What are the best places to visit in the world? Time magazine just revealed its annual World’s Greatest Places List, which highlights 100 amazing places around the globe—including hotels, cruises, restaurants, attractions, museums, parks and more.
“Time’s list of the World’s Greatest Places is unique for several reasons,” senior editor Emma Barker told me in an interview. “First, Time is a news magazine, and we look at these spots through that lens, searching for places pegged to news or offering something new and exciting. Second, we have a global network of editors and contributors who pitch places local to them, and have local experience and expertise.”
In addition to soliciting nominations from its international network of correspondents and contributors, Time compiled the list through an application process.
The exhaustive list of 100 places is broken down into places to stay and places to visit, with an eye toward the new and the exciting—from sustainability initiatives to immersive cultural experiences. When it comes to destinations, the United States leads the count with 22 locations on the list. Italy comes in second, with four locations, including the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing, which crosses through Switzerland and Italy.
In compiling this year’s list, some big travel trends emerged, according to Barker. “We noticed a few trends in this year’s list: places with other-worldly art and design, like at China’s Aranya; active travel, like Natural Selection’s Guided Cycling Safari in Botswana; and learning more deeply about the communities and areas we’re traveling to through science, environmentalism and AI, like at Antarctica’s White Desert,” she says.
Another trend: “We also saw a lot of low-impact glamping resorts, especially in more nature-based rural areas, and luxury train travel,” says Barker, whose personal favorites are the luxury train tours. “Belmond’s Eastern & Oriental Express, which runs through Malaysia, and the Diyarbakir Express through Turkey are two of the most notable.”
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Here, I’ve got a preview of 33 places from the Time list, which are not ranked in any specific order. I’ve organized them by destination, followed by some of the cruise and train winners.
United States
Montgomery Whitewater - Montgomery, Alabama
Fueled by a man-made, recirculating whitewater channel, Alabama’s Montgomery Whitewater park was designed by a former Olympian and world champion kayaker. Time says it’s “one of just three venues of its kind in the U.S.” and that it is on “a mission to make outdoor activities and healthy lifestyles accessible to everyone.”
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens - Sarasota, Florida
According to Time, a recent expansion of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens “has all eyes on this thriving oasis of banyan trees and mangroves.” There’s a dazzling new welcome center, a concept restaurant that sources produce from gardens cared for by vets, and best of all, says Time, it’s “set to become the world’s first net-positive-energy botanical complex thanks to the installation of a 57,000-square-foot solar array.”
CPKC Stadium - Kansas City, Missouri
On the banks of the Missouri River, the new CPKC Stadium is transformative in many ways. “The $120 million facility, which was erected through a joint venture including the women-owned construction firm Monarch Build, marks a milestone in the professionalization of women’s sports,” writes Time. It’s part of a major reenvisioning of the waterfront. And it’s got another delicious angle: “While there, fans can enjoy food from local BIPOC-, and women-owned restaurants, featuring multiple James Beard Award semifinalists.”
Fontainebleau - Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is a mecca, and the new, long-awaited Fontainebleau is a game changer. “The $3.7 billion dollar hotel, casino and convention center ups the ante for opulence in Sin City,” writes Time.
Canada
Putep ‘t-awt - St. Lawrence Estuary, Quebec
Time celebrates the first land-based beluga observation site on the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River. “The project is the first phase of a larger initiative that will ultimately create a public park and cultural center on nearby property acquired by the Wolastoqiyik,” writes Time. “The site itself is considered sacred: Gros-Cacouna was long a gathering place and navigational aid along the route to Tadoussac, a First Nations trading post. When you see belugas passing in the waters below Putep ‘t-awt, you may feel moved by these lands, too”
Caribbean, Mexico and Central America
Potlatch Club - the Bahamas
In 2016, two business partners discovered an abandoned estate with a celeb-studded past on one of Eleuthera’s pink sand beaches. It took seven years, but the property was recently brought back to life, “ushering in a new generation of luxury travelers,” writes Time.
Silvestre Nosara - Nosara, Costa Rica
The beach town of Nosara has always been a hot spot for surfers and yoga devotees. Now, there’s a place for families, too: Silvestre Nosara, which has a rooftop infinity pool, surf lessons for all ages and nine suites with full kitchens that are perfect for a big brood. “Silvestre, which means ‘wild’ in Spanish, is transforming the hotel landscape in the area,” writes Time.
Boca de Agua - Bacalar, Mexico
Boca de Agua—a new treehouse-style villa property in Quintana Roo—has sustainability at its core. “Boca de Agua’s mission was to create a hospitality project that regenerates and preserves nature,” says Time. In short, it’s trying to help save Bacalar from the fate of Tulum. “A few resorts already dot the lagoon. Boca de Agua offers a blueprint to an alternative future.”
South America
Casa Lucia - Buenos Aires, Argentina
When it was built by a shipping magnet in 1929, the 20-story Edificio Mihanovich was one of the tallest buildings in Latin America. A massive overhaul has given it a new life as a boutique hotel with views stretching to the river. “The new hotel Casa Lucia stands as a towering testament to Argentina’s talented creatives, both past and present, while simultaneously honoring its capital’s unique maritime history,” writes Time.
Yum Cha - Santiago, Chile
Yum Cha began as a pop-up in a Santiago apartment before moving into a renovated home. There, local chef Nicolás Tapia is serving up trailblazing 10-course tasting menus using teas from around the world. But it all makes sense, according to Time: “A minimalist tea house paired with an adventurous 20-seat restaurant might seem like an odd fit for Santiago until you realize that Chile is a country with a history of high tea consumption.”
Sinchi Wayra - Yasuni National Park, Ecuador
In northeastern Ecuador, the rainforest between the Napo and Curaray rivers is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve—but it’s under threat from oil companies buying land from indigenous groups. That’s part of the reason why Edwin Gualinga Senior (former president of the local Sani community at Rio Napo) and his family opened the rustic Sinchi Wayra ecolodge. “By booking a trip here, travelers directly support the community: a portion of the proceeds from the lodge go toward fair wages for the staff, local school and infrastructure projects, and guide training,” writes Time.
Europe
Höfe Trail - Osttirol, Austria
The Höfe Trail (Farms Trail) leads through the mountain and pastoral landscapes of Austria’s Osttirol—and according to Time, it’s the country’s “first long-distance hiking trail for families who want to actively participate in the life of mountain farmers.”
Aviva Studios at Factory International - Manchester, England
This performing arts campus on the grounds of the former Granada Studios has plenty of star power—says Time—because it’s “the first cultural institution in the United Kingdom designed by the powerhouse architecture firm Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), co-founded by Rem Koolhaas.”
Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel - Amalfi, Italy
“The newly renovated Anantara Convento di Amalfi doesn’t merely reflect the local history—it’s carved from it. Set in a 13th-century Capuchin convent built into the cliffside, the 52-room boutique hotel is an elegant showpiece of the past enhanced for the present,” writes Time.
Via Transilvanica - Putna to Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania
“Active travelers curious to discover Romania’s primeval forests and its slow ecotourism should set their sights on the new long-distance Via Transilvanica, a trail crossing the country diagonally from Putna Monastery in Bukovina to Drobeta-Turnu Severin by the Danube,” writes Time.
Dunas de Formentera - Spain
Formentera—the smallest of Spain’s Balearic islands—is what Time calls “the epitome of slow travel” and it’s home to Dunas de Formentera, a trendsetting new hotel on the island’s longest beach. “With interiors impeccably designed by the Palma-based Antonio Obrador studio, the hotel radiates Formentera’s bohemian aesthetic: natural wood, terracotta, ceramic latticing, muted shades of caramel and cream,” says Time.
Matterhorn Alpine Crossing - Switzerland and Italy
“After more than four years of extreme-altitude construction by a team of daring mountaineers, the missing link to the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing was finally completed in July 2023, uniting world-class ski resort towns of Zermatt and Cervinia in as little as 90 minutes,” writes Time.
Middle East
Pearling Path - Muharraq, Bahrain
Bahrain has a rich history of pearling that has been recognized by UNESCO. Now, a just-built path that snakes through the former capital of Muharraq is providing an exciting new way to explore the old quarter. “The 2.2-mile path connects the beach where pearl divers once set off from to the residences of former divers to impressive merchant homes and other historic sites,” writes Time. Another part of its success, according to Time? “It’s rare that a tourism project works well for both visitors and residents.”
Sharaan Nature Reserve - AlUla, Saudi Arabia
Deep in the desert of AlUla is Sharaan Nature Reserve, where Time says “there is wonder here.” A Jean Nouvel–designed resort will soon open and until then, writes Time, “intrepid travelers can pass like spirits through the canyons, witnessing untouched physical beauty and raw natural history.”
Africa
Natural Selection’s Guided Cycling Safari - Okavango Delta, Botswana
“Botswana specialists Natural Selections is blazing a trail with a multi-day cycling safari, the first of its kind in the Okavango Delta, home to one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of wildlife,” writes Time.
Hassan Fathy’s New Gourna Village - Luxor, Egypt
Egyptian visionary Hassan Fathy is, says Time, “an early pioneer in sustainable design” and this new village has “become an inspiring new stop in Luxor for travelers interested in design and sustainability.”
Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum - Marrakech, Morocco
“Located in the heart of the bustling old city of Marrakech, the Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum is not only a showcase of Moorish architecture but also dedicated to preserving the country's culinary heritage,” writes Time.
Magugu House - Johannesburg, South Africa
One of South Africa’s most important fashion designers, Thebe Magugu, opened Magugu House, a new retail space and showroom that Time says “adds even more value to an already thriving fashion scene” in Johannesburg.
Oceania
Sun Ranch - Coopers Shoot, Australia
Fashion designer Jamie Blakey and hotelier Julia Ashwood have transformed Sun Ranch, a former cattle ranch, into a “55-acre Eden where good taste is an art form,” says Time.
Wukalina Walk - Tasmania, Australia
“For more than 65,000 years, the palawa, or Tasmanian Aboriginal people, have called wukalina (Mount William National Park) and larapuna (Bay of Fires) in northeastern Tasmania home,” writes Time. “The best way to experience this remote region known for wallabies, wombats and Tasmanian devils is on the Indigenous-owned and -operated wukalina Walk, a moderate hike of roughly 22 miles.”
Dive Tutukaka - Tutukaka, New Zealand
“Dive Tutukaka, the first in New Zealand to be named a PADI Adaptive Services Facility, brings adventurers of all levels (truly) to the waters of Poor Knights Island in the Marine Protected Area off New Zealand’s North Island with comprehensive services and infrastructure to meet the needs of divers with physical, psychological or mental challenges,” writes Time.
Asia
Aranya - Beidaihe, China
“The seaside community of Aranya, about 2.5 hours from Beijing by high-speed rail, is luring in young Chinese visitors with its minimalistic design and otherworldly serenity,” writes Time.
Air CCCC - Singapore
“Experiences at AIR CCCC—which stands for Awareness, Impact, and Responsibility Circular Campus and Cooking Club—make taste buds tingle while instigating conversation around big questions regarding sourcing, waste and community in the industry,” writes Time.
Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui - Koh Samui, Thailand
The third season of White Lotus will be filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, on the white sand beaches of Koh Samui, Thailand’s second-largest island. "Given the popularity of past locations, travelers will want to plan their own unscripted holiday at the five-star resort before the new season hits the small screen in early 2025," says Time.
Antarctica
White Desert - Antarctica
“White Desert welcomes fewer than 300 guests per eternal-daylight season at two luxury camps made up of convivial bubble huts in Queen Maud Land, surrounded by majestic nunataks, or rocky outcrops,” writes Time.
Cruise Ships and Trains
Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas
Icon of the Seas is the world’s largest cruise ship at 1,197-feet long. The ship cost $1.79 billion to build, has 20 decks and can hold a maximum of 7,600 people. “The ship, which stands 20 decks high and is festooned with twisting slides, has drawn ire and adoration alike while simultaneously setting the bar for what’s to come in an industry that’s constantly evolving,” writes Time.
Belmond’s Eastern & Oriental Express
Belmond’s Eastern & Oriental Express train made the list because it is now offering “two seasonal journeys highlighting Malaysia’s pulsating cities and stunning natural landscapes,” writes Time.
The Diyarbakir Express
Time celebrates Turkey’s Diyarbakir Express, a new sightseeing train service that is “whisking travelers across the vast Anatolian steppe and through Turkey’s eastern mountains to the northern plains of Mesopotamia, known as the cradle of civilization.”
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