25 Transformative Travel Experiences In 2025

The year of conscious travel is upon us.

According to the latest world tourism barometer by UN Tourism — international travel is not only expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024 — but a shift towards intentional and immersive travel experiences coupled with travelers growing desire to see and explore the world more ethically in the face of overtourism and climate change is on the rise.

“International tourism is on track to consolidate its full recovery from the biggest crisis in the sector’s history,” UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said. “This recovery also highlights the growing need for tourism planning and managing to cater for its impacts on communities in a way that the immense socio-economic benefits are paired with inclusive and sustainable policies.”

According to a study by The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) 75% of global travelers say want to travel more sustainably in 2025, and the travel industry is working overtime to heed the call.

Earlier this year, Booking.com started badging and filtering accommodations with sustainability certifications. “As a leader in travel, we believe we have a responsibility to preserve and build a world worth experiencing, and to help promote a more sustainable travel industry; culturally, environmentally and socio-economically,”Director of Sustainability Danielle D’Silva tells Forbes.

According to D’Silva, Booking.com’s sustainability program helps address issues around overtourism by encouraging accommodations to reduce resource use within a given destination. “Many of the certifications we display on our platform have requirements related to topics that range from local community engagement and development to sustainability practices that can help our partners conserve their resources, such as energy, water, and waste,” D’Silva said. “If done with respect for the world’s communities, environments and biodiversity, travel can broaden horizons, reduce barriers and bring people closer together.”

According to Naya Traveler Sales Director, Jennifer McClymont, crafting a sustainable trip starts by selecting destinations and experiences that prioritize the well-being of the local environment, community, and economy.

“A great first step is to seek out eco-conscious accommodations including eco-lodges and hotels that incorporate energy-efficient designs, renewable energy sources, or locally sourced building materials,” McClymont said.

As today’s travelers continue to seek out meaningful, immersive experiences that contribute to the economies, cultures, communities, and wildlife of the places they visit, from a hot spring hopping adventure across the Azores and hut-to-hut hiking in Slovenia to a sustainable Bear Camp in Alaska, here are 25 transformative and eco-conscious ways to see and explore the world in 2025.

Go Off The Grid At Bear Camp

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

‘Conservation through exploration’ company Natural Habitat Adventures’ offers a variety of immersive group trip experiences from a brand new Rhino Conservation Safari in Kenya to a newly minted Rainforest to Rocky Mountain Trans-Mountain train adventure.

If you’re looking for the ultimate adrenaline rush in 2025, Nat Hab’s Alaska Bear Camp is a remote, off-grid sustainable base camp in one of the wildest places on earth, according to the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer Court Wheland. “This intimate, awe-inspiring experience has tremendous positive benefits, adding tourism value to brown bears—currently under threat via Alaska’s Prop 75—and inspiring people to become advocates, storytellers, and defenders of these often-feared animals,” Wheland tells Forbes.

Set along the shores of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, the expedition team is comprised of bear naturalists and professional photographers and working in tandem with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Bear Camp is an “awe-inspiring” and intimate look into one of the most impressive animals on earth within one of Alaska’s most breathtaking national parks.

Hike Japan’s ‘Fairytale Forest’

Yakushima Island, Japan

Just off the coast of Kyushu, Yakushima Island is considered one of the greenest and most under touristed areas of Southern Japan. Accessible via 30-minute plane ride or ferry from mainland Kyushu in the Kagoshima prefecture, this under-the-radar destination is home to Japan’s only undersea hot spring, a thriving loggerhead turtle nesting ground, and a thousand-year-old fairytale forest.

On the east side of the island, Yakusugi Museum features exhibits about the region’s cedar forests. With 90% of the island covered in dense forest, in addition to being one of the greenest and most beautiful getaways for nature lovers, this beguiling destination is an excellent alternative consider on your next visit.

Head For The Hills In Tennessee

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Set amongst 182 acres of wooded terrain near the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Under Canvas offers safari-style tents ideal for nature lovers. The company partners with The Nature Conservancy—a global environmental nonprofit to help fun and raise awareness for conservation efforts in 82 countries and counting around the world.

In Tennessee’s Sequatchie Valley, Bolt Farm Treehouse is the adults-only brainchild of husband-wife team Seth and Tori Bolt and offers an array of sustainably built treehouses, geometric domes, and mirror cabins. In partnership with One Tree Planted, a non-profit organization focused on reforestation in the Appalachian region, for every reservation made at Bolt Farm, a tree is planted in order to contribute to reforestation efforts and sustainability.

Take A Sustainable City Break

Helsinki, Finland

With the goal of becoming entirely carbon-neutral by 2035, Helsinki, Finland is perennially ranked among the most sustainable cities on earth. The first thing you should do is purchase the Helsinki Card — a city pass that provides access to public transportation, museums including the Museum of Contemporary Art and the new central library Oodi — among other can’t miss attractions.

Foraging in Finland with a local tour guide named Anna is a sustainable experience not to be missed, as is the Baltic Sea Clean Up via kayak excursion that comes with the option to warm up in a sauna afterwards.

Opened in 2024, Hotel NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa opened it’s spectacular city-center doors, and set across two of the city’s Art Nouveau style buildings, from a spacious ground floor spa to a stunning rooftop cocktail bar called Kupoli, this Scandi-style home base is ideal for your next sustainable city break. Don’t skip town without paying a visit to Löyly. Not only is this the Helsinki’s most picturesque place to enjoy a traditional sauna and cold plunge, but his iconic spa now offers an incredible five-course Finnish tasting menu.

Hut-To-Hut Hiking In Slovenian Alps

Julian Alps, Slovenia

Ideal for nature-loving and sustainability minded travelers, Slovenia offers a bounty of hyperlocal experiences and beautiful mountain scenery. For a one of a kind hiking trip you’ll never forget, this five-day hut-to-hut hiking trip will take you through the Julian Alps whose high mountain pastures and Seven lakes Valley along the magnificent Soča River as you stay in local mountain huts along the way.

Pre or post hike, treat yourself to a sumptuous stay at the luxurious new Vila Muhr which opened in September 2024 just above Lake Bohinj in the heart of the Julian Alps.

Trace The Dakota’s Native Trails

North and South Dakota, USA

Trafalgar’s nine-day National Parks & Native Trails of the Dakotas will take travelers through North and South Dakota where they’ll have the chance to visit four indigenous Native American tribes.

At each reservation, travelers will meet with members of the tribes to get their unique perspectives into the life, history, culture, and traditions of the tribal nations of South and North Dakota. These visits are helping bolster the tribes efforts to establish tribal tourism as a viable new economy and support the education of tribal stories and history and help foster Lakota values. This incredible itinerary also includes a visit to South Dakota’s Badlands and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Go Glamping In Greenland

Nuuk, Greenland

Historically, the vast majority of tourism to Greenland has been centered around cruise ship travel around the country. Now thanks to a new international airport that opened in the capital of Nuuk, Greenland is more accessible than ever.

According to luxury tour operator Black Tomato, glamping experiences will define tourism to inland Greenland in 2025. Among some notable new highlights of their new Greenland 2025 itinerary are Camp Kiattua, a tranquil Greenlandic wilderness haven set in the second largest fjord system in the world and Camp Saqqaq, a luxury tented camp limited to just ten guests at a time perched on the edge of Greenland’s breathtaking Disko Bay.

Nomad Greenland is a reputable local tour company based in Nuuk, and arranges everything from glamping in the Greenland wilderness and puffin safaris to guided art and cultural art walks around local villages and Arctic foraging.

Take A Women-Only Adventure in Mexico

Central Mexico

Whether you’re traveling solo or are interested in joining a small nature-centric, women-only group, Natural Habitat Adventures offers some incredible Women In the Wild experiences in destinations around the world.

This year, in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Nat Hab’s Kingdom of The Monarch’s tour will take travelers on foot and horseback to witness the magic of Central Mexico’s great butterfly migration.

Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda

Volcanos National Park, Rwanda

Ecotourism operator Wilderness opened Wilderness Bisate Reserve in 2024, and with 360-degree views over all six of Virunga’s dormant volcanoes, it’s one of the best ways to experience a private gorilla trek directly from camp.

Thanks to their new food concept that fuses East African flavors with simplicity and sustainability, the camp offers seasonal menus, on-site produce, and local staples. In June 2025, Wilderness will open Magashi Camp in Akagera National Park, further enhancing the full circuit safari experience within Rwanda.

Pack Your Bags For Patagonia

Cerro Castillo National Park, Chile

Specializing in small group tours in Central and South America, Pura Aventura’s Off the Beaten Track Patagonia takes travelers through some of Patagonia’s most undiscovered locales. Over the course of this 17-day trek, you’ll visit tranquil lakeside villages, hike Cerro Castillo National Park and stay in secluded eco-lodges along the way.

If you’re looking for a hotel to call home, set just outside of Puerto Varas, Chile along the shores of Lake Llanquihue, Hotel AWA is an excellent eco-friendly hotel and excellent jumping off point for exploring the northern reaches of Chilean Patagonia.

A Trans-Mongolian Train Adventure

Beijing, China to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The largest travel global B Corporation, Intrepid Travel offers a wide variety of experience-centric group tours on every continent including their brand new Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure.

Over the course of fully immersive 11-day itinerary, you’ll travel from Beijing, China to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia via Trans-Mongolian Railway where in addition to seeing some incredible landscapes along the way, you’ll spend two nights at a traditional ger camp and share a home-cooked lunch with a local camel herder among other hyperlocal experiences.

Take A Walk On Tasmania’s Wild Side

Tasman National Park, Australia

If sweeping ocean vistas, ancient rainforests, and gorgeous eco-lodges in the heart of Tasmania’s Tasman National Park sound appealing then Tasmanian Walking Company’s Three Capes Adventure Walk is for you. Over the course of this five-day tour, you’ll explore coastal trails and dine on locally sourced ingredients and Tasmanian wine.

In 2026, the company will launch Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk, a five-day, fully guided journey through the heart of Australia’s most iconic landmarks including Kata Tjuta and Uluru combining adventure, cultural immersion, and the awe-inspiring beauty of Australia’s outback.

Hang Out With Sloths In Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

Small group tour company G Adventures has partnered with National Geographic Expeditions to launch a Highlights of Costa Rica experience.

Over the course of this nine-day journey, you’ll go zip-lining in the surrounding cloud forest, tour a local coffee cooperative whose proceeds benefit the local community, cook and eat a traditional meal in the home of a local family, and explore the jungles of Manuel Antonio National Park where you’ll come face-to-face with howler monkeys, sloths, and toucans.

Stay in A Sea Cabin and See Norway’s Northern Lights

Lofoten Islands, Norway

Astro-tourism is going to be a huge trend in 2025, and Scandinavian travel curator Up Norway has curated the ultimate Northern Light Adventure.

Over the course of this seven-day journey, you’ll make your way across Norway’s Steigen and the Lofoten Islands via passenger ferries as you hunt the illusive Northern Lights. While chasing the aurora, you can engage in arctic surfing, kayaking, or simply immerse in the region’s rich cultural heritage and stunning natural landscapes. Home base will be in one of the architecturally stunning Manshausen Sea Cabin.

Visit Ecuador’s Ethereal Cloud Forest And Eco Lodge

Maquipucuna Reserve, Ecuador

Less than two hours outside of Quito at the foot of Ecuador’s Chocó Andino Biosphere reserve, Maquipucuna Reserve and Eco Lodge is nestled alongside the Umachaca River and is an excellent home base for your Ecuadorian eco-friendly adventure.

The closest privately protected rainforest from Quito spanning over 14,000 acres, the reserve is one of the earth’s top three biodiversity hotspots and home to the largest congregation of Andean bears. Book a stay at this family-owned eco-lodge which is a great jumping off point for exploring the areas diverse ecosystem while dining on locally sourced cuisine.

Book A Coastal Bike Ride Across Northern Spain

Catalonia to Costa Brava, Spain

Northeastern Spain’s charming coastal towns, stunning architect and unique cultural identity have long made it a boon for travelers. Now you an experience it all on a biking adventure with EF Adventures that starts in Catalonia and ends in Costa Brava, Spain.

With six days of guided rides curated by professional cyclists, this tour invites seasoned cyclists to experiences some of Spain’s most stunning landscapes, from Girona’s iconic climbs to the serene beauty of Lake Banyoles and the rugged coastal charm of Tossa de Mar.

Take A ‘Swisstainable’ Train Tour

Swiss Alps, Switzerland

The world’s first (and only) ‘Swisstainable’ train tour, Trafalgar’s new Contrasts of Switzerland is an immersive eight-day journey that takes travelers from Zürich and St. Moritz to Zermatt, Geneva, and Lucerne.

Featuring eco-friendly accommodations, experiences, and meals along the way, highlights of this tour include the company’s MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences that supports small, women-owned businesses.

‘Slow Travel’ Walking Tour Of Madeira

Madeira, Portugal

According to Hilton’s 2025 Vacation Trends report, ‘slow travel’ which the chain defines as ‘immersing oneself into a destination for an extended time as a local to fully experience the culture,’ is arguably the best way to soak up the Portuguese island of Madeira.

On Backroads brand new Walking and Hiking Tour, you’ll wind your way along a 600-year-old system of aqueducts that crisscross the islands emerald mountains, hike through the lush valley of Sao Vicente, and savor farm-fresh local dishes and wines. This six day, five-night tour is an incredible way to see and experience this beguiling island destination, while staying in some Madeira’s most elegant resorts along the way.

See South Africa’s Great Marine Migration

Wild Coast, South Africa

Designed for swimmers, snorkelers, divers and anyone looking for a truly spectacular marine-to-bush bucket list adventure, luxury travel company &Beyond’s Africa’s Greatest Marine Migration Expedition is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

This limited edition itinerary starts with a marine safari to see the great sardine migration and includes a stay at GweGwe Beach Lodge in the Mkambati Nature Reserve followed by three nights at &Beyond’s Phinda Private Game Reserve for game drives and interpretive nature walks. The proceeds of this incredible journey will go toward the Oceans Without Borders fund encouraging a positive change across our marine footprint.

Set Sail On A Spice Island Expedition

Ternate – Komodo National Park, Indonesia

Bali has been experiencing the brunt of overtourism in recent years. If you’re keen on experiencing the less touristed side of this beguiling destination, SeaTrek Sailing Adventures offers two traditional wooden pinisi sailing ships that will take you through some of Indonesia’s most remote regions. 1,200 miles northeast of Bali, SeaTrek’s Spice Islands to the Dragon Islands expedition is a 16-day sailing “designed for the true adventure traveler.”

If you’re keen on keeping your boots on land, small group adventure company Explore! now offers an itinerary called Discover Bali, Flores, and Komodo Islands. On this 12-day itinerary, you’ll visit tribal villages and explore lush jungles, paddy fields, and stunning archipelagos while learning about community projects and local women-owned cooperatives.

Indulge At An Italian Eco-Wellness Retreat

Italian Dolomites

Perched on a mountaintop in the Italian Dolomites, FORESTIS is a seriously luxe adults-only eco-retreat. With just 62-suites and a ten-bedroom villa ideal for small groups or families, this family-owned a boutique is the ultimate transformative wellness getaway.

The property’s signature “forest cuisine” showcases culinary artistry with ingredients sourced from local farmers. The real star of the show is the FORESTIS Spa, whose treatments includes a three-hour Tree Ceremony and Stay Retreat designed around the essentiality of the environment and the preventive and healing functions of nature.

Take A Scandinavian ‘Coolcation’

Copenhagen, Denmark

Defined by the tourism industry as vacations to more temperate climates, ‘Coolcations,’ are poised to be one of the biggest travel trends to look out for in the year ahead.

In 2025, new direct routes between the U.S. and Copenhagen on Scandinavian Airlines(SAS) and Delta will make the journey to your next Scandinavian ‘coolcation’ that much easier. Opening in January 2025, Park Lane Copenhagen is set in a former former 1920s cinema just north of Copenhagen in Hellerup, and will feature luxurious suites, original stucco, and a cozy cafe. Don’t miss a meal nearby at Michelin-starred The Samuelwhich will be reopening in a former townhouse in March.

Stay and Soak Sustainably In PEI

Prince Edward Island, Canada

On track to become both 100% sustainable and 100% energy self-sufficient in 2025, Mysa Nordic Spa & Resort on Prince Edward Island, Canada is one green getaway you don’t want to miss.

Located on St Peters Bay, in addition to the thermal Nordic spa and blissful massage treatments, the resort invites guests to book a stay in their newly renovated cottages on Sunday’s through Thursday’s via their Stay & Give package, where $10 from every booking goes to the Abegweit Conservation Society, a charity focused on the protection and conservation of Prince Edward Island’s natural resources.

Seek Out Sun Bears in Borneo

Borneo, Malaysia

Group travel company Contiki will host their first trip to the Malaysian part of Borneo in 2025. Over the course of their nine-day Borneo Adventure, travelers and wildlife lovers will get the chance to seek out orangutans, pygmy elephants, sun bears, and proboscis monkeys.

With visits to Bako National Park and a day on the Selingan Turtle Island where travelers can witness the rare sight of turtles laying eggs on the beach, this unique trip also includes a cruise along the Kinabatangan River for even more wildlife watching.

Hot Spring Hop Across the Azores

São Miguel, Azores

Off the coast of Portugal, The Azores are not only one of Europe’s most enchanting island destinations, but the world’s first archipelago to be certified by EarthCheck’s Sustainable Destination program is the ultimate eco-friendly adventure in 2025.

From hot spring hopping your way between islands to hiking volcanic craters and kayaking through shimmering lagoons, Azores Getaways offers a variety of group tours and self guided trips throughout the year.

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