I love reading the annual travel lists compiled by various travel websites and newspapers on top travel destinations for the year. While I don’t particularly care if a destination I travel to is considered a must see, I love reading these lists for inspiration on where to travel to and discovering places I might not have considered.
The New York Times list is one of my favorites. Here are their picks for places to go in 2020:
UPDATE: Here is the newest list for 2024.
New York Times 52 Places to Go in 2020
1. Washington, D.C.
2. British Virgin Islands
3. Rurrenabaque, Bolivia
4. Greenland
5. Kimberley Region, Australia
6. Paso Robles, California
7. Sicily
8. Salzburg, Austria
9. Tokyo, Japan
10. Caesarea, Israel
11. National Parks, China
12. Lesotho
13. Colorado Springs
14. Krakow, Poland
15. Jodhpur, India
16. Western Sweden
17. Egypt
18. La Paz, Mexico
19. Grand Isle, Louisiana
20. Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
21. Jevnaker, Norway
22. The Bahamas
23. Kampot, Cambodia
24. Christchurch, New Zealand
25. Asturias, Spain
26. Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
27. Austin, Texas
28. Sabah, Malaysia
29. Churchill, Manitoba
30. Uganda
31. Paris
32. Lake District, England
33. Tajikistan
34. Antakya, Turkey
35. Leipzig, Germany
36. Lima, Peru
37. Molise, Italy
38. Copenhagen, Denmark
39. Richmond, Virginia
40. Mount Kenya
41. Minorca, Spain
42. Oberammergau, Germany
43. Plymouth, England
44. Atlantic Forest, Brazil
45. Belle-Île, France
46. Val d’Aran, Spain
47. Mongolia
48. Slovenia
49. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
50. Transylvanian Alps, Romania
51. Urbino, Italy
52. Glacier National Park and Whitefish, Montana
Some of these are already on our travel wish list especially Churchill, Manitoba to see polar bears, Greenland and Sabah, Malaysia.
Tokyo is one of our favorite cities and is always a favorite but will be even more popular this year because of the Summer Olympics.
We also enjoyed visiting Uganda years ago and would love to go back for gorilla trekking. (We saw the mountain gorillas in Rwanda instead. It is now cheaper to purchase permits in Uganda than Rwanda but prices for permits were still the same when we visited.)
Click here for the complete New York Times list.
To see the past lists from recent years here are the New York Times 52 Places to Go lists from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
I finished booking my autumn trip to Churchill yesterday! Quite a coincidence that it was on the list this year. I booked flights to Churchill via Winnipeg on Air Canada, Calm Air, and Canadian North using Aeroplan, and hotels using Chase ultimate rewards. I just booked the polar bear tour from Churchill yesterday. I’m excited!
Sounds amazing, enjoy! We can’t go this year but hoping in the next few years.
Come visit us in Kampot, Cambodia # 23 on the list! @ Bodia Retreat
Kampot is definitely on our list of places to visit but not sure if can make it this year.