Best places to travel in 2023: National Geographic unveils list of top 25 destinations for next year

ABC News Foreign Correspondent Maggie Rulli is in Sutherland, one of the places on National Geographic's annual "Best of the World" list.

Need inspiration for your next travel destination? National Geographic has you covered.

Its "Best of the World 2023" list, unveiled Wednesday, highlights 25 must-see destinations near and far, from craft breweries in Busan, South Korea, to the world's densest leatherback turtle nesting ground in Trinidad and Tobago.

The silhouettes of visitors are seen as they look at the city skyline at an observation deck in Busan, South Korea, on Aug. 1, 2015.

SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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Created in close collaboration with NatGeo's team of travel experts and international editors, "Best of the World" takes a "deeper dive into places all over the globe that are providing experiences that are unique and beneficial for both locals and travelers," Amy Alipio, senior editor at National Geographic Travel.

"We also worked hard to provide lesser-known gems on the list, equally inspiring alternatives to destinations that have become overcrowded (think Choquequirao vs. Machu Picchu in Peru)," Alipio said in a statement.

Hidden in the Peruvian Andes, the Inca ruins of Choquequirao are reachable only on foot -- for now.

Victor Zea, National Geographic

National Geographic groups the list into five categories: Family, educational journeys for all generations; Adventure, exciting activities in breathtaking places; Culture, explorations of history and heritage; Nature, escapes to wild, beautiful places; and the newly-added Community, healing journeys, community conservation, giving back, sustainable places and more.

Among domestic destinations, Utah is highlighted for its rugged landscape and Milwaukee is featured for its revitalized warehouse district, the Historic Third Ward.

Twilight falls over Delicate Arch and other red rock formations in Arches National Park, one of Utah's five national parks.

Chad Copeland, Nat Geo Image Collection

Those jonesing for international adventure should consider The Greek island of Karpathos, a growing center of ecotourism, or Egypt, with its well preserved 4,300-year-old tomb of Khuwy.

National Geographic's "Best of the World 2023" list

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Culture

Rome's third-century Arch of Drusus marks the start of a planned 360-mile walking route across Italy along the Appian Way.

Andrea Frazzetta, National Geographic

Appian Way, Italy
Busan, South Korea
Longmen Grottoes, Henan Province, China
Egypt
Charleston, South Carolina

Nature

A zebra herd wades through the waters of the Okavango Delta in the Selinda Spillway, a channel that attracts abundant wildlife in northern Botswana.

Beverly Joubert, Nat Geo Image Collection

Scottish Highlands
Botswana
Slovenia
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Azores

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Adventure

The resident bottlenose dolphins of Revillagigedo National Park frequently show curiosity toward divers.

Enric Sala, Nat Geo Image Collection

New Zealand
Choquequirao, Peru
Utah
Austrian Alps
Revillagigedo National Park, Mexico

Community

A small white chapel perches on the peak of Mount Profitis Ilias on Karpathos, one of the lesser known islands in Greece’s Dodecanese archipelago.

Ciril Jazbec, National Geographic

Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Alberta, Canada
Laos
Ghana

Family

Rigi Railways’ cogwheel trains present dazzling views of Lake Lucerne as they ascend Mount Rigi, known as the “queen of the mountains” in Switzerland.

Christian Meixner, Switzerland Tourism

Trinidad and Tobago
San Francisco, California
Colombia
Manchester, UK
Switzerland

Find out more about the "Best of the World 2023" list online at NatGeo.com/BestOfTheWorld.

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of National Geographic Partners and this ABC station.

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