Make it happen

The 23-day Five Stans of the Silk Road tour from Exodus Adventure Travels takes in all of the highlights in the region.

• Best Silk Road tours

2. South Africa’s big hits

Best for variety
A wish-list holiday spanning some of South Africa’s greatest hits will include Cape Town and the lofty summit of Table Mountain, the waddling penguins of Boulders beach and the craggy shores of the Garden Route. But you might also choose to start your journey in Johannesburg, enjoy a safari in Kruger National Park, head south to visit the wetlands outside Durban, and then finish amid the sun-flecked vineyards surrounding Stellenbosch, where mountains rise over vineyards and whitewashed farms. In short, the options are myriad.

Make it happen

The 18-day Ultimate South Africa tour from G Adventures takes in many of the country’s key sights, including Kruger and the Garden Route.

• Discover our full guide to South Africa
• Best hikes in South Africa

3. Low season in Thailand

Best for top-drawer relaxation
Thailand in high season is filled with gloriously sunny days, but everywhere you go is packed with tourists all searching for their own slice of paradise. You might have to contend with more temperamental weather during the low season — typically from May to September — but for that you’re rewarded with a decent chance of having the beach to yourself and no queues to contend with. There are usually colourful festivals, the landscape is at its lushest and even posh hotels are available at a fraction of the usual rate.

Make it happen

The name may be a bit of a mouthful, but in most other respects the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket promises a masterclass in relaxation: a five-star resort with doors opening to a white-sand beach, plus a spa where you can be pummelled and exfoliated into a state of priestly calm.

• Best beaches in Thailand
• Best places to visit in Thailand

4. Petra with the experts

Best for history in close-up
The lost city of Petra, where Indiana Jones searched for the Holy Grail, is more revealing when seen in the company of a real-life bona fide archaeologist. Try a guided historical group tour of Jordan that takes in the “Rose City”; instead of whips, fedoras and car chases you get erudite historical insights on Roman temples, Byzantine mosaics and Crusader castles.

Make it happen

The nine-day Treasures of Jordan itinerary from Explore! covers all of the highlights you’d expect, from Petra to a float in the Dead Sea.

• The ultimate guide to Jordan’s Dead Sea

5. Safari and beach in Tanzania

Best for wildlife thrills and ocean bliss
Tanzania’s national parks and Zanzibar’s beaches are east Africa’s classic double act. Start at the Tarangire National Park, tracking elephants and zebras, before moving on to the Serengeti for more wildlife spotting. Then before you head home, fly to Stone Town for an oceanfront luxury stay right on the beach.

Make it happen

The 12-day Tanzania Private Safari with Zanzibar tour from Globus is an unforgettable adventure with many wildlife-spotting opportunities.

• The best safari camps and lodges in Tanzania
• Best hotels in Zanzibar

6. Iceland adventure

Best for long winter days
If you’re glum at the prospect of long winter nights, book a midsummer break in Iceland to look forward to — it’s a time of year when the sun always stays up past bedtime, and sometimes barely grazes the horizon. With plenty of daylight hours to fill you might embark on an expedition westwards to the cliffs of the Snaefellsnes peninsula, or east to the Langjokull glacier.

Make it happen

Consider staying at Hotel Husafell, which sits close to Husafell Canyon Baths, about two hours’ drive northeast of Reykjavik.

• Best Iceland tours
• Discover our full guide to Iceland

7. Dreamy Maldives

Best for overwater living
When it comes to clear sapphire waters, powdery sands and ultra-luxe resorts, it’s hard to beat the Maldives. You’ve got plenty of top-notch hotels to choose from here, many of which feature the archipelago’s signature overwater villas; most are on their own islands, requiring a journey by boat or seaplane from the international airport. Days are chiefly spent lying in the sun and snorkelling in the warm waters on repeat.

Make it happen

Milaidhoo is an archetypal Maldivian resort, with an overwater restaurant shaped like a traditional Maldivian boat, complete with glass floors to watch the sea life.

• Read our full guide to the Maldives
• Best overwater villas in the Maldives

8. Kenya with the kids

Best for a blast on the beach
From Mombasa, a long, arrow-straight strip of sand stretches south along the Kenyan coast towards the Tanzanian borderlands. Days are spent lazying on the beach or hitting the water for wind and kitesurfing. Just offshore, Diani Chale Marine National Reserve offers some of the loveliest coral gardens around. You could also head inland for safaris in the two Tsavo National Parks (east and west).

Make it happen

The beach reaches its grand finale near Kinondo Kwetu, a family-friendly resort run by relatives of Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke (the husband of Karen Blixen, of Out of Africa fame). It has Swahili-inspired cottages in secluded gardens.

• Best Kenya tours
• Best Kenya safaris

9. Vietnam by rail

Best for exclusive opulence
GWR and others take note: the Vietage is a luxury railway service for just 12 blessed passengers, offering an inspired combination of massages, gourmet lunches and complimentary booze as it rattles along Vietnam’s scenic North-South railway. You can start with a crash course in local gastronomy in the storied port of Hoi An, before trundling south along the rails to your stay in Quy Nhon.

Make it happen

The Anantara hotel group operates the Vietage and so many guests will stay at the Anantara Hoi An, a luxury hideaway just outside the old town, before stepping on board.

• Best hotels in Vietnam
• Discover our full guide to Vietnam

10. Wellness in Bali

Best for splashing out on serenity
You may think that Bali’s reputation as a wellness destination comes from its luxury hotels, where everything from yoga on the beach to guided meditation is a part of the stay — and they’ve certainly played their part in attracting international visitors. But before all that, Hindu philosophy influenced wellness traditions on the island. It helps that you’re surrounded by nature, the food is fabulously fresh and healthy, and the sun is almost always shining.

Make it happen

A luxury resort sprawled over forested hills near Ubud, the Como Shambhala Estate has a resident yoga teacher, dietician and ayurvedic doctor carefully scrutinising guests’ welfare.

• Read our full guide to Bali
• The best hotels in Bali

11. Gorillas in Rwanda

Best for a super safari
Rwanda is home to some of the world’s largest primates — mountain gorillas — and is increasingly home to some of the world’s most lavish safaris. Consider shuttling about the country to visit Volcanoes National Park in search of golden monkeys, Bwindi National Park to spy gorillas munching on the foliage, and finally the Rwandan capital of Kigali for a premium hotel stay.

Make it happen

The ten-day Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Discovery tour from Explore! show off the highlights of both countries on a guided itinerary.

12. Cast away in Cambodia

Best for sustainable tranquillity
Sihanoukville has for decades been the go-to beach destination in Cambodia, with sandy beaches and a small fishing village vibe. But in recent years, overtourism and overdevelopment have marred the experience for many travellers. And yet, just off the coast, many of Cambodia’s islands still retain their authenticity, with Sihanoukville acting as the gateway to these castaway locations.

Make it happen

You’ll welcome being marooned at the sublime Song Saa. Spread over two jungly Cambodian islets, this sustainability-focused resort features bungalows looking out across a pocket marine reserve.

• Best backpacking routes in southeast Asia

13. Walking the Camino

Best for stretching your legs
If you’re in need of divine reassurance, pack up your walking boots and take the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Although the Spanish leg of the Camino de Santiago covers about 500 miles, you can cheat with a guided group walking tour that covers the last 60 miles — so you get all the glory and none of the blisters.

Make it happen

Exodus Adventure Travels has the Camino de Santiago Trek, a nine-day guided walk for small groups, with your luggage transferred between the stops.

• The best of Spain
• Camino de Santiago: how to walk Spain’s most famous route

14. Costa Rica’s wildlife

Best for creature cruising
Costa Rica yields a Noah’s Ark’s worth of animal sightings: turtles off Caribbean beaches, crocodiles lurking in the rivers, sloths in the canopy and insects buzzing adoringly about the rainforest. More surprising episodes include watching leaf-cutter ants at work in Sarapiqui, and listening for howler monkeys as you trace old lava flows beneath the Arenal volcano.

Make it happen

The 16-day Costa Rica Adventure itinerary from G Adventures takes you around the country from San Jose, so you get to see a bit of everything.

• Best places to see wildlife in Costa Rica
• Best tours in Costa Rica

15. Fairytale Germany

Best for relaxing by rail
The Harz Mountains are the Germany of Brothers Grimm books: dense woods, higgledy-piggledy towns and forbidding castles. Take a winter rail tour to this glorious corner of the country to see it at its most enchanting, with heritage steam trains further adding to the atmosphere of the fairytale forests.

Make it happen

The seven-day Harz Mountains in Winter tour from Great Rail Journeys includes a chance to travel on the heritage Brocken Railway and time to explore world heritage towns.

greatrail.com

• Best places to visit in Germany
• Read our full guide to Germany

16. Wild Galapagos

Best for amazing wildlife
The diversity of wildlife in Galapagos — and the way it has evolved in isolation from the rest of the world — is unique. Behind every rock, beneath every wave, exotic creatures can be found contributing to this extraordinary ecosystem: a dancing sea lion, a sunbathing iguana, a stalking shark. The abundance is staggering. To witness the spectacle is a red-letter day for nature lovers, who also gain fascinating insights into the work of Charles Darwin, who developed his theory of evolution there.

Make it happen

What could be a better way to explore than the 14-day Galapagos: In Darwin’s Footsteps tour from Exodus Adventure Travels, which includes several guided walks.

• Best Galapagos cruises
• Best Galapagos tours

17. Argentina’s waterfalls

Best for waterfall wonderment
The Iguazu Falls straddle the border between Argentina and Brazil. The biggest waterfall system in the world, it’s 1.7 miles wide and pours more than 1,500 cubic metres of water per second down a drop of 82m (269ft.) The roar of the water coupled with the spray and the sheer size of the falls make it more than worth a day trip.

Make it happen

Bamba Travel has an eight-day Iguazu Experience, which includes visits to both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides of the falls.

• Read our guide to Iguazu Falls
• Best places to visit in South America

18. Northern lights in Lapland

Best for the ultimate light show
Watching the aurora borealis do its thing is one of life’s great pleasures — and an experience made all the sweeter by its famed elusiveness. Canada, Alaska and Iceland all offer ringside seats but the otherworldly landscapes of Lapland make it perhaps the best place to see the phenomenon, which occurs when charged particles from the sun become trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field. The result is a dazzling display of colour that produces the greatest light show on the planet.

Make it happen

The seven-day Winter in Finland: Lapland & Northern Lights tour from G Adventures gives you ample opportunity to spot this ethereal phenomenon.

• Best northern lights tours
• Best hotels in Lapland

19. Golden Triangle, India

Best for spectacular scenes
The Taj Mahal may be the headline attraction but this monument to love and loss is just one tip of the glorious Golden Triangle, which joins the dots between Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Encompassing some of India’s most spectacular landscapes — from dusty deserts to tiger-filled forests — the region is replete with pristine palaces, Buddhist temples and magnificent mosques. To explore its dusty bazaars, ride its rickety tuk-tuks and taste its fiery cuisine is to experience India at its most flamboyant.

Make it happen

The India’s Golden Triangle tour from Exodus Adventure Travels packs it all into just seven days and there are options to book special trips that coincide with Holi or Diwali.

• Best cities to visit in India
• The best of India

20. Moorish break in southern Spain

Best for arabesque ambience
The Moorish influence can be felt everywhere in Andalusia, whether it’s in the architecture or the cuisine, making this southern region quite unlike anywhere else in Spain. Among the highlights are the Alcazar of Seville and the Mosque–Cathedral of Cordoba. Hiring a car allows you to go further, explore at your own pace and take in some stunning landscapes — but it’s just as easy to use public transport here.

Make it happen

Around a 14th-century Moorish courtyard in Vejer de la Frontera, Las Palmeras del Califa allows you to relax amid arabesque interiors adorned with wrought-iron lanterns, woven rugs and views over the rooftops of Vejer to the sea.

• Best villas in Andalusia
• Discover our full guide to Andalusia

21. Machu Picchu, Peru

Best for feeling on top of the world
South America’s headline attraction, Machu Picchu makes you work for its charms: the Inca Trail hike up is rewarding yet challenging — but it’s all worth it to gaze upon this wondrous Unesco world heritage site. Don’t fancy tackling the Inca Trail? Then let the train take the strain as it climbs, in magnificent fashion, from Cusco to Machu Picchu — leaving you with a short walk or (even shorter) bus trip to the ruins.

Make it happen

The eight-day Machu Picchu Adventure tour from G Adventures is fully guided and is designed for those who want to see more of local life.

• The ultimate guide to Machu Picchu

22. Mesmerising wildlife in Canada

Best for polar bears
A remote and somewhat lonely town on the edge of the Hudson Bay, Churchill is the self-proclaimed “polar bear capital of the world”. You don’t always have to look far — the beasts can often be spotted wandering through the town (locals keep cars and houses unlocked should anyone need to hide) — but it’s on the windswept tundra where the best sightings of these fearsome creatures are to be had.

Make it happen

The six-day Polar Bears in Churchill tour from Explore! includes use of a specially designed Polar Rover observation vehicle that lets you get close to the bears safely.

• Best things to do in Canada
• Read our full guide to Canada

23. Mountains and wolves in Romania

Best for room to roam
The Carpathian Mountains are all about wide-open spaces roamed by lynxes, bears, wolves and adventurous walkers. Staying in remote mountain huts, you can ramble among waterfalls and monasteries, and climb Moldoveanu, Romania’s highest summit. Once you finish the trail, head back down to the lively town of Brasov and pay a visit to nearby Bran Castle, aka Dracula’s castle.

Make it happen

The eight-day Carpathian Walking & Bears tour from Exodus Adventure Travels is ideal for those who want to squeeze wildlife-spotting into the trip — and it also includes a visit to Bran Castle.

24. Mekong cruise

Best for an epic river voyage
The lifeblood of southeast Asia, the mighty Mekong has supported dynasties, shaped cultures and influenced local cuisine for centuries. A cruise up this epic waterway — which meanders through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam — takes you on a journey through ancient kingdoms, sultry cities and some of the region’s most photogenic scenery. The river also supports a dizzying diversity of wildlife, from endangered Irrawaddy dolphins to freshwater stingrays, so pack your binoculars.

Make it happen

Wendy Wu has an eight-day itinerary on board the Victoria Mekong, a small ship with just 35 cabins for an intimate experience.

• Best Mekong cruises

25. Australia’s sacred Uluru

Best for a spiritual stay
A sacred site for Indigenous Australians, Uluru has a captivating, spiritual energy. The beating heart of Australia’s Red Centre, the immense ochre-red rock is the scene of exquisite sunsets and provides a stunning backdrop to learning about history and culture. Nearby, Alice Springs — a surprisingly cosmopolitan town, considering its isolation — serves up impressive indigenous art and is the gateway to the rocky gorges and limpid waterholes of the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Make it happen

Over six days, Intrepid Travel’s Red Centre & Uluru Explorer tour helps you discover just what’s so special about this part of the world.

• The ultimate guide to Uluru
• Discover our full guide to Australia

26. Antarctic cruise

Best for awesome nature
Amid the savage beauty of Antarctica, hardy creatures endure. Penguins, whales and seabirds all call this inhospitable continent home, flourishing in an environment that claimed even the toughest explorers. This land was the final frontier for so long, but now more and more people are experiencing the awe-inspiring beauty of Antarctica: staring open-mouthed at giant icebergs, glistening glaciers and towering mountains. They follow in the footsteps of greats — Shackleton, Scott, Amundsen — who’d surely marvel at the idea of Antarctic tourism.

Make it happen

See it on a cruise; Seabourn has multiple sailings in the region on expedition ships that allow you to travel in complete luxury.

• Best luxury cruises to Antarctica

27. The Grand Canyon

Best for sheer size
Cast aside the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles and the mighty gorge of the Grand Canyon is undeniably one of America’s most recognisable landmarks. And, unsurprisingly, it’s said that no matter how many photographs you see of it, nothing really prepares you for the real thing. The best way to explore its iconic ridges? Stay in a hotel on the rim of the canyon and take a guided tour to walk the lesser-trodden paths that wrap their way around its curves.

Make it happen

Intrepid Travel’s three-day, fully guided Hiking the Best of the Grand Canyon tour is perfect for those who are not comfortable going out for treks on their own.

• The best of the US
• Best national parks in the US

28. Cycling in San Francisco

Best for two-wheeled thrills
There’s no morning more magical than one spent watching an enchanting haze of cloud-tickling fog drape itself over the Golden Gate Bridge. The city’s most famous structure, opened in 1937, stretches over the Bay and is best experienced on two wheels — rent a bike and cycle across it. Pair this ride with a trip to San Francisco’s row of candy-coloured houses known as the Painted Ladies.

Make it happen

Take the easy option by booking a room at the Lodge at the Presidio, an army barracks turned hotel with some of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

• Best hotels in San Francisco

29. Bolivia’s salt flats

Best for super shots
Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat, spanning a whopping 4,000 square miles in total. Considered to be one of the most remarkable vistas in the world, its mirror-like surface is perfect for photographers who want to play around with depth and perspective. The key to the perfect shot here? Get your camera low to the ground and close to the prop.

Make it happen

See the salt flats on the 15-day Highlights of Bolivia tour from Exodus Adventure Travels, which also includes a stay at the Palacio de Sal, a hotel made from salt.

30. Chile’s Marble Cathedral

Best for splendid isolation
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the iridescent blue swirls in this rock are part of a sci-fi film set, but Patagonia’s shimmering marble caves are a real-life phenomenon millions of years in the making. Located in General Carrera Lake, in southern Chile, three ornate formations — the Cathedral, the Chapel and the Caves — stand in otherworldly isolation. It’s true that getting here requires almost the same level of logistical planning as a space mission, with two flights, a 124-mile dirt-road drive and a boat trip before you arrive at the site. But as you watch that crisp sunlight bounce around inside these Kubrick-esque, spotless white labyrinths, tinted blue by the lake’s glacial meltwater, you’ll be glad you made the effort.

Make it happen

Stay at Nayara Alto Atacama, which blends beautifully into the surrounding desert and offers six pools, an amazing spa and the chance to watch birds swooping over the magical Lake Tilo.

31. Turkey’s Blue Mosque

Best for blue beauty
Didn’t you hear? Pink’s the new blue. At least it is when the sun rises over Istanbul’s Blue Mosque. In fact, it’s only by stepping inside the monumental structure, built by Sultan Ahmed I in the 17th century to reassert Ottoman power, that you understand where it gets its name. Adorning almost every bit of the soaring columns, arches and domes are tiles depicting the sultan’s favourite motifs of tulips, fruits and roses, hand-painted in varying shades, from the paleness of a winter sky to the deep, inky blue of the Bosphorus. There’s no better time to see them than on a bright December morning, as the rising sun pours in through the great stained-glass windows and splinters into a thousand dancing stars when it hits the chandeliers.

Make it happen

Base yourself at Bebek Hotel, a riverside hideaway in Istanbul’s ritziest neighbourhood

• Best places to visit in Turkey
• Read our full guide to Turkey

32. Giza’s pyramids

Best for a monumental experience
From a distance, they’re precision-honed, geometry-class cut-outs set against a blistering sky — alien spaceships in an endless sea of sand. But journey closer and you begin to comprehend the sheer human muscle required to build the pyramids — myriad hand-cut stone blocks, quarried, chiselled and lifted into place by 100,000 workers. Now, nearly 5,000 years after construction, the crisp edges have been buffed by millennia of sandstorms and centuries of grave-robbers and tourists. Arrive early to cheat the heat. Without crowds, entering the dark passages is slightly less claustrophobic, with only the pharaohs’ ghosts for company.

Make it happen

Head there on the nine-day Highlights of Egypt tour from Exodus Adventure Travels and you’ll also sail along the Nile on a felucca boat and visit pharoahs’ tombs inside the Valley of the Kings.

• The ultimate guide to the Pyramids of Giza
• The best of Egypt

33. Exploring the Great Barrier Reef

Best for kaleidoscopic coral
Diving in the Great Barrier Reef is up there among the top aquatic wish-list experiences. This natural wonder of the world is made up of 2,900 kaleidoscopic coral reefs and can be seen from outer space. Clip on your snorkel and swim in waters shared by more than 30 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises, along with 1,500 different types of tropically tinted fish.

Make it happen

The five-day Best of Cairns, Great Barrier Reef & Daintree tour from Intrepid Travel is a small-group adventure that gives you time to explore on your own.

• The ultimate guide to the Great Barrier Reef
• Best things to do in Australia