The arrival of Best in Travel has become a fixture of the autumn, the moment when next year’s holidays stop being vague daydreams and start becoming plans.
The 2027 edition holds 50 selections, 25 places and 25 experiences, chosen by Lonely Planet’s global community of writers and experts, and it lands just as the planning season begins.
What distinguishes this year’s list is its mood. The emphasis falls firmly on slowing down, avoiding the crowds and travelling with more intent. That shows in the choices. Alongside the big names sit places that rarely make these lists: Dessau, the small German city with an outsized Bauhaus legacy, Šibenik on the Adriatic, León in northern Spain, Rabat in Morocco and Montserrat in the Caribbean. Italy is represented by the Veneto rather than Venice, and the Maldives by Fulidhoo, a local island rather than a resort.
British readers have two strong reasons to look closer. St Cuthbert’s Way, the 62 mile pilgrimage from Melrose to Lindisfarne, earns a place among the world’s best experiences, and Killary Fjord in County Galway is singled out as one of Ireland’s most breathtaking corners. Elsewhere the experiences range from the leisurely, such as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and France’s Route Napoléon, to the more ambitious, including an Antarctic polar plunge and a longboat journey into orangutan territory in Sarawak.
The book itself is where the list gains depth. Each selection comes with first person writing from Lonely Planet contributors, so you get the story behind the choice rather than a bare recommendation, along with practical guidance on timing and how to get there. The design has been refreshed, the photography is as tempting as ever, and there’s a large fold out map. It links neatly to the app, the guidebooks and Lonely Planet’s booking platform, Journeys, for those who want to go straight from reading to booking.
Anyone who has watched a previous entry become busy the moment it appears here will know the irony of a list that celebrates escaping the crowds. Even so, this remains the most reliable shot of inspiration in travel publishing, and the ideal Christmas present for the person who is always planning their next trip.
Best in Travel 2027, Lonely Planet, paperback, 320 pages, £14.99. Published September 2026.
How we review
Travelling for Business pays for the rooms, flights and products we review unless we explicitly say otherwise. We never accept paid reviews or gifted stays in exchange for coverage.
