25 Reasons to Travel in 2025

1. Dive into new Cultures
Get an insider's look into how other people live by making dinner right in a Thai family’s home, spending the day at a Maasai village, or opa! your way through Greek nightlife with an Athens local.

2. Eat aaall the food
Half the fun of traveling and exploring new cultures is the food! We’re talking night markets in Thailand, endless ramen and sushi in Japan, German pretzels the size of your head, fresh seafood in Belize, croissants, gelato, pastel de nata in Portugal—the world is your smorgasbord (oh, def try that in Sweden, too).

3. Meet new friends
Travel is an amazing way to meet new people, if one of your goals in 2025 is to put yourself out there and connect with others who also share a passion for leaving the country. Whether you’re solo, with a group, or with friends, you're almost guaranteed to end up with some lifelong BFFs.

4. And meet new non-human friends
If you’re into living inside a NatGeo documentary, there’s no end to the world’s wildlife adventures. Animal welfare and ethical treatment is a huge component of a lot of our trips, so you’ll get to see ’em up close (but not tooooo close). Chase the Big 5 on safari on a Kenya safari, observe rare birds in the Galapagos, snorkel through the vibrant reefs, chill with sloths in Costa Rica and elephants in Chiang Mai—all that’s missing is David Attenborough and his red parka.

5. Elevate your heart rate  
Adrenaline seekers, assemble! Whether you’ve always had a daredevil streak or just want to push yourself this year, why not try ziplining in the Swiss Alps, white water rafting in Colombia, or Muay Thai boxing in Thailand?

6. Get your chef on 
If The Bear taught us anything, it’s that being a chef looks super fun and laid back! Okay not really but grabbing the knife by the handle and taking a cooking class with a professional chef and learning to make a Tuscan meal in Sicily, sushi in Tokyo, and paella in Spain is definitely a much more chill experience, we promise.

7. See the world from way, way up 
Imagine you’re drifting in a hot air balloon 3,000 feet over Jordan’s Mars-like Wadi Rum desert at sunrise. Or the otherworldly landscape of Cappadocia, Turkey. Or the gently rolling hills of Tuscany in Italy. And take it from me, if you’ve got a fear of heights, don’t worry—it’s a super smooth, peaceful way to see the most stunning views ever.

8. Capture *that* iconic pic
Okay, so you want to improve your IG and TikTok content in 2025. Good thing the world kinda sets up the perfect shots for you at every turn. Snap there’s London’s iconic red phone booth. Snap there’s the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night. Snap there’s you in front of the Sphinx. Snap well, you get the...picture.

9. Experience natural beauty 
It's hard to not get super emotional (I know I can’t be the only one who randomly cries all the time) when faced with awe-inspiring wonders like Iceland’s northern lights, the red rocks of Zion National Park, Japan’s majestic Mount Fuji, or Argentina’s roaring waterfalls.

10. Learn a new skill 
New year, new you, right? The 2025 version of yourself is going to be amazing at trying exciting new stuff like snorkeling (but in the Great Barrier Reef), learning how to dance the tango (but where it originated in Buenos Aires), and overcoming your fear of singing in public at karaoke (but in Seoul).

11. Boost your creativity 
Are you in a rut with your art, your writing, or just feeling blah creatively? Travel. We dare you not to be inspired by all the art at the Prado, the Louvre, and the Uffizi, or the views of the Mediterranean, or even just the thrill of boarding your plane and jetting off to somewhere totally new.

12. Change your perspective 
Mark Twain once said that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Experiencing new cultures, interacting with people you’ve never met, trying foods that you’re a little afraid of (looking at you, haggis)—these are just a few ways to change how you see the world and maybe see your own in a new light.

13. Get some R and R 
There are go-go-go people on vacation, and there are sleep-in-and-chill-on-the-beach people on vacation. If you’re the latter or just need a break to unwind in 2025, absolutely find your version of that, whether it’s museum hopping around an iconic European city like Paris or Copenhagen or posting up on a patch of soft white sand in the Greek Islands for the day.

14. Hit up some famous festivals and events 
There are sooo many seasonal and cultural celebrations all over the world take part in. There’s colorful Holi in India, Oktoberfest in Germany, and Day of the Dead in Mexico. There are also festivals where you pelt strangers with tomatoes or soak each other with water guns. There’s also a marathon in Athens (where the first marathon was run nbd) if you love some sweat and comaraderie with your culture.

15. Step outside your comfort zone 
Pushing boundaries and growing through unfamiliar experiences is sooo 2025. Traveling is amazing but can also be super uncomfy, ngl, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes you don’t speak the language, or your flight gets canceled and you have to figure that out, or you get lost on public transit. But overcoming these challenges (which you can def do!) is the difference between being a tourist and being a traveler.

16. Indulge your inner history buff
So, the world is old. Like, really old. And if that makes you do a little dance and you get excited discussing ancient Egyptian burial rituals, then take your pick of destinations. Visit ancient ruins like Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, the Pyramids, or the Parthenon. Gawk at the architecture of Rome, Paris, and Kyoto. Hang on every word as your tour guide walks you through the old towns of Stockholm and Prague. Soak it all up, nerd!

17. Take a hike 
The mountains are also calling, to paraphrase a famous American naturalist. Make 2025 the year you conquer a few of them, literally and figuratively. How about a hike through the snow-capped Alps or the wild countryside of Ireland? Or heading to the Andes and stopping by Machu Picchu? Or going really big and taking on the soaring peaks of Patagonia? Lace up your boots and get out there.

18. Treat yourself  
If you’re all about wellness at home, you can continue that treat-yourself mindset in another country this year. If you consider a glass of water an accomplishment, maybe you also need this. Iceland is full of natural hot springs to soak in, most notably the Blue Lagoon (which is also a spa). There’s also yoga in Bali and India, thermal baths in Budapest, Thai massage, and traditional hammam Turkish spas, to name a few.

19. Shop around the world
A lot of people include “shop less” on their list of New Year’s goals, but if you're like "um no,” then 2025 is the year to drop some international cash! Browse the souks for hidden gems in Marrakech and Cairo, test your haggling skills at the floating markets in Thailand, visit London’s iconic Harrod’s department store, or go all out on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Also, the thrifting in cities like Tokyo and Amsterdam is SO GOOD.

20. Get into the holiday spirit  
It’s never too early to start thinking about the holidays in 2025. Christmastime in Europe is extra magical and twinkly with festive markets scattered all around Edinburgh, Vienna, Prague, Munich, and more. Late March is cherry blossom season in Japan, and let’s not forget one of the biggest celebrations of the year—New Year’s Eve! Count down to midnight in unforgettable cities like Bangkok, Lima, Paris, the Dominican Republic.

21. Celebrate big moments 
Celebrating your birthday abroad is a boss move. Go you! Or flitting away for an anniversary, if you’re in a cute lil relationship. So romantic. Got a huge promotion at work? To Europe! Bachelorette party to plan? Get everyone outta the group chat and over to Asia. Travel is always the best way to celebrate.

22. Travel responsibly 
There are a ton of ways to see the world respectfully and eco-consciously, like visiting ethical, no-touch sanctuaries where you can observe elephants from a safe distance, or touring Bangkok in a solar-powered boat.

23. Use that language you (sorta) learned in high school 
Need the perfect excuse to trot out your rusty French or German? Give Duolingo a rest and try speaking with actual locals. It’s not as scary as you think.

24. Create core memories 
One of the biggest reasons to make traveling the world a priority in 2025, or any time?The mems. Because that meal you ate in France, that mountain you climbed in Italy, that person you met in Japan, that time you were scared to travel solo and did it anyway, those are the experiences you’re going to look back on forever. And sharing it all with a group of new friends makes it that much more special. Are you crying? I’m crying. Told you I was a crier.

25. Save some $$$ 
Whatever reason you want to travel more this year, doing it for less is always a good idea (and then you have more cash to spend on trip treats). We have a bunch of trips on sale right this very moment so you can save up to 25% off on Greece, Japan, Costa Rica, and other bucket list spots all over the world.