50 Best Places to Go in 2027

Best for outback storytelling

Australia's outback may be relatively isolated – but it’s anything but empty. New immersive light and sound installations, drone shows, art festivals and workshops build on the Red Centre’s international reputation as a creative hub, with a decades-long tradition of dot painting. Meet skilled artists at work – or try to capture the beauty on canvas yourself.

– Jessica Lockhart

Originally from Canada, Jessica is a Lonely Planet editor based in New Zealand.

Best for an Italian escape beyond Venice

This northeastern region of Italy attracts visitors to Venice, but few venture beyond it. Yet the Veneto is Italy in microcosm. It’s a region marked by spectacular natural landscapes, from the Dolomites to Lake Garda; sublime Renaissance cities, including Verona and Padua; and some of Italy’s best food and wine, from prosecco to tiramisu.

– Julia Buckley

Julia is one of the team behind Lonely Planet's latest Italy guidebook. She lives in Venice.

Best for cosmic road-tripping

Touch down in New Mexico (spaceship optional) and gear up for a Southwestern road trip that feels like the Old West and the great unknown rolled into one. From thriving Native American cultures to explosively flavorful cuisine and otherworldly landscapes above and below ground, New Mexico rewards the curious at every turn.

– Joel Balsam

Joel is a freelance journalist who has contributed to more than a dozen Lonely Planet guidebooks.

Best for catching your own dinner

Tiny Prince Edward Island is often overshadowed by its Atlantic Canada neighbors, and if Anne of Green Gables isn’t on your radar, PEI may not be either. But this small island rewards visitors with some of North America’s softest beaches and most stunning coastal scenery. A seafood lover’s paradise, it’s the place to catch your own dinner – by oyster tonging, lobster trapping, mackerel fishing or mussel gathering.

– Caroline Trefler

Caroline is a Lonely Planet editor based in New York City, but never home for long.

Best for futuristic skylines

On Kazakhstan's windswept northern steppes, Astana rises from the grasslands like a vision of tomorrow. A skyline of shiny skyscrapers seemingly defying the laws of physics makes the capital a bold showcase of 21st-century international architecture, sprouting dramatically from the heart of Central Asia.

– Anna Kaminski

Anna has researched guidebooks for Lonely Planet across six continents over 15 years.

Best for Patagonian trekking

San Carlos de Bariloche is a place to slow down and reset – whether you're trekking to an alpine lagoon, paddleboarding on Lago Gutiérrez or climbing one of the newly made rock climbing routes. Base yourself here in the gateway to Patagonia to explore Argentina's Lake District, full of lakes, mountains, mystery – and did we mention the artisanal chocolate?

– Christine Gilbert

Christine is a travel writer and Texas native, now based in Buenos Aires.

Best for cottage-lined summer calm

You can’t help but slow down in Skanör-Falsterbo, with its quiet streets and rows of wide, white-walled traditional cottages. During the Scandinavian summer, the gardens here overflow with blooms, making this beach-blessed Swedish Riviera a perfect seaside escape.

– Pia Peterson Haggarty

Pia is the Photo Director at Lonely Planet. She's based in New York City.

Best for a volcano-carved hideaway

Montserrat is a quiet Caribbean island that most travelers overlook, but once you arrive, you'll wonder how it stayed off your radar for so long. With emerald peaks, black sand beaches, award-winning dining and a volcano-sculpted landscape with stories to tell, this destination leaves you feeling like you've uncovered something rare. Come for the quiet, stay for the stories written into the landscape.

– Nerissa Golden

Nerissa is a writer and editor of Discover Montserrat covering Caribbean culture.

Best for fjord views

On the Wild Atlantic Way in the west of Ireland, hidden along the intricate coastline and down the tracklike roads of Connemara, Killary Fjord is a strong contender for the most breathtaking, achingly beautiful place in the country – and folks, let me tell you, that is saying something.

– Daniel Bolger

Hailing from outside Philadelphia, Daniel is Lonely Planet’s Italy editor, based in Dublin.

Best for a colorful step back in time

Stroll through Granada, the former capital of Nicaragua, and you’ll see a well-preserved gallery of architecture from its time as a Spanish colony, with colorful buildings and ornate entryways just begging to be photographed from every angle. Historic landmarks abound, as do chic restaurants and bustling street life. After centuries of triumph and tragedy, Granada feels more vital than ever.

– Robert Isenberg

Robert is a writer and multimedia producer covering travel for more than 20 years.

Best for offbeat Kiwi charm

Once celebrated for its Scottish ancestry, Dunedin has finally shaken off its European heritage to carve out its own identity. Combine it with a visit to neighboring Ōamaru, and you'll find yourself in one of New Zealand's most idiosyncratic corners – the kind of place that's hard to explain and harder to forget.

– Jessica Lockhart

Originally from Canada, Jessica is a Lonely Planet editor based in New Zealand.

Best for elephant herds and lava plains

Living in Nairobi means wildlife is never far away. When I need space beyond the city, I take the 4-hour train to Tsavo National Park or sometimes drive for 6 hours instead. Thanks to their vast red-earth savannahs, enormous elephant herds, dramatic lava flows and quiet, crowd-free horizons, the neighboring Tsavo East & Tsavo West offer a raw, soul-stirring adventure that still surprises me every time.

– Harriet Akinyi

Harriet is a Kenyan travel journalist who has spent eight years covering African destinations.