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
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Nosy-Be, Madagascar
- Mauritius
- Mahe, Seychelles
- Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Windhoek, Namibia
- Marrakech, Morocco
- Luanda, Angola
- Cairo, Egypt
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Safaga, Egypt
- Praia, Cape Verde
- Tunis, Tunisia
- Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
- Bazaruto Island, Mozambique
Recommended Read: Top 10 Best Travel Destinations in Africa Part 1 and Part 2
Europe
- Paris, France
- London, United Kingdom (UK)
- Monaco
- Milan, Italy
- Barcelona, Spain
- Greek Islands – Santorini, Mykonos, Crete & Paros
- Porto, Portugal
- Rome, Italy
- Dubrovnik, Zadar & Hvar, Croatia
- Balearic Islands (Mallorca & Ibiza), Spain
- Kotor, Budva & Sveti Stefan, Montenegro
- Amalfi Coast, Italy
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Cappadocia, Turkey
- Venice, Italy
- Portofino, Italy
- Lake Como, Italy
- Copenhagen, Denmark,
- Madeira Islands, Portugal
- Canary Islands, Spain
- Bodrum, Turkey
- Capri, Italy
- Cinque Terre, Italy
- Marbella, Spain
- Malaga, Spain
- Sardinia, Italy
- French Riviera (Cote’d Azur), France
- Corsica, France
- Munich, Germany
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Gstaad, Switzerland
Recommended Read: The Top 10 Best Luxury Destinations in Europe
Asia
South Asia
- Mumbai, India
- The Maldives
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Bangalore, India
- Thimphu, Bhutan
- Pune, India
- Rajasthan, India
- Kochi, India
Southeast Asia
- Singapore
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Ha Long & Da Nang, Vietnam
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Bali, Indonesia
- Manilla, the Philippines
- Phuket & Pattaya, Thailand
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Palawan, the Philippines
- Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Song Raa, Cambodia
- Hoi An & Nha Trang, Vietnam
- Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Langkawi, Malaysia
- Naka Island, Thailand
- Con Dao & Phu Quoc, Vietnam
- Vientiane, Laos
- Sumba Islands, Indonesia
East Asia
- Hong Kong, China
- Tokyo, Japan
- Shanghai, China
- Seoul, South Korea
- Macau, China
- Sanya & Haikou, Hainan, China
- Busan, South Korea
- Ryukyu Islands, Japan
- Shenzhen, China
- Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Guangzhou, China
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
You May Also Like: 10 Best Luxury Cruise Ports and Destinations in Asia
Pacific/Oceania
- Sydney, Australia
- Melbourne, Australia
- Auckland, New Zealand
- French Polynesia – Bora Bora, Tahiti and Morea
- Perth, Australia
- Gold Coast, Australia
- Queenstown, New Zealand
- Noumea, New Caledonia
- Port Villa, Vanuatu
- Suva, Fiji
- Laucala Island, Fiji
- Federated States of the Micronesia (FSM)
- Palau
- Tokoriki Island, Fiji
- Apia, Samoa
- Rarotonga & Aitutaki, Cook Islands
- Majuro, Marshall Islands
- Vomo Island, Fiji
North America
- New York City, United States
- Miami, United States
- Alaska, United States
- Los Angeles, United States
- San Francisco, United States
- Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
- Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
- Vancouver, Canada
- Merida, Mexico
- Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
- Dana Point, United States
- Santa Barbara, United States
- Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
- San Jose Del Cabo, Baja California, Mexico
- Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico
- Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
- Oceanside, California, United States
- Toronto, Canada
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Maui, Hawaii, United States
- 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
- Panama City, Panama
- Belmopan, Belize
- Roatan, Belize
- San Jose, Costa Rica
- Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica
- Arenal, Costa Rica
- Popoyo, Nicaragua
- San Pedro, Belize
- Hopkins Village, Belize
- Ambergris Caye, Belize
- Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica
- Placencia, Belize
- La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- San Salvador, El Salvador
The Caribbean
- The Bahamas
- Turks & Caicos Islands
- British Virgin Islands (BVI)
- Anguilla
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Puerto Rico
- Dominican Republic
- St. Lucia
- St. Barthelemy
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba
- Barbados
- St. Kitts & Nevis
- Dominica
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- St. Martin
South America
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Salvador, Brazil
- Cordoba, Argentina
- La Paz, Bolivia
- Santiago, Chile
- Cartagena, Columbia
- The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
- Lima, Peru
- Quito, Ecuador
- Cusco, Peru
- Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, Peru
- Mendoza, Argentina
- Atacama Desert, Chile
- Patagonia, Chile/Argentina
Middle East & Western Asia
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Doha, Qatar
- Muscat, Oman
- Manama, Bahrain
- Zaya Nurai Island, UAE
- Yas Island Al Yamm, UAE
- Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Pearl Island, Qatar
- Salalah, Oman
- Aqaba, Jordan
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Saadiyat Island, UAE
See Also: The Best of the Arabian Gulf Region – Countries, Cities and Attractions! And Why You Should Visit
Central Asia
- Astana, Kazakhstan
- Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
- Dushanbe, Tajikistan
- Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
- Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- Bukhara, Uzbekistan
- Khiva, Uzbekistan
- Kashgar, Xingiang, China
Others
- Yerevan, Armenia
- Baku, Azerbaijan
- Tbilisi, Georgia
- Moscow, Russia
- 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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