The best places to visit in 2019 according to experts

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Need holiday ideas for next year? Lonely Planet's 2019 hitlist is out - these are the best places to visit in 2019 according to their travel experts.

Each year, the Lonely Planet guidebook editors put their heads together to compile a list of the best places to visit in the next 12 months. This year, their list comprises 10 brilliant cities, 10 exciting countries, 10 great-value destinations and 10 regions we need to know about.

“These are the places to experience in 2019”, said Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s Editorial Director. “They might be coming into their own, celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime event or simply have been overlooked for too long – whatever the reason, now is the time to plan a trip.”

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The list is published in their Best in Travel 2019 book, which is now in its 14th edition, alongside chapters on great new openings, food experiences and attractions for kids.

If you're after travel inspiration for your 2019 holiday, here's where to go according to their experts:

Top 10 cities

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  1. Copenhagen, Denmark
  2. Shēnzhèn, China
  3. Novi Sad, Serbia
  4. Miami, Florida, USA
  5. Kathmandu, Nepal
  6. Mexico City, Mexico
  7. Dakar, Senegal
  8. Seattle, USA
  9. Zadar, Croatia
  10. Meknès, Morocco

Read more: 9 great European city breaks within 2 hours of the UK

Top 10 countries

© Anton Agarkov / 500px

  1. Sri Lanka
  2. Germany
  3. Zimbabwe
  4. Panama
  5. Kyrgyzstan
  6. Jordan
  7. Indonesia
  8. Belarus
  9. São Tomé and Príncipe
  10. Belize

Read more: 8 trips every woman in her 60s should take

Top 10 regions

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  1. Piedmont, Italy
  2. The Catskills, USA
  3. Northern Peru
  4. The Red Centre, Australia
  5. Scotland’s Highlands and islands
  6. Russian Far East
  7. Gujarat, India
  8. Manitoba, Canada
  9. Normandy, France
  10. Elqui Valley, Chile

Read more: The best destinations for a spiritual break

10 best-value destinations

© Landscape Nature Photo / Shutterstock

  1. Southern Nile Valley, Egypt
  2. Łódź, Poland
  3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA
  4. Maldives
  5. Houston, USA
  6. Argentina
  7. Bangladesh
  8. Albania
  9. Ecuador
  10. Slovenia

Read more: Holiday booking tips and hacks for getting the best travel deals

You can read the full list of the best places visit in 2019 here.

Lottie Gross

Lottie is an NCTJ-trained journalist, an experienced travel writer and an expert in creating compelling digital content. 


Lottie has been in the travel writing business for nearly a decade and has writing and photography bylines at The Telegraph, The Times, The Independent, the i and National Geographic Traveller. She's done broadcast work for BBC Radio 4 and have contributed to a number of guidebooks and coffee table titles during her career.