For many people, 2022 marked the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic that travel was back within reach. It was a year defined by joyous reunions — reconnecting with friends and family in person, rediscovering favorite destinations and taking stock of this new, changed world.
It was also a year of novel travel challenges. As demand soared, so, too, did prices. We returned to the roads and skies to find a travel industry that could barely keep up with our ravenous appetite to explore the globe.
But somehow, our love of travel has endured, our wanderlust is just as insatiable as ever and destinations around the world are beckoning us to visit.
That’s why we’re happy to share the destinations on our list of the best places to go in 2023.
As we head into 2023, get excited (we are!) about embarking on unforgettable journeys to new corners of the globe, prepare to take a second look at places you already thought you knew and connect more personally with the people who call them home along the way. We hope this list of places to visit rekindles your passion for travel and look forward to exploring this wonderful, awe-inspiring planet with you.
New Zealand: The future of travel
Laid-back beach towns, award-winning wine, genuine hospitality and outdoor adventure aren’t the only reasons why you should put Aotearoa-New Zealand at the top of your 2023 travel list.
Although the country’s commitment to sustainability has long, deep roots (more than 33% of its land is protected), New Zealand’s tourism industry launched the Tiaki Promise, a sustainability pledge, just prior to the pandemic. The Maori word "Tiaki" means to care for people and places, so the aim of this pledge is to avoid overtourism and encourage visitors to explore lesser-known destinations.
One way to do so is to seek new Maori cultural encounters and experiences, such as a traditional hangi feast in Rotorua, which is prepared in underground pits, after a visit to the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. Or, take an interpretive storytelling trek up Maunga Hikurangi on the North Island’s east coast. If you’re there in June or July, you can celebrate the Maori New Year, Matariki, which is based on the lunar calendar and became an official public holiday in 2022.
A handful of new hotels have opened recently, too, such as the art-filled Park Hyatt Auckland, the environmentally friendly Hotel Britomart in Auckland’s central business district and, on the South Island, The Carlin Hotel in Queenstown, which overlooks the Eyre and Remarkables mountain ranges surrounding Lake Wakatipu.
Orlando: Easy fun with classic experiences
Whether you want to feel like you’re in outer space, watch an actual rocket lift off or catch a concert in one of the world’s best theaters, Orlando is the destination to visit in Florida — and 2023 is going to be a banner year for the city.
Many travelers come for the world-class theme parks, but Orlando is undergoing a travel renaissance that includes a just-opened terminal at Orlando International Airport (MCO) and 170 miles of railway that will connect the high-speed Brightline train from Orlando to Miami by mid-2023.
But don’t hop the train too fast. Book tickets to a concert at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts' Steinmetz Hall, which opened in 2022 and is rated as one of the world’s most acoustically perfect spaces. An urban pocket park downtown called Art2 is also elevating this area of Orlando with can’t-miss experiences, including performances and food trucks.
Cape Canaveral, an hour east on the coast, is also now home to Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex, a 50,000-square-foot, multilevel addition to the Kennedy Space Center that's full of interactive exhibits. And that’s to say nothing of the full lineup of planned rocket launches travelers can check out over the course of 2023.
Of course, it’s always a good idea to visit the theme parks, especially to catch the final months of Disney World’s 50th-anniversary celebration, which includes a reimagining of Epcot with that park’s first-ever roller coaster, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and the spring 2023 debut of Tron: Lightcycle Run in the Magic Kingdom.
Disney World is also home to the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, a "Star Wars"-themed journey unlike any other. The immersive, interactive two-night hotel experience (ahem, space mission) opened in early 2022.
Walt Disney World Resort isn't the only theme park behemoth elevating the park experience in 2023. Universal Studios Florida opened the thrilling VelociCoaster ride just last year, and it’s keeping the excitement up with an all-new theme park, Epic Universe, already under construction. It will deliver new rides, themed lands, hotels and restaurants.
Oslo: Europe’s coolest art capital
Norway continues to claim the attention of travelers, but in 2023, all eyes are on the capital city, which is finally ready to flaunt its latest investments in the arts and hospitality.
Across from the white, angular slashes of the opera house’s Carrara marble ramps and staircases is the curving 13-story tower housing the new Munch Museum, which opened in 2021. Even more imposing is the sprawling new National Museum, now one of Europe’s largest art museums, which houses works from Edvard Munch’s iconic “The Scream” to masterpieces from European artists like Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and Henri Matisse.
This fall also saw the debut of Sommerro, an art deco hotel packed with contemporary art collections curated by museum director and art critic Sune Nordgren, along with 1930s works by Norwegian master Per Krohg — including a mosaic feature in the restored public baths, which opened in November. There’s more to come from the boutique hotel and cultural center next year, including the addition of Villa Inkognito, an 11-suite retreat in a former 19th-century residence.
You can even bookend your trip to Oslo by venturing farther south to Kristiansand, where Kunstsilo, a modernist Nordic art museum, will debut next year inside an award-winning functionalist silo from the 1930s.
Jordan: Connections by air, land and sea
Home to some of the world’s oldest pieces of history, Jordan is on many travelers' bucket lists, especially now that there are several new additions on the way. In 2023, this Middle Eastern country is channeling its renowned hospitality to welcome travelers via new flights and a host of new hotels and experiences.
In the capital city of Amman, The Ritz-Carlton is the latest luxury hotel to join properties near the city’s 5th Circle landmark. Lavish white interiors and crystal chandeliers bedazzle the new hotel, which has 194 rooms and 34 suites with floor-to-ceiling views of the capital’s sand-hued buildings. Next summer, Radisson will pump up its Middle East portfolio with Radisson Blu Hotel, Amman Galleria Mall. And across the red sand desert, the Crowne Plaza Resort Petra will reopen after a 10-year renovation and expansion.
Northwest of Amman, the former ancient trading town of Al-Salt became Jordan’s sixth and latest UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its reputation as “the city of tolerance and urban hospitality.” History and design fans can explore touches of European architecture alongside the city’s distinct yellow limestone facades. This city is also a new stop on the Jordan Trail’s Thru Hike. Launched in 2017, the trail offers the chance to spend 40 days hiking through eight regions that, together, traverse the entire country. Originally connecting 52 villages, it’s recently been upped to 75 different communities.
Nearly 75% of Jordan is covered in pomegranate-hued sand, but head south and the watercolor greens and blues of the Red Sea emerge. Here, cruising is making waves in a country renowned for its mystical desert landscapes. Emerald Cruises recently debuted its first oceangoing yacht the Emerald Azzurra, which sails from the famed seaside city of Aqaba to Athens, Greece. Next year, Windstar Cruises is following suit by launching new itineraries from Amman to Athens and Athens to Dubai, with a stop at Aqaba.
American waterways: Rediscovering our backyard
There's something charming about life along the water — and we’re not talking about the swanky condos overlooking Miami Beach or Malibu, California’s Billionaires Beach. Think instead of historical small towns like Natchez, Mississippi, and Muskegon, Michigan, as well as industrial cities like Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Chicago, which have long relied on the nation’s waterways.
American lakes and rivers remain key commercial arteries, but the cruise industry has turned them into some of the world’s top leisure destinations as well thanks to a slate of new, offbeat itineraries that are only going to draw more passengers in the coming years.
Although Great Lakes and U.S. river cruises have been around for more than a century, 2023 could be one of the best years yet to sail domestically thanks to lines like American Queen Voyages, American Cruise Lines, Ponant, Viking and Pearl Seas Cruises, which are adding more capacity and itineraries along the Mississippi, Ohio, Columbia and Snake rivers; the Great Lakes; and the Chesapeake Bay.
Viking's new expedition arm rolled out its first two ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, which both spent time sailing the Great Lakes in 2022. Next year, travelers can also look forward to two new vessels, American Eagle and American Glory, from American Cruise Lines. The ships will debut along the East Coast and sail exclusively domestic itineraries. Additionally, American Queen Voyages will roll out the longest river voyages to date: 23-day sailings on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.
If you book a domestic cruise, you’ll see unexpected sides to major cities like Cincinnati, where the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center provides a sobering experience, as well as Detroit, which is a staple on many Great Lakes voyages, and New Orleans along the Mississippi. You might also visit towns such as Madison, Indiana, home to stately houses and a historical saddletree museum, that you might not have heard of otherwise. With more itineraries rolling out over time, there will be plenty more destinations to discover along America’s waterways.
South Africa: More flights to wildlife sites
South Africa has a wealth of natural and cultural riches that travelers never tire of exploring, from the Big 5 of safari lore (elephants, lions, leopards, hippos and buffaloes) to the historic steps of Nelson Mandela’s "Long Walk to Freedom."
When they arrive, travelers will find new safari lodges opening next year in some of the best wildlife-viewing destinations. The Tswalu concession in the southern Kalahari Desert is South Africa’s largest private reserve — and it's less than two hours away by plane from both Cape Town and Johannesburg. There are few lodges here, though, so the new Loapi Tented Camp opening in 2023 is truly notable. With just six modern, eco-friendly tented micro-camps that are perfect for privacy, it will feel like you have the remote savannah all to yourself as you head out on private ranger-led safari drives to spot African wild dogs and desert black rhinos.
Also set to open in 2023 is The Homestead, a sustainability-focused luxury lodge in the secluded Nambiti Private Game Reserve. Nestled into the mountains of malaria-free KwaZulu-Natal, the lodge is around a three-hour drive from either Johannesburg or Durban. In addition to a dozen sleek safari suites with expansive wilderness views and butler service, expect electric safari vehicles for game drives and innovative energy-saving touches as part of the lodge’s larger conservation efforts, such as grass-planted roofs and a solar farm.
Rome: The Eternal City shines anew
In 2023, Rome’s full historical heritage will be front and center for visitors to enjoy.
A project to open the Sacred Area of Largo di Torre Argentina (where Julius Caesar was assassinated) via a series of elevated walkways is slated for completion next summer. The archaeological site near the Pantheon was unearthed in the 1920s but has been inaccessible for decades. It joins The Mausoleum of Augustus, which reopened in 2021 following an 8 million euro ($8.2 million) restoration, as one of the ancient sites newly accessible to visitors.
Additionally, the Museo dell’Arte Salvata (the Museum for Rescued Art) opened in 2022. Here, precious antiquities that were returned to Italy after being plundered from archaeological sites and trafficked on the black market to auction houses, private collections and even institutions like New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art are on display. The exhibits will change, but you might see sculptures, ancient coins or even an amphora painted with erotic scenes that dates back to the sixth century B.C.
But there are new, modern developments luring luxury travelers back to Rome, too.
The arrival of international brands like W, Soho House, The Hoxton and Mama Shelter, plus boutique hotels like The First Musica and Umiltà 36 have heralded a contemporary hotel boom. Next year’s openings will up the ante even more, with arrivals by Six Senses, Edition, Bulgari and Nobu, as well as a renovation of the 19th-century Palazzo Naiadi, a neoclassical landmark on Piazza Della Repubblica, by Anantara.
The best way to explore the Eternal City is on two wheels. Just in time for the 2023 season, Scooteroma is revamping its popular Street Art Vespa Tour and debuting a brand-new experience focused on the city’s oft-overlooked early 20th-century art and architecture, such as the iconic Vittoriano Emmanuel II National Monument in Piazza Venezia.
Bangkok: Setting the table for an epic comeback
For the last few years, Bangkok has been quietly setting the stage for a monumental rebound once the travel floodgates reopened and international tourists returned en masse.
On the Chao Phraya riverfront, a luxury hotel revival led by Capella and Four Seasons outposts has been underway since 2020. Both properties house destination restaurants, including soulful Thai at Capella’s Phra Nakhon and the swanky Buenos Aires-themed BKK Social Club at the Four Seasons. This summer, Hong Kong's Mott 32, plus five other dining outlets, arrived at The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon around the corner. Early next year, Southeast Asia’s first Soho House opens in Bangkok with multiple bars and restaurants (plus a 39-foot outdoor pool), and an Aman will follow in the coming years.
Hotels aren't the only places for tourists to experience the energy of Bangkok's evolving culinary scene. Innovators all across the city are transforming it into the world’s next great food destination. Just this year, a former monk opened Small Dinner Club, which serves offbeat dishes like dessert tom yum, while mixologists at Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar craft boozy, zero-waste concoctions starring an individual element like coconut or squid.
The 2023 Michelin Bangkok guide features 35 starred restaurants (five more than last year). Additionally, both Samrub Samrub Thai and Raan Jay Fai ranked on the World’s 100 Best Restaurants list in 2022. Buzz is gathering around watering holes like No Name Noodle, which opened in 2022 and serves just 35 bowls of Japanese soba per day, and chef Arnaud Dunand Sauthier’s just-opened, alpine-inspired restaurant Maison Dunand as well.
Bangkok’s art scene is also reawakening. Just before the pandemic, 31-year-old Mook Attakanwong founded ATT 19, an exhibition space in a former Chinese school where works broach once-taboo topics like mental health. At Aurum The River Place, exhibits range from street art to a subway car installation.
Mexico's Pacific Coast: Stylish new destinations emerge
The roughly 1,200-mile stretch of mainland Mexico’s Pacific Coast from Nayarit to Oaxaca is famous for the resort destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco and Zihuatanejo. But swanky new hotels, major infrastructure improvements and breathtaking natural scenery have brought three very different areas along it into focus for 2023: Riviera Nayarit, Costalegre and Riviera Oaxaqueña.
Beginning just north of Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit is undergoing one of Latin America’s biggest luxury hotel booms. This 65-mile string of resort communities includes Punta Mita, already home to Four Seasons and St. Regis properties, as well as the surf town of Sayulita and, farther north, the up-and-coming Mandarina and Costa Canuva developments. Recent openings include the Conrad Punta de Mita, Secrets Bahia Mita, One&Only Mandarina and Auberge Resorts’ ultra-exclusive Susurros Del Corazón. Rosewood Mandarina and Costa Canuva’s Ritz-Carlton Reserve Riviera Nayarit are coming soon, along with the VidantaWorld theme, water and nature park.
The dramatic headlands and secluded beaches of the 60-mile Costalegre, which is 2.5 hours south of Puerto Vallarta, have drawn celebrities to enclaves like Careyes for decades. The region is about to take off with the opening of a new airport in Chalacatepec and continued improvements along the winding coastal artery, Highway 200. The posh Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo opened in November 2022 with 157 open-air rooms and suites, and the famed Las Alamandas boutique resort recently completed a top-to-bottom renovation. There’s also the continued expansion of the 36,000-acre Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, home to a posh 40-room eco-resort with a Byzantine design.
The anticipated early 2023 completion of the Barranca Larga-Ventanilla Highway, which traverses a 10,000-foot-high mountain pass, will cut the drive time from Puerto Escondido to the historic town of Oaxaca, with its art galleries and renowned restaurants, from seven hours to less than three. —By Andrew Collins
Kenya: Africa’s top ecotourism destination
Kenya has long been the standard bearer for sustainable tourism in Africa. The emergence of wildlife conservancies in the 1970s not only prevented poaching and illegal trade but also ushered in a new era of community involvement.
In 2023, Kenya’s ecotourism movement will forge ahead with bold new initiatives to protect what is arguably the greatest safari destination on Earth. Kenya’s emblematic mountain bongo (a critically endangered, notoriously shy type of antelope) will be repatriated to Mount Kenya from a preserve in Florida in a project spearheaded by the Meru Bongo and Rhino Conservation Trust. Sanctuaries within Mount Kenya National Park will also provide refuge to endangered black rhinos and draw on the knowledge and engagement of local Masai communities.
In 2023, Marriott will debut its first high-end safari lodge on the continent: the JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge. Its location, at the heart of Masai Mara National Reserve, will ensure optimal wildlife viewing; the park is home to a staggering inventory of more than 450 animal species, including the Big 5. The lodge will feature 20 classic safari-style tents with canopy beds, stone tile floors and Masai-inspired prints and fabrics. Marriott has committed to hiring 50 individuals from the Masai community, too.
Beyond the Masai Mara, Amboseli National Park is home to an extraordinary density of wildlife thanks in no small part to conservation efforts such as the Amboseli Trust for Elephants. Today, the park is one of the best places on the planet to see long-tusked elephants, as well as giraffes, eland, zebras and wildebeest in large numbers. Debuting in November 2023, Angama Amboseli will comprise 10 luxury tented suites located within Kenya’s first community-owned conservancy, the Kimana Sanctuary. All tents will frame views of Mount Kilimanjaro, but the main draw here, no doubt, will be the once-in-a-lifetime elephant encounters.
Turks and Caicos: Getting out in the archipelago
Beyond the white sands and aquamarine waters you’ll find around the Caribbean, Turks and Caicos offers exciting developments, including new hotels and cruise facilities, plus better airports that will make some of its previously remote islands much more accessible. So, it should come as no surprise, then, that Turks and Caicos has seen the fastest-growing travel demand by Americans year over year, according to TripAdvisor’s Fall Travel Index.
To help with the influx of inter-island and private flights, the new South Caicos Airport (XSC) on South Caicos Island — the easternmost island in the Caicos group — will complete construction in June 2023. The government will also break ground on a new-and-improved international airport for Providenciales in early 2023, a project expected to cost $300 million.
Visitors will have plenty of new accommodation options, too. Andaz Turks & Caicos Residences at Grace Bay is targeting a spring 2023 opening and will be the first Andaz-branded resort and residential property in the Caribbean. Also coming in 2023, The Shore Club is adding eight six-bedroom pool villas to its iconic Long Bay Beach property. Travelers can also look forward to boutique-style suites and panoramic views of Grace Bay Beach at The Bight Hotel and Providenciales’ newest resort and marina, South Bank Turks & Caicos, both of which are in the pipeline.
A recently completed dock extension at the Grand Turk Cruise Center can now accommodate larger cruise ships, so it’s bound to be a port of call on more itineraries. Additionally, $1 million in grants has been distributed to water sports operators and beach vendors to accommodate the projected increase in cruisers.
Ecuador: Coastal towns capture the limelight
Though Ecuador’s capital city, Quito, and remote Galapagos Islands may be the first to come to mind, exciting developments along the country’s Pacific Coast are drawing a new wave of adventurers to unexpected corners of the nation.
In March of 2022, Kontiki Expeditions launched expeditions aboard the exclusive M/S Wayra, a nine-stateroom yacht that bears the distinction of being the first “water-based” Small Luxury Hotels of the World member, which partners with World of Hyatt. That means travelers can earn Hyatt points while exploring such seldom-visited ports of call as the surf spot San Mateo and Isla de la Plata, often referred to as an inexpensive alternative to the Galapagos.
Even Ecuador’s most famous destination, the Galapagos, continues to see significant travel industry investments. Earlier this year, Ecuador’s president expanded the protected Galapagos Marine Reserve by more than 23,000 square miles. Months later, a former boutique eco-friendly hotel was reborn as Royal Palm Galapagos, a Curio Collection hotel. Plus, a new Hotel Indigo is now accepting reservations for end-of-year trips to the archipelago.
Disney Wish: The most magical place at sea
Disney Wish first set sail in mid-2022, but 2023 is going to be the best time to sail on the company’s first new cruise ship in a decade.
The itineraries and cabin types (ranging from a first-ever funnel suite to the cleverly designed oceanview staterooms with split bathrooms that help a whole family get ready faster by creating two distinct spaces) are now more widely available than in the first few sold-out months, but the new ship smell and sparkle remain.
Of equal importance, the staff has now had the necessary time to hit their stride with service, including on stage with Broadway-caliber reimaginings of “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” and in the thrilling all-new restaurants with “Frozen”- and Marvel-inspired dinners (be sure and try the sticky date pudding with vanilla ice cream while in the Worlds of Marvel and Anna’s Koldtbord with goodies like smoked salmon, sweet shrimp and dill honey mustard while dining in Arendelle).
With its three- and four-night sailings from Florida's Port Canaveral to the Bahamas, most passengers book Disney Wish to experience the ship itself rather than the ports of call. In fact, many guests don’t even disembark in Nassau, preferring instead to take a turn on the AquaMouse slide, book a treatment at the Senses Spa or just have fun with the many Disney characters and themed spaces on board. It’s a stress-free alternative to the increasing complexity and cost of indulging in a visit to the Disney theme parks.
There’s the magic that’s easy to spot on Disney Wish, but then there is more waiting to be discovered. For example, if you enjoy whiskey, don’t walk past Hook’s Barbery without popping in, as the secret space is far more than just a nook for a shave and a haircut. And if you can stay up late, make your way to the Grand Hall at midnight and look up for a fun surprise.
Dream Vacations - The Operach Team is a travel agency based in Overland Park, Kansas. We take pride in working with clients across the country who love to travel. We build vacation experiences that will create memories to last a lifetime. Our team has specialties across a wide range of vacation options; custom Europe itineraries, Alaska, escorted tours, all-inclusive resorts, Disney, Caribbean, Hawaii, South Pacific, cruise holidays, and river cruises.
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