Where to visit in 2025: Here are the places our travel experts are booking

From mountains in Pakistan and a Canadian city to a pint of Guinness in Dublin and the Gunners in Girona, here’s a pick of some of the destinations that Independent Travel has its eye on in 2025

Wednesday 01 January 2025 06:00 GMT

Echoes of the past: The hand of Hercules at the ancient citadel in Amman, Jordan (Getty Images)

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There’s nothing quite like looking at blank diary pages. The turn of the year is one such time, when 12 months stretch out in front of you waiting to be filled with experiences – and brimming with potential when it comes to travel.

It might be the urban thrum of a city that’s caught your eye for a 2025 escape, or a secluded beach with next to nobody around. The Independent’s travel team has equally diverse plans for our globetrotting during the next year.

Some of us are hoping to align with new flight routes to explore destinations for the first time, with others looking for a holiday that packs a punch while going easy on the wallet. Some are chasing adventure in the mountains, while some are following Arsenal across Europe.

So as a new year dawns, here is an insight into the team’s thoughts – and hopefully some inspiration for ways to satisfy your wanderlust in 2025.

Toronto, Canada

Toronto promises much, from a sky-high tower down to the revitalised waterfront (Getty Images)

Canada, inexplicably, is a country I’ve never managed to get to, despite efforts to reach it in the past. This needs to change in 2025 – friends who live there are growing tired of my excuses. I’m planning a Toronto city break, coinciding with the return of Virgin Atlantic to the ‘Great White North’ after more than a decade of not flying there; the carrier will launch a daily service between London Heathrow and the capital of Canada’s Ontario province. It’s the classic city break lures that excite me about Toronto. A vibrant food scene (Fallen Feathers in hipster neighbourhood Trinity Bellwoods is getting people talking, as are the set menus at chef Eva Chin’s Yan Dining Room); the revitalised waterfront, which I’m keen to explore on two wheels; and maybe even a trip up 114 storeys to the CN Tower’s observation deck. Benjamin Parker

Jordan

My first trip of 2025 will be to Jordan. This is a country that I’ve been hoping to visit for years, but with the current slump in tourism to the region, now seems like a better than ever time to go. In 2025 I’m keen to travel to areas where tourism is welcomed and very much needed, and I’m also always attracted to destinations where you’re not shoulder to shoulder with other tourists. Another aim of mine is to travel in the ‘off season’ when possible and January will be right in the middle of Jordan’s – I’m hoping this means fewer crowds (especially at popular tourist sites like Petra) and lower prices. Annabel Grossman

Kythnos, Greece

Kythnos, where you can find serenity by the sea (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

This will be the year I get back to Greece, no matter how much flight prices keep trying to stop me. I hate to admit I’m getting sick of budget breaks in oversaturated Spain, but I would sell my soul to spin around a Greek taverna, ramble to an off-grid beach and stockpile €3 gyros in the company of donkeys on Kythnos in the Western Cyclades. Alternatively, fingers crossed for an easyJet or Ryanair sale to bring me closer to my dream days on the Aegean. Natalie Wilson

Dublin, Ireland

In my entire life, I have never had a pint of Guinness. Crazy, I know, but when my dad generously presented me with the opportunity to fly to Dublin next year for a city break, I knew then that I would be holding out a little while longer in order to try my first sip in Ireland. I’ve been told that this would be a bad idea since it will not taste as good back in the UK, but our short break does allow for hopping from pub to pub, and a trip around the Guinness Storehouse. While we are there, we also plan to temper our drinking habits with some sightseeing around Trinity College, Dublin Castle, and maybe even sneak in one more tipple at a whisky distillery. Amelia Neath

Girona, Spain

Riverside Girona will welcome Arsenal in January (Getty Images)

As an Arsenal fan I am often fortunate, and unfortunate enough, to pay to follow the team around on away trips. In recent years I have watched Arsenal win big matches in Lisbon, Dortmund and Napoli, but my latest escapade in January will be to see us play the lesser-known but impressive Champions LeagUe side Girona in Spain. It is known for its medieval architecture and views of the River Onyar, although that may not be my main focus on this trip. We will hopefully get tickets in the away end of the 14,624-seater stadium, although there may only be around 760 on offer to Arsenal fans. Marc Shoffman

Read more: The best beaches in Spain

Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Dramatic entrance: Artist’s impression of Fenix in Rotterdam (Proloog.tv)

Subtract Amsterdam from the Dutch tapestry of touristic temptations and the nation would still have a wealth of appeal. While the capital remains a profoundly human and cultural city, rival Rotterdam improves its repertoire by the year. The 2025 increment takes the dramatic shape of Fenix: “The first museum in the world that tells stories of migration through art.” The venue is a theatrically transformed structure (once part of the world’s biggest warehouse) in the Katendrecht district. This was where millions sailed from Europe to begin new lives in North America, but also where Chinese dockworkers, Cape Verdean sailors and Surinamese jazz musicians arrived. Fenix opens on 16 May 2025. If you are tempted, a reminder that Rotterdam has excellent surface connections from the UK: from Hull by P&O Ferries, from Harwich on Stena Line, and from London St Pancras via Eurostar. Simon Calder

Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Towering peaks to peaceful rivers in Gilgit-Baltistan (Getty Images)

Pakistan’s mountains have been calling to me for a while and I’m hoping that 2025 is the year that I’ll finally make the trip. I’m particularly interested in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan where the towering Karakoram Mountains and the western Himalayas have in the past attracted intrepid hikers and mountaineers and a more mainstream tourism is slowly emerging. Part of my desire to get out to Gilgit-Baltistan is to see the region before more travellers catch on, but I’m also keen to see how Pakistan will handle the increase in visitors. This is an area where climate change is already making itself known and moves are being made to promote responsible tourism, and I am hopeful that an increase in international travel to the region will have a positive rather than detrimental effect. AG

Tallinn, Estonia

Twinkling lights and festive sights in Tallinn (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Christmas has only just passed but already I’m thinking ahead to the next one. After a rather Scrooge-like lack of festivities in 2024, I want to travel with the sole purpose of a Christmas market. And – out of stubbornness or habit, or both – I like to travel to places that are different, I’ve got my sights set on Estonia’s capital, Tallinn. Jet2 is launching new twice-weekly flights to the city from Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh from late November until just before Christmas. So I’ll jet off, head to the heart of Tallinn’s (Unesco-listed) Old Town and get my merry on: swigging glogg that’s heavy with cinnamon and cloves, snacking on roasted almonds, and – if my young son is in tow – maybe a picture alongside Jõuluvana, Estonia’s Father Christmas. BP

Australia (via Dubai)

I officially lost half of my friends to new lives in Dubai and sun-drenched cities Down Under in 2024. It’s time I stop shipping birthday cards and cross the globe to go and see what all the fuss is about at the glitzy shopping malls and pristine beaches that each promise. With the right convenient connection – I’m ambitiously imagining a stylish Emirates seat for the journey – one trip might open my eyes to the enviable Aussie lifestyle and my purse to Dubai’s high-end designer and desert safaris. NW

Prague, Czech Republic

I chose to book a trip to Prague in 2025 simply due to having a free weekend and looking at the cheapest possible flights to anywhere in Europe. With my personal item-only ticket in tow, we have chosen to stay in a budget-friendly hotel to try to make our getaway as cheap as possible (and so far we are succeeding). Known for its cheap beer, destinations like Prague are but a dream for Brits, but with the city’s crackdown on pub crawls, we are hoping that we won’t run into too much partying while sampling pilsners on our weekend getaway. Accompanied by my boyfriend, who loves historical architecture, our itineraries are also packed with a visit to the Gothic St Vitus Cathedral and the centuries-old castle complex that surrounds it. AN

Chemnitz, Germany

20th-century wonder: The Chemnitzer Hof hotel (Simon Calder)

This year’s joint European capital of culture has many echoes of the GDR – the state that existed for four decades under the ideological supervision of the Soviet Union. The architecture is a vivid reminder of those Cold War years. A giant seven-metre head of Karl Marx gazes over proceedings in the city centre, which in 2025 will see all manner of events celebrating freedom and tolerance. Best of all, you can stay in a majestic 20th-century wonder: the amazing Chemnitzer Hof hotel, probably the most atmospheric and comfortable place I stayed last year. SC

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