Where to go on holiday in 2025, from Madeira to the Isles of Scilly
If you’re looking for inspiration for where to go on holiday in 2025, Country Living has rounded up the best places to visit next year, from a once-in-a-lifetime voyage in Alaska (with a 15% saving) and a Rocky Mountaineer train ride to a nature-packed escape to Slovenia.
Whether you’re looking for a European escape that's far from a fly and flop, or a UK break that will make you fall in love with a new corner of Britain, these are the top holiday destinations to add to your travel list for 2024.
Our favourite places to go on holiday in 2025 include cities packed with culture, dramatic islands and incredible mountain destinations. Have a browse and start planning for your next escape...
Norfolk
The Royal Family's iconic country retreat and its formal gardens are a prime place to get an insight into the British monarchy both in days gone by and in modern times. Its eight ground-floor rooms that are opened to the public feature decor and contents maintained very much as they were in Edwardian times.
Another must in his coastal county is the Norfolk Broads with its thatched cottages, windmills and water birds, which you can see by paddle-steamer. And don’t miss a vintage train ride aboard the Bure Valley Railway, Bittern Line or North Norfolk Railway, and an amble around towns and seaside resorts such as Wroxham, Horning and Cromer.
Country Living’s five-day Norfolk tour is centred on an exclusive talk and Q&A about Sandringham by celebrated historian Lucy Worsley.
British Columbia and Alaska
Why settle for one wilderness when you can discover two in one holiday, and in two different countries? British Columbia embraces vibrant, multicultural Vancouver but also the Rocky Mountains, which include the resort town of Banff, plus the Banff and Yoho National Parks. One of best ways to experience this breathtaking region of mountain passes, lake, canyons and pristine forests is by the iconic Rocky Mountaineer train, specially designed for soaking in the views.
Meanwhile, the USA's largest state includes the Inside Passage, a labyrinth of waterways entwined through the fjords and mighty forests of Alaska, rich in humpback whale, orca, bald eagle and bear sightings but also a place to find out about indigenous communities and immerse yourself in Gold Rush history.
Country Living's once-in-a-lifetime British Columbia and Alaska trip combines three nights in Banff, a two-day Rocky Mountaineer ride, a night in Vancouver and a coastal cruise over 12 thrilling nights.
Puglia
Puglia in southeast Italy is a land of historic bakeries, olive farms and masserie — traditional stone farmhouses nestled in the vineyards of the Itria Valley. The region has a strong culinary heritage, so it's a great location for foodies looking for truly authentic gourmet experiences in Italy.
There is plenty to explore as you work up an appetite, like pretty town Alberobello, where you'll see the iconic trulli houses with cylindrical roofs. Then there's lovely Locorotondo, where you can enjoy the tranquillity of one of the Itria Valley's most picturesque whitewashed towns.
Country Living's six-day foodie tour of Puglia includes visits to Locorotondo and Alberobello. You'll join an Italian cookery masterclass, visit a bakery and enjoy bread and olive oil tastings as you explore this wonderful region.
Windsor
Oozing a thousand years of regal history, Windsor Castle has been a royal stronghold since just after the Norman Conquest. Built by William the Conqueror and remodelled by subsequent monarchs, it’s centred on the State Apartments with their opulent furnishings and paintings from the royal collection.
It’s also home to St George’s Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest. Other things to do in this Thameside town are boating, strolling Windsor’s cobbled streets and walking in Windsor Great Park with its deer park.
Country Living’s royal palaces tour with historian Tracy Borman features a private guided tour of the castle and a glass of sparkling English wine.
India
The Golden Triangle is the place to start getting to grips with this spellbinding, enigmatic country, bringing together as it does the mesmerising, hectic Indian capital Delhi, with its historic forts, bazaars and other sights, the magnificent monument to love that is the Taj Mahal in Agra, and Ranthambore National Park, with its possibilities for spotting the elusive Bengal tiger.
Other must-sees in the northerly region of the country are the Rajasthani ‘pink city’ of Jaipur with its ancient observatory and Palace of the Winds, the Sikh holy site of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Hindu temple of Tara Devi high in the Himalayas, and the Buddhist temple complex Tsuglagkhang, the Dalai Lama’s home in Dharamshala.
Delhi by rickshaw, the Taj Mahal at sunset and the sights mentioned above all feature in Country Living’s 17-night Golden Triangle trip, and including accommodation in gorgeous five-star hotels, some with a colonial heritage.
Madeira
This lush subtropical volcanic island known as ‘the floating gardens’ is packed with gorgeous horticultural sites such as the Palheiro Gardens, Funchal Botanical Gardens, Quinta do Arco Rose Garden and Garden of Quinta do Lago. And it even hosts a famous Flower Festival each May, with beautifully scented floats moving along the streets of central Funchal to the accompaniment of live music.
Madeira is also famous for its levadas (water channels following natural contours, bringing rainwater off the hillsides), which you can hike along, and its boat trips out to see dolphins and other marine life.
Country Living’s Madeira Flower Festival break, which unfolds over the course of eight days, includes botanical outings and walking tours.
Douro Valley
Famous around the world for its wine, this valley is a delightful mix of sweeping vineyards and riverside towns where famous vintages have been produced for generations. Its gateway is the city of Porto just over an hour away, complete with a UNESCO-listed Old Town and buildings with beguiling tiled façades.
Highlights of the Douro itself include Régua, a town that has produced port wine since the 18th century, the quintas - local wine producers – around Pinhão, and the compelling ancient city of Lamego.
County Living’s Douro River Cruise is timed to coincide with the grape harvest, and you may be able to see grapes crushed underfoot in a traditional granite trough.
Alternatively, an escorted tour takes you to the Douro Valley and allows you to explore pretty Porto.
Venice
Italy’s floating city of marble palaces built on wooden posts on a lagoon still has the power to evoke marvel despite its familiarity from millions of picture postcards and Instagram reels. This is the city with the greatest number of artistic masterpieces per square kilometre in the world, but it also retains its secrets - the likes of artisan shoemakers’ workshops in secret alleyways, stumbled-upon neighbourhood bacari (wine bars serving cicchetti small plates) and candlelit baroque concerts in ancient palazzi.
It’s a place you’ll never stop wanting to return to, for more discoveries and to try to penetrate its mysteries.
Country Living has an exclusive cruise around Venice and its islands with a foodie theme. You'll be joined by Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett, who will accompany you on a tour of the Rialto market.
Alternatively, if after-hours sightseeing is your preference, an eight-day boutique cruise around Venice gives you VIP access to St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace.
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly are known and loved for their idyllic scenery, flourishing botanical gardens and powder-soft beaches. There's also a delightful range of wildlife to be spotted on these isles, with many species that can't be seen anywhere else in the UK.
One of the highlights of a trip to the Isles of Scilly is a visit to the spectacular Tresco Abbey Garden, a renowned sub-tropical garden home to thousands of plants. The garden was established in the 19th century in the ruins of an old Benedictine Abbey and is now home to a fantastic variety of plants from all over the world
Country Living's fantastic six-day tour of the Isles of Scilly includes a trip to Tresco Abbey Garden. You'll also hear from the head of the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, Julian Branscombe, who'll give a talk about the Isles' native wildlife.
Dalmatia
The glorious Dalmatian coast of Croatia embraces the major cities of Dubrovnik and Split, plus islands including Korcula, the country’s sixth-largest, with its 14th-century walls, great swimming and kayaking, and vineyards offering tastings. A sailing trip is the perfect way to take in its major attractions, with the benefit of not having to pack and unpack over and over as you explore.
Other highlights include Brac’s Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn), one of the loveliest beaches in the whole Med, Mljet National Park with its two saltwater lakes and fragrant pine forests, and the island of Hvar with its chic bars, spectacular white-sand beaches and lush forests. And Dubrovnik with its ancient walls, palaces, churches, monasteries and piazzas is simply unmissable.
Country Living’s intimate, boutique-ship Croatia cruise is an 8-day Split round-trip taking in the major islands as well as Dubrovnik.
Slovenia
From the picture-postcard capital Ljubljana with its cobbled streets and the medieval town of Kamnik with its craft breweries to sparkling Lake Bled, the snowcapped Julian Alps, Triglav National Park with its Tolmin Gorges walk, and the UNESCO-protected Skocjan Cavesh, Slovenia really packs in the history, culture, and natural wonders.
It’s also one of the world's greenest destinations when it comes to its sustainable tourism credentials, and it’s a big place for foodies too, thanks to its incredible local produce – including wines from the vineyards of the Vipava Valley.
Country Living's six-day escorted tour of Slovenia features an olive-oil tasting and picnic lunch in the olive groves, as well as a truffle-hunting outing followed by a hearty home-cooked dinner based on local truffles.
Japanese Alps
Discovering Japan’s magnificent mountain-scapes shows you a a side of the country that many visitors miss, as you encounter not only heart-stirring landscapes but also the cultural hotspots of Shirakawago, Takayama and Kanazawa and formidable 16th-century Matsumoto Castle high up in the Alps.
From futuristic cities to sacred temples, Japan is a place to immerse yourself fully in a completely different way of life, whether in dazzling Tokyo, aboard the bullet train to Mount Fuji, in Kyoto with its sights including the 'Golden Pavilion' of Kinkakuj, in Nara where you'll meet sika deer at the Tōdai-ji temple, and in Osaka with its boat trips along the Yodogawa River.
Country Living’s spring 2025 13-day escorted tour of the Japanese Alps is timed to coincide with the magnificent cherry-blossom season. You’ll also have chance to delve deep into traditional Japanese culture with a washi paper-making workshop and a lesson in making miso.
Antarctica
A continent like no other, this icy wilderness of untamed, unspoilt, otherworldly beauty is a place for encounters wih magical marine life and icebergs floating amidst spectacular scenery. Expedition cruises here are always different because the ice conditions and weather are unpredictable.
Cruises to Antarctica generally begin with a night in Buenos Aires, the 'Paris of South America', with time to take in its elegant architecture, taste its famous steaks and red wine, and watch tango dancers in action. You also get to discover Ushuaia, the End of the World, in Argentina's southernmost region, before setting sail.
Country Living’s 15-day adventure aboard a custom-built expedition ship embraces ice cruises, kayaking amidst icebergs, and spotting breaching whales and huddles of penguins – all in the company of an expedition team of passionate specialists and explorers. There’s also relaxation aplenty in the onboard spa and hot tubs.
Northern Norway
Northern Norway is one of the best places in the world to watch the greatest light show on Earth, as well as see gorgeous fjords (including Sognefjord, the longest and widest in Norway) and other sights ranging from Tromsø Planetarium (showing films about the Aurora and the constellations) to Nidaros Cathedral.
Norway also has sensational wildlife to look out for on the way, such as hooded crows, sea eagles, puffins, Arctic foxes, and pods of orcas and humpback whales migrating to these waters to feed on herring. The hiking is fantastic, too – for instance, you can head up Mount Salen for views over Hammerfest and its lovely landscapes.
Country Living’s 12-day small-ship voyage from Bergen to the Arctic Circle includes fascinating onboard lectures and near-guaranteed sightings of the Northern Lights. Its expert team includes the world's first Chief Aurora Chaser – astronomer, astrophotographer and author Tom Kerss.
You Might Also Like
