Antigua.Credit: iStock
Most people heading to Guatemala come to Antigua to check out the nearby Mayan ruins at Tikal but inevitably fall in love with this World Heritage-listed city. Take your time in the magnificent MUNAG (National Museum of Art Guatemala) then stroll the streets lined with ateliers and boutiques. A growing number of flights from Delta, Alaska Airlines and Avianca makes getting here easy. See visitguatemala.gt
Astoria, Oregon, US
Some cinephiles reckon The Goonies just might be the best kids’ movie of the 1980s. With its charming characters, David v Goliath storyline (kids battling evil property developers), offbeat humour and edge-of-your-seat plot, it became a classic. Its cult status is unsurprising, given the brains behind it: Steven Spielberg wrote the story, Chris Columbus of Gremlins fame penned the screenplay and Richard Donner directed it between his work on Superman and Lethal Weapon. The film, which starred Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin and Martha Plimpton, was set and filmed in Astoria, Oregon (population 10,000), which is planning a shindig from June 6 to June 8, 2025 to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary. Expect bus tours, movie screenings, a scavenger hunt, fan gatherings and more. See thegoondocks.org
Seoul, Korea
The Gangnam District’s Gangnam Style statue.Credit: iStock
Not so long ago, those who did visit the Korean capital did so mainly for its fabulous food, its castles and its magnificent museums. These days it’s still all about those enticements but with K-pop culture the huge and newer drawcard, from the tribute murals around YG Entertainment and themed bears lining Gangnam’s K-Star Road to the K-star cafes owned by the pop idols themselves. See visitseoul.net
Chawton, England
It is a truth universally acknowledged that we all love a good Jane Austen occasion – and the 250th anniversary of her birth (December 16, 1775) will give Austen fans plenty of reason to head to Old Blighty next year. Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, a village in Hampshire where the author spent her final years, plans to host a year-long celebration. It kicks off with expanding its Pride and Prejudice Day into a Pride and Prejudice Festival (January 23-28). Events will include a sewing circle, writing sessions, piano practice, themed tours, pop-up talks, a quiz, book club and late viewing sessions. From May 1 to May 11 there’s a Sense and Sensibility Festival, and more throughout the year, culminating in a Birthday Celebration Week (December 13-21). See janeaustens.house
Sanliurfa, Turkey
Balikligol, or the pool of Abraham, in Sanliurfa, Turkey.Credit: iStock
It’s been two years since a major earthquake devastated south-eastern Turkey and while some places are still recovering, others are eager for visitors. The city of Sanliurfa is a home to some incredible archaeological finds, including the world’s oldest temple. More reasons to go: outstanding Roman-era mosaics and fabulous food. See sanliurfa.goturkiye.com
Old Koloa Town, Kauai, Hawaii, US
Kauai, Hawaii’s lush Garden Isle, is a world away from bustling, traffic-choked Honolulu. In 2025, get to know the northernmost Hawaiian island’s Old Koloa Town – a historic sugarcane area tucked into the hinterland behind Poipu’s beach resorts (where you might spy monk seals lazing on the sand). Koloa, which opened its first sugar mill in 1835, is marking not only its 190th birthday but the 40th anniversary of its annual festival, Koloa Plantation Days. Unfolding each July, the charming festival includes the likes of fire-dancing, music, history-themed exhibitions, a heritage craft fair, trail walks and coastal hikes. The highlight is the hotly contested parade where locals – on foot, floats or horseback – dress up to celebrate an aspect of plantation workers’ camps. See koloaplantationdays.com
Osaka, Japan
Flying taxis, anyone? Next year’s future-themed Osaka Kansai Expo will include demonstration flights of small electric aircraft designed to help ease traffic jams. Beyond the groundbreaking tech on display at the Expo (on between 13 April and 13 October), make time for Osaka’s sensational street food, its mighty castle and its eclectic architecture. See osaka-info.jp
Sherbrooke, Victoria, Australia
An artist’s impression of the Burnham Beeches Six Senses hotel, due to open in mid-2025.
Those with a taste for luxury hotels are keeping an eye on tiny Sherbrooke, 35 kilometres east of Melbourne in the Dandenong Ranges. This settlement is the home of Burnham Beeches, a three-storey art deco mansion with a fascinating history – and future. Built in 1933 as a home for a wealthy industrialist, over the decades it’s been a research facility, children’s hospital and a canvas for a ground-breaking immersive installation by Melbourne artist Rone. Now it’s set to become a luxurious 43-room Six Senses hotel. Global firm Woods Bagot is the lead architect for the brand’s debut in Australia and there are hopes that construction will begin in December. Originally slated for a mid-2025 opening, let’s watch this space. See burnhambeeches.com.au
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Rio may be glamorous but Brazil’s biggest city, Sao Paulo, is the country’s cultural epicentre with institutions such as the Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo (MASP) – soon to open a 14-storey extension – and Cidade Matarazzo, packed with hotels, restaurants and arts outlets. Fun fact: it is also home to one of the world’s largest Gay Pride celebrations. See cidadedesaopaulo.com
Whistler, Canada
In 2025, the Invictus Games – a recovery pathway for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women – will be staged in Vancouver and the winter sports mecca of Whistler, in Canada’s British Columbia. Founder and patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, says these games will “expand the range of winter adaptive sports” to include new events such as alpine skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing and biathlon, skeleton and wheelchair curling. These Games, which will also showcase its core sports of indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball, will be held in partnership with Indigenous communities. More than 500 athletes from 20-plus countries will compete at the two destinations from February 8 to 16. See invictusgamesfoundation.org
Tunis, Tunisia
A traditionally styled rooftop in Tunis.Credit: iStock
A decade after the terrorist attack that destroyed Tunisia’s tourism industry, one of North Africa’s most charming cities is finally back on the travel map. Explore the World Heritage-listed souk, admire the Bardo Museum’s collection of mosaics, stroll tree-lined avenues and marvel at the ruins of ancient Carthage. See discovertunisia.com/en
Carnamah, Western Australia
Australia loves its Big Things – and now we have a new one. In the West Australian Mid West wheat-belt town of Carnamah (population 400), what’s said to be the world’s biggest tractor was unveiled in October. The Big Tractor, a five-times replica of the Chamberlain 40K that’s played an integral role in the state’s history, stands at 11.5 metres tall and is hard to miss (it’s bright orange). The tractors were produced in Perth from 1949 until the 1980s. Carnamah, about 300 kilometres north of Perth, loves a good tractor – it’s also home to Walton’s Tractor Museum where you can see dozens of working vintage John Deere and Chamberlain tractors. With Carnamah situated in Wildflower Country, get busy planning a visit for next spring. See westernaustralia.com
San Antonio, Texas, US
San Antonio Botanical Garden.
This small Texan city has long punched above its weight in the culinary stakes so locals are keen to see who scores big when the city’s first Michelin stars are unveiled next year. Also new: the World Heritage Centre that provides background on Texas’ only UNESCO World Heritage Site, the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, home to the Alamo. See visitsanantonio.com
Marrakech, Morocco
Morocco’s desert city is in the middle of a creative renaissance. You’ll be hard put to resist the works of local artisans at emporia such as Maison Sarayan and Maison Blaoui while, next to the glorious Jardin Majorelle, Moro offers a stylish selection of wares. Looking for somewhere to stay in the medina? The new Izza riad is a scene-stealer. See visitmarrakech.com; izza.com
Seville, Spain
Seductive Seville.Credit: iStock
If you have taken many of your favourite cities off your to-do list because of overtourism (think Barcelona), we have some good news: Seville is as seductive as ever. Avoid peak seasons (considered to be March to June and September and October) to enjoy a less-crowded Alcazar, Seville’s historic royal palace, then spend some days wandering through the gorgeous neighbourhoods of Alfalfa, Encarnacion and El Arenal. See visitasevilla.es
Las Vegas, US
You know about its casinos and its live shows, but are you across Las Vegas’ burgeoning arts district? South and west of downtown this district is the perfect antidote to the Strip’s neon glitz, with its artist ateliers, its cool bars and breweries and acclaimed restaurants. There is even a boutique hotel, The English Hotel. See visitlasvegas.com
Gibraltar
Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory dangling from Spain’s southern coast, is home to just 32,000 people. Next year, in the northern autumn, it’s set to open its first major art institution. Fortress House’s collection, focusing on contemporary art from the 1970s onwards, will include work by Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, Lucian Freud, Cindy Sherman and Antony Gormley. Work is underway to transform an 18th-century building that was previously the Governor of Gibraltar’s residence into the ambitious museum which is privately and anonymously funded. Also included will be two cafes, an art education centre and a rooftop sculpture garden. Art lovers roaming the region can include a trip to Malaga’s Museo Picasso, a two-hour drive away. See fortresshouse.org