Destinations

If you’re planning a Greek island holiday and wish to avoid the crowds, have you considered Serifos? Located in the Cyclades, just northwest of Paros and Sifnos, it’s one of the least-visited Greek islands and has a raw, rugged beauty, with rippled brown mountains plunging to broad ultramarine bays. Relatively deserted outside of the main

Phoenix is the heart of the Valley of the Sun. It is the fifth-largest metro area in the US, but this city does not enthusiastically embrace the hustle and bustle of its counterparts. Instead, sunshine and saguaro cacti rule supreme, setting the scene for an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Hikers, bikers, golfers and kayakers can find

Santorini is the supermodel of the Greek islands, a head-turner whose face is instantly recognizable around the world: multicolored cliffs soar out of a sea-drowned volcanic crater, topped by whitewashed buildings. With its reputation for dazzling panoramas, romantic sunsets and volcanic-sand beaches, it’s hardly surprising Santorini features on so many travelers’ bucket lists. If you’re

Wander through a prehistoric wonderland of colorful rock formations, fossils, and prairies in southwest South Dakota. The surreal landscapes of South Dakota’s Badlands National Park were created over millions of years. Rivers raged and winds gusted, depositing layer upon layer of rock until buttes and spires pointed toward the sky. Each layer is a different

While many Mallorcan itineraries begin in Palma, I prefer kicking off my vacation at a more relaxed pace in Sóller. It’s a 35-minute drive from the airport and seems devoted to the things that make me happy: a laid-back atmosphere, a beautifully preserved historic square where families and neighbors gather in the afternoon to chat

Rooksana Hossenally is one of the authors of the new Lonely Planet Paris guidebook. Here she shares her suggestions for the best things to do in Paris that won’t cost you a cent.  Paris’ history and culture draws visitors from all over the world. Given that it’s one of the world’s top 10 most expensive cities, you

Nothing says summer in the USA like heading to the lake. The only challenge is finding the perfect place to make all your summer vacation dreams come true. We asked our expert writers and staff to share their favorite lakes for a vacation, and here are 11 amazing options.  Bear Lake, Utah Recommended by Bailey

While growing up in Dubai in the early 1990s, our family’s culinary adventures were mostly limited to shawarma and falafel takeaways, dining at Indian and Pakistani restaurants, or American fast-food chains. Today, as a travel writer living in Dubai, I’m completely in awe of its wildly exciting dining scene filled with innovative restaurants, avant-garde concepts

Cruising down a quiet, traffic-free river, surrounded by scenic riverfront views is an ideal way to see Europe. You can sip your wine while watching picture-perfect scenery breeze past – taking in castles, medieval villages and fields of flowers.  By necessity, European riverboats are small and passenger numbers are often fewer than 200, making these

Senior Director of Content Laura Motta loves the American West for its intense beauty, endless layers of human and natural history, and its full-on sense of weirdness. She took a road trip from Las Vegas to Great Basin National Park. Here’s what she encountered on the way. When to arrive: Arrive at Las Vegas’s Harry

If there’s one thing New Yorkers know how to do, it’s walk. But the lengthy tip-to-tip adventure is reserved for special occasions (like a milestone birthday à la Broad City, or in this case, a 75-degree day with zero humidity).  On this perfect NYC day, my fellow editor Ann Douglas Lott and I headed to the

I’ve watched Palma’s culinary star shoot high in recent years. Mallorca’s capital is quickly becoming one of the hottest cities in the Med for food. Raiding sea, mountains, meadows, farms and orchards, chefs are elevating stunningly fresh island produce to the extraordinary in dishes full of flair and creativity.  Over the past 20 years, Palma

This article was adapted for digital from Hawai’i, The Big Island, due to publish in August 2024. Written by Ashley Harrell, Jade Bremner and Megan Minor Murray. With its strong, smooth flavor, Kona coffee is some of the world’s best. A trip to the Big Island is therefore incomplete without sampling its premier product (don’t

This article was adapted for digital from the upcoming Hawaii guidebooks: Oahu, Kauai, Maui & Hawaii, The Big Island, all due to be published in August, 2024. Written by Sarah Etinas, Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Ashley Harrell, Jade Bremner, Savannah Dagupion, Malia Yoshioka, Amy Balfour and Megan Minor Murray. Not to be confused with a Snow

As a kid, some of the most thrilling words out of my mom’s mouth were, “Go find your aqua socks.” Like Indiana Jones with his weathered fedora, slipping into my water socks meant adventure was afoot. It also meant we were headed to the only place where I needed such serious pieces of outdoor gear:

Amid inland South Carolina‘s year-round bliss – in Charleston, Columbia and Greenville – the state’s shoreline particularly pops come summertime. South of Myrtle Beach and stretching to the Georgia state line where Savannah awaits, you’ll find South Carolina’s Sea Islands, a stretch of islands each with their own unique ambiance and summer flair. Your options include the family-friendly

Perhaps no other US location has the diversity of Alaska when it comes to hiking. From casual strolls to hardcore alpine scrambling, the state proves itself over and over again as a destination of choice for trekkers. Those seeking solitude should venture out of the main city centers and tackle trails not usually traveled by the

Atlanta is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US, and even though residents have been saying “we full” for years, it doesn’t stop locals from welcoming visitors into our vibrant neighborhoods.  Most visitors choose to stay in and concentrate their time in the city center, or close to it. Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead are

We field this question a lot here at Lonely Planet’s New York City headquarters: Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard?  While you could visit both (both are beloved getaways, both are accessible by ferry, both have airports), summer vacation time (particularly for those from the USA) is criminally limited. And this question deserves an answer.  Associate Editor

The US is vast, so big that choosing between coast or mountains, islands or quaint small towns can get downright overwhelming. But there are some places that we keep going back to year after year, season after season. These places just hit right. The food, the fun, the beauty all combine to make these vacations