Best Places to Travel in 2021

Traveling in 2021   

Ready to dust off your suitcase after months of pandemic restrictions? If you can muster up more of what you’ve already been honing these past many months - patience and flexibility - time spent outside of your COVID bubble will nourish your soul.  

The pandemic and its sweeping impact has peeled our eyes wide open to things we weren’t seeing or experiencing pre-pandemic. Things like just how crazed we are with busyness, the tenuous state of our health and well-being, and the importance of spending time in nature to help us reconnect to all of its wonders - and ourselves. 

In fact, travel industry experts are predicting travel that is not only more meaningful but also, secluded, slow, and sustainable. Don’t fret, though, there’s no need to rent a private island in Polynesia to find meaning, seclusion, and leisure! Travel as a force for environmental good flourishes in the regenerative travel movement, another key trend that goes beyond sustainability. Regenerative travel aims not just to maintain, but to reverse the negative impacts of tourism on both communities and the environment. 

Experts also predict more domestic travel and it’s the Baby Boomers and Gen Z’ers who are the ones most ready and willing to hit the road or take to the skies. What kind of roads? If you visited a store last year that sells camping supplies, you saw shelves that were wiped out. Kampgrounds of America, KOA, reports that the number of people who camped for the first time in 2020 was five times greater than it was in 2019. This camping - and glamping - trend is expected to continue. 

Camping or not, pent-up demand may mean more trips for longer periods of time, particularly since the number of those working remotely has climbed dramatically. U.S. destinations are expected to be particularly popular in the second half of 2021 along with Mexico, Hawaii, and England. 

We’ve put together some resources and ideas on the best places to travel in 2021 that will help you to dream - and plan for - where in the world you’d like to find yourself. The first place to start is with some easily navigable resources on the current global state of health. Only you can decide what is best for you and your travel party. 

Is it OK to Travel During COVID? 

To reduce your risk of contracting and spreading COVID, the CDC recommends that you don’t travel until fully vaccinated. To understand the health risk in the country you’d like to visit, the CDC’s Travel Recommendations by Destination page provides a color-coded risk assessment graphic for destinations across the globe. Below the graphic, you’ll find links for more specific information by country. The CDC’s Travel page also provides links to guides on domestic and international travel during COVID. 

Check out our article on Travel destinations welcoming vaccinated travellers >>

If you’re thinking about Europe, Re-Open EU, the official website of the European Union, provides more detailed information on the current health situation and restrictions by country. Consider the Fall for fewer crowds, cooler temperatures, and hopefully, a more stable health situation- the fewer restrictions. The “Travel Plan” feature allows you to select your country of departure and destination for information on the current rules in place for entering. As of early May, officials in France and Spain reported that they would open to Americans who have been fully vaccinated in June. Italy, too, is expected to re-open this summer. The UK has seen some of the highest number of cases in the world and while it is currently open to Americans, the U.S. is designated an “amber” list country which requires quarantine. 

Information on the EU reopening >>

Canada and Asia remain closed to American tourists with one exception: to travel to the Maldives tourists must show a negative test taken within 96 hours of departure regardless of vaccination status. No quarantine is required. 

TravelStride’s COVID-19 Travel Resource page provides general information and you can sign up to be the first to know when places open up to tourists. 

Your safety and the safety of the local communities you are visiting is the most important consideration. Cancellation policies are another high priority given the ever evolving health situation. From airlines and hotels waiving, or at least laxing, cancellation policies to FlexiTrip by TravelStride that gives you locked-in savings for travel with award winning tour companies by 2023, the travel and tourism industry is doing its part to make pandemic era travel as hassle free as possible. As for health safety, you should expect not only your airlines and hotels but also, tour companies to have additional measures in place. Visit company websites to learn what their health protocols are. Last, consider purchasing travel insurance. With many policies now offering COVID benefits, it’s no surprise that experts are seeing a rise in demand. 

Find out what travel insurance actually covers >>

Best Places to Travel in 2021

1. Camino de Santiago, Spain 

Walk sections of the Camino de Santiago - or the entire route. A pilgrimage might not be something you would have considered pre-pandemic but oh, how so much has changed. The Way of St. James, walked by pilgrims since the Middle Ages, is a network of routes that all lead to St. James Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral, begun in 1078, was built over the tomb containing relics of the apostle St. James. And, while it’s one of the greatest Christian pilgrimages in the world, only about 40% walk for religious reasons. 

The Camino Frances, at 800 km (497m) is the most popular route and takes about 35 days to walk. It starts at the foot of the French Pyrenees in St. Jean Pied au Port. Nearly 350,000 pilgrims made their way to Santiago in 2019, more than half walking the Camino Frances. The second most traveled route is the Camino Portugues that starts in Lisbon, Portugal, and runs north for about 600km (380m). Both of these routes, and the historic center of Santiago de Compostela, are so rich in cultural heritage that they are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

If you prefer less traveled Camino routes, there are several including the Original Way or  Camino Primitivo. While shorter in distance at just over 300km (186m), it’s the most rustic and challenging as you’ll be hiking over the Cantabrian Mountains which reach an elevation of 1100m (3,600ft). 

Check out Camino de Santiago tours & trips >>

2. Seville, Spain

If you’re feeling like you’ve been living out of your comfort zone for too long but still like the idea of Spain, consider Seville, home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Seville is located in the southern region of Spain, Andalusia, and boasts not only UNESCO sites - one starring in the ever popular series “Game of Thrones” - but proximity to other southern gems like the Moorish city of Cordoba with its Great Mosque; the birthplace of Pablo Picasso, Malaga, on the Costa del Sol; the dramatic mountaintop city of Ronda and the beautifully situated city of Granada at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  

If you need another reason for Seville to be on your list of best places to travel in 2021, you might like that it’s off the beaten path. Many travelers head straight to Barcelona and Madrid, huge industrial centers where populations swell at over 4 and 5 million respectively. The population of Seville is just over 1 million, making it more approachable for many, particularly during pandemic era travel. 

Check out Spain tours & travel packages that include Seville >>

3. Chianti Hills, Tuscany, Italy

Situated between Florence and Siena, the Colline del Chianti are in the heart of Tuscany. Nestled in the region’s rolling hills are wineries centuries old. Lodging options, like those at Castello di Fonterutoli include delightful self-contained units. Go for a visit or stay at the hamlet, tour the winery, taste the wines, and enjoy local fare at the osteria. The Mazzei family has been producing chianti there since 1435. 

The beauty of the Chianti Hills is multifaceted but it's the early morning and evening light that plays across the landscape, enchanting the soul. Take the Chiantigiana, a winding road through the hills north to Florence or south to the charming medieval town of Siena where the wild Il Palio horse race takes place twice each year, in July and August. The race has been run since 1652 with riders on bareback representing each of the ten contrade, or districts, of the city. 

There are many other places to explore from your home base in the Chianti Hills, including San Gimignano. Like Siena and Florence, San Gimignano’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The skyline of medieval towers is fascinating and dramatic. Some say it’s one of the most beautiful villages in Tuscany. Yet another UNESCO site is the town of Pienza, known as the birthplace of Renaissance style urban planning and its famed pecorino cheese. Be sure to try the fresh pecorino which you can’t find in the US where import regulations require at least 60 days of aging. 

Check out Italy tours & travel packages that include Tuscany >>

4. France - Beyond Paris

France is one of the top destinations in the world. Paris hosted over 30 million visitors in 2019 alone. But, as so many Americans fled from U.S. cities during the pandemic, a countryside stay might be more appealing. It’s a slower and often more meaningful experience where you might more easily connect with locals or find yourself pedaling down a country lane with a baguette, bottle of wine, and stash of cheese. 

Beaune, Burgundy

If you’d still like to be near Paris and enjoy Burgundy wine, Beaune is a must. Just over 3 hours southeast of Paris by car, the walled city is in the heart of the Burgundy winemaking region, one of the most prestigious in the world. Walk Beaune’s cobbled streets admiring its well preserved gothic architecture. Go underground to explore the 5 kilometer (3.1m) labyrinth of tunnels, the Caves Patriarche. Bottles of wine numbering in the millions are cellared in its vaulted rooms. 

Other sites and experiences all within a 2.5 car ride from Beaune include Dijon, the Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, Chateau de Cormatin, Morvan National Park, Lyon, and if you’d like a taste of Switzerland, Geneva. The terroirs of Burgundy that include Dijon and Beaune, the historic center of Lyon, and Fontenay are all of such tremendous universal value that they have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

Check out France tours & trip packages that include Burgundy >>

Tourtour, Provence

Named one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, or most beautiful villages in France, Tourtour is situated two thousand feet above the Meditteranean. The “Village in the sky of Provence '' has several towers including the clock tower and the towers of its two castles. In fact, its name translates to Towertower. Surrounded by forested hills, its proximity to many nearby attractions, including Saint Tropez, Cannes, and Aix-en-Provence, makes it a quieter base from which to explore the French country - and seaside.

Sarlat-la-Caneda, Dordogne Perigord

The Dordogne in southwest France is one of the most picturesque and prehistorically significant regions. There are so many exceptional experiences including hundreds of castles and chateau, the beautiful capital city of Perigueux with its two historic centers and the fascinating medieval settlements of Sarlat, Rocamadour, and La-Roque Gageac. Last but not least, from a Sarlat base, the prehistoric sites and decorated caves of the Vezere Valley are less than 30 minutes by car. A UNESCO World Heritage area of some 150 sites, the monumental Lascaux Cave with its extraordinary wall art and other prehistoric objects dating back 19,000 years, has been replicated for conservation reasons. The original cave is closed to the public. 

Check out Top France Tours & Travel Packages >>

5. Monterey Peninsula, California 

Fly into San Francisco if you’d like to spend some time in the City by the Bay before driving south, just over 2 hours to the Monterey Peninsula. One of the newest National Parks, Pinnacles National Park is home to the once extinct and now critically endangered California condor. For sights of other local residents, visit the impressive Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is also a global leader in conservation, or Point Lobos State Preserve. Keep in mind that whales migrate off the coast between December and May so have some binoculars at the ready. You’ll also need them to see otters and seals. For local vibe and flavor, visit the Farmer’s Market, held every Friday, rain or shine. If visiting in the Spring, be sure to try the fried artichoke hearts which are available in many area venues.  

Monterey is a lower key destination but for more glitz and glamour, head south to Carmel by the Sea. The seaside homes in the area along with the famed Pebble Beach Resort and golf course  are stunning. Step back in time to California’s colonial history with a visit to the Carmel Mission or stroll along Ocean Avenue to shop. Be sure to stray off Ocean Avenue, too, so you can ogle, ooh and aah at the homes, some of which come straight out of a fairytale. Regardless of whether you plan to spend time in Carmel, it’s well worth the breathtaking views you’ll see along the 17-mile drive between Monterey and Carmel. Allow a half day if you’d like to stop, explore, and have lunch, perhaps even at Pebble Beach. 

Check out U.S. tours & travel packages that include the Monterey Peninsula >>

6. Four Corners, Southwestern US

In keeping with another best place to travel in 2021 that’s slower, soulful, more secluded and hopefully sustainable, the Four Corners’ region is where the state lines of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona intersect. The region is most well known for its ancient indigenous human history and incredible geology owing, in part, to deep canyons and the inland seas that covered part of the region millions of years ago. 

The geologic, archaeological and cultural wonders of the Four Corners include the largest known concentration of archaeological sites in the country, Canyon of the Ancients, located in Colorado. Thousands of sites tell the story of the Ancestral Puebloans and other Native American groups. Also in Colorado are the stunning cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park and the prehistoric villages at Hovenweep National Monument. 

In Arizona’s 1,000 foot deep Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Navajo families still live and farm the valley floor, and in Utah’s canyonlands there’s no shortage of wonder at Canyonlands National Park, Monument Valley and Natural Bridges National Monument. Shiprock, located on Navajo Nation lands in New Mexico, is a rock formation some 1,600 feet wide and 2,000 feet high. Named “winged rock” in Navajo, it’s the remains of a central feeder pipe that fed an explosive volcanic eruption some 30 million years ago.

Check out U.S. Tours & Travel Packages to National Parks >>

7. Alaska

Americans have sought nature in droves during the pandemic. Popularized by author Richard Louv in his book Vitamin N, the Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life, the idea of nature as a vitamin is catching on as people self-prescribe time in the great out-of-doors for their own mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. Get a mega dose on a trip to Alaska. 

Wild and unspoiled, Alaska lives up to its Aleut name, meaning “great land.” Seventeen of the twenty highest peaks in the U.S. are in Alaska. In Denali National Park, Mt. McKinley, at 20,320 feet dominates the landscape. It’s the highest peak in North America. Millions of lakes, thousands of glaciers, and more than 70 potentially active volcanoes can be found in Alaska, where you can expect to find yourself getting around via all modes of transportation, perhaps even a dog sled. 

Check out Alaska tours & travel packages >>

8.  Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a destination that boasts Victoria Falls, in and of itself worthy of a visit to Africa. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the greatest curtain of falling water in the world. The falls span over 5,600 feet across with water plunging from heights of up to 324 feet. Its geology and geomorphological features are astounding, not to mention its beauty.

But Zimbabwe is also home to one of the largest national parks in Africa, Kafue. Its size supports a vast variety of habitats and thus diversity in wildlife; in fact there are still large tracts of unexplored bush. A record number of 158 mammals have been observed in Kafue National Park. And, one of the world’s greatest elephant sanctuaries is in Hwange National Park.

There are 3 other UNESCO World Heritage sites in Zimbabwe including Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas. You’ll see a dramatic landscape that continues to be shaped by ecological processes and extraordinary congregations of mammals and birds that migrate to the pools during the dry months. 

Check out Zimbabwe tours & travel packages >>

9. The Caribbean 

What started as a way for patients to cure their various maladies and as a way for the British upper class to escape the hubbub of the Industrial Revolution, visiting the sea has long been culturally established as one of the best places to visit in 2021 and beyond. The Caribbean in particular conjures up staggeringly beautiful images of beaches, palm trees, and water of the clearest hues of blue. Whether you decide to visit Bermuda, Jamaica, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, Aruba, or one of the other dozens of islands in the Caribbean, you’re in for a mega-dose of wellness.

Check out Caribbean tours & travel packages >>

10. Molokai, Hawaii

Don’t expect mega-resorts, glitzy shopping areas, and packed beaches in Molokai, located in the middle of the Hawaiin chain. It’s 38 miles in length and 10 miles in width (at its widest point) couldn’t accommodate the development, let alone the hordes of tourists that make their way to other island destinations. Locals seem to like it that way. 

There are fewer than 8,000 who live on the island, most of whom come from native Hawaiian ancestry. Sea cliffs towering up to 3,900 feet, some of the highest in the world, are on Molokai’s northeast coast and on its southeast coast, a 28 mile continuous reef hugs the shoreline. Visit the peaceful and gorgeous Papohaku in Western Molokai, one of the largest white sand beaches in Hawaii. 

Stunningly beautiful and yet, there’s a dark side. Kalaupapa, established in 1866, is a former leper colony. Thousands were forced to live there in isolation. The colony, which closed in 1969, is now a National Park.

Check out U.S. Yoga, Meditation, and Wellness tours >>

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