The 5 Best Travel Experiences of 2025

There’s just something magical about exploring the world by rail, isn’t there? The romance, nostalgia and relaxed nature all combine for a timeless, winning formula that each generation of travellers seems to adore. We’ve all heard the phrase ‘it’s all about the journey, as well as the destination’, but we think it was one that was coined with train travel in mind. Travelling by rail offers a slow soak of not just your final destination but also the ones you pass through along the way.

This enduring love for train travel has meant long-distance railways have enjoyed a renaissance in recent times, from the legendary Ghan that cuts through the heart of Australia to the Rocky Mountaineer that winds through the wilds of western Canada. At Flight Centre, we also love rail journeys and with 2025 marking 200 years since the birth of rail, what better way to mark the anniversary than with a train journey? 

TranzAlpine’s new 18-day Flavours of Aotearoa trip not only allows you to melt into the surrounding Kiwi landscapes but taste them too on a journey spanning both North and South islands. You’ll embark on a string of iconic rail journeys, starting in Auckland and ending in Queenstown and packed with cultural and foodie experiences like wine tasting in Marlborough, a Haast River safari and a tea ceremony at Zealong Tea Estate. Elsewhere, old favourites are returning to the rails too, like Belmond’s luxury Eastern & Oriental Express through Singapore and Malaysia, and the slow-but-sumptuous Shosholoza Meyl from Johannesburg to Durban in South Africa.

Whether it’s by sea or river, there’s no doubt that a cruise offers a unique perspective on the world. Like a train journey, it offers a snail’s-pace way to travel but pairs oceanfront relaxation with pockets of cultural exploration. But what few realise is the diversity that cruises offer, not only with the destinations you visit but the type of experience you have, whether it’s the understated luxury of a smaller ship or the bells-and-whistles fun of bigger boats.

In 2025, there are plenty of new and exciting cruises launching to entice both new and seasoned cruise goers. On the ocean, from August Royal Caribbean’s new Star of the Seas will offer seven-night itineraries around the Caribbean with a plethora of onboard entertainment, including an extensive water park and around 40 restaurants and bars. Later in November, Celebrity Cruises’ new Celebrity Xcel ship will take passengers on a number of exciting adventures around the Caribbean and Europe, from six-day trips exploring the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Mexico to seven nights seeing Greece, Italy and Turkey.

If you’re after something a little more intimate in terms of ship size, then AmaWaterways is launching two new ships in 2025, the AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia, both of which will ford the culturally rich Magdalena River in Colombia, the country’s longest artery. Closer to home, Riviera River Cruises’ new Riviera Rose boat will glide along the vineyard-flanked Douro River in Portugal – your very own sip and cruise experience.

If you’re serious about looking for a completely new adventure then tour operator-led adventures not only offer boundless inspiration to widen your horizons but ensure you don’t need to worry about all the stressful planning and logistics, something that’s especially helpful when it concerns a destination you’re unfamiliar with. At Flight Centre, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Intrepid and G Adventures to showcase some of their freshest adventures for 2025 and if you’re stuck deliberating where to go, their roster of trips is sure to supercharge your bucket-list aspirations.

Intrepid has you covered no matter what kind of adventure you’re after in 2025. Looking to stretch your limbs? Intrepid’s new active trips include trekking deep into Colombia’s Sierra Nevada National Park to the lost city of Teyuna or achieving natural highs in the Indian Himalaya. If you have your eyes on Africa next year, then you can pair two West African nations on Intrepid’s Senegal & The Gambia Adventure or mix safaris with projects that boost women empowerment in East Africa. If you want to mix up your family holidays, then Intrepid has you exploring tropical southern Thailand or cocooning yourselves in frosty Finland – both magical family adventures.

G Adventures is similarly abundant with new trip inspiration for next year. Its premium Geluxe trips include trekking through the Patagonian wilds of Torres del Paine National Park and Los Glaciares National Park, enjoying riverside safaris and glimpsing ancient fortresses in northern India and hiking in East Africa to come nose-to-nose with chimpanzees.

Wildlife always ranks high for most travellers when they’re compiling experiences they’d like to have on their next trip. But why not make 2025 the year when you seek out wildlife experiences that are a little out of the ordinary? Everyone’s heard of the Big Five and the Great Migration, but there’s a whole world of wildlife wonders waiting for you out there.

Make a beeline for western Canada and the Great Bear Rainforest, one of the very few places on the planet where you can spot spirit bears – black bears with unusually pale-white fur. Sri Lanka may be better known for its population of leopards but unique adventures await off its south coast between December and April, where you can spy a healthy population of blue whales on boat trips. 

Most people go to the Maldives to kick back on its dreamy sun-drenched silky sands but it’s a haven for marine life too, where the first three months of the year (January, February and March) are a prime time for embarking on boat cruises spying spinner and bottlenose dolphins, and an unforgettable experience snorkelling with manta rays.

If you’re more of a birdwatcher, the lush rainforests of Costa Rica harbour an extraordinary treasure trove of aviators, including hummingbirds, toucans, tanagers and parakeets. There are more than 900 species of bird found across the country – more than the whole of North America put together – and our pick would be to wander the walking trails of Monteverde Cloud Forest in search of resplendent quetzals.

But refreshing your wildlife experiences doesn’t have to mean seeking out new species, it can be just visiting new areas to spot classic animals. A case in point is the Bengal tiger, with India’s Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan often the most popular place to witness them. But think about swapping it for Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, whose smaller size means it has a higher density of the big cats. The Galápagos Islands garner iconic status but the Azores archipelago is widely regarded the Galápagos of Europe with its volcanic landscapes and rich wildlife, including whales, dolphins, turtles and more.

In the modern day, we’ve become increasingly time poor and often forget to slow down amid the busy commitments of everyday life. This has meant that our travels are increasingly becoming valuable opportunities for us to slow down, where we can really look ourselves away from the daily grind. With that in mind, wellness trips are on the rise and will be a big theme for travellers during 2025.

Bali needs no introduction as an island made for wellness retreats and its popularity shows no sign of slowing down. This Indonesian island is made for wholesomeness, with its Hindu spirituality, jungle-fringed temples and natural beauty lending themselves well to yoga escapes and holistic spa experiences. But there are plenty of other places you can wind down across the world and stir the soul. High up in the Alps, mountain resorts will help you reap the benefits of a generations-worth of knowledge when it comes to perfecting hydrotherapy techniques and soaking in Alpine springs.

But wellness holidays don’t always have to look like literal soaks in springs (although, who can resist the Blue Lagoon in Iceland?) but can mean anything that makes your heart full. It could mean making your own chocolate bar in Saint Lucia before kicking back on its cream-coloured beaches or meditating in the jungles of northern Thailand. But these alternative experiences are just a microcosm in terms of what your travel can look like in 2025. The real spirit of travel is embracing new things, so why not make 2025 the year you see the world a little bit differently…