Uncovering the Hidden Gems of 2025: Your Ultimate Travel Bucket List

From street art in Spain to heritage homestays in India, these brand-new journeys and experiences for 2025 are all about those moments you’ll remember years from now.

Especially if you’re the type of traveler who believes it doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you’re in good company and bringing that main character energy.

So, whether you’re exploring buffalo ranches in the Canadian Rockies, hiking to the top of a human-made mountain in Copenhagen, or rickshawing through Rajasthan—these new journeys and experiences for 2025 are a chapter worth writing. It’s not just about the places you see, but the stories you gather along the way.

1. See nature and street art in Spain and Portugal

Spend 11 days traveling from Lisbon to Barcelona on the brand-new Essential Spain and Portugal journey. What makes this experience stand out is that it takes you from wild natural landscapes one minute to cultural powerhouse cities the next. Get your adrenaline pumping on the Los Cahorros trail near Granada, where bridges sway over rushing rivers. Slow it down with a street art tour in a lesser-known area of Madrid, taking you beyond the galleries and into the city’s creative heart.

2. Chase waves and wander the coast in Australia

You may be waiting to visit the great land of Oz until you have more time, but with this 17-day journey, you can just do the damn thing. Real Australia is two new Intrepid experiences rolled into one (Sydney to Brisbane and Brisbane to Cairns). As you sweep between vibrant cities and sunbaked shorelines, you’ll go stand-up paddleboarding with the Gumbaynggirr community in Coffs Harbour (known for its stunning beaches) and spend 2 days cruising around the Whitsundays.

3. Climb up rooftops and cruise islands in Scandinavia

Breathe in that fresh Nordic air on Essential Scandinavia—a new adventure to 3 new locations in the 18 to 35s range: Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. Every stop has experiences new to Intrepid, throwing you right into the action from the get-go. Highlights include a hike to Copenhagen’s Copenhill—a man-made ski slope on the roof of an energy plant that turns waste into heat and power—and a ferry to car-free Donso Island in Sweden for forest trails and remote beaches.

4. Discover Rajasthan through the eyes of the locals

You might visit India more than once and still never feel satisfied, but these new hands-on experiences on the Real Rajasthan journey will leave you feeling like you’ve filled your cup. In the desert town of Bikaner, a local family will teach you how to make authentic chai (not the commercial latte version) and then you’ll cook food together. You’ll also experience India’s famous hospitality with a heritage homestay in Khinwara. This journey offers a genuine taste of traditions that will stay with you long after you return home.

5. Walk ancient coastlines and modern metropolises in North Africa

If you’ve been thinking about a desert escape, why not consider Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt? The Essential North Africa journey is the brand-new way to check out these countries as it sweeps from Real Morocco to the pyramids in Egypt. You’ll have opportunities to learn about Berber traditions from a family in the Atlas Mountains, tour Moroccan kasbahs and souks, spend time in Tunisia’s Carthaginian port town of Sidi Bou Said, and kayak around the Valley of the Whales in Egypt, spotting fossils millions of years old.

6. Discover hidden beaches in Albania

If you want to feel like you’ve uncovered a hidden gem in Europe, Real Albania is where you want to be. Forget the super-famous beaches, and find yourself in secluded coves in the Albanian Riviera. Spend your days chasing waves, exploring cliffside paths, and lounging on the sands at Himare and Gijira beaches. Between swims, explore local markets and the UNESCO town of Gjirokaster, whose Ottoman architecture is some of the best-preserved in the Balkans.

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