Famous for a reason

The ones everyone goes to

The destinations most travellers can place without being told where they are — the anchors of a first trip to a region. An editorial ranking, not a visitor count: we hold no arrivals data and will not invent any.

21 destinations

The Eiffel Tower above the Seine at violet dusk, with river boats moored along the bank

FranceBest April–June, September–October

Aerial view of London at sunset: Tower Bridge, the River Thames and the skyline of the City

United KingdomBest May–September

The Colosseum in Rome at dusk, its arches glowing with warm light under a deep blue evening sky

ItalyBest April–June, September–October

A ramen bowl seen from above with thin noodles, soft-boiled egg halves, sweetcorn, spicy minced topping and fresh greens in a speckled ceramic bowl

JapanBest March–May (sakura), October–November

Aerial view of the Midtown Manhattan skyline at sunset, with the Empire State Building rising at the centre

United StatesBest April–June, September–November

Aerial view of Barcelona with the Sagrada Família rising from the octagonal blocks of the Eixample grid

SpainBest May–June, September–October

Aerial view of the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab on its island off the Dubai coast, with the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel in the foreground and Palm Jumeirah behind

United Arab EmiratesBest October–April

A temple complex in Bangkok on a clear day: the gilded Loha Prasat and traditional Thai temple roofs

ThailandBest November–February

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul with its cascading grey domes and six slender minarets against an evening sky

TurkeyBest April–May, September–November

A gondolier steering a gondola on the Grand Canal in front of the white arches of the Rialto Bridge in Venice

ItalyBest April–June, September–October

Aerial view of Marina Bay Sands’ three towers and SkyPark at dawn, with the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum in the foreground

Best Year-round; February–April slightly drier

Panoramic view from Victoria Peak at dusk over the lit skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island and Victoria Harbour

ChinaBest October–December

Aerial view along Charles Bridge crowded with pedestrians, looking across the Vltava towards Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral at golden hour

Czech RepublicBest April–June, September–October

A pastry and a fork on a marble coffeehouse table, a bentwood chair behind it

AustriaBest April–June, September–October

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin seen from Pariser Platz, with the quadriga statue on top and a lone visitor crossing the cobbled square

GermanyBest May–September

Daytime rooftop view down Gran Vía in Madrid, with the domed Metropolis building in the foreground

SpainBest April–June, September–October

Rows of freshly baked pasteis de nata with flaky golden pastry shells and caramelised, blistered custard tops

PortugalBest March–June, September–October

Florence Cathedral: Brunelleschi's red-tiled dome and Giotto's bell tower rising above the rooftops of the city

ItalyBest April–June, September–October

A classic Greek salad in a blue-rimmed taverna bowl, topped with a thick slab of feta drizzled with olive oil and oregano over tomatoes, red onion, green pepper and cucumber

GreeceBest April–June, September–October

A traditional street in Kyoto's Higashiyama district at dusk, wooden houses leading to the Yasaka Pagoda

JapanBest March–April, November

Sydney Harbour seen from above Circular Quay, with the white sails of the Opera House, ferries cutting wakes across the water and the CBD skyline behind

AustraliaBest October–November and February–April

Every destination here qualifies on the basis stated above, and each one is somewhere we have published guides for. Back to the full atlas.