18 Places to Go in 2018

It’s never easy to decide which destinations to feature in our annual Where to Go list. When you’re a traveler, there are always reasons to go everywhere. For 2018, we chose the following 18 places because they all have a new story to share. We shine a spotlight on locations such as Mexico City and Northern California Wine Country, where, in the wake of tragedy, travelers are more welcome than ever. We identify the next great American cocktail city (it’s probably not where you’d expect). We call out destinations with new, world-class cultural institutions. We highlight the best places for finding peace in nature and the cities bursting with creative energy. The common thread? All guarantee inspiring experiences and opportunities to connect with the local culture, which is the kind of travel we love at AFAR. Think we missed a place? Let us know. But in the meantime, we hope you’ll read our list, start planning your next trip, and get out there. 

—Julia Cosgrove, Editor-in-Chief

Sergio/Flickr

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Marco Argüello

ATHENS, GREECE

A wave of national pride is energizing modern Athens. Works by Greek artists are finally on display at the National Museum of Contemporary Art; chefs are returning to (and reinventing) traditional Greek food; ordinary citizens are embracing—and feeding—the many newly arrived refugees and migrants. But in the return to their roots, Greeks are looking forward, not back. See it in the striking design (and sustainable LEED Platinum certification) of the recently completed Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center, which houses a park, a state-of-the-art national library, and a new opera house. With Greece’s first Four Seasons hotel set to open south of Athens in the spring of 2018, visitors will have an elegant place stay while experiencing this Hellenic resurgence.

David Welch/Flickr

BHUTAN

Justin Kaneps

BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA

John Keenan

DUNDEE, SCOTLAND

Hollie Harmsworth

FAROE ISLANDS

Awe-inspiring landscapes are the main reason to voyage to this tiny North Atlantic archipelago located between Iceland and Norway: Think layer-cake mountains ringed in shades of green, deep blue inlets that cut through craggy sea cliffs, and incredible panoramic vistas. Hiking, fishing, and bird-watching opportunities abound. (The island of Mykines is home to a massive puffin colony.) Travelers should balance out days in nature with nights in Tórshavn, the pint-sized capital city. Book a meal at Koks, the islands’ first (and only) Michelin-starred restaurant, which specializes in traditional Faroese cooking techniques. The crowds have yet to descend on the Faroes, though at the rate airlines are adding flights to Vágar Airport and cruises are adding the destination to their itineraries, the islands won’t remain a secret for long. 

Bernardo Contopoulos/Flickr

FRANCE

Creative Commons

GUATEMALA

Jim McAuley

HAIDA GWAII, BRITISH COLOMBIA

For years, the indigenous people of Haida Gwaii fought for the right to govern the 150-island archipelago off the coast of British Columbia. In the 1980s, they won a major victory: The Canadian government granted the Haida Nation control over the logging of the islands’ precious cedars and recognized the nature-rich Gwaii Haanas region as a national park. Fast-forward to 2018, which will see the opening of Ocean House at Stads K’uns GawGa, a fly-in eco-lodge that was built and will be run by the Haida, and it’s clear that the archipelago is in good hands. The islands offer both wild adventure and First Nations culture for travelers who make the effort to get there, all presented and protected by the people who have long called it home.

Torekhan Sarmanov/Flickr

KAZAKHSTAN

Ten years ago, actor Sacha Baron Cohen raised the profile of this central Asian nation through his mocking portrayal of it in the movie Borat. The comedy ushered in a tourism boom. Today, new luxury hotels—including a St. Regis, a Hyatt, and a Ritz-Carlton—are opening in the capital city, Astana, and the country is upgrading its highway infrastructure with tourists in mind. But it is Kazakhstan’s wild nature and uncharted ski slopes that put it on our radar. The country’s Tien-Shan mountain system, one of the world’s largest, with altitudes topping out just under 15,000 feet, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2016. The Shymbulak Ski Resort, just 16 miles from Almaty, the country’s largest city, has 13 miles of slopes serviced by six lifts and is fast becoming the ultimate off-the-grid ski destination. In recent years, tour operators such as Intrepid Travel and Remote Lands have launched new itineraries that may include the chance to watch a Russian rocket launch. 

Jorge Lascar/Flickr

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Kuala Lumpur is famously multicultural: In the course of a day, you can wander the Chinese zodiac sculpture garden at colorful Thean Hou Temple, ogle the 40-foot-tall Hindu monkey god at Sree Veera Hanuman Temple, and learn about Islam on a volunteer-led tour of Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan, an architecturally magnificent mosque that holds up to 17,000 worshippers. You’ll also find a wealth of Asian art on display at the inaugural KL Biennale, which concludes at the end of March at the National Visual Arts Gallery. The capital is thrumming with energy; new construction appears around every bend. But traditional kampong life can still be observed in time-capsule neighborhoods such as Pudu, Lucky Garden, and the back streets of Chinatown. Getting lost on foot is the best way to experience it.

LWYang/Flickr

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

It’s a megacity, yes. But in the weeks following the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 300 people, Mexico City’s humanity shone through: Residents from all walks of life donned rescue vests to help the search-and-rescue efforts, and stores turned into donation centers. Now in a period of rebuilding, the city is welcoming travelers once more—and there are many new reasons to visit. The city, a hub for cutting-edge art and architecture, was named the 2018 World Design Capital and will roll out events throughout the year tied to its theme of “socially responsible design.” The culinary scene is exploding, too, from street food to fine dining, a wave capped by Enrique Olvera’s reopening of his famed Pujol restaurant devoted to reimagined Mexican classics.  

John 'K'/Flickr

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY

Reports of the destruction of Northern California Wine Country have been greatly exaggerated. Yes, parts of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties weathered devastating (and deadly) wildfires this fall. But most of the tourism infrastructure was unharmed, and wineries, hotels, and restaurants are ready to welcome visitors with open arms in 2018. In Napa Valley, check out downtown Napa’s new ultra-modern Archer Hotel, which opened in November and will debut a rooftop bar this spring. In Sonoma County, don’t miss SingleThread, a one-of-a-kind culinary experience (and hotel) in Healdsburg that received two Michelin stars in its rookie year.

Luxtonnerre/Flickr

PALAU

Sarah Brink

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

It’s tech boom time in Seattle, and construction cranes dot the skyline. In the fall of 2018, the new Hyatt Regency—which will be the Pacific Northwest’s largest hotel—opens in downtown’s Denny Triangle. Book one of its 1,260 rooms and then dive into the city’s cultural riches. Take a one-day writing workshop in at the stunning new home of the non-profit Hugo House writing center and see why Seattle was named a UNESCO City of Literature; snap a photo with a seven-foot-tall Hulk battling a flying Thor at the new Marvel Universe exhibit at the Gehry-designed MoPOP (Museum of Pop Culture); or tour the Amazon Spheres, three otherworldly biodomes built by the online shopping behemoth that are packed with 9,000 plants, slated to be completed in 2018.

Courtesy of Sun Valley Resort

SUN VALLEY, IDAHO

In the 1940s, such superstar visitors as Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper, and Clark Gable turned the Sun Valley ski resort into America’s coolest mountain enclave. Today, new restaurants and bars, including Enoteca and Town Square Tavern, have revitalized the adjacent town of Ketchum, and new lodgings are putting these storied slopes on the map again. Last winter, the 99-room Limelight Hotel—Sun Valley’s first new hotel in 20 years—opened its doors and replicated the famously convivial happy hour from its sister location in Aspen, Colorado. Another boutique property, the Auberge Resort and Residences, is on its way, making Sun Valley’s future seem as glamorous as its past. 

Mariusz Kluzniak

TROMSØ, NORWAY

Tourism to this Norwegian city, located 217 miles north of the Arctic Circle, is booming, and winter is an especially beautiful time to visit. There are the northern lights, of course, viewable in 2018 on a five-night Arctic Highlights cruise with Hurtigruten, but that’s only the, err, tip of the iceberg. The city is a playground for winter sports–lovers, who can cross-country ski or try skijoring, where skiers are pulled across the snow by a dog. In June of 2018, Tromsø opens a new cruise terminal complete with an ice bar designed by the company behind Scandinavia’s popular Magic Ice bars. 

Matthew Hintz

TWIN CITIES, MINNESOTA

Thanks to a host of new craft distilleries—complete with on-site bars—and an influx of bartending talent, the Minneapolis–St. Paul cocktail scene is one of the best in the United States right now. Pair that with talented chefs and a well-established craft brewing scene and you get a metropolitan area buzzing with inventive flavors. Want proof? In 2017, Twin Cities–area folks earned a dozen James Beard nominations. 

 >>PLAN YOUR NEXT TRIP: WHERE TO GO IN 2018