Still looking to get out of town this summer for an adventurous vacation with the kids or, better yet, a romantic getaway with your partner? The annual “Best Place to Visit” rankings from U.S. News & World Report are out to give you some ideas.
U.S. News & World Report compiles their best vacation destination rankings based on reader votes and editor scores across 10 categories, including culture, food, adventure and value.
Paris, France, took the number one spot overall in 2023.
“Paris is almost always in the top five on the world’s best list,” said Elizabeth Von Tersch, senior travel editor for U.S. News & World Report. “I think probably the best part about Paris is that no two trips are ever going to be the same. So depending on which season you visit, you’re always going to find that it’s changed a little bit from the last time you were there.”
She also pointed to prime atmosphere, café culture and sites like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower as selling points for the French city.
If you’re deciding whether you’d rather find tropical beach vacation, consider Bora Bora, which came in at number two.
“You obviously have those iconic overwater bungalows, which is one of the main reasons that people go there,” said Von Tersch. “I think a lot of people also don’t realize Bora Bora has a mountain landscape as well. So you kind of get that adventure element a little bit there.”
As for domestic destinations, seven of the top 10 are national parks this year.
“They really became kind of the top of the list with the pandemic and people kind of wanting to get back to nature a little bit,” Von Tersch said.
She said national park trips can be fun for the whole family, from those that like difficult hiking to those less mobile and prefer to drive the scenic route.
Montana’s Glacier National Park took the top spot in the U.S. with its deep blue glacial lakes and iconic mountain back drop.
Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks also made the list.
The other three top 10 spots were all in Hawaii: Honolulu, Maui and Kauai.
“It gives you really that tropical experience without having to fly across the world to go to the Maldives or Bora Bora,” said Von Tersch.
And if a “staycation” is more your speed, you’re in luck, as D.C. ranked #15.
See the complete list below:
- Paris
- Bora Bora
- Glacier National Park
- Rome
- Swiss Alps
- Maui
- London
- Maldives
- Turks and Caicos
- Tokyo
Best Places to Visit in the USA:
- Glacier National Park
- Maui
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Honolulu
- Yellowstone National Park
- Zion National Park
- Yosemite National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- Olympic National Park
- Kauai
