Luxury Travel Destinations

The best luxury travel destinations in the world are a combination of unparalleled nature, culture, hospitality, recreation and entertainment. While there are a multitude of places anyone can travel to, this post presents a comprehensive list of the best luxury travel destinations across the world.

For what characterizes a perfect luxury travel destination see the Defining Model of Luxury Travel where luxury travel and a perfect luxury travel destination are defined in terms of five (5) core variables including Culture, Nature, Hospitality, Elegance, Exclusivity and Class, and Quality and Authenticity.

You can also check out our in-depth post on the 6 Best Luxury Destinations in the World and the Best 15 Top Destinations to Visit this Year.

Below is the comprehensive list of the best luxury travel destinations in the world cutting across all the regions on the planet. The list is arranged in no particular order.

Africa

1. Cape Town, South Africa
2. Nosy-Be, Madagascar
3. Mauritius
4. Mahe, Seychelles
5. Zanzibar, Tanzania
6. Nairobi, Kenya
7. Lagos, Nigeria
8. Johannesburg, South Africa
9. Windhoek, Namibia
10. Marrakech, Morocco
11. Luanda, Angola
12. Cairo, Egypt
13. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
14. Safaga, Egypt
15. Praia, Cape Verde
16. Tunis, Tunisia
17. Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
18. Bazaruto Island, Mozambique

Recommended Read: Top 10 Best Travel Destinations in Africa Part 1 and Part 2

Europe

1. Paris, France
2. London, United Kingdom (UK)
3. Monaco
4. Milan, Italy
5. Barcelona, Spain
6. Greek Islands – Santorini, Mykonos, Crete & Paros
7. Porto, Portugal
8. Rome, Italy
9. Dubrovnik, Zadar & Hvar, Croatia
10. Balearic Islands (Mallorca & Ibiza), Spain
11. Kotor, Budva & Sveti Stefan, Montenegro
12. Amalfi Coast, Italy
13. Istanbul, Turkey
14. Zurich, Switzerland
15. Cappadocia, Turkey
16. Venice, Italy
17. Portofino, Italy
18. Lake Como, Italy
19. Copenhagen, Denmark,
20. Madeira Islands, Portugal
21. Canary Islands, Spain
22. Bodrum, Turkey
23. Capri, Italy
24. Cinque Terre, Italy
25. Marbella, Spain
26. Malaga, Spain
27. Sardinia, Italy
28. French Riviera (Cote’d Azur), France
29. Corsica, France
30. Munich, Germany
31. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
32. Gstaad, Switzerland

Recommended Read: The Top 10 Best Luxury Destinations in Europe

Asia

South Asia

1. Mumbai, India
2. The Maldives
3. Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
4. Colombo, Sri Lanka
5. Bangalore, India
6. Thimphu, Bhutan
7. Pune, India
8. Rajasthan, India
9. Kochi, India

Southeast Asia

1. Singapore
2. Bangkok, Thailand
3. Ha Long & Da Nang, Vietnam
4. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
5. Bali, Indonesia
6. Manilla, the Philippines
7. Phuket & Pattaya, Thailand
8. Hanoi, Vietnam
9. Palawan, the Philippines
10. Phnom Penh, Cambodia
11. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
12. Raja Ampat, Indonesia
13. Chiang Rai, Thailand
14. Song Raa, Cambodia
15. Hoi An & Nha Trang, Vietnam
16. Siem Reap, Cambodia
17. Langkawi, Malaysia
18. Naka Island, Thailand
19. Con Dao & Phu Quoc, Vietnam
20. Vientiane, Laos
21. Sumba Islands, Indonesia

East Asia

1. Hong Kong, China
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Shanghai, China
4. Seoul, South Korea
5. Macau, China
6. Sanya & Haikou, Hainan, China
7. Busan, South Korea
8. Ryukyu Islands, Japan
9. Shenzhen, China
10. Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
11. Guangzhou, China
12. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

You May Also Like: 10 Best Luxury Cruise Ports and Destinations in Asia

Pacific/Oceania

1. Sydney, Australia
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Auckland, New Zealand
4. French Polynesia – Bora Bora, Tahiti and Morea
5. Perth, Australia
6. Gold Coast, Australia
7. Queenstown, New Zealand
8. Noumea, New Caledonia
9. Port Villa, Vanuatu
10. Suva, Fiji
11. Laucala Island, Fiji
12. Federated States of the Micronesia (FSM)
13. Palau
14. Tokoriki Island, Fiji
15. Apia, Samoa
16. Rarotonga & Aitutaki, Cook Islands
17. Majuro, Marshall Islands
18. Vomo Island, Fiji

Read Also: The Top 15 Cities to Visit and Live in Australia

North America

1. New York City, United States
2. Miami, United States
3. Alaska, United States
4. Los Angeles, United States
5. San Francisco, United States
6. Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
7. Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
8. Vancouver, Canada
9. Merida, Mexico
10. Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
11. Dana Point, United States
12. Santa Barbara, United States
13. Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
14. San Jose Del Cabo, Baja California, Mexico
15. Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico
16. Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
17. Oceanside, California, United States
18. Toronto, Canada
19. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
20. Maui, Hawaii, United States
21. Cozumel, Mexico

Recommended Read: Should You Visit Mexico? An In-depth Review and Analysis of Why Mexico Might be a Great Country for You to Visit

Central America

1. Panama City, Panama
2. Belmopan, Belize
3. Roatan, Belize
4. San Jose, Costa Rica
5. Tegucigalpa, Honduras
6. Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica
7. Arenal, Costa Rica
8. Popoyo, Nicaragua
9. San Pedro, Belize
10. Hopkins Village, Belize
11. Ambergris Caye, Belize
12. Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica
13. Placencia, Belize
14. La Fortuna, Costa Rica
15. San Salvador, El Salvador

The Caribbean

1. The Bahamas
2. Turks & Caicos Islands
3. British Virgin Islands (BVI)
4. Anguilla
5. Antigua & Barbuda
6. Puerto Rico
7. Dominican Republic
8. St. Lucia
9. St. Barthelemy
10. Montego Bay, Jamaica
11. ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao
12. Cayman Islands
13. Cuba
14. Barbados
15. St. Kitts & Nevis
16. Dominica
17. St. Vincent and the Grenadines
18. St. Martin

South America

1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2. Sao Paulo, Brazil
3. Buenos Aires, Argentina
4. Salvador, Brazil
5. Cordoba, Argentina
6. La Paz, Bolivia
7. Santiago, Chile
8. Cartagena, Columbia
9. The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
10. Lima, Peru
11. Quito, Ecuador
12. Cusco, Peru
13. Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, Peru
14. Mendoza, Argentina
15. Atacama Desert, Chile
16. Patagonia, Chile/Argentina

Middle East & Western Asia

1. Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
2. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
3. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
4. Doha, Qatar
5. Muscat, Oman
6. Manama, Bahrain
7. Zaya Nurai Island, UAE
8. Yas Island Al Yamm, UAE
9. Abha, Saudi Arabia
10. Pearl Island, Qatar
11. Salalah, Oman
12. Aqaba, Jordan
13. Tel Aviv, Israel
14. Saadiyat Island, UAE

See Also: The Best of the Arabian Gulf Region – Countries, Cities and Attractions! And Why You Should Visit

Central Asia

1. Astana, Kazakhstan
2. Almaty, Kazakhstan
3. Tashkent, Uzbekistan
4. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
5. Dushanbe, Tajikistan
6. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
7. Samarkand, Uzbekistan
8. Bukhara, Uzbekistan
9. Khiva, Uzbekistan
10. Kashgar, Xingiang, China

Others

1. Yerevan, Armenia
2. Baku, Azerbaijan
3. Tbilisi, Georgia
4. Moscow, Russia
5. St. Petersburg, Russia

There you have it, my comprehensive list of the best luxury travel destinations in the world. Do you think this list is complete? I don’t think so too. The world is adorned with endless spectacular and amazing luxury travel destinations. Let me know in the comments any destination you know that offers exceptional luxury experiences and that is missing from my list.

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