Top 10 Places to Travel in 2025
According to WT’s destination specialists, Trip Leaders, and travelers like you, the best places for 2025 offer immersion in the unexpected. That might mean experiencing a unique culture through the eyes of locals, as we’ll do in Cuba, when we explore its UNESCO-protected sites and meet musicians and historians. Or it might mean front-row seats to an event that captures a destination’s essence, witnessing a riveting zebra migration across the Kalahari Desert to a cultural festival in the Gobi Desert complete with trained golden eagles. At WT, we’re excited for a year filled with surprise and wonder. Join us!
Contact our Area Specialists at 1-800-368-2794 or email info@wildernesstravel.com to learn more about our unique adventures or to start planning your trip today.
Sichuan, China
This exciting new itinerary brings us to a land of lost civilizations, breathtaking karst landscapes, and the famed culinary capital of Chengdu. As we journey across China’s mystical southwest, we’ll see giant pandas up close, cruise past soaring limestone peaks that have inspired generations of artists and philosophers, and visit incredible Buddhist sites, including a 20-story-high Buddha carved into a cliff and a mountaintop cave filled with prehistoric art.
Kalahari Desert
If you’re in the right place at the right time (as WT always is), you’ll witness a spectacle unlike anything else in the animal kingdom. Just after the spring rains, the Nxai and Makgadikgadi Pans, among the planet’s largest salt pans, transform into black and white, as tens of thousands of zebras—and their predators—travel across the Kalahari. Other wildlife hilights includes getting up close to some of the smaller species of the savanna, including curious meerkats.
Trinidad, Cuba
This captivating country is ready to return to the spotlight, and our brand-new itinerary captures the heart of its Afro-Cuban culture, UNESCO-protected cities, and tropical landscapes. One hotspot is Trinidad, founded in 1514 and full of charm with its cobbled streets, pastel-colored houses, and neo-baroque main square. We explore this town with an architect-historian and hike a nature trail, with a chance for a dip below a beautiful waterfall.
Coral Triangle, Indonesia
The Coral Triangle, where the Pacific and Indian Oceans meet, is an Indonesian archipelago hosting our planet’s richest marine life and coral diversity. Whether you’re looking to take in the kaleidoscopic wonders of Raja Ampat, swim alongside docile whale sharks in Cenderawasih Bay, or explore the Wakatobi Archipelago, which explorer Jacques Cousteau called an “underwater nirvana,” WT has an incredible snorkeling adventure for you.
Gobi Desert, Mongolia
Join us in this ethereal realm where ancient traditions meet dramatic landscapes. From experiencing authentic nomadic culture while staying in traditional gers to witnessing incredible displays of archery, wrestling, and cross-country horse racing at the Nadaam or Golden Eagle festivals, our Mongolia adventures will immerse you in an utterly unique culture.
Muscat, Oman
The glimmering Gulf of Oman and the rocky Western Hajar mountains create the dramatic setting for the bustling port of Muscat, often overlooked by travelers despite its incredible charm and cultural draws. We kick off our exciting exploration of sea and desert in Muscat, taking in its Islamic architectural marvels, staggering royal palaces, and 200-year-old souk.
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
This stunning volcano-ringed lake, the deepest in Central America, is a destination unto itself, but just one stop on our amazing Guatemala Private Journey that traces the colonial capital of Antigua, traditional Mayan villages, and the region’s largest open-air market in mountaintop Chichicastenango. For a grand finale, explore the newly discovered Mayan ceremonial complex found in Tikal, where thousands of structures have been cleared from the surrounding jungle.
Turkish Riviera
Discover this sublime stretch of Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, a dream world of astounding Greek, Byzantine, and Roman treasures. Choose between our Small Group Adventure or Private Journey that combine sailing and hiking to hidden Greek and Roman ruins accessible only by boat and foot, including swimming over underwater ruins! Along the way, enjoy incredible Turkish cuisine on board our traditional gulet and lunch with a local village family.
Mallorca, Spain
Most people travel to Spain’s Balearic Islands for the stunning beaches but they miss out on the best part: clifftop trails through the craggy Serra de Tramuntana mountains, secret pathways with vast Mediterranean vistas, charming medieval hill towns, and mysterious archaeological sites. Our expert Trip Leaders unlock the secrets of these islands on our hiking adventure, including the best wineries, markets, and tapas spots.
Senegal
Dakar’s thriving arts culture, Saint-Louis’s incredible jazz scene, Biffeche’s glorious bird sanctuary, and a spectacular coastline that connects all three: There’s so much to discover in this West African hub that prides itself on teraanga, a distinctly Senegalese attitude of warmth, generosity, and hospitality. Our newest expedition combines this enchanting destination with adventures in wildlife-rich Gambia and the paradise of Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagos Islands.
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Get inspired for your next journey with our 2025-2026 Catalog of Adventures! With award-winning photography and over 200 journeys around the world, it is truly a Dream Book that will grace your coffee table and feed your wanderlust.