Key Notes
- National Geographic selects 25 destinations for its Best of the World 2027 editorial list.
- Luxor’s eclipse and major anniversaries in Jaipur and Normandy give travelers specific reasons to visit next year.
- Catalina Island receives the separate Readers’ Choice distinction alongside the 25 editorial picks.
National Geographic has unveiled its 2027 selection of 25 destinations, bringing together places for food, culture, wildlife and outdoor travel. The list ranges from Norway’s Vestland region to Jaipur in India, with Catalina Island in California named separately as the Readers’ Choice winner.
For travelers mapping out next year’s holidays, the appeal is the variety: an established city break, a coastal road trip or a walking journey can all be the starting point. Several selections also come with a particular reason to visit in 2027.
National Geographic’s Best of the World 2027: The Full List
The editorial selections are grouped geographically below; these are not numbered rankings.
Europe
- Vestland, Norway
- Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
- Santander, Spain
- Normandy, France
- Transcaucasian Trail, Armenia
- Leipzig, Germany
- Tricity — Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia, Poland
Asia
- Penang, Malaysia
- Niigata, Japan
- Chengdu, China
- Jaipur, India
North America and the Caribbean
- Madison, Wisconsin, United States
- Puerto Rico
- Pacific Coast Highway, California, United States
- Grenada
- Southern Ozarks, Missouri and Arkansas, United States
- Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Maya Ka’an, Mexico
South America
- Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Cape Froward, Chile
- Kuélap, Amazonas, Peru
Africa and Oceania
- Luxor, Egypt
- Malawi
- Melbourne, Australia
Why Luxor, Jaipur and Normandy Stand Out for 2027
Luxor has an unusually specific date to build a trip around: August 2, 2027. A total solar eclipse will cross Egypt that day, alongside parts of southern Spain, North Africa and the Middle East. National Geographic’s Luxor guide highlights more than six minutes of darkness in the ancient city, making its temples a striking setting for the event.
That timing matters for the rest of the itinerary. August brings intense heat, while October through April offers more comfortable conditions for exploring Luxor’s monuments. Eclipse travelers should plan around both the celestial event and the practicalities of summer sightseeing. We have also covered how eclipse travel is shaping accommodation demand elsewhere along the route.
In India, Jaipur marks the 300th anniversary of its founding. Its appeal stretches beyond the colorful facade of Hawa Mahal: the old city’s markets, palaces and craft traditions offer plenty of reasons to stay longer. National Geographic recommends the cooler period from November to March for exploring, giving travelers a different calendar to work with from an Egyptian summer eclipse trip.
Normandy’s milestone reaches further back. The French region is preparing celebrations for the thousandth anniversary of William the Conqueror’s birth in 1027, with events running through 2027. The Normandy selection pairs that history with the region’s coast and cultural landscapes, including Mont Saint-Michel. Visitors can build a trip around medieval heritage without treating the whole region as a single sightseeing stop.
Norway’s Fjords Offer a Different Kind of Trip
Vestland brings the focus back to western Norway’s landscapes and coastal cities. Bergen makes a useful starting point: its historic Bryggen wharf combines wooden waterfront buildings with a living neighborhood of shops, studios and restaurants. That gives travelers a city experience to combine with time exploring the wider fjord region.
The distinction between a city and a region matters throughout the list. Choosing Vestland does not mean staying only in Bergen; choosing Tricity means considering Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia together. A shortlist becomes more useful when the next decision is how much ground to cover, rather than how many names to tick off.
Catalina Island Is the Readers’ Choice Winner
Catalina Island, off Southern California, received the separate Readers’ Choice distinction. It sits alongside the 25 editorial selections rather than replacing one of them, so travelers should keep the two parts of National Geographic’s announcement distinct.
How to Turn the List Into a 2027 Travel Plan
Start with the experience you want, then choose dates and a realistic route. A festival or eclipse can set the timetable; a regional trip leaves more room to decide how long to stay in each place. Compare transport connections and accommodation before committing, especially when a one-off event is central to the journey.
For travelers who prefer an organized itinerary, we have also looked at the new National Geographic trips from G Adventures. Those are bookable tours, while Best of the World is an editorial destination list. Use this selection for inspiration, then build the trip around your own interests, pace and budget.
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