As the clock ticks past 10 AM WAT, TIME magazine has released its seventh annual World’s Greatest Places list for 2025, naming 100 standout destinations that span hotels, cruises, museums, parks, and restaurants across the globe. Launched earlier this month, this carefully curated collection, drawn from nominations and applications worldwide, celebrates innovation and allure from Mexico’s wine-soaked valleys to Japan’s gaming nostalgia hubs. With tourism surging past pre-pandemic highs and hitting nearly 10% of global GDP in 2024, per TIME’s editors, these spots offer a roadmap for a world eager to roam. Here’s the full lineup where they are, what they bring, and why they’re worth your attention.
Here’s a taste of the highlights. In Warsaw, Poland, the Museum of Modern Art stuns with its minimalist design by Thomas Phifer and Partners, boasting light-drenched galleries and its debut exhibit, The Impermanent, running through October 5. Over in Koh Samui, Thailand, the Four Seasons Resort promises luxury on white-sand beaches, set to star in The White Lotus Season 3. Jaipur, India, shines with the Johri Jaipur, a boutique hotel blending Mughal charm with modern flair in a 1930s mansion near the Pink City’s core. San Salvador, El Salvador, offers El Boquerón National Park, where volcanic craters and misty trails draw hikers to a raw, green escape just outside the capital.
The U.S. grabs attention too. New York City welcomes back the Waldorf Astoria, reopening this spring after a facelift, with 357 Art Deco suites on Park Avenue. Inglewood, California, hosts the Intuit Dome, a $2 billion arena with a 40,000-square-foot Halo Board and facial-recognition food stalls, home to the LA Clippers. Macon, Georgia, celebrates Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, a prehistoric Native American site turned national gem, sprawling across ancient earthworks. Denver, Colorado, serves up Vinai, a James Beard-nominated eatery dishing Hmong cuisine with a story of resilience in every bite.
Beyond borders, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, lures with eco-luxury at Verney’s Camp, where solar power meets elephant trails in untamed bushland. The Flow Country, Scotland, a UNESCO peatland in the Highlands, offers vast, boggy beauty and rare wildlife. Lanzarote, Spain, dazzles with Hotelito del Golfo, a cliffside retreat above volcanic shores near El Golfo village. Minneapolis, Minnesota, brings NHM Commons, a nature museum wing blending science and art beneath a living roof. And Long Beach, California, teases JetZero’s Pathfinder, a blended-wing plane prototype eyeing 2030 flights from its portside hub.
Featured Highlights
Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada, Mexico: A chic retreat in Baja’s wine region, pairing vineyard vistas with serene wellness escapes.
Mbano Manor Hotel, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe: A plush haven steps from the thundering falls, blending nature’s roar with luxury calm.
Shebara Resort, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia: A sleek oasis on pristine waters, merging futuristic design with coral-rich diving.
Bom Bom, Príncipe Island, São Tomé and Príncipe: A barefoot paradise off Africa’s coast, tucked in lush greenery with oceanfront charm.
Populus, Denver, Colorado, USA: A carbon-positive hotel reshaping urban stays with eco-edge in the Mile High City.
HX Grand Greenland, Nuuk, Greenland: A cruise from the capital, gliding through icy fjords and Arctic splendor.
Oberoi Vindhyavilas Wildlife Resort, Bandhavgarh, Madhya Pradesh, India: A regal outpost for tiger tracking in India’s jungle core.
L’Observatoire, Europe: A luxe train crisscrossing the continent, delivering history and scenery on wheels.
NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia: A desert jewel where endless dunes meet starlit skies.
Waldorf Astoria New York, New York City, USA: A Park Avenue legend reborn this spring with 357 Art Deco suites.
Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California, USA: A $2 billion LA arena, home to the Clippers, with a 40,000-square-foot Halo Board.
Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland: A cultural beacon with light-soaked galleries and The Impermanent exhibit until October 5.
The Complete 100
- Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe - Ensenada, Mexico
- Mbano Manor Hotel - Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
- Shebara Resort - Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
- Bom Bom - Príncipe Island, São Tomé and Príncipe
- Populus - Denver, Colorado, USA
- HX Grand Greenland - Nuuk, Greenland
- Oberoi Vindhyavilas Wildlife Resort, Bandhavgarh - Madhya Pradesh, India
- L’Observatoire - Europe
- NamibRand Nature Reserve - Namibia
- Alpeta Agrotourism & Winery - Roshnik, Albania
- The Brecon - Adelboden, Switzerland
- Sandals St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Buccament, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Corendon Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Hotel - Badhoevedorp, Netherlands
- The Farm at Seven Stars Resort & Spa - Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos
- The Ranch Hudson Valley - Sloatsburg, New York, USA
- Hôtel Swexan - Dallas, Texas, USA
- Kasbah Tamadot - Asni, Morocco
- The Ghan - Adelaide and Darwin, Australia
- Pendry Natirar - Peapack, New Jersey, USA
- Alta Sanctuary - Peru
- Georgia Safari Conservation Park - Madison, Georgia, USA
- Hôtel de la Plage - Cap Ferret, France
- Eriro - Ehrwald, Austria
- Beit Jokhdar, Beit Al Rayess, and Beit Kedwan - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Maxx Royal Bodrum - Bodrum, Turkey
- The Viewpoint Hotel - York, Maine, USA
- Tiny Seaside Resorts - Southern Jutland, Denmark
- Palazzo Talìa - Rome, Italy
- Celestia - Indonesia
- Al Suave House - El Zonte, El Salvador
- Raffles Jaipur - Jaipur, India
- Few & Far Luvhondo - Waterpoort, South Africa
- The Radical - Asheville, North Carolina, USA
- QT Singapore - Singapore
- The Lodge Wadjemup - Rottnest Island, Australia
- Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas - Koh Yao Yai, Thailand
- Voaara - Ste.-Marie, Madagascar
- Palm House - Palm Beach, Florida, USA
- L+SNOW Indoor Skiing Theme Resort - Shanghai, China
- AmaMelodia and AmaMagdalena - Magdalena River, Colombia
- Las Qolqas Eco Lodge - Ollantaytambo, Peru
- Community Homestay Network - Nepal
- AKI Family Resort Plose - South Tyrol, Italy
- Nipponia - Sado, Japan
- Matca Hotel - Simon, Romania
- Peter Island Resort - British Virgin Islands
- Uxua Maré - Trancoso, Brazil
- Waldorf Astoria New York - New York City, USA
- La Divina - Athens, Greece
- Hotel Baskuca - Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Mirukashi Salon - Karatsu, Japan
- Stockholm Archipelago Trail - Stockholm, Sweden
- The Lowell Observatory - Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
- AWA - Lima, Peru
- Zebun Nessa Mosque - Ashulia, Bangladesh
- NHM Commons - Los Angeles, California, USA
- Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine and Seigantoji Temple - Wakayama, Japan
- Farmers Marrakech - Marrakech, Morocco
- Nicolas Ruinart Pavilion - Reims, France
- Intuit Dome - Inglewood, California, USA
- The Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw - Warsaw, Poland
- The Manor - Johannesburg, South Africa
- Nintendo Museum - Uji, Japan
- Culinary Innovation Village by Meza Malonga - Musanze, Rwanda
- Gerbou - Dubai, UAE
- Niue Blue - Tamakautoga, Niue
- The Geode at Tippet Rise Art Center - Fishtail, Montana, USA
- Notre Dame - Paris, France
- Papa’s Bombay - Mumbai, India
- Chelebi - Baku, Azerbaijan
- Dogon - Washington, D.C., USA
- The Beijing Library - Beijing, China
- Nangma Valley Trek - Pakistan
- Wild Food Adventures - Areni, Armenia
- Trosten - Oslo, Norway
- The Pekoe Trail - Central Highlands, Sri Lanka
- Costa 7070 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Pas Mus - Vilnius, Lithuania
- Roxy Dinner Show - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Eagle Hunter Cultural Center - Ulgii, Mongolia
- Thomas Dambo’s Alexa’s Elixir - Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, USA
- Royal Palace of Aigai - Vergina, Greece
- Casa Cultural Nuestra Herencia - Bogotá, Colombia
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument - Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico, USA
- Longwood Gardens - Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA
- Bluey’s World - Brisbane, Australia
- Vinai - Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum - Jakar, Bhutan
- Palazzo Citterio - Milan, Italy
- Little Village - Detroit, Michigan, USA
- La Almazara - Ronda, Spain
- Lala - San Juan, Puerto Rico
- The Flow Country - Caithness and Sutherland, Scotland
- Port Ellen - Islay, Scotland
- The Studio at Corning Museum of Glass - Corning, New York, USA
- The Canadian Canoe Museum - Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
- The Wine Spa - Portland, Oregon, USA
- Ho Chi Minh City Metro - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Powder Mountain - Eden, Utah, USA
- Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park - Macon, Georgia, USA
Why It Stands Out
TIME’s editors combed through a flood of nominations to spotlight these 100, zeroing in on what’s fresh, impactful, and unforgettable, per their March 13 release. From Namibia’s NamibRand Nature Reserve to Japan’s Nintendo Museum in Uji, a hit on X this week for gaming fans, the list mirrors a travel surge breaking 2023 records. Posts on X praise it as a “global treasure map,” though some question if every spot lives up to the hype. With cultural hubs like Bogotá’s Casa Cultural Nuestra Herencia and culinary stars like Mumbai’s Papa’s Bombay, it’s a vibrant mix.
The Daily Mentor views this as a call to action: these aren’t just destinations, they’re blueprints for bold exploration. From Rome’s Palazzo Talìa to Madagascar’s Voaara, 2025’s lineup dares you to see the world anew. Where will you start?
