2025 is right around the corner (in case you hadn’t noticed) and amid the festive mayhem unfurling right now, plenty of travellers have already started looking ahead and organising their travel plans for the new year.
But down your devices, and pause your scrolling – ’s definitive events calendar for the year ahead has landed, and it’s here to provide you with all the travel inspiration you could possibly need for 2025.
We scoured the globe to find the coolest, weirdest and most adventurous events, openings and travel opportunities which you’ll be able to delve into from January, and topping our list of the best things to do in the world for 2025 is a gargantuan, spiritual, city-wide celebration in Rome.
The Italian capital is hosting the Jubilee of Hope, with celebrations for this every-quarter-of-a-century festival kicking off on Christmas Eve and concluding in the first week of January 2026.
The city has spent months preparing for the festivities (much to the disappointment of some unlucky tourists) and could even be launching into schemes to protect food prices (have a read about Rome’s ‘carbonara pact’ here) ahead of the descent of 35 million pilgrims into the city.
But what’s actually happening? Well, throughout the year, Rome’s calendar will be full of events such as processions, masses, free visits to shrines and holy sites, and pilgrimages. A particular highlight is the Seven Churches Pilgrimage, which began in the sixteenth century and involves a 25km walk through the city and countryside between the major basilicas.
However, there are 24 other brilliant things to do on our list. In second place is the chance to walk, cycle or paddle along a brand-new adventure trail in Australia, and in third place is a visit to a brand-new art space in Rotterdam dedicated to fascinating stories of migration.
It’s set to be quite the year! The full list is right here.
Did you see that Europe’s next Capital of Culture has finally been revealed?
Plus: UNESCO has added 66 new traditions to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
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