Gather your airline miles. Call your travel agent. Ask for that time off.
National Geographic released its annual list of must-visit destinations, called “The Best in the World.” Each year, Nat Geo’s global community of travel experts and editors compiles the places across the globe they believe travelers should check out.
Several locations in the United States made the list including Baltimore, Maryland, where experts say “History shines anew in the birthplace of the American railroad.” The first commercial railroad was created in 1827 and the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation has gone through a multi-million dollar upgrade for train buffs to enjoy. It also shouts out the city’s waterfront, which is home to the National Aquarium and the 1854 USS Constellation warship.
Also on the list, California’s Pacific Coast Highway, which boasts bustling coastal communities from Laguna Beach, which is celebrating its centennial in 2027 all the way up to Mendocino Country, which debuts the “Redwood Time” exhibition next year.
The Southern Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas offer travelers outdoor adventures and cool experiences like in Bentonville, Arkansas, where the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has recently gone through a major expansion. It’s home to one of the most significant collections of American art.
Experts also picked Madison, Wisconsin, which they say is home to lakefront adventures, local flavor and creative cultural experiences.
The American territory of Puerto Rico made the list thanks to its blend of cultures and traditions.
Several destinations on the list are celebrating special anniversaries and events in 2027. Grenada’s Spicemas, the country’s annual August carnival, marks its 150th anniversary in 2027 that includes colorful and festive parades and street parties.
In Cape Froward, Chile, the southernmost point of South America, will become the 18th park in in Patagonia’s 1,7000-mile Route of Parks by the end of 2027.
Normandy, France will celebrate its millennium with “Millennium 2027: European Year of the Normans,” with more than a thousand events throughout the year including concerts, medieval feasts and theatrical street performances.
And you can experience the total solar eclipse at the world’s greatest open-air museum in Luxor, Egypt on August 2, 2027.
“Curiosity has always been a catalyst for travel. For more than 130 years at National Geographic we’ve been exploring the world both to encounter new places and to deepen our understanding of them. Best of the World 2027 was created in that spirit, offering travelers 25 places that our editors believe will be most rewarding to them in the year to come. Whether you are up for a far-flung adventure or looking for fresh reasons to see somewhere closer to home, we hope this list inspires trips that connect you to all the exciting opportunities that are out there to experience and get to know the world in entirely new ways,” said Nathan Lump, editor-in-chief of National Geographic.
Other destinations that made the list include Halifax, Nova Scotia, Kuélap, Chachapoyas, Peru, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, Leipzig, Germany, Santander, Spain, The Transcaucasian Trail in Armenia, Tricity, Poland, Vestland, Norway, Malawi, Chengdu, China, Niigata, Japan, Jaipur, India, Melbourne, Australia, Maya Ka’an, Mexico, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil and Penang, Malaysia.
You can read more about each location at natgeo.com/BestOfTheWorld.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of National Geographic and this station.
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