September may still be wrapping up, but the travel world is already looking ahead. Lonely Planet has dropped its Best in Travel 2027 lineup, and this year's edition feels refreshingly offbeat. Instead of rehashing the same crowded hotspots, the guide splits its picks into 25 destinations and 25 experiences, spanning everything from volcanic coastlines to quiet Swedish villages.
The list, compiled by Lonely Planet's global network of writers and experts, takes you from Australia's Red Centre to the salt flats of Gujarat in India. Europe claims ten spots, including Italy's Veneto region, which the guide calls a "microcosm" for its mix of Venice, the Dolomites, Lake Garda, Verona, and Padua. Germany's Dessau, birthplace of the Bauhaus movement, also makes the cut, alongside Croatia's Šibenik for a crowd-free Adriatic escape, León on the Camino de Santiago, and Skanör-Falsterbo, the so-called Swedish Riviera with its pastel bathing huts.
Further afield, the destinations read like a dream itinerary for curious travelers. California's redwood forests, Québec and Prince Edward Island in Canada, Montserrat's black-sand beaches under a still-active volcano, Morocco's capital Rabat, Oman, Kenya's Tsavo parks, the Maldivian island of Fulidhoo, and Kazakhstan's futuristic capital Astana all feature. Coasts dominate, but not in the way you'd expect. Montserrat offers drama, Fulidhoo gives you locally run guesthouses instead of private-island resorts, and Skanör-Falsterbo pairs Baltic beaches with traditional cottages.
"What I love about this list is how much it expands the idea of a beach or island escape," Lonely Planet's editorial director told Forbes. "There are places that deliver the extraordinary beauty travelers dream about, but also destinations that surprise you, including volcanic coastlines, subtropical islands, cold-water landscapes and places you may never have thought of as a beach destination at all."
Experiences That Go Beyond the Postcard
The other half of the list focuses on things to do, not just places to see. That means road-tripping France's Route Napoléon from the Côte d'Azur to the Alps, sailing the Aeolian Islands off Sicily, diving in Greece's Aegean Sea, or walking St Cuthbert's Way to Lindisfarne in the UK. You can ride India's Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, take a longboat into orangutan territory in Malaysia, or follow a food trail through Taiwan.
Some experiences are wonderfully low-key. Spend a night as a lighthouse keeper on Rose Island, Rhode Island, or take a polar plunge in Antarctica. Others are more adventurous, like tracking chimpanzees in Tanzania's Gombe National Park. The range is deliberate, says Lonely Planet's Chambers, who told CNN the list is "really meant to be a range of experiences," from weekend city breaks to journeys that are "awe-inspiring and otherworldly."
If you're already planning your 2027 calendar, this list is a goldmine. But before you book, check the practical stuff. For instance, if you're heading to Europe, you might want to skip the EES queues and know where you can still roam free. And if you're dreaming of Thailand, note that visa rules just changed, so plan accordingly.
For those who prefer to explore from home, you can always pilot the planet from your couch with Google Earth's flight simulator. But honestly, with a list this tempting, you'll want to be on the ground. Whether it's the quiet streets of Skanör-Falsterbo or the volcanic drama of Montserrat, 2027 is shaping up to be a year of surprises.
