Nat Geo Reveals its Best Trips 2019 List

The year’s Best Trips 2019 list is relevant, surprising and inspiring, highlighting a mix of destinations from the Peruvian Amazon to Kansas City, Missouri.

In its annual Best Trips 2019 issue, National Geographic Traveler magazine reveals its 28 must-see destinations and travel experiences for 2019. Together, Traveler editors and National Geographic Explorers have selected their top places to travel across four categories: Cities, Nature, Culture, and Adventure.

The year’s Best Trips 2019 list is relevant, surprising and inspiring, highlighting a globe-spanning mix of destinations from the Peruvian Amazon to Kansas City, Missouri.

“Our issue features 28 destinations and experiences that can inspire us, change our perspectives and connect us with cultures, places and ideas that matter in the world,” says George Stone, National Geographic Traveler editor in chief. “It is driven by our mission to explore, conserve, respect and engage with our planet.”

Nat Geo’s destinations for Best Trips 2019 are:

Cities

Dakar, Senegal

Discover West Africa’s center of style in Senegal’s capital at the tip of Cap Vert, Africa’s westernmost peninsula.

Dakar, Senegal. Photograph by Finbarr O’Reilly

Salvador, Brazil

Find your groove in Salvador, Brazil, where plazas are stages for capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian blend of martial arts and dance.

Salvador, Brazil. Photograph by Yadid Levy

Kansas City, Missouri

Revel in the revival.

Kansas City, Missouri. Photograph by Christian Heeb, laif/Redux

Toronto, Canada

Exploring Toronto’s urban wilderness by kayak offers unobstructed views of the downtown skyline.

Toronto, Canada. Photograph by Thomas Dagg

Matera, Italy

Matera’s storied rocks are on a roll. The Sassi (“the stones”) di Matera, a honeycomb of more than 1,000 cave dwellings condemned and cleared in the 1950s due to squalid living conditions, buzzes with new activity.

Matera, Italy. Photograph by Marco Brivio, Getty Images

Perth, Australia

Visit the world’s most remote major city.

Perth, Australia. Photograph by Llewellyn, Alamy Stock Photo

Mexico City, Mexico

Taste original flavors where corn is king.

Mexico City, Mexico. Photograph by Erika Larsen

NATURE

Peruvian Amazon

Welcome to the jungle!

Amazon, Peru. Photograph by Charlie Hamilton James

Montenegro

The Balkans’ largest lake, Skadar, is the winding centerpiece of Lake Skadar National Park in Montenegro.

Montenegro. Photograph by Philippe Roy, Getty Images

Belize

One of the most biodiverse reefs on the planet, the Belize barrier reef is home to several rare and threatened species, such as the red-footed booby, West Indian manatee, and loggerhead turtle.

Coral Reef Blue Hole, Belize. Photograph by Jad Davenport / NatGeo Image Collection

Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Recent conservation efforts in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park include reintroduction of African wild dogs.

Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. Photograph by Jen Guyton

South Walton County, Florida

Northwest Florida’s South Walton County has four state parks and 26 miles of sandy beaches.

South Walton, Florida. Photograph by Drake Fleege, Alamy Stock Photo

Fanjingshan, China

Climb through a sea of clouds at Fanjingshan, China’s newest UNESCO World Heritage site.

Fanjingshan, China. Photograph by istockphoto/Getty Images

Tahiti, French Polynesia

Crystalline waters make French Polynesia a dream destination for surfers, boaters, and divers.
See the solar eclipse on July 2, 2019, that will pass directly over the Tuamotu Archipelago, completely darkening the sky for about three and a half minutes.

French Polynesia. Photograph by Ryan Moss

CULTURE

Cairo, Egypt

Early 2019 sees the opening of the 5.2-million-square-foot Grand Egyptian Museum. Located on the Giza Plateau, it cost more than a billion dollars to build and is billed as the world’s largest museum devoted to a single civilization.

Cairo, Egypt. Photograph by Rainer Hackenberg, VISUM/Redux

Hoang Lien Son, Vietnam

Hike routes in and around Hoang Lien Son National Park and the adjacent Muong Hoa Valley, then enjoy homestays among the Hmong, Red Dao, Tay, Giay, and other ethnic minority groups.

Hoang Lien National Park, Vietnam. Photograph by Kate O’Malley, Vagrants of the World

Galway, Ireland

Named a 2018 European Region of Gastronomy, Ireland’s fourth largest city is European Capital of Culture for 20120. Through 2019, new community heritage and arts projects will be rolling out in conventional and unexpected venues (beaches, fields, remote villages, and rivers) across Galway city and county.

Galway, Ireland. Photograph by Angel Villalba, Getty Images

Bauhaus Trail, Germany

Join the Bauhaus birthday bash. Still relevant at 100, the revolutionary Bauhaus design movement gives Germany a reason to throw a big party.

Bauhaus, Germany. Photograph by Andreas Meichsner, New York Times/Redux

Oakland, California

With revitalized Jack London Square and Temescal Alley, Oakland is basking in a newfound share of Bay Area spotlight.

Oakland, California. Photograph by Mark Peterson, Redux

Vervey, Switzerland

Alpine peaks and pristine Lake Geneva form a stunning backdrop for terraced vineyards in Switzerland’s Lavaux region. Drink to a once-in-a-generation festival – held five times a century, the Fête des Vignerons is a celebration of the Lavaux region’s rich wine growing culture, traditions, and of course wines.

Vevey, Switzerland. Photograph by Radomir Rezny, Alamy Stock Photo

Dordogne, France

Live the fairy tale with picture-book castles in the Dordogne in southwestern France. Marking 100 years in 2019, the Félibrée is an annual celebration of all things Occitan, including food, music, dance, and a language that resembles French, Spanish, Italian, and Catalan.

Dordogne, France. Photograph by Gunnar Knechtel

ADVENTURE

Greenland

The world’s largest island celebrates 10 years of self-rule in 2019. Roughly 80 percent of the island is covered by the Greenland ice sheet. Go sea kayaking among towering icebergs. Climb the solid rock walls of south Greenland’s fjords. Witness northern lights in remote Northeast Greenland’s National Park.

Nuuk, Greenland. Photograph by Keith Ladzinski

Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico

New Mexico’s remote Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness shelters a nature-made gallery of surreal rock formations.

Bisti De Na Zin-Wilderness, Navajo Nation, New Mexico. Photo by DPK-Photo/Alamy Stock Photo

Isla de los Estados, Argentina

Nicknamed the “End of the World,” Argentina’s Isla de los Estados is an island-wide nature preserve.

Isla De Los Estados, Argentina. Photograph by Images & Stories/Alamy Stock Photo

Macedonia

Soaring peaks, deep gorges, and waterfalls grace the country’s three national parks: Galicica, Mavrovo, and Pelister. Kayak the Lake Ohrid, one of Europe’s oldest and deepest lakes, and take flight over the Pelagonia Valley from Macedonia’s paragliding hub and highest town, Krusevo at 4,429 feet.

Macedonia. Photograph by Martin Scheel

Canterbury Region, New Zealand

Watch one of the world’s great races. GODZone is a multiday, expedition-style race across some of New Zealand’s most untouched terrain. The event is an Olympics-meets–The Amazing Race mash-up combining trekking, mountain biking, climbing, kayaking—and little sleep.

Canterbury region, New Zealand. Photograph by Simon Bradfield, Getty Images

Caño Cristales River, Colombia

Riverbed aquatic plants give Colombia’s Caño Cristales River a rainbow glow from July through November.

Rainbow River, Colombia. Photograph by Filippo Manaresi, Alamy Stock Photo

Oman

Explore the Hajar mountains, go deep into the twisting gorges of Wadi an Nakhur, enjoy the Gulf of Oman beaches or the endless red dunes of the Rub al Khali.