25 Best Places To Visit In 2025 | Travel Guide 2025

As 2025 approaches, wanderlust is calling louder than ever. Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or someone just planning your first big adventure since the world reopened, this curated list of the 25 best places to visit in 2025 is your ultimate guide. We’ve selected destinations that combine cultural relevance, architectural inspiration, breathtaking natural beauty, and emerging travel trends. From reimagined city experiences to tranquil retreats, there’s something for every kind of traveller. Here’s where your passport should take you in 2025.

1. Kyoto, Japan

Japan is always a compelling destination for travellers from the UK, but Kyoto is especially captivating in 2025. Known for its temples, traditional tea houses, and Kyoto Design Week, this city is a goldmine for architects and interior designers looking to incorporate timeless, minimalist Japanese aesthetics into modern living spaces.

In 2025, expect enhanced public transportation connects and new exhibits blending ancient craftsmanship with contemporary design. Cherry blossom season remains a beautiful time to visit, but autumn offers compelling colour palettes for design inspiration.

Designers and professionals working on Zen-inspired spaces will find first-hand influence in Kyoto’s curated gardens, tatami mat textures, and the calming fluidity of Japanese architecture.

2. Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen continues to set the standard for sustainable living, cutting-edge design, and city planning. In 2025, the city is buzzing with urban design projects focused on environmental integration, perfect for architects and tradesmen interested in biophilic design and sustainable architecture.

Nyhavn’s colourful waterfront offers plenty of Scandi-chic aesthetic inspo, while the Designmuseum Danmark often highlights Nordic minimalism at its finest. Local interiors effortlessly blend practicality with timeless style—an ideal reference point when redecorating UK homes for clients who appreciate hygge-inspired comfort.

For DIY enthusiasts, Copenhagen’s flea markets and small Nordic boutiques offer inspiration on maximising space and creativity using streamlined storage solutions and clean lines.

3. Marrakech, Morocco

Marrakech continues to thrive as a destination for bold patterns, rich colour palettes, and ornate textures—perfect for home decorators or designers looking to make a statement.

2025 introduces several artisan workshops to tourists, meaning you can learn zellige tilework, brass carving, or Moroccan pigment usage directly from local masters. This hands-on experience gives interior designers and tradesmen looking to fine-tune their craft access to centuries-old techniques.

The medinas, riads, and souks bustle with inspiration, especially for those considering North African motifs or earthy, bohemian touches in their UK interior projects.

4. Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn is a gem slowly getting the attention it deserves. In 2025, its medieval Old Town and dynamic tech startup scene coexist harmoniously, making it particularly interesting for architects and urban designers focused on adaptive reuse and historical restoration.

Its commitment to digital infrastructure and sustainability makes Tallinn a model ‘smart city’—perfect inspiration for professionals applying modern innovation to heritage builds across the UK.

DIY fans and creatives can appreciate Estonia’s Nordic folk design, found in local markets and emerging craft workshops where you can learn to create traditional wooden home décor with a modern twist.

5. Mexico City, Mexico

With its colonial buildings and evolving arts district, Mexico City is a beacon for creators. For designers and home decorators in the UK inspired by mid-century modern, brutalist, or Mexican revival styles, CDMX offers rich case studies of colour play and textural layering.

The Frida Kahlo Museum and Casa Luis Barragán continue to influence design circles globally. In 2025, several design residences are open to the public, giving visitors a walkable guide to Mexico's creative legacy.

Local markets and workshops are treasure troves for traditional tile design, handwoven textiles, and artisanal ceramics—all elements that can bring warmth and character to a UK kitchen or studio space.

6. Ljubljana, Slovenia

Voted as Europe’s Green Capital several times over, Ljubljana is tranquil, walkable, and effortlessly picturesque. In 2025, it’s a prime location for professionals interested in sustainable construction techniques and earth-friendly design.

The architecture is full of interesting contrasts—Austro-Hungarian elegance meets modernist efficiency. Strategic city planning adds to its appeal for professionals keen on designing inclusive, accessible spaces in urban environments.

7. Rome, Italy

Rome’s eternal charm never fades. In 2025, with new archaeological discoveries and design-led restorations, it’s becoming even more relevant to professionals drawn towards classical symmetry, marble elements, and Neoclassical lines.

For home decorators and young professionals, Rome brings examples of how layering old and new works in residential design. Think marble kitchens, ornate mouldings, and open-plan spaces inspired by Roman courtyards.

8. Seoul, South Korea

Seoul combines futuristic skyscrapers with quiet palaces, illuminating a balance of old and new that’s influencing modern UK interiors. In 2025, rising K-architecture explores harmonious living through multi-functional zones and adaptable spaces—ideal for small UK flats or terrace houses.

Designers will find Seoul’s use of smart technology in homes and emotional design particularly relevant when planning client projects that prioritise wellness and functionality.

9. Tulum, Mexico

Tulum’s barefoot luxury vibe continues to intrigue lifestyle-led designers and those focused on biophilic design. In 2025, expect more eco-retreats, bamboo constructions, and organic design workshops open to international guests.

The aesthetics forge a bridge between sustainability and laid-back elegance—a palette proudly featuring raw textures, woven baskets, and jungle-infused spaces that can be replicated in UK garden rooms and studios.

10. Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon's colourful tiles, monument-lined boulevards, and sun-flooded cafés continue to attract creatives in 2025. For DIY thinkers and designers, striking patterns seen in azulejos tiles offer endless possibilities for feature walls, kitchen backsplashes, or bathrooms.

Young professionals may also be inspired by Lisbon’s relatively low-cost aesthetic hacks like hand-painted motifs, distressed wood, and decorative iron work. The city’s experimental spirit in architecture makes it a great outdoor classroom.

11. Medellín, Colombia

Once a city marked by turmoil, Medellín has emerged as a cultural and architectural innovator. 2025 finds it blooming with vertical gardens, community cooperative design studios, and forward-thinking public infrastructure—of interest to UK-based urban designers and community builders.

For creatives in the UK, Medellín presents a rich case for how colour, art, and culture can completely reframe public perception and user experience in dense urban areas.

12. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam in 2025 champions eco-living, upcycled interiors, and creative reuse. Its canal homes display smart use of vertical storage, mezzanine levels, and compact multi-room designs—lessons ideal for small UK homes.

Interior designers will find inspiration in Dutch colour schemes, reclaimed wood finishes, and contrasting high gloss and matte textures.

13. Cape Town, South Africa

With imposing mountains and Atlantic coastline, Cape Town is a designer's paradise. In 2025, African contemporary architecture mixed with indigenous motifs creates beautifully balanced design interventions suitable for UK home gardens and living rooms alike.

Key attractions include the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa for architecturally rich appreciation and access to local creatives creating modern African furniture, lighting, and textures.

14. Melbourne, Australia

Design-led and dynamic, Melbourne brings industrial style into residential spaces effortlessly. In 2025, see city-wide warehouse conversions and community markets redefining modular furniture and minimalist living—an ideal reference for young UK professionals creating stylish but functional flats.

15. Istanbul, Turkey

In 2025, Istanbul writes a new chapter of East-meets-West elegance. With its domed ceilings, Ottoman calligraphy, and heavy drapes, designers wanting a luxurious, maximalist edge can find inspiration in this sprawling metropolis.

16. Reykjavik, Iceland

One of the most peaceful cities on Earth, Reykjavik appeals to the quiet designer or builder. In 2025, find inspiration in volcanic finishes, natural lighting, and geothermal designs made for wellness-focused interiors back in the UK.

17. Valencia, Spain

Valencia’s futuristic architecture, balanced by traditional Spanish ceramic arts, is worth exploring. 2025 showcases several applied arts biennales and offers interior creators a strong foundation in coastal Living meets Tech-minimalism.

18. Singapore

Singapore continues to lead in integrated living, sky gardens, and vertical farming. UK-based professionals designing smart homes or high-density housing should explore the city’s micro-living solutions in 2025.

19. Vienna, Austria

Vienna’s imperial style mixed with 20th-century rationalist architecture creates stunning designs rich in visual storytelling. Ideal for craftspeople and home decorators drawn towards historical layering and opulence.

20. Auckland, New Zealand

In 2025, Auckland showcases Maori-inspired architecture blended with contemporary fluidity. It’s a powerful muse for building meaningful, place-connected environments in and beyond New Zealand.

21. Bergen, Norway

Known for its timber-clad homes and misty fjords, Bergen appeals to eco-conscious creatives. The colour blocking in buildings and natural material usage directly translate into UK-style coastal homes or garden outbuildings.

22. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tango, murals, and bold Latin elegance make Buenos Aires a dynamic muse for maximalist interiors and artisanal craftsmanship. Expect creative collectives to open up their doors to tourists in 2025 showcasing how art and furniture intersect.

23. Montreal, Canada

This bilingual city shares traits with both European and North American cultures. In 2025, attention turns to climate-responsive architecture and community-focused builds, perfect for UK developers and professional tradesmen alike.

24. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

A UNESCO World Heritage Site glowing with lime-washed walls and picturesque courtyards, this Mexican town is a haven for design romantics and homeowners who love a rustic-luxe vibe.

25. Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Why not explore at home in 2025? Edinburgh's architectural variety, heritage stonework, and design-led boutique hotels are inspiring local renovations across the UK. Take the train, enjoy the scenery, and bring back ideas that infuse Scottish charm into your latest project.

Final Thoughts

The world in 2025 is wide open with creativity, innovation, and cultural discoveries waiting to be explored. Whether you’re a designer seeking to study line, material, and proportion or a homeowner looking for aesthetic redecorating cues, these 25 destinations promise experiences that extend beyond the trip—bringing lasting impact to every space you craft.