10 Bucket List Destinations for 2023

The idiom “turn it up to 11” born out of a scene in the 1979 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap is a fitting one for our list of 10 best places to go in 2023. Not because we added a cheeky 11th destination, rather we sought out places that dial it up in different ways. Traveling takes some effort and energy, so when we get to where we’re going we want to feel reenergized, by the vibrancy of a city, the peace of a pastoral setting, the rhythm of the waves or a balance of all of the above. In tune with the aforementioned film, there is not one but two iconic cities included that are synonymous with music. This year, we amp up our travels and play a little longer. 

Bhutan

The carbon-negative country—forest blankets 70 percent of the land—reopened its borders in September and relaxed its packaged-tours-only policy. Simultaneously, a three-year restoration of the centuries-old Trans Bhutan Trail was completed. Along its 250 miles from Haa in the west to Trashigang in the east, there are chilies drying on rooftops, ancient fortresses, swift rivers, and, if lucky, Himalayan peaks to be seen. Start with some downtime at Six Senses Bhutan, which is actually five unique lodges dotted across the Kingdom’s western and central valleys, with Paro, Punakha, Thimpu and Bumthang all being well situated for trail access. With all the places to stay and footpaths to cover, Bhutan nails the slow travel trend to a tee. 

Tanzania

The reasons to visit Tanzania have always been many, but with the arrival in 2021 of Samia Suluhu Hassan, the first democratically elected woman president in Africa, it adds another historic one. Beyond being a stellar safari destination—hello, Serengeti—it boasts beautiful beaches too. Zanzibar has been nicknamed “the new Maldives” for its white sands and impossibly turquoise water, and its idyll qualities are really put on show in episode 4 of the latest Yellowstone spinoff, 1923. Thankfully, the Emerald Zanzibar Resort & Spa opened its doors here in December. Having come all this way, one might as well check off the eighth wonder of the world with an all-inclusive stay at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge perched above the largest intact volcanic caldera. 

Vienna, Austria

The dream of Regency era Britain is alive in Vienna. For those who fancy a good old-fashioned ball—albeit with more modern sensibilities—2023 sees the return of Viennese ball season after a two-year pause, with the Vienna Opera Ball celebrating its 65th anniversary and the Vienna Philharmonic Ball its 80th. Another icon, The Belvedere, turns 300 years old and marks the occasion with a special 13-month exhibition. Within a neoclassical building in Old Town’s Petersplatz Square where Mozart once lived, the new well-dressed Rosewood Vienna provides harmonic accommodation to accompany any artful sojourn to the City of Music. 

Nashville, Tennessee

For those who prefer Alan Jackson to Johann Strauss II, another music city, the Music City, fulfills the aforementioned country singer’s lyrics “I wanna have fun, time for a good time,” all the more this year with the 50th anniversary of CMA Fest, the longest-running country music festival in the world, in June. But Nashville progressively steers away from the Stetson stereotype making it more broadly appealing to all stripes. Case in point, the new Conrad Nashville, which is five minutes from Music Row but devoid of any cowboy clichés—even the Southern cuisine served up at the hotel’s Blue Aster restaurant is done with a twist. Still, there’s no resisting a honky-tonk—Alan even has his own, AJ’s Good Time Bar, which is Billboard Magazine’s top pick. 

Argentina

If we could have forecasted Argentina winning the World Cup, we would have been there on December 18th to revel with the millions of jubilant fans, still, the country always pulsates with passionate energy. For its Belle Epoque architecture, café culture and greenery, Buenos Aires has been called the “Paris of South America,” but it’s spicier than that, brimming with asado joints and lively nightlife—fall asleep and wake to a bird’s-eye view of it all at Alvear Icon Hotel & Residences on the banks of the Río de la Plata. Come down from a big city weekend by absconding to Mendoza, the Great Wine Capital, to drink Malbec with the Andes foothills as backdrop at Entre Cielos or another of the many sip-and-stay vineyard properties. To make spending money here less taxing, the government recently allowed Visa and Mastercard to offer travelers an exchange rate that nearly doubles purchasing power. Another bottle or an extra night? Dale, por favor. 

Quebec, Canada

With inflation a hot topic it could only be haute to enjoy French sensibilities in Canadian dollars rather than Euros, non? Enter Quebec, Canada’s predominately Français-speaking province. The only difficult decision is deciding when to go. Late spring, summer or fall is a spectacular time to cycle, eat and drink one’s way through the Eastern Townships along the new Véloroute Gourmande, with a prolonged stop at Manoir Hovey for lakeside R‘n’R. Even winter is charming—Quebecers heartily embrace it—particularly when a Nordic spa and ski escape to Le Germain Charlevoix Hotel & Spa is the itinerary. Regardless of timing, a few nights in hub Montreal are a must. Here, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth is home to one of the most iconic hotel rooms in the world, the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite, where the pair famously held their “bed-in for peace” in 1969. 

Madrid, Spain

Barcelona gets all the attention, but Madrid is poised to steal some limelight. To mark the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death, the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofia are all staging exhibitions of the artist’s work. The area where those museums and other arts and sciences landmarks are concentrated, Paseo del Prado and Parque del Buen Retiro, received UNESCO World Heritage site designation in 2021. Opened in September, Thompson Madrid is just a 15-minute stroll from that grand boulevard and “Green Lung of Madrid,” and its freshly elegant interiors by local studio López y Tena are inspired by the city itself. Speaking of, the rooftop bar serves up one stunning panorama. 

Australia

Reopening to tourists again last year, this vast land ought not be lumped into one mention, but with so much going on, we couldn’t limit ourselves to one Hemsworth brother, er, corner over another. In Sydney, 50th anniversary celebrations for the Sydney Opera House are already underway—the Shangri-La Sydney puts guests up in view of its sail structure—and the FIFA Women’s World Cup final will take place August 20th at Stadium Australia. As swaths of New South Wales still recover from 2020’s bad bushfires, an escape to honor nature feels fitting too, and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in the Blue Mountains is just a three-hour drive west of the city. Keep going west, all the way to Western Australia to catch the solar eclipse on April 20th. Getting to Exmouth to witness the minute of darkness requires a flight through Perth, so one might as well tack on a stay at COMO The Treasury and soak up the sights, including a partial eclipse of 72 percent should your flight north get unexpectedly canceled (it happens). 

Hvar, Croatia

On January 1st, Croatia joined the eurozone and Schengen Area making it way breezier for travelers from a currency and visa standpoint. While Game of Thrones really put Dubrovnik on the map, for the most vitamin D, head to Hvar, the country’s sunniest spot with 2,724 hours of it each year. The island encompasses six UNESCO World Heritages sites, lavender fields, vineyards and luxurious resorts. Typifying the latter is Maslina Resort, which quietly opened mid-pandemic. Dubbing what it does as “mindful luxury,” the 50-room, three-villa seafront property is largely made of local, natural materials, with its restaurant partially fed by its own 7,000 square meter garden. It all amounts to conscientious indulgence. 

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Snowbirds have a lot of new to lure them to the Yucatán Peninsula. Along Riviera Maya, resort hop from the brand-new Waldorf Astoria Cancun to La Casa de la Playa opened at the end of 2021 in Playa del Carmen, then splash out on the four-bedroom Esencia Mansion complete with three pools, underground speakeasy and 20-seat theater that Xpu Há’s Hotel Esencia debuted in November. Start or finish with a few days in Mérida. Clad in colorful colonial-era architecture, the state capital is deliciously cosmopolitan, with diverse dining spanning regional Yucatec cuisine to perfect Neapolitan pizza. In the historical center within an exquisitely restored heritage home, adults-only Casa Lecanda is quintessential.