Our essential 2025 travel guides

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December 26, 2025

NEW DESTINATIONS

Roundups of exciting stays around the world.

An aerial view of a resort with thatched huts on the water.

Courtesy of the Rockhouse Hotel

Why Wild Swimming Is the Most Luxurious Hotel Amenity of All

These properties offer easy access to enticing natural waters, from a crystal blue Caribbean cove to bracing Scottish lochs.

By Tom Vanderbilt

A small ski lodge blanketed in snow, with mountains in the distance.

Alex Moling

The Coziest New Ski Lodges in the Alps

Five of the most notable newcomers to Europe’s winter resort scene are small hotels with distinctive personalities — and enough amenities to keep indoor types happy too.

By Adam H. Graham

The covered deck of a ship with a wooden arched roof and boards, a rectangular prow and a row of chairs facing the sea.

Courtesy of Guntû

Small, Luxurious Ships That Cater to Never-Cruisers

Five options for travelers who want to go by boat but prefer well-appointed yachts to floating cities.

By Matthew Kronsberg

J IS FOR JAPAN

For this year’s Culture issue, we created guides for where to go in the country that changed modern culture and design.

A building perched above a hot spring, surrounded by low trees.

Courtesy of the Matsudaya Hotel

Everywhere You Need to Go in Japan

The best places to stay, eat, shop and visit across the country, according to Japanese artists, designers and chefs.

By Danielle Demetriou, Momoko Ikeda, Kanae Hasegawa and Matt Alt

A city street at night, with crowds of people and brightly lit signs.

Hiroshi Higuchi/Getty Images

The Ultimate 10-Day Japan Itinerary, With Options for Saving and Splurging

Two seasoned trip planners on how to best tour the Golden Route through five cities, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

By John Wogan

DRIVING ACROSS AMERICA

A long stretch of road surrounded by brush, with low hills in the distance.

Andrew Moore

What a New American Citizen Learned on Route 66

A writer drove from Chicago to L.A. to see what it truly means to belong to a place.

By Aatish Taseer and Andrew Moore

A boy walks beside a body of water, partly obscured by a cluster of plants with yellow flowers.

Courtesy of Sally Breer

The Road Trips That Changed Their Lives

Antoni Porowski, Rachel Kushner, Michelle Zauner and others on their most memorable driving vacations, from coastal Maine to the prairies of South Dakota.

By Kate Guadagnino

GETAWAY GUIDE

In our new series, we respond to reader questions on where to travel.

A view onto a mountain with a grassy scarp jutting out.

Courtesy of Backroads

Getaway Guide

I Get Bored at the Beach. Where Should I Go This Summer?

Suggestions for last-minute trips geared toward four very different kinds of traveler.

By Deborah Dunn

On a raised deck overlooking a lake, a large pool with rows of chairs.

Courtesy of Octant Douro

Getaway Guide

Where to Travel After a Breakup

And more answers to readers’ winter vacation queries.

By Deborah Dunn

A train passing through snow on a mountain top.

Getaway Guide

I’m Anxious and Burned Out. Where Should I Go This Winter?

Readers asked us how to realize their vacation dreams. Here are our best ideas.

By Deborah Dunn

FLOCKING TO

Visitors and locals share their favorite spots to explore, eat, sleep and shop.

A town with white walls by the water. In the distance, a low cloud hangs over a mountain.

Mikel Bastida

Flocking To

The Spanish Coastline That Feels Like a Dream

Much of Salvador Dalí’s work was inspired by the Costa Brava’s natural splendor. This less-explored stretch of the Mediterranean is as bewitching as ever.

By Kate Maxwell

A view onto a river flanked by houses built on stilts.

Eivind H. Natvig

Flocking To

An Art Hub Surrounded by Fjords and Forests

Four insiders share their favorite things in Trondheim, Norway, including a waterfront sauna, a hidden beach hotel and a world-class orchestra.

By Gisela Williams

A gorge on a cloudy day, with a line of silhouetted mountains in the distance.

James Jackman

Flocking TO

The New Mexico Town That’s Still a Beacon for Artists

Where to find the best small inns, chile relleno and secluded hot springs in and around Taos.

By Sara Clemence

A view onto rolling forested hills with a balcony jutting out.

Jake Naughton

Flocking To

The Caribbean Capital That’s a Creative Superpower

From beachfront cookshops to tranquil mountain hideaways, a guide to Kingston, Jamaica, with tips from four insiders.

By Nicole Acheampong

Explore other Flocking To destinations here.

PRACTICAL MATTERS

Ilya Milstein

How to Get a Great Rate on a Hotel Room

Six strategies for scoring bargains.

By Abbie Kozolchyk

Ilya Milstein

How to Pack a Travel First-Aid Kit

Experts weigh in on what to bring for a healthy, stress-free trip.

By Sara Clemence

For more travel suggestions, beauty tips and other guides from T, click here.

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